Online Internship in a Foreign Country as a Factor Promoting Novice Teachers’ Motivation to Pursue their Teaching Career

Актуальность представленного в статье исследования обусловлена заметным снижением мотивации к педагогической профессии у студентов, обучающихся в настоящее время на педагогических направлениях подготовки, о чем свидетельствует статистика трудоустройства выпускников, и необходимостью поиска педагогическим сообществом эффективных путей повышения уровня мотивации к профессиональной деятельности у будущих учителей. Авторы статьи рассматривают такой способ повышения мотивации будущих педагогов, как педагогическая стажировка, на примере многолетнего опыта участия в зарубежной педагогической стажировке одного из региональных вузов. В статье кратко представлены результаты анкетирования 42 студентов, обучавшихся на педагогических специальностях и направлениях Псковского государственного университета и участвовавших в зарубежной педагогической стажировке в разные годы, начиная с 1991 года. Обобщенные результаты исследования могут послужить ориентирами в процессе теоретической разработки и дальнейшего практического внедрения в учебный процесс такой формы профессиональной подготовки будущих педагогов, как зарубежная педагогическая стажировка в онлайн-формате с целью повышения их мотивации к будущей педагогической деятельности. The relevance of the research is accounted for by a noticeable decline in students’ motivation to choose a teaching career. The statistics shows that graduates of pedagogical universities choose not to work as teachers. Therefore, the teaching community should elaborate efficient means to motivate novice teachers to pursue their teaching career. The authors of the article believe that teaching internship is an effective motivational technique. They investigate the role of teaching internship at the example of a regional university. The article presents the results of a questionnaire which involved 42 novice teachers who studied in Pskov State University and participated in teaching internships (starting with 1991). The results of the research can be used as guidelines for internship curriculum development and implementation and will serve to improve students’ motivation for choosing teaching as a career.

Enhancing students’ employability skills and experiential learning through integration of Xero software

Introducing XERO Accounting software into a core accounting unit can have many benefits for students, including improving their professional skills and enhancing their employability. However, it is important that students gain knowledge and skills in all aspects of the software as well as understanding the accounting processes that underlie the software’s operations. This paper presents an overview of implementation of Xero software, in a core accounting course, at a regional university in Australia. Student numbers ranged from 24-63 across the semesters studied. We highlight and discuss the processes adopted to appropriately scaffold students’ learning and assessment. We assess the effectiveness of the intervention by observing student engagement with specially developed videos and measuring student results in associated assessment tasks over three offerings of the course. The provision of a suite of learning opportunities, (training and use of excel and Xero accounting software) translated to improved student outcomes on the technologyrelated assessment items. Few students who viewed the learning videos contacted the course teaching team for further assistance, suggesting the videos were an effective resource that provided enhanced learning opportunities for students. These findings provide advice and information regarding the issues associated with integrating accounting software for other teaching teams or institutions considering similar applications in their courses or programs.

Learning to research in distance mode: Technologies for building higher degree research community online

Higher Degree Researchers (HDRs) in Australia tertiary education programs must achieve mastery of complex skills, theories, and concepts. Non-traditional HDRs, especially those enrolled part time and remotely, face barriers to achieving these outcomes. This concise paper uses the case study of a regional university in Australia to investigate the theoretical underpinnings of technology use to promote HDR communities of learning, especially for part time and remote researchers.

Using Sociological Images to Develop the Sociological Imagination

We present a two-assignment series that developed students’ sociological imaginations and that could be done in a face-to-face or online course. The series used the Sociological Images blog and students’ own visual images (e.g., photographs) to meet course learning goals: (1) link sociological theories and concepts to social events/trends, (2) apply these ideas to real life by identifying sociologically relevant images in daily life, and (3) communicate sociological analysis in academic and popular written forms. The use of a blog encourages students to embrace public sociology. We present faculty and student assessment data (pretest from nonequivalent comparisons group) from six lower division sociology classes at a regional university (N = 157). Students entered with little a priori ability to examine images using a sociological lens, and students who completed the series successfully applied sociological concepts and theories to critically examine elements of their lives, achieving core sociology disciplinary learning goals.

Womens’ Career Progression in an Australian Regional University

This article examines the link between terms of employment (full time, part time and casual) at an Australian regional university and women’s career progression. The literature identifies lack of transparency in recruitment, promotion and retention; mobility and location; and management perceptions of women’s choice to work flexibly as factors impacting on career progression. However, the voices of women working in regional universities and particularly those of professional staff are often not present in current research. This study moves towards addressing this research deficit. Feminist institutionalism is used to analyse the relationship between national legislation, university policies and informal institutional practices in relation to women’s career progression In early 2020, twenty-one women provided written responses to questions on the link between terms of employment and career progression. The main findings tend to support other research about women working in universities; that is, carers need flexible work arrangements. But there are particular differences for women in regional universities who have to travel between dispersed campuses, which brings an added dimension of complexity to career progression. Their choices about terms of employment and fulfilling carer responsibilities resulted in insecure employment for some participants which had an impact on wellbeing and confidence. In addition, care/household responsibilities and the choice to work flexibly had a negative effect on career progression, and managers did not necessarily support flexible work options (despite national legislation that enables employees with child care responsibilities to negotiate flexible work arrangements with managers, and institutional gender equality policies).