Phenomenological analysis of professional identity crisis experience by teachers

The topicality of the problem under research is predetermined by the need of psychology and pedagogy for the study of the process of professional identity crisis experience by teachers and development of a system of measures for support of teachers’ pedagogical activity and professional development. The objective of the study is to describe the content of the process of professional identity crisis experience by teachers. The principal method of study of this problem is the phenomenological method, which provides for exploration of the main aspects of the experience process. The results of phenomenological method application for the analysis of professional crisis experience make it possible to state that the professional crisis issue is a specific life situation for labourer where in the alteration of the teacher’s general view of life occurs. The experience of professional identity crisis manifests itself in the polarization of evaluations of the main parameters of the professional and the Self-image (the external activity evaluation, interest in the activity, the control over professional activity and professional situations, professional prospects). Transformation of the notional field of a teacher’s consciousness and reflection (the content of the activity, relation and the proper behaviour in general) are distinguished as the mechanisms of professional crisis experience. The materials of the article may be useful for teachers, psychologists, and heads of educational institutions in the process of planning and implementation of activities on educational process psychological support. © 2016 Sadovnikova et al

Retinoblastoma – a literature review and our experience

Retinoblastoma is the most common malignant eye tumor in children that is lethal if left untreated. The contemporary treatment modalities aim not only to save life, but also to preserve the eyes as an organwith form vision and the wich would greatly reflect on the quality of children’s lives. Historically, enucleation was the first successful therapeutic approach to reduce mortality, followed more than 100 years ago by the radiation therapy as the first attempt to save the eyes. Over the last two decades, conservative treatment of retinoblastoma has undergone an impressive development, allowing complete cure with minimal sequelae when timely diagnosed and treated. Today’s treatment protocol includes combination of selective chemotherapy, radiation therapy, laser therapy and, if necessary, systemic chemotherapy. The goal of this article is to review the up-to-date conservative management of retinoblastoma and to emphasize the importance of general practitions and pediatricians for timely diagnosis

Semantic Self-Regulation in Context of Teachers’ Experiences of Professional Identity Crisis

The mechanisms of the semantic self-regulation in a situation of a teacher’s crisis of professional identity are discussed. In the theoretical analysis, particular attention is paid to the problems of regulation of behaviour in crisis situations. A review of studies on the role of axiological and conceptual entities of personality in difficult life and professional situations is made. The empirical study confirmed the hypothesis that a situation of experiencing a professional identity triggers the mechanisms of semantic self-regulation. It is shown that components of the regulation of teachers’ experience of professional identity crisis are interrelated with the parameters of the semantic sphere, in particular, with life guiding orientations, forming a complex, integrated mechanism. Central unit of semantic self-regulation is modelling, which is closely associated with life guiding orientations and stability of self-esteem of a teacher. It is suggested that modelling is a universal mechanism to deal with crisis situations, regardless of the peculiarities of professional orientation of a teacher. Mechanisms of semantic self-regulation showed a complex and ambiguous nature of the relationship with the peculiarities of professional experience of crisis, which suggests the presence of different types of semantic self-regulation and different strategies of crisis overcoming by teachers. This in turn suggests the novelty and heuristic value of the research results. The practical significance of the results is determined by the fact that they constitute the information basis for the development of individualized programs of psychological support of teachers in a situation of professional identity crisis

Foundation of psychological support in the emotional experience of professional identity crisis by teachers

The background of the researched problem is determined by the psychological and pedagogical science’s and practice’s need to supplement the ideas about teachers’ professional development and about the course of their getting through the emotional experience due to difficulties of this process; as a result, it is necessary to study psychological foundations of building of psychological support programs in the process of school teachers’ getting through a professional crisis under conditions of permanent changes in the educational system. The main approach to studying this problem is the interview and phenomenological method that allows to identify and justify psychological basis of building of teacher support programs. The theoretical analysis allows to identify the nature of the support process, its goals and objectives, and to justify the methodological basis of the support program realization. The empiric results demonstrated that the process of teachers getting through the professional identity crisis goes hand in hand with the value-semantic transformation of a person and with “launching” of reflexive processes which, in turn, justifies resorting to them as to the psychological basis of building of teacher support programs. The research results expand the understanding of the nature of professional identity crisis phenomenon, the process of coming through it and supplement the data of the basis of building of teacher support programs. © 2018 by the authors

Comfortable urban environment as the determining factor of the development of megapolises

The paper examines the impact of the development of large urban agglomerations on the welfare and quality of life. The attractiveness of megacities from the standpoint of increasing urbanization, the concentration of investment resources and the accumulation of industrial, financial and business centers in them today do not unequivocally affect the well-being and comfort of human living. Converting the wealth accumulated by the megalopolis into an attractive living environment becomes an elusive problem that requires research into the main factors and parameters of comfortable urban living. The method for evaluating megacities presented in the paper on the basis of the comfort parameters of the urban environment that we form allows us to identify areas of the necessary improvement, or the conversion of wealth into the quality of life

ВИКОРИСТАННЯ МІЖДИСЦИПЛІНАРНИХ ЗВ’ЯЗКІВ ЯК УМОВА ЯКІСНОЇ ПІДГОТОВКИ СТУДЕНТІВ ДО ЛІЦЕНЗІЙНОГО ІСПИТУ «КРОК 1. ЗАГАЛЬНА ЛІКАРСЬКА ПІДГОТОВКА»

The article analyzes the role of interdisciplinary links between medical and biological physics and normal human physiology, found by comparing curricula in both disciplines, in preparing students for the licensing exam ‘‘STEP-1. General medical training’’. Test questions on normal physiology were considered in the test data base for preparation and in booklets for passing the exam, and tasks that students are taught in their first year in the process of studying medical and biological physics classes were defined. It is shown that in the test database the number of such tasks averages 8.7 % of the total number of questions on normal human physiology, while in exam booklets it averages 22 %. Such data indicate the need for broad involvement of interdisciplinary links in the study of both sciences, which will avoid duplication of educational material in the learning process, opening up prospects for more thorough mastering by students of the program of normal human physiology.У статті проаналізовано роль міждисциплінарних звʼязків між медичною і біологічною фізикою та нормальною фізіологією людини для підготовки студентів до ліцензійного іспиту «Крок 1. Загальна лікарська підготовка», знайдених шляхом порівняння навчальних програм з обох дисциплін. Розглянуто тестові питання з нормальної фізіології у базі тестів для підготовки й у буклетах для складання іспиту, і визначено завдання, які студенти виконують вже на першому курсі в процесі вивчення медичної і біологічної фізики. Показано, що у базі тестів число таких завдань складає в середньому 8,7 % загальної кількості питань з нормальної фізіології людини, тоді як у буклетах іспиту – в середньому 22 %. Такі дані свідчать про необхідність широкого залучення міждисциплінарних звʼязків у вивченні обох наук, що дозволить уникнути дублювання навчального матеріалу в процесі навчання, відкриваючи перспективи для ретельнішого освоєння студентами програми з нормальної фізіології

Semantic context of professional identity crisis experience by teachers

The topicality of the problem under research is predetermined by the need of psychology and pedagogy for the study of the phenomenology of professional identity crisis, the process of its experience by school teachers as well as for the development of the system of psychological and pedagogical support of teachers' professional development in the situation of permanent changes in the education system. The objective of the study is to reveal the content of the professional identity crisis, to describe its main features and analyze the semantic context of its experience by teachers. The principal methods of study of this problem are the phenomenological method, tests to identify the semantic context of the process of the professional identity crisis experience by teachers. The results of the study broaden the understanding of the phenomenon of professional identity crisis and its experience, the content of professional crisis and the phenomenology of professional development of teachers. The materials of the article may be useful for psychologists when designing programs of psychological support of teachers´ professional development. © 2017, Slovenska Vzdelavacia Obstaravacia. All rights reserved.Russian Humanitarian Foundation: No.16-36-01031The research is performed thanks to the support of the Russian Humanitarian Scientific Foundation within the framework of scientific and research project "Psychological mechanisms of professional identity crisis experience by teachers", project No.16-36-01031

Specifics of defense and coping behavior among teachers experiencing a professional identity crisis

The issues addressed in the article are of particular relevance due to the necessity to provide research background for creating the system of psychological and pedagogical support for the professional development of teachers in the conditions of permanent changes in the system of education. The aim of the article is to describe specific interrelations between the reflection and the parameters of the teacher's axiological sphere (in particular, life-purpose orientations). The following research methods were used: theoretical analysis of psycholog-ical and educational literature, phenomenological method, questionnaires, and methods of mathematical and statistical data processing (descriptive statistics, comparative analysis (the Mann-Whitney U test). The results of the theoretical and empirical research provide ade-quate grounds for the conclusion that there is a definite interrelation between the parameters of reflection and the parameters of life-purpose orientations. It is proved that in the conditions of a professional identity crisis the teachers experience a significant reduction in the levels of life-purpose orientations, which in turn leads to intensification of reflection processes. At the same time, the obtained results suggest that the teachers can successfully overcome their professional crisis in case of formation of the cognitive component of the biographical reflection, aimed at the analysis of actions and means of understanding and organizing their life events. Implications of the research results. The research results expand our understanding of the essence and emotional experience of the professional identity crisis. They can be used in the designing the process of psychological support for the activities and professional development of teachers. © 2018 Authors