Metaphorical Conceptualizations of Language: Networks of Meanings and Meta-functions

This paper employs the innovative method of Elicited Metaphor Analysis to present original research in Malaysia into students’ metaphors for ‘language’. We summarize reasons why language and first/ second language learning are centrally important in education, and show patterned features of language metaphors in proverbs and in teacher talk about literacy. These may be one strand of student socialization into language-literacy conceptions. We then report our study of 408 university students in Malaysia who gave 977 metaphors for ‘language’. Using a socio-cultural extension of conceptual metaphor theory from cognitive linguistics, we analyse these data into thematic clusters and metaphor networks of meanings. In student voices, this presents a surprisingly rich picture of language and shows evidence of linguistic meta-functions: student metaphors for language can be seen not only cognitively with affective and socio-cultural meta-functions, but also with moral-spiritual and aesthetic functions. These meta-functions accord with some educational theories. To show wider insider metaphor perspectives we cite our research with ‘teacher’ and ‘learning’ metaphors in Malaysia, and ‘language’ findings from China, Iran, Lebanon and the UK. The metaphor meanings and meta-functions broaden our conception of language as a medium of learning with strong implications for the teaching of languages and literacy.

Scientific Path and Scientific Achievements of Serhiy Viktorovych Savchenko

The article traces the scientific path and analyzes the results of the scientific activities of S. V. Savchenko – Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, a well-known in Ukraine and abroad scholar and educator, Rector of Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University. It is shown that in the center of scientific searches of the scholar always were the most actual problems, the study of which he began as one of the first. His Ph.D. thesis, defended in 1990, was at that time a bold attempt to study the activities of informal associations of students. The most important and complex issues related to the socialization of student youth in extracurricular activities was addressed in his doctoral dissertation (2004), which developed, substantiated and experimentally verified socio-pedagogical model of student socialization process. A number of scientific works, prepared in co-authorship, reflect the philosophical aspects of modern educational activity. A special place in the scientific and pedagogical heritage of S. V. Savchenko is occupied by the research of the problems of personality socialization in the conditions of hybrid war in the east of Ukraine. The subject of scientific study was little-studied processes that are denoted by the terms «aberrational socialization», «media socialization», «cybersocialization». The peculiarities of the content and technologies of students’ patriotic education as a factor of socialization are defined.

Mentoring relationships between doctoral students and postdocs in the lab sciences

Purpose This study aims to examine how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics doctoral students interact with postdocs within the research laboratory, identifying the nature and potential impacts of student–postdoc mentoring relationships. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 53 doctoral students in the biological sciences, this study uses a sequential mixed-methods design. More specifically, a phenomenological approach enabled the authors to identify how doctoral students make meaning of their interactions with postdocs and other research staff. Descriptive statistics are used to examine how emergent themes might differ as a product of gender and race/ethnicity and the extent to which emergent themes may relate to key doctoral student socialization outcomes. Findings This study reveals six emergent themes, which primarily focus on how doctoral students receive instrumental and psychosocial support from postdocs in their labs. The most frequent emergent theme captures the unique ways in which postdocs provide ongoing, hands-on support and troubleshooting at the lab bench. When examining how this theme plays a role in socialization outcomes, the results suggest that doctoral students who described this type of support from postdocs had more positive mental health outcomes than those who did not describe this type of hands-on support. Originality/value Literature on graduate student mentorship has focused primarily on the impact of advisors, despite recent empirical evidence of a “cascading mentorship” model, in which senior students and staff also play a key mentoring role. This study provides new insights into the unique mentoring role of postdocs, focusing on the nature and potential impacts of student–postdoc interactions.

A Teacher knowledge as a student: socialization practices by pedagogical reflection

The teaching knowledge starts from the premise of reflection and dialogue of the practices experienced by the teacher. Thus, the objective of this research is to analyze the main discussions of the research project ‘Teaching Knowledge of Students of the Pedagogy Course - PARFOR (National Program for Basic Education Teacher Training). The method adopted was through dialogued workshops, with a total of four workshops with themes and discussions about teaching knowledge, entitled as: ‘The teaching practice in the classroom’; ‘I woman, I academic’; ‘Pleasure and Suffering in teaching practice’; ‘The academic life’. The new epistemology of knowledge leads the teacher to reflect in a critical perspective to find a solution, but also to learn new knowledge and transmit in their work / school context.