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In the broadest sense, social sciences encompass society, human behavior, and its influence on the world. Social sciences help understand how society works, ranging from the causes of unemployment, economic growth, what makes people happy, and so on. The information it provides is vital for governments and policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and local authorities.
Social Sciences and Law
Abstract
Language difficulties can be a problem for foreign students studying in Hungary: they see as Hungarians do not speak foreign languages, which hinders the well-being of foreigners. At the same time, students studying at Hungarian universities also have different cultural expectations: it is important for them to gain cultural experiences, expand their knowledge of Hungarian culture and history. Classical public cultural institutions, such as museums, can be perfect places to learn about the culture and history of a country.
The aim of this study is to introduce our research findings whether foreigner students studying at the University of Szeged have to face these problems. Our goal is to find out how important it is to them to get to know Hungarian culture, and whether they think about museums from this point of view and what kinds of language barriers do they have. In our study, we present the results of focus group research with foreign students studying at the University of Szeged.
The results show that the students who took part in the research had language difficulties in Hungary which has affected their knowledge of Hungarian culture and history. They don't usually go to museums to gain more information but they think museums can be great places for this purpose although the students have problems with museums' multilingual aspects.
We have come to the conclusion that foreign students are interested in Hungarian culture but the language barriers are building walls between them and the museums.
Abstract
The aim of the article is to present a study of the literary text from a discursive perspective focusing on the development of the discourse competence in the English language. It is a new approach in the EFL methodology which highlights the relation between the holistic understanding of the comunication, social phenomena and the study of language structures in their use. The European educational policies favour the literary text as a key factor in boosting the students' communicative skills.
Thus, the paper presents a theoretical framework of the researches in the field and shares our vision on the discourse competence which places the discourse component on the central position in the process of developing the communicative competence. The text interpretation through a discursive approach constitutes an effective tool for examining the language correlation with the intent and sociocultural context. In this regard, in the second part of the article, we offer some concrete didactic activities related to the necessary conditions (such as the context and communicative situations) and discourse-oriented practices (activities simulating real needs outside the classroom) used for an optimal development of students' discourse competence.
Abstract
The paper investigates the increasing number of international co-authored publications, comparing countries that accessed the European Union (EU) in 2004 (EU04) against other Central-Eastern European Countries (othEast-ERA), adopting a scientometric approach. This comparison looks at whether to be part of the EU is different from being part of the European Research Area (ERA) – given that both entities aim at fostering more international collaborations. The hypothesis is that EU might convey more opportunities for the sake of international publications, although ERA assures access to European funding schemes anyway. Analysing the census of internationally co-authored publications from 1995 to 2015, difference-in-differences regressions show that Countries that joined EU in 2004 performed better than other Central-Eastern ones. Implications for the public policies in science are discussed.
Abstract
Feedback literacy in higher education has come as a reaction to the ineffective focus on teacher's delivery of feedback and its passive reception by students rather than on students' active participation in receiving feedback and constructing it (Nicol & Macfarlane-dick, 2006; Nicol, 2019). Therefore, the aim of this theoretical paper is to identify students' capabilities of feedback literacy. To meet this objective, three questions are targeted: 1) How is feedback literacy defined? 2) How is it characterized? 3) What are its practical dimensions from student's perspective? Based on the analysis of theoretical and empirical studies retrieved via reliable databases, a thorough description of the existing definitions of feedback literacy and its frameworks (Carless & Boud, 2018; Carless & Winstone, 2020; Molloy, Boud, & Henderson, 2020; Sutton, 2012) can be highlighted. Four dimensions of student feedback literacy and their adaptation to the writing context are also targeted: appreciating feedback, making evaluative judgments, managing affect, and acting upon feedback (Carless & Boud, 2018). This paper is relevant because it addresses the shift from feedback as a one-way process of transmitting information from instructors to feedback as a process of using diverse communication channels, through which teachers and students collaborate to improve learning outcomes.
Abstract
The benefits of using formalized debates in the classroom are widely known as debating develops various skills that students need both inside and outside the modern educational system. Such competences range from communication and research skills, critical thinking, team work, public speaking, and self-confidence (Kennedy, 2007; Medina, 2020; Snider & Schnurer, 2006). However, while debating is frequently used both in regular classroom settings and as extra-curricular activities in various countries, it is still largely neglected as an educational tool in Hungary. This is true both in secondary and tertiary education with the teaching of debate mostly absent from teacher-training programs as well. After an overview of research findings on the key benefits of using debates in the classroom, the paper examines the educational policy environment in Hungary concerning the use of debates and based on various surveys argues that the manifold benefits of debating could also be exploited in Hungary as it is not only enabled by the core and general curricula but also caters for a clear need both in teacher training and daily educational practice.
Abstract
There is an increased interest in exploring the interaction between knowledge of foreign languages, Reading and Mathematics and correlation of students' achievement in Hungary (e. g. Szirmai, 2003; Garami, 2009; Hegedűs & Sebestyén, 2019). Special learner groups are rarely put in the focus of research, therefore in our paper, we examine achievements in Reading and Mathematics of students with learning disorder or integration, learning and behavioural difficulties (ILBD). We examine data in different types of classes, for example, in special classes with a high number of foreign language lessons. We analyse the data of National Competency Measurement (NCM) of 2019 in the 10th grade (N = 83,751) with SPSS. In this database, there are 3,029 students with learning disorder and 4,284 students with ILBD. 5.9% of the first group and 9% of the latter group learn in classes with a high number of foreign language lessons per week. According to our results, these students have better competence results from Reading and Mathematics than students who learn in classes with “normal” curriculum, and lower achievements than students in classes with a special curriculum.
Abstract
The growing manifestation of multiculturalism in Lithuania has been prompting the educational community and education policy makers to pay more attention to the issues related to quality education for bilingual and multilingual children. Due to the lack of experience in analyzing this phenomenon, certain previous studies on multilingualism have created a basis that leads to underestimation of the importance of multilingualism at an early age. In recent years attitudes towards multilingual education have been changing. More effective language learning is becoming one of the priority areas of education.
Building on the analysis of scientific and methodological literature, the article presents the situation, issues and prospects of multilingualism in Lithuanian pre-school education institutions.
A multilingual environment and properly selected methods enable the child of pre-school age to naturally learn several languages. Therefore, early learning of a foreign language is gaining popularity in Lithuania, and in terms of children with other nationalities, it is aimed at creation of favorable conditions for them to learn the official Lithuanian language.
The article also reviews the organizational models and methods of multilingual education, best practice of multilingual and multicultural kindergartens in Lithuania, challenges faced by the pre-school education institutions in terms of multilingualism, emphasizes the necessity and possibilities for development of teachers' multicultural competence.
Abstract
Preparing English as a foreign language (EFL) students for final exams and language exams has become more and more significant in secondary education. However, those students who continue their studies as English majors have to live up to new expectations and rise to different challenges such as reading and discussing literary texts written in English. Thus, they would need help, nevertheless it is generally believed in many university courses that students have already reached the needed language proficiency level and they are able to read academic texts in English without having difficulties (Paran, 2008). Therefore, first-year English majors are often unprepared to cope with the demands made on them in literature courses. The main objective of this interview study, involving four EFL and four English literature tutors from a university in Hungary, is to explore the tutors' perceptions on first-year English majors' reading habits, what reading skills and strategies are required in literature courses. The findings provide an insight into some of the issues related to reading texts in English, what demands English majors have to meet when they enter tertiary education, and some possible solutions.
Abstract
In science class, students learn by making and living information, enabling them to make sense of knowledge effectively and permanently and to associate it with daily life. Applied science courses make learning more qualified. While science teaching is carried out in application areas such as laboratories, virtual laboratories are used with the development of information technologies today. Virtual laboratories are auxiliary tools that make teaching and learning easier. Virtual environments offer the opportunity to experiment through simulation programs and modeling. In the study, it was examined which of the experiments in the PhET simulation software was suitable for the student gain in the science course curriculum according to the grade level. In the research, a qualitative research method was employed. Simulation programs on the web address “phet.colorado.edu” were examined by document analysis. According to the findings of the study, there are 80 interactive simulation applications in the PhET application that are suitable for student gains in the science curriculum prepared by the Ministry of National Education. In the PhET simulation software, it was determined that most physical experiments can be done according to the student gains in the science course curriculum, and the experiments in the field of biology are limited.
