Professional development of physical education faculty in multidisciplinry institutions of higher education: philosophical dimension

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Professional development of physical education faculty in multidisciplinry institutions of higher education: philosophical dimension

Nataliya Mukan,

Sc.D. (Education), Full Professor, Professor of the Department of Pedagogy and Innovative Education, Lviv Polytechnic National University (Lviv, Ukraine)

Fedir Zagura,

PhD (Physical Education and Sports), Associate Professor, The Head of the Department of Athletic Sports, Ivan Boberskyi Lviv State University of Physical Culture and Sports (Lviv, Ukraine)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the research of the problem of physical education faculty' professional development in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education in the context of philosophy. The aim of the article is to single out the specifics of physical education faculty' professional development in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education in the philosophical dimension. To achieve the aim of the study, the theoretical research methods were used: analysis and synthesis for processing scientific literature; generalization and systematization for processing the received data and formulating conclusions.

The professional development of specialists is considered from the perspective of progressivism, existentialism, constructivism, connectivism. According to progressivism, the professional development of physical education faculty is considered through the prism of individual abilities and their development during the process of active construction of knowledge in a practice-oriented academic environment of a higher education institution. In the context of existentialism, we consider the professional development of physical education faculty as a toolkit for the development of the personality. The ideas of constructivism are extrapolated to the professional development, since the latter provides opportunities for the active construction of a knowledge system, based on the study of the peculiarities of the professional sphere, the identification of regularities in its development, organization and functioning, which allow predicting the results of professional activity. According to cognitivism professional development is a complex process that requires cognitive and emotional participation in individual and collective format, the ability and desire to find out one's own place in terms of beliefs and principles, as well as familiarization and implementation of innovations in practice. From the perspective of connectivism, we consider the professional development of physical education faculty as many opportunities for obtaining information, processing it, distinguishing its most important elements, realizing the connections between various sources and the content of information with the aim of their further use for personal and professional growth by using modern information and communication technologies.

Keywords: physical education faculty; multidisciplinary institution of higher education, professional development, philosophical dimension, progressivism, existentialism, constructivism, connectivism.

Анотація

Професійний розвиток викладачів фізичного виховання в багатогалузевих закладах вищої освіти: філософський вимір

Наталія Мукан,

доктор педагогічних наук, професор, професор кафедри педагогіки та інноваційної освіти, Національний університет «Львівська політехніка» (м. Львів, Україна)

Федір Загура,

кандидат наук з фізичного виховання і спорту, доцент, завідувач кафедри атлетичних видів спорту, Львівський державний університет фізичної культури і спорту імені Івана Боберського (м. Львів, Україна)

Статтю присвячено дослідженню проблеми професійного розвитку викладачів фізичного виховання багатогалузевих закладів вищої освіти в контексті філософії. Метою статті є виокремлення специфіки професійного розвитку викладачів фізичного виховання багатогалузевих закладів вищої освіти у філософському вимірі. Для досягнення мети дослідження використано теоретичні методи дослідження: аналіз та синтез; узагальнення та систематизація.

Професійний розвиток фахівців розглядається з позицій прогресивізму, екзистенціалізму, конструктивізму, конективізму. Відповідно до прогресивізму професійний розвиток викладачів фізичного виховання розглядається крізь призму індивідуальних здібностей та їх розвитку в процесі активного конструювання знань у практико-орієнтованому академічному середовищі закладу вищої освіти. У контексті екзистенціалізму проаналізовано професійний розвиток викладачів фізичного виховання як інструмент розвитку особистості. Ідеї конструктивізму екстраполюються на професійний розвиток, оскільки останній надає можливості для активної побудови системи знань, заснованої на вивченні особливостей професійної сфери, виявленні закономірностей її розвитку, організації та функціонування. Відповідно до когнітивізму, професійний розвиток - це складний процес, який вимагає когнітивної та емоційної участі в індивідуальному та колективному форматі, здатності та бажання з'ясувати власне місце з точки зору переконань та принципів, а також ознайомлення і впровадження інновацій на практиці. З точки зору конективізму розглянуто професійний розвиток викладачів фізичного виховання як можливості для здобуття інформації, її обробки, виокремлення найважливіших елементів, усвідомлення зв'язків між різними джерелами та змістом інформації задля їхнього подальшого використання.

Ключові слова: викладачі фізичного виховання, багатогалузевий заклад вищої освіти, професійний розвиток, філософський вимір, прогресивізм, екзистенціалізм, конструктивізм, конективізм.

INTRODUCTION

The problem formulation. The problem of professional development of modern university faculty is topical at the beginning of the 21st century. It is considered by researchers in various fields of scientific knowledge: philosophy, anthropology, economics and management, psychology, andragogy etc. Interest for the problem of university faculty professional development is justified by its significance for social, economic, political, cultural development of society. It is about the updating of knowledge, the formation and development of skills that meet the requirements of society for employees of the higher education system, in the conditions of which specialists are trained for various branches of the economy. The formation of professional competence of university graduates is important as well as the formation of general competences necessary for functioning in society. Physical education faculty participate in the training of specialists of all specialties in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education. Their functions include the performance of organizational, educational, methodological, scientific, international, health-prophylactic, sports-leisure, sports work. We are convinced that the specificity of the activity of physical education faculty requires constant updating of knowledge, mastering of new knowledge, which can be implemented within the framework of the professional development system.

The confirmation of this thesis can be found in publications covering various aspects of the research problem: theoretical basis and methodological approaches (Vasyliuk, 2017); progressivism (Fediuk, 2022; Brady, 2022; Dewey, 1938; Elias, & Merriam, 2004), existentialism (Hanaway, 2021; Ricablanca, Gabutan, & Nabua, 2019), constructivism (Dolska, 2018; Kyrychenko, & et al., 2022; Mukan, & Hrohodza, 2013; Ma, & Ren, 2011; Rout, & Behera, 2014), cognitivism (Clark, 2018; Mezirow, 1991), connectivism (Vorotnykova, 2016; Tkachuk, Stetsenko, & Stetsenko, 2018; Downes, 2007; Kropf, 2013).

AIM AND TASKS OF RESEARCH

However, the problem of professional development of physical education faculty in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education requires the study of both the practical component and its theoretical foundations. The aim of the article is to single out the specifics of physical education faculty' professional development in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education in the philosophical dimension. In accordance with the aim, the following research tasks are defined: 1) to present the results of the analysis of the source base, which highlights the research problem; 2) to justify the expediency of considering physical education faculty' professional development in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education through the prism of philosophy.

RESEARCH METHODS

To achieve the aim of the study, the theoretical research methods were used: analysis and synthesis for processing scientific literature; generalization and systematization for processing the received data and formulating conclusions.

RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH

professional development physical education

The search and processing of documentary sources, reports and recommendations of international organizations, the analysis of scientific and pedagogical literature on the research problem, the study of the peculiarities of the organization and provision of professional development of physical education faculty in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education require the processing and systematization of information, the study of theories, concepts, ideas, principles, methodological approaches in order to highlight those key positions that will allow predicting the possibilities of improving the existing practice, modelling the system of professional development of physical education faculty and the conditions in which its implementation will be characterized by high quality and efficiency.

It is worth mentioning, that a thorough analysis of the source base of the research gives reasons to justify the need to consider the problem of professional development of physical education faculty from the perspective of various branches of scientific knowledge, in particular philosophy.

The professional development of a specialist should be considered through the prism of a “person”, his knowledge of himself, his development, life in society, functioning in a professional environment. “Professional activity is one of the leading spheres of a person's life, since it is in the process of its implementation that self-actualization and self-realization of the individual takes place. It is professional activity that acts as a conscious activity and is aimed at improving the personality and achieving professionalism and professional success in accordance with the modern requirements of

the profession. After all, in today's realities, the professionalism of an individual is an integral factor in his success and effectiveness” (Strelbytska, 2022, p. 201).

The potential and tools of appropriate consideration are provided by philosophy, in particular the philosophy of education, which determines the search for truth. We understand philosophy as a complete system of ideas about the essence of a person and the reality in which he lives, as well as a way of life, awareness of his place in society and attitude to the surrounding reality.

In the context of philosophy, the professional development of specialists is considered from the perspective of progressivism, existentialism, constructivism, connectivism, etc. According to the main theses of progressivism, as a philosophical trend (Dewey, 1938; Elias, & Merriam, 2004), which involves “the interaction of education and the social community and the democratization of education” (Terenko, 2018, p. 572), the professional development of physical education faculty should be considered through the prism of individual abilities and their development during the process of active construction of knowledge in a practice-oriented academic environment of a higher education institution.

Researchers emphasize that progressivism, “based on human experience as the basis of the learning process, justifies the expediency of providing practical knowledge and skills, increasing social responsibility of a person, which allows not only to adapt in society, but also provides knowledge and skills for creative actions to improve society” (Vasyliuk, 2017, p. 18).

Existentialism deserves attention and analysis, in the context of which we consider the professional development of physical education faculty in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education as a toolkit for the development of the personality of a scientific and pedagogical employee. His main task is to know himself (Ricablanca, Gabutan, & Nabua, 2019), as well as the construction of such an academic environment in which all participants in the educational process have the opportunity to preserve and develop their own personal identity, their own pedagogical style, the uniqueness of the pedagogical experience. “Existentialists believe that each person is unique, and education should consider individual differences. Therefore, the goal of education is to enable each person to develop the unique qualities, use potential, and cultivate individuality” (Ricablanca, Gabutan, & Nabua, 2019, p. 1).

From the perspective of existentialism, it is worth considering professional development as a system within which the personality of a physical education faculty is formed, who is able to analyse the realities of the professional environment, make balanced decisions that have a direct impact on the students, their formation as specialists who not only possess the relevant knowledge, but also understand their own role in the social, political, economic, and cultural development of society. This is claimed in the scientific publications of modern researchers (Brady, 2022; Hanaway, 2021).

As Fediuk (2022) notes, “scientific and pedagogical employees should be considered within such forms of being as spiritual and social, which represent their connection with specific layers of reality (science and imparting knowledge)” (p. 478). The author argues that “scientific and pedagogical employees can find options for their true existence, which consist in a combination of all types of their professional orientation and development, the abilities and skills foreseen by them. Moreover, the possible options are necessarily supported by thinking about certain meanings that constitute the axiological aspects of life choice” (Fediuk, 2022, p. 480), which, in our opinion, can be implemented in the conditions of a professional development system organized by a higher education institution.

We attach great importance to the analysis of physical education faculty' professional development in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education through the prism of constructivism (Ma, & Ren, 2011; Rout, & Behera, 2014; Mukan, & Hrohodza, 2013). In the scientific literature, we find a definition of “constructivism” concept. It is noted that constructivism is “1) a methodological guideline according to which scientific knowledge is constructed by the scientific community, which seeks to describe and build a model of the natural world; 2) an interdisciplinary discourse covering many areas of scientific research, which examines the issue of the relation of knowledge to objective reality from the point of view of its construction; 3) assumes that the world does not depend on the human mind, but knowledge of the world is always a mental and social construction, actively constructed by the subject of knowledge; 4) an educational instruction, the key idea of which is that knowledge cannot be transferred in a ready-made form, learning is an active process in which the subject of educational activity constructs new ideas and concepts based on his own experience and knowledge” (Kyrychenko, & et al., 2022, с. 45).

According to the principles of constructivism, learning is an active process of knowledge construction: “cognition is perceived not as a reflection, but as an active construction of a model of the world by those who learn, which is achieved by the active participation of everybody, when everyone is in a certain social group and not only learns alone, but also teaches others, creates new knowledge” (Vorotnykova, 2016, p. 147).

The results of the analysis of philosophical and scientific-pedagogical literature show that the ideas of constructivism can be extrapolated to the professional development of scientific-pedagogical employees of modern universities, since the latter provides opportunities for the active construction of a knowledge system, based on the study of the peculiarities of the professional sphere, the identification of regularities in its development, organization and functioning, which allow predicting the results of professional activity. “Effective professional development experiences involve helping educators develop new understandings of the teaching and learning process. To ensure effectiveness, it is necessary that professional development provides an opportunity for educators to apply the knowledge they have mastered in direct professional activity” (Rout, & Behera, 2014, p. 9).

The formation of cognitive structures, in particular models, metaphors, symbols, relationships between concepts, which the teacher constructs during participation in professional development programs, are unique and individual, as they are based on the experience of an individual person and a specialist. Building the professional development of physical education faculty based on the ideas of constructivism involves establishing close connections between new knowledge and previously acquired, life and professional experience.

Researchers emphasize that the effectiveness of professional development, in the context of the ideas of constructivism, is based on the simultaneous combination of the role of “a teacher” and “a learner”, performed by participants of professional development programs (Darling-Hammond, & McLaughlin, 1995; Rout, & Behera, 2014). That is, on the one hand, they master knowledge as “learners”, and on the other hand, they realize their essence, connect them with previous knowledge and their own experience, predict the possibilities of their application in practice, possessing the appropriate amount of knowledge that they have mastered during initial professional training. In the context of constructivism, the professional development of physical education faculty in multidisciplinary higher education institutions should involve the implementation of specific pedagogical tasks, the mastery and application of assessment methods, observation, reflection of one's own experience of organizing the educational process, training of students; joint implementation of pedagogical research and experiments based on examples from practice in a professional community, which involves the exchange of ideas and experience. Researchers (Rout, & Behera, 2014) emphasize the continuity of professional development, the application of the potential of modelling, coaching, and collegial learning, which, in our opinion, cannot be provided by individual professional development programs, but can be implemented by building an integrated system of faculty' professional development in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education.

We agree that “constructivism focuses on the process of learning that can be applied to teaching, because teaching is learning, and the process of professional development is only a process of learning. ... Professional development becomes possible only when the teacher reflects critically, because reflective teaching is a process of self-learning. ... Educators must independently formulate problems and find ways to solve them, since there are no universal methods or approaches capable of providing the most effective teaching” (Ma, & Ren, 2011, p. 153).

Cognitivism is important to our research (Clark, 2018), within which we consider the professional development of physical education faculty in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education from the perspective of cognitive processes that form the basis of the activity and training of a scientific and pedagogical employee. We agree with the thesis that professional development consists in teachers learning, learning new things, learning to learn, and using their own knowledge in practice for the development of students. The professional training of teachers is a complex process that requires cognitive and emotional participation in individual and collective format, the ability and desire to find out one's own place in terms of beliefs and principles, as well as familiarization and implementation of innovations in practice (Avalos, 2010).

Vorotnykova (2016) claims, that “... knowledge is considered as symbolic mental constructions in the learner's mind, and the learning process is a means by which these symbolic representations are manifested and remembered” (p. 146), which we believe especially relevant in the context of ensuring compliance with the content of faculty' professional development, selection of appropriate forms, methods, and models.

The transformative theory of adult learning (Mezirow, 1991) deserves research attention, according to which during learning in adulthood, not only knowledge is acquired, but a new interpretation of previous experience appears, and this, in turn, serves as a guide for future actions and opens opportunities for an adult to enter public life in a new capacity. The transformative theory substantiates the idea that learning is based on critical reflection, metacognitive thinking. “The transformative theory of adult education is based on the idea that prospective transformations of the personality have three dimensions: psychological (changes in self-understanding), value (revision of the belief system) and behavioural (changes in lifestyle). An adult's set of beliefs is transformed by critically rethinking the assumptions on which his interpretations, thoughts, habits of mind, point of view, etc. are built” (Pukhovska, 2021, p. 58).

Researchers single out several dimensions of personality transformation realized because of reflection. It is a psychological, behavioural and value dimension. Professional development involves the acquisition of knowledge, the formation and development of practical skills and the skills of their application in professional activities, the formation of universal and professional values and attitudes. As for the behavioural dimension, we can interpret it in the following way: the effectiveness of professional development programs should be measured by the influence they have on the behaviour and activities of faculty, and therefore changes in the educational process of the students with whom they work, the achievement of learning outcomes.

Considering the peculiarities of society development at the beginning of the 21st century, we attach special importance to connectivism (Downes, 2007; Dolska, 2018; Tkachuk, Stetsenko, & Stetsenko, 2018). We believe that the development of connectivism is a response to the rapidity of changes in modern society caused by the processes of globalization, scientific and technological progress, and the rapid spread of information. From the perspective of connectivism, we consider the professional development of physical education faculty in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education as a large number of opportunities for obtaining information, processing it, distinguishing its most important elements, realizing the connections between various sources and the content of information with the aim of their further use for personal and professional growth by using modern information and communication technologies.

Here, we attach special significance to online learning. As Kropf (2013) states, “transformed into a large collaborative learning environment, the Internet consists of information repositories, such as online classrooms, social networks, and virtual reality or simulated communities, in which information is rapidly created, reproduced, shared, and delivered” (p. 13).

According to Dolska (2018), “since a learning individual cannot test all knowledge in practice, he “goes” on the experience of others, which makes it possible to gain knowledge by gathering knowledge carriers in the network. The main thesis of connectivism is the ability to constantly connect specialized nodes, sources of information that contribute to building a network. By nodes, the authors understand elements that are combined with other elements. Hence the task of

connectivism: learning is to include oneself in the network system and actively use all its possible tools” (p. 152). It is further emphasized that “learning in an educational environment based on the principles of connectivism is an active process that can be supported from the outside in the conditions of combining information resources, which make it possible to develop and form a higher level of understanding and awareness of phenomena, processes, objects being studied” (Tkachuk, Stetsenko, & Stetsenko, 2018, p. 248).

CONCLUSIONS AND PROSPECTS OF FURTHER RESEARCH

So, as the research results show, the professional development of physical education faculty in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education is grounded on a philosophical basis, in particular on the ideas of progressivism, existentialism, constructivism, connectivism.

To the prospects of further research on the problem of professional development of physical education faculty in multidisciplinary institutions of higher education, we include the analysis of a scientific problem from the perspective of anthropology. psychology, economics, and management.

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