TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPIS TREŚCI

When they steal our words…

The paper addresses issues related to the growing social phenomenon that has disturbing consequences for practice – in this case, everyday academic life in Poland. It consists of the critical categories of contemporary humanities; its “first words” are given content very distant from their original, traditional meanings. The meanings of these categories are often reversed, given secondary meanings or even made meaningless. As a result, many words are used as empty labels, fashionable words intended to add dignity to the speaker. The article’s author, referring to the metaphor of “stealing” words, raises three specific issues. Firstly, it presents a register of “stolen” words, three of which are the subject of detailed analysis – evaluation, quality, and dialogue. The second issue is a detailed analysis of the mechanisms governing changes in the meanings assigned to each of these categories and the effects associated with using “stolen” words in the everyday life of academies and dormitories. Finally, the issue of the “perpetrators of the theft” was raised. The author claims that one of them is the “seventh enemy from the seventh world of the field” – an entity that creates the everyday life of academic life, regardless of its place in the university’s social hierarchy.

Cultural anthropology and educational evaluation

The paper describes the connections between cultural anthropology and educational evaluation. It starts from the history of anthropologically oriented educational evaluation, when a qualitative-oriented approach emerged from a dominant, post-Tyleran tradition. It analyses connections between anthropological evaluation and anthropological paradigms, in particular the phenomenological one. The next section explores the notion of culture, a central category for ethnographic research, making anthropological evaluation distinctive from other research using a qualitative methodology. It presents the discussion about the notion of culture and the meaning of an inclusive approach to the research on school cultures. The third part describes distinctive features of anthropological evaluation, contrasted to the “traditional” anthropology. In the fourth part, conclusions from a postmodern critique of the linguistic turn are described: involvement in the power/knowledge relationships, an ontoepistemological status of collected data, fluidity and ambiguity of the evaluator’s roles. The next section covers probably the most obvious aspects of anthropological evaluation – the methodological implications. The last, sixth part presents challenges for doing evaluations in anthropological settings: keeping the integrity of the roles, reflecting on the biases, limitation in influence on change, “competition” with the postpositivist approach, and logistic difficulties.

The growing importance of evaluation in a dynamic socio-political reality

The article focuses on evaluation, which remains of unflagging popularity and interest in many scientific disciplines and areas of social life. The article is divided into three parts. Firstly, it attempts to outline the variety of theoretical contexts of the relationship between education, science, evaluation and state policy in this respect. The second part presents arguments for the need to practice educational (seflevaluation) – especially its dialogic forms in schools, resulting from the experience gained in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, including the results of research carried out in primary schools in Szczecin. The third part covers issues related to the importance of developmental evaluations in education, consisting of democratizing organizational culture, opening social discourse and supporting patterns of institutional reflexivity. In literature this is described as “participatory research”, “interventional research” in which the researcher conducts the analysis at the same time also thinking about using its results to formulate the recommendations regarding public policy or for the purposes of creation and support of organizations acting in the best interest of the researched community. This article presents a fragment of results of a research – its subject being “Diagnosing needs and expectations of students and teachers in primary schools in Szczecin days before returning to school” – conducted in May 2021. Comfort-Stretch-Panic model, created by Karl Rohnke, has been used as a theoretical framework for said research.

Decisions and motives of young female teacher candidates to participate in the October 15, 2023 parliamentary elections

In this article we present the results of the author’s research, conducted immediately after the parliamentary elections of October 15, 2023. The purpose of the research was to identify the electoral activity of people who are studying preschool and early childhood education, and preparing for the teaching profession. We consider their activities as a priority in developing pro-social attitudes of their charges. The study used the method of diagnostic survey. For the analysis presented here, we used the part on the questions of participation of female respondents in elections and sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents. The survey was conducted among 265 female students aged 18 to 26 (the average age was 21.4), in the teaching faculty in all five years. The study notes significant differences in the election declarations of respondents, compared to the general population of Poles with active voting rights. For the most part, respondents have made a choice of different ideas represented by specific electoral committees than the electorate of their parents, or people from the local environment. The voter turnout and the choices of the respondents give hope for an appreciation of democratic values and the laying of the foundation for building a civil society.

The evolution of game play. Subordination of spontaneity to arbitrary conventions

Among the many issues that are raised in the context of the development of preschool children, among others, there is the one devoted to the issue of play and games. However, the need to play does not cease with the end of the developmental stage that is childhood. Playing as a natural need of the species homo sapiens, along with cognitive activity (the need to learn) and social activity, are considered elementary forms of human activity also in adulthood and old age. In considering the evolution of playfulness in games, the fact of the identity of the concepts of “fun” and “play” and the possible differences in the meanings of these two concepts were emphasized. The vividness of play may be subject to discipline. The existence of a large body of literature on play (children’s, adult) sometimes relegates the analysis of the process of evolution of play activity into play (cycle: play-game). Certain categories of fun and games are very clearly arranged in a temporal sequence related to their appearance and the transition of one into another (fun into games). This issue is not one of the well-studied, but some outline of this thought can already be described.

Teacher autonomy, agency and innovation in the language of contemporary pedagogical and jurisprudential terminology. A linguistic-pedagogical study

The article examines the concepts of teacher autonomy, agency and innovation from a linguisticpedagogical perspective. The research material was selected with the use of the method of searching the existing documents. The documents included selected encyclopaedic articles and legal texts concerning the teacher and his pedagogical activity. The authors used the theoretical framework of cognitive semantics in the form of conceptual integration theory when analysing the material. Autonomy as a pedagogical phenomenon has a broad and well-established lexical basis in both encyclopaedic and legal texts. The second concept, agency, has a very narrow dictionary and theoretical basis. The use of the last of the category, innovation, is limited to only some authors and their texts. Besides, the issue of innovativeness appears in legal texts sporadically and, as a rule, in relation to the school and not to the teacher. On the basis of the results obtained, it was proposed to treat the title terminological triad as an amalgam, in which the enumerated terms form a unity on the one hand, while on the other hand each of them expresses one aspect of the whole, which shows the multifaceted nature of the teacher’s pedagogical activity.

Developing a culture of trust in schools from the perspective of principals. Communication from qualitative research

This article looks at the mechanisms for building a culture of trust in the school environment, as described by the leaders of selected schools. Trust, like other phenomena of social life, is relational in nature and is a key value that determines the quality of interpersonal relationships. The school is treated as a place for the accumulation of trust resources for the multiplication of social capital. A culture of trust is a dynamic system of values, norms and behaviours that are the source of people’s sense of security and willingness to support others. The text takes the form of a research communication and aims to present ways of understanding, developing and sustaining good relationships at school based on a foundation of trust. The practices of creating a trusting environment have been reconstructed from the statements of headteachers of four schools in and around Warsaw. In this way, a kind of anatomical model (structure) of trust was obtained, consisting of the competence and professionalism of principals and teachers, teachers’ freedom and autonomy, the priority role of cooperation, and organisational transparency. The principals of the schools selected for the study are developing their own practices for building a critical culture of trust.

Strategies for supporting gifted foster care pupils

The issue of gifted children growing up in a natural family environment has been addressed quite widely. However, small amount of research regarding gifted children residing in the foster care environment is noticeable. At the same time, the issue of having, developing and supporting abilities is extremely significant, especially with regard to pupils of foster care environments deprived of their primary developmental environment, which is the family. Foster care environments can also effectively support the potential of their pupils. The publication is an attempt to answer the question of what support activities are undertaken in the foster care environment in relation to gifted pupils? The research method is case studies. The research indicates various forms of support for gifted pupils: the organization of additional activities, depending on the interests or abilities of the pupil or the financial support as the one they need for the future process of independence, as well as emotional support and others. At the same time, some differences are visible between the activities of institutional and family care, as the latter definitely more often uses the help of psychological and pedagogical counseling centers or organizations supporting gifted students, even if in the form of funded scholarships.

Resistance as a manifestation of subjective orientation. Considerations on the margins of social work

This paper attempts to analyse the concept of resistance in social work. The category of resistance is characterized by a multiplicity of meanings, which means that it is understood in many ways, depending on civilizational and cultural contexts. Reflections on the concept of resistance in the humanities and social sciences are neither simple nor straightforward, as each discipline has its own view of this category. The analyses carried out in this study are interdisciplinary, but the point of reference is social pedagogy and social work developed by it. The aim of the article is to present the achievements of the category of resistance, taking into account three ways of interpreting it: as an individual reaction of the person receiving the help, as a reaction of the person receiving the support to the relationship with the professional, as a reaction of the participants of the social welfare system to local practices, institutional and governmental policies. In the discourse of social work, it is more common to see resistance as an individual reaction and a reaction to contact with a professional, and less so as a manifestation of subjective orientation, which is a resource to reach for in the face of oppressive practices. Therefore, the article devotes special attention to this issue. The whole analysis is complemented by a reflection on the challenges faced by social work education, through which the aim is to activate the resistance competences not only of the people supported, but also of the professionals themselves. The content analysis was based on a review of Polish and foreign literature presenting the issue of resistance in relation to social work.

Selected areas of women’s functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland (compared to European Union countries)

The aim of the research is to analyze research reports, articles and diaries showing how women function during the COVID-19 pandemic. The subject of my analyzes was quantitative and qualitative data showing differences in the functioning of women and men during the pandemic, along with their real and potential consequences from the perspective of gender equality. Although I was mainly interested in the situation of women in the text, the adopted perspective of gender equality required me to often (for comparative purposes) compile data regarding men. The article attempts to answer the question: What changes in particular areas of women’s social functioning have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic? I decided to use nonreactive research using the method of analyzing existing data. My research shows that the Covid pandemic has caused unfavorable changes from the perspective of gender equality, not only in Poland, but also in other countries belonging to the European Union. Women suffered health consequences, felt exhausted by their duties and returned to stereotypical social roles. Despite the attempts to eliminate gender inequality in European Union countries (including Poland), the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reversed progress in these activities.

Careerist and egotist: resistance of Polish ‘childfree’ women to social pressure of having children. Analysis of the messages on TikTok platform

This article delves into the phenomenon of intentional childlessness within the context of many societal pressures prevalent on he Internet and specifically on the social platforms. It encompasses an exploration of recent scientific research and inquiries into the choice of childlessness, with a focus on the #childfree movement on TikTok. The presented study of an author covers an analysis of Polish content related to intentional childlessness on TikTok, dissecting the methods of social shaming directed at individuals opting for a child-free lifestyle, the defensive strategies employed by the child-free community, and the psychological phenomenon of the “authority rule”. This research approach sheds some light on the complex social dynamics surrounding the decision to remain child-free in the face of societal expectations, offering significant insights into contemporary attitudes towards this contentious topic within the TikTok community. This particularly concerns childless women who are almost expected to embrace motherhood as an obligation. TikTok is their space for spreading their views and defending their own position.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPIS TREŚCI

Culture and education in the face of permanent change. Introduction

W każdym społeczeństwie występują zarówno procesy kontynuacji, jak i zmiany. Kontynuacja zapewnia ciągłość życia społecznego. Umożliwia podtrzymywanie więzi między pokoleniami, zachowanie tradycji, przejmowanie przez młode pokolenie wiedzy i umiejętności ludzi starszych. Kontynuacja umożliwia istnienie trwałych wartości, wzorów, sposobów działania oraz rozwiązywania problemów, utrzymywanie przyjętego stylu życia. Jest to istota transmisji kultury. Zmiana społeczna jest także ważnym, choć naruszającym status quo elementem funkcjonowania społeczeństwa. Od najdawniejszych lat dokonują się w nim wszakże zmiany demograficzne, warunków życia ludności, relacji między ludźmi, modyfikacje stylu życia, przemiany pokoleniowe (Szymański, 2021, s. 99–100).

School in the discourse of polish cabarets

The study aims to identify problems related to school and school education present in cabaret discourse and the way they are presented. The cabaret is an interesting research area and field of analysis of social problems, including issues related to educational policy. The data collection method was source searching. The analytical material consisted of eight sketches of Polish cabarets, selected according to the criteria: time of publication, popularity, and topicality. The data analysis method belongs to a group of approaches called critical discourse analysis. Applications of discursive strategies described by R. Wodak and M. Reisigl were sought. The results show that in the discourse of Polish cabarets, the school is presented as a subordinate contractor of political and legal regulations. It characterises with low social prestige, which is built on the low assessment of school teaching in terms of content, the low prestige of the teaching profession, and the low assessment of the student’s role. In relations between these entities, the discourse of scolding and disciplining appears as the manifestation of power and hierarchy; of infantilisation and sexism.

The multidimensionality of educational failure – didactic perspective

The paper focuses on educational failure, exposing its multidimensional nature. The author’s thesis is that it is an implication of many circumstances that shape the image and place of failure in educational systems. The subject of analysis was the persistent and even increasing size of school delays, especially on the mega-scale. Attention was paid to the ambiguity of understanding the “school failure” and its types. An important impetus for considering the multidimensionality of educational failure from a didactic perspective became the observed transformations in educational philosophy and the accompanying complex conditions of the educational process in the 21st century, including modern technologies, humanisation of educational interactions, parallelism, and permanence of education. They prompt a reinterpretation of “school failure”. Moreover, the paper shows the pejorative consequences of failure, including suicidal thoughts and acts. The specific dimension of failures in the form of their peculiar “inheritance” through successive educational stages was also signaled. The article is part of the current of activities aimed at restoring school failure to its proper rank in scientific research and theoretical reflection, as well as in teacher education and training programmes.

Public school towards the inclusion of students with disabilities – diagnosis of selected problems

At the heart of inclusive education is ensuring that students with disabilities have access to high-quality education in a mainstream setting. The way to achieve this goal is to build a new model, a school better adapted to the needs of all students. The paper aims to present the school situation (educational and peer) of students with disabilities against the background of everyday educational practice implemented in many Polish mainstream schools. Adopting the position on the teachers’ fundamental role in designing the development and learning environment, the focus was mainly on their educational activities and attitudes towards inclusive education. Critical points of the didactic and educational process have been identified, which hinder the transition from school routine to education open to the diverse needs of all pupils, including those with disabilities. Significant obstacles to building cooperation, exchanging knowledge among students, and, consequently, increasing the level of social relations were identified, among which the legitimisation of individualistic values, often reinforced by the mechanism of competition, may be particularly important.

The atmosphere of dialogue in classes I–III of the culturally diverse borderland

The Polish school is constantly changing, which is associated with rapid economic and political changes. We observe very intense population movements taking the form of mass migrations. For these reasons, in the paper, we present the essence of the borderland and its typology, the formation of the intercultural identity of a person from the borderland. It is on the border of cultures that children going to school exchange information, learn about other customs, values, learn respect and tolerance. It depends to a large extent on the teacher/educator, who should build a good atmosphere of cooperation between the educational team of the multicultural borderland. The subject of interpretive research was the ways of defining the work of teachers in grades I–III of the multicultural borderland, indicating the tasks carried out at that time, the meanings given to them by teachers of grades I–III in the Lubuskie Province using non-standardised interviews. The research showed a positive picture of the situation. The respondents’ statements indicated a great need to introduce intercultural education to the school reality.

“Łejery” Theater – education through art on the example of the activities of Primary School No. 83. Emilia Waśniowska in Poznań (selected problems)

Primary School No. 83 Emilia Waśniowska in Poznań is known in Poland as “Łejery”. It is a unique institution in the country because, although it is a “systemic” school, it implements its educational programme through art, is based on selected assumptions of non-directive pedagogy, and the main educational means at the school is broadly understood theatre. The subject of the author’s study is to present the theatre operating at Primary School No. 83. “Łejery” in Poznań as a means of comprehensive education for children and young adolescents. The author, based on sources (websites, sources evoked – interviews with Jerzy Hamerski) and observations made from September 1 to December 22, 2023, as well as the literature on the subject, considers education at Primary School No. 83 in Poznań, presents the figure the founder of the Poznań “Łejery”, and analyses the ways of using theatre in the education process of children and youth attending the described school.

Challenges to teachers’ psychological safety in the workplace – pilot studies in the municipality of Strzelin

The study aims to show how teachers’ interactions with students, parents or legal guardians, and colleagues in the workplace affect educators’ sense of psychological safety. To this end, the survey and in-depth interviews were carried out among teachers of public educational institutions in the municipality of Strzelin (in the Lower Silesian Province). A noticeable scarcity of studies on the aggressive acts directed against educators and their consequences was the inspiration to undertake them. Publications on increasing the levels of physical, psychological, sexual, and economic aggression among students are much more common. The obtained research results show that many teachers feel “left behind” in the face of the aggression they experience, expressing the view that they cannot count on help and understanding from either the Ministry of Education and Science or their immediate superiors. Furthermore, the measurements showed that educators need to be more adequately assimilated knowledge of the legal protection to which they are entitled and are also unaware of ministerial initiatives to provide psychological support for teachers. The conducted pilot study argues in favour of the desirability of pursuing subsequent in-depth research addressing the issue of teachers’ psychological safety.

Empowerment as an improvement in teacher activity

The paper aims to present the concept of empowerment as a means to modernise the teacher’s organisational activity. As a result of literature review, the article provides an interpretation of empowerment, emphasising its potential to drive transformative changes in various educational contexts. Additionally, the text elucidates the benefits that can arise from restructuring the current school system, teaching methods, and collaborative practices. The research conducted by the McKinsey group was used to highlight the personal qualities essential for the effective implementation of empowerment across different organisational forms. Furthermore, attention is directed towards the drawbacks of empowerment, including the potential for teacher abuse of power and coercion, resulting in the suppression of student subjectivity and independent action. To sum up all the considerations, it is underscored that the teacher and students, with their unique strengths and weaknesses, play pivotal roles in organising the teaching process, fostering a school team dynamic through the application of empowerment principles.

Students’ attitudes to the infodemic phenomenon in the perspective of improving media literacy in academic education

The article presents the results of a study that aimed to analyse students’ attitudes towards infodemic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The author adopted the interpretation of infodemic as a process of spreading an excess of untrue information, which complicates the evaluation and selection of reliable content. The research problem was the question of students’ attitudes towards false information related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The research sample consisted of 37 students of pedagogy. The research was conducted in a qualitative research paradigm. The results indicated that the surveyed students had a positive and stable organisation of their own knowledge, beliefs, feelings, and such forms of behaviour and expressive reactions as are necessary when confronted with infodemic. The respondents declared that they search for content in various sources and make a critical comparison and identification of false content. Despite this, they do not have a sufficiently in-depth knowledge of how to debunk false information. They feel the need for a great deal of cognitive effort to verify content. Therefore, the author makes recommendations for the formation of critical media literacy – as a way of building social resilience to disinformation and other disorders of the information age.

A person’s individuality as the source of coping with uncertainty and risk. Reflection of Jan Szczepański’s individuality conception in connection with current mindfulness techniques

The paper attempts to answer the question: how could human individuality be a resource making it possible to cope with the experience of feeling uncertainty and risk? Jan Szczepański’s idea of individuality defines the structure and functions of that dimension of the human condition. It tries to explain the sense of man’s inner world and their reflexivity in struggling with the negative consequences due to the social organisation of collective life. An analytic view of individuality included in this concept allows for revealing the emergency nature of personal identity affected by dialogue between the inner world and the internalised outside world. The discussed concept might increase the attempt to synthesise it with the vision of mindfulness. The effect of it is a unique underlining role of loneliness in the individual process of human development and captures the moral character of individuality (hipo-egoic phenomena).

Art of magic artists, theaters actors and their sense of quality of life

The sense of quality of life is a subjective attitude towards the assessment of satisfaction with one’s own life. They can be divided into four spheres: psychophysical, psychosocial, subjective, and metaphysical. 210 people participated in the study – 53 illusionists, 52 theater actors, and 105 people who did not engage in activities related to public appearances. The groups were compared in terms of the sense of quality of life, and the study used the Sense of Life Quality Questionnaire by Straś-Romanowska, Oleszkowicz, and Frąckowiak (2004) in a modified version by Mróz et al. (2017). Theater actors and magicians had a higher level of satisfaction with the psychosocial sphere and a general level of quality of life compared to the control group (which has neither experience nor education related to stage performance). In terms of the psychophysical and metaphysical spheres of the sense of quality of life, theater actors were characterised by a higher level of satisfaction compared to people who did not engage in stage activity. In the conducted study, no statistically significant differences between groups were observed in relation to the subjective sphere of the sense of quality of life.

Off-road culture in the perspective of hybrid functioning

Life in the modern world has shifted to some extent in the functioning of individuals in many areas. This paper focuses mainly on such spheres as communication, tracking and sharing information, and sport-related cultures, which take on a new meaning in the hybrid reality. These fields combine to create and enable a new type of human interaction. Reporting, commenting, or posting information on sports achievements is not a novelty, but currently this state of affairs is significantly gaining in importance and expanding to tracking information about the private life and functioning of people practicing various sports disciplines. Cultures that have developed around various physical activities are much more able to expand and promote a particular sport by publishing information in the digital space. It is particularly important in relation to disciplines that are not popular or are extreme or high-budget sports. Thanks to the presence of these activities in the virtual space, it is possible to promote, disseminate them, and gain a larger group of enthusiasts.

Communication in Japanese collectivist culture – selected concepts

Japan is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world. Although there is an indigenous minority Ainu ethnic group from Hokkaido Prefecture and indigeneous inhabitants of the Riukiu (Okinawa) archipelago, the Japanese communally share the core values that form the core of their sense of cultural and national identity. Hall and Hofstede’s concepts provide a reference point for the present reflections on specific aspects of the Japanese cultural code, encompassing the sociological and psychological concepts of uchi-soto, honne-tatemae, and wa. Awareness of the role the Japanese attribute to social harmony helps sensitise the unique communicative culture of the Japanese and, under certain circumstances, to break down cultural barriers. Internalising this attitude can help a non- Japanese demonstrate proper social etiquette and maintain communicative harmony. My own experience of experiencing cultural difference in Japan from the perspective of a woman, a European, and a Polish researcher, provided a direct impetus to analyse the underlying cultural concepts that underlie Japanese communicative culture, as well as the perception of the dichotomy of Self versus the Other.

Cinematic images of the Donbas space after 2014 in selected war-themed films

The paper aims to analyse the spatial representation in contemporary Ukrainian films created after 2014, set in the Donbas region and revolving around the ongoing war. As I reference the specific spatial context, my analysis is grounded in the framework of spatial turn. It also is crucial for me to delve into the history of Donbas and the portrayals of this place in Ukrainian cinematography. Film ecocriticism constitutes a significant context, particularly concerning representations of natural and postindustrial landscapes, often ravaged by human actions, especially in the context of warfare. Referring to the concept of landscape, I rely on Arnold Berleant’s perspective, noting that culturally transformed landscapes hold the same value as natural ones, and every landscape contributes to shaping cultural traditions. In my study, I employ textual film analysis derived from general structural analysis. My considerations encompass productions, such as Klondike (2022) directed by Maryna Er Gorbach, Reflection (2021) and Atlantis (2019), both directed by Valentyn Vasyanovych, as well as Bad Roads (2020) directed by Natalia Vorozhbyt.

A tangle of cultures, a tangle of images. Dinh Q. Lê photographic memory fabric

The paper aims to present the issues of post-memory arising from the photographic and video art works of Dinh Q Lę. The specific technique used by the American-Vietnamese artist can be described as “fabric” due to the post-media processing in the form of interwoven photographic strips connected to create an innovative combination dedicated to the connections between East and West, the sacred and the profane, and colour contrasts. Deconstruction of the initial material creates unconventional iconographic combinations that blur the clear meanings recorded in the image, with the aim of their secondary reconfiguration, often marked by traumatic war events. The peculiar form of expression seems to reflect the dynamics of a complex form, ambiguity, and allusion, which is no longer just an automatic reproduction of reality, but a creative field of transformations, weaving, entanglement of threads overlapping various spheres of reference, animation of the meanings of words transformed into moving images that reflect them. The subject of the considerations outlined in this article is an exhibition entitled Dinh Q.Lę. Le fil de la mémoire et autres photographs organised between February 8 and November 20, 2022 at the Musée de Quai Branly.

Elżbieta Górnikowska-Zwolak, Polityka – edukacja – płeć kulturowa. Z perspektywy antropogiki społecznej [Politics – education – gender. From the perspective of social anthropogics], Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego, Katowice 2021, pp. 252

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SPIS TREŚCI

Cultural identity of Roma women in the space of an extended family

The aim of the article is to analyze the continuity and changes in the cultural identity of Romni in the space of the multigenerational family. The conducted research is a collective case study of 3 families in the grandmother-daughter-granddaughter line. The results of the study indicate that the continuity in shaping the cultural identity of Romni is most strongly influenced by the Romanipen principles, understood as an internal set of rules of coexistence, norms, values, customs, that apply to all members of the Roma community. It is a fundamental determinant in the education of young girls, with the help of which traditional duties and obligations are passed on and the image of Romni is formed. In the multigenerational model of cultural identity, the traditional perception of a woman’s role as mother and wife, responsible for passing on established values to the younger generation, has been observed. The challenges faced by Romni stem not only from the status they occupy within the Roma community, but also from the cultural peculiarities of this minority and traditional perceptions of the position and role of women. Aware of their background and the tasks assigned to them, they generally want to live in accordance with the traditions within their community.

From privacy to audience. On the need for media education in the digital age on the example of the sharenting phenomenon

In today’s hybrid reality, in which the online world intersects with the offline world, media education, which includes the ability to use technology in an informed and responsible manner, seems essential. Social media are a source of entertainment, a tool for communication and obtaining information, but they can also create a field for many abuses and threats to our privacy. One social media activity that can have negative consequences, and which exemplifies the growing need to improve media literacy among online users, is sharenting. The phenomenon of sharenting is related to the excessive sharing of photos, videos and information about a child online. Since sharenting is still a relatively new phenomenon, the purpose of the article is to provide an overview of the issue and identify areas for further research. The article will discuss the most important issues related to this phenomenon, such as the motivations behind the excessive publication of information about a child online and the potential consequences of such action.

External factors affecting creativity in aesthetic education according to general education school graduates. Findings from qualitative research

The development of creative abilities is crucial for the holistic development of an individual. If the goal of schooling is the comprehensive development of students, the educational environment should stimulate and support processes of creative thinking rather than hinder or block them. One area of education particularly associated with creativity is aesthetic education. By encouraging exploration and interpretation of art and other forms of artistic expression, aesthetic education supports the emotional, intellectual, and social development of students, enabling them to express themselves in original and personal ways, which is essential for cultivating a creative attitude. This article addresses the issue of external factors affecting creativity within aesthetic education implemented in general education schools, specifically in the subjects of visual arts, music, and Polish language. The research process is guided by the question of external conditions influencing creativity in aesthetic education and their potential significance for students’ creative development. The article presents the results of qualitative research conducted through individual interviews with 25 graduates from the 2022/2023 school year. The experiences shared by respondents highlight numerous factors that, according to existing literature, hinder the development of a creative attitude. The research is exploratory in nature.

Popular Legal Culture – a case study of a social innovation project. Theoretical assumption

The article concerns an original project entitled Popular Legal Culture, carried out at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń in the CPAiTT as part of the Innovation Leaders Academy program. The text mainly describes the assumptions of this project in the context of the implementation of the third evaluation criterion (social impact). An important accent of this study is the presentation of a research concept that fits into the action research framework, which allows not only to diagnose and describe reality, but also to design corrective actions, introduce specific solutions and evaluate them. The project is innovative and interventional in nature, and the research itself is based on a participatory model. The text strongly emphasizes the need to conduct scientific research beyond the traditional strategy of basic research. Not instead, but next to it. The study is therefore a record of the research path leading from the development of the concept, to the requirements for academic social influence (criterion III) and to planning and developing social implementation. A series of scientific publications was planned for the Popular Legal Culture project. The following is part of the first stage, during which the theoretical assumptions and background of activities are described.

Emotions in the learning process – theoretical concepts and research review

To develop key competencies, it is necessary to build learning environments taking into account their dimensions. The learning process is complex, and emotions are one of the extremely important factors. It is worth adding that both learning and emotions are dealt with by researchers from various fields, including: psychology, pedagogy, neurobiology. The authors present the theoretical foundations of learning and the theory of emotions from various perspectives. The article is a review because it presents the results of Polish and foreign research on the importance of emotions in the learning process. As research shows, emotions influence the level of motivation and the results obtained. However, the analysis of research results indicates the need to address this topic, as it is a niche area of research, especially in Poland. Moreover, the importance of emotions in the process of acquiring knowledge and skills should be taken into account and, therefore, the mental well-being of students and teachers should be taken care of.

The pre-Messianistic nature of the song God save Poland

The song God Save Poland holds extraordinary significance for Polish culture and the development of national consciousness during the Romantic period. Written in the early 19th century, shortly after the establishment of the Congress Kingdom of Poland. It was a time filled with hope but later revealed to be marked by misplaced faith in the sincerity of Tsar Alexander I. Its lyrics evolved in response to shifting political realities and social tensions. The history of the song, its controversial context of creation and the strong ideas of Romanticism (Messianism and Pan-Slavism) hidden in it and foreshadowing the future make this work once again deserve some study. My goal was to uncover these hidden concepts and to examine the hypothesis that the anthem possesses a pre-Messianic character. The providential tone of the piece aligns with the decline of Enlightenment thinking and the crisis of deism, which created space for new inquiries into fundamental questions: Why did Poland lose its independence, and how might it be regained?

Creative competence of pedagogy students

The main assumption of the conducted research was to check the level of creative competence of pedagogy students. For this purpose, an empirical verification of the author’s theoretical model of creative competence was carried out. Based on the conducted factor analysis, the following components of the creative competence model were selected: the ability to think and act in a creative way, everyday (intuitive) knowledge about environmental factors conducive to creativity, responsibility and the ability to organize one’s creative process, and scientific (theoretical) knowledge about creativity. Thanks to the use of the r-Pearson correlation, it was also checked what relationships exist between the individual components of competence. The results of the research indicate that pedagogy students demonstrate a low general level of creative competence, which indicates a great need to prepare future pedagogues for creative functioning in their future professional work. Based on the conducted r-Pearson correlation, it was found that there are positive, statically significant relationships of weak strength between some of the competence components. These results demonstrate the complexity of the process of acquiring creative competence by future teachers and the need to take into account many interrelated aspects of creativity.

Digital threats and the sources of children’s knowledge about them considered on the basis of statements made by students in early school education

The motive for taking up this topic is the incidence of new digital risks for children at a younger school age. In the course of analyzing the literature on the subject, theoretical studies related to this problem and research reports have been spotted, with the main focus on adolescents. However, there are few studies that show the extent of knowledge of various types of cyber threats by children of early school education. With this in mind, an attempt was made to determine what types of cyber threats are known to children of younger school age and what are the main sources of their knowledge in this area. Data for analysis was collected through focus interviews with 40 third-grade elementary school students. The children’s statements focused on the dangers that are associated with peer aggression online. This determining into the need for continuous implementation of preventive measures, especially those around children’s dysfunctional use of the Internet.

Wojciech Kazimierz Sroczyński, Pedagogika społeczna. Geneza, tradycja, przyszłość [Social pedagogy. Genesis, tradition, future], Dobrzyńskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, Rypin 2024, pp. 228

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPIS TREŚCI

Holistic concepts like culture have faced criticism for potentially shielding research from rigorous empirical testing. This study investigates whether cultural distinctions between Swedish-speaking and Finnish-speaking students can be empirically supported: that is, the microfoundations of school cultures. Specifically, the study compares the antecedent of sisu (self-discipline) among 15- to 17-year-old Swedes, Finnish-speaking Finns, and Swedish-speaking Finns. Using structural equation modelling on crosssectional survey data, we estimated and compared path coefficients and descriptive statistics from 2,691 participants. The findings reveal notable differences among Finnish-speaking Finns concerning the relationship between internet use in school and sisu, which also manifest as genderspecific differences, as the negative association between increased internet use in class and sisu is more pronounced among boys than girls. This gender discrepancy is less evident among Swedes and Swedish-speaking Finns. Another significant finding pertains to the relationship between obedience and sisu among Finnish-speaking Finns. For girls, there is a moderate positive association, while no such relationship exists for boys, indicating that Finnish-speaking girls are more likely than boys to respect teachers’ authority. This gender difference is not observed among Swedish-speaking Finns or Swedes. Overall, Swedish-speaking Finns exhibit path coefficient patterns more similar to Swedes than to Finnish-speaking Finns.

The Japanese realm of the sacred in its historical form has, since the dawn of time, been imbued with animistic, indigenous beliefs in supernatural deities, which subsequently evolved into the constitution of Shintō. With the arrival of Buddhism in the Japanese archipelago in the sixth century, a peculiar amalgam emerged, permanently defining Japanese culture, its syncretism, permeability, and openness to influences, particularly from China. Enriching the religious landscape with Confucianism, Daoist teachings as well as the phenomenon of sects (new religious movements), Japanese religiosity exemplifies an unusual fusion of philosophical and spiritual elements. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the peculiarities of Japan’s religious mosaic, the dynamics of the intermingling of various philosophical currents and, and to demonstrate the idiographic nature of the religious landscape of contemporary Japan. The latter, as it turns out, is a fractious example of East Asian multiculturalism, open to religious eclecticism, syncretism, and mutual borrowing. A theoretical grasp of the above will be complemented by a presentation of two syncretic strands, namely shinbutsu-shūgo and shugendō.

The article deals with the results of the psychopedagogical experiment to find Polish and Ukrainian aspects of implementing the analysis methodology of social significance of a personal conflict behavior, made by the students. The study has been applied with the use of the authorial pscyhopedagogical exercises “Vibrations: ‘Me in a Conflict’” and “Vibrations: ‘Me and the World’”. The exercises were developed on the basis of archaic and historical, bioenergetical, art-therapeutic and systematic approaches. The study tasks implied to engage student youth to realize a social significance of a personal conflict behavior. It was concluded that youth usually consider a social conflict as the one which “exists separately” as an independent “mechanism”. They often forget that a person is an element of a social system; a number of negative psychoemotional conflicting behavioral patterns (intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts) make psychoemotional state of the World – a social conflict on a systemic approach. At the same time, students’ comprehension of this aspect is not the understanding and a direct definite change of the worldview and a personal conflict behavior. With free vibrations description on the models of the psychopedagogical, and experimentally proved, an individual subconsciously states the sense of the conflict-making problem as the fact that everything starts with us, our responsibility for the display of a personal conflict behavior that is an intrapersonal conflict. The students prove the assumption made in the beginning: social conflicts start with an intrapersonal and the transfer into an interpersonal conflict of every person, and a cultural difference makes its intensification. In spite of a significant influence of a cultural difference made by the students, this definite experiment didn’t show the difference in the analysis results of a personal conflict behavior performed by Polish and Ukrainian youth. Additionally, Polish and Ukrainian students unambiguously specified the developed psychopedgogical exercises of the analysis methodology of a social significance of a personal conflict behavior made by students, as effective ones. At the same time there appears an urgent need for intercultural education of the necessity to form a personal anti-conflict behavior based on a tolerant recognition “of people of different cultures, and different cultures in one person”.

This study investigates the factors that hinder the professional development of cultural personnel in Poland despite their participation in skills training. The analysis was based on research carried out among cultural personnel in the Pomeranian Voivodeship in the second half of 2021, in collaboration with the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre in Gdańsk. Through a sociological lens, this study examines the narratives of cultural sector employees who report that skills training fails to yield the expected outcomes such as career advancement or improved organisational functioning. This study explores the reasons behind the negative outcomes of lowefficiency skills training, such as reduced job satisfaction, demotivation, and the desire to leave the cultural sector. The analysis is contextualised within the critical description of the Polish cultural sector’s conditions over the past few decades, focusing on employee hiring practices. This study highlights the systemic problem of limited professionalisation in the cultural sector in relation to skills training.

The article is a presentation of the results of our own research. Global threats were made the key research category, the characteristics of which are listed and described in the text. A procedure of our own research is presented in the article and the results obtained are analysed and interpreted. The aim of the research was to find out opinions on the probability of the occurrence of global threats and the strength of their potential impact on the social order in Poland in a ten-year perspective. The research was carried out by means of a diagnostic survey with the use of an original survey questionnaire. Three waves of the survey were conducted: in 2018, 2020 and 2022. The article identifies differences in the assessment of specific threats and their types in successive waves of the survey. From 2020 onwards, the highest rating is given to the probability and strength of the potential impact of economic risks on Poland. A systematic increase in the overall rating of the probability of occurrence and strength of the potential impact of threats on the country’s social order has also been documented.

present a theoretical and empirical perspective of life perception in the context of young people from two types of schools: primary school (13–15 years old pupils) and high school (16–18 years old students). Theoretical framework based on two theories: cognitive-experiential self-theory of personality by S. Epstein (1985, 1991, 1994, 2003) and Urie Brofenbrenner’s ecological theory (1979) and Polish condition for development in local environment described by many authors (Bańka, 2002; Mendel, 2005; Pilch, Lepalczyk, 1995, Theiss, 2001 and others). I was looking for dependencies between the image of life and interpersonal relations, dependencies between interpersonal relations and the sense of effectiveness and the differentiation of living conditions depending on the size of the place of residence (big city/medium sized cities/small town and rural environment). The image of life was analysed as beliefs about the ability to control events in it and personal effectiveness vs helplessness is a phenomenon mostly determined by learning experiences (reactions of the environment to the individual’s actions), although in part they are developmental in nature, being related to cognitive, emotional and social development. The results of the research, provided by diagnostic survey method, show that in adolescents aged 13–15, the image of life correlates significantly (p˂0,05) and positively (r˃0) with total interpersonal relationships and all its subscales (prosociality, non-aggressiveness, self towards others, support, no threat, others against me). In adolescents aged 16–18, I note significant correlations only in a few parameters – prosociality, self towards others, support and together with the category of interpersonal relations. I did not notice any statistically significant differentiation of living conditions depending on the size of the place of residence among young people aged 13–15 (all of them p>0,05). For the oldest group – among adolescents aged 16–18 – I find lower levels of self-efficiency in students in large cities. It is significantly lower than among adolescents from medium-sized cities and significantly lower than among adolescents from small towns and rural areas among adolescents aged 16–18. It confirmed that social ties, relationships in medium size cities, small towns and rural environments are more close and significant, and offer more opportunities for supporting personal development than big cities for adolescents at their 16–18 years of age.

The aim of the study was to explore the determinants of well-being and subjective happiness of high school students. The article presents the perception of happiness and the determinants of psychological well-being among high school students. The study was conducted on a sample of 60 high school students in Białystok, aged 16 to 18, using the Ryff’s Psychological Wellbeing Scale and a custom questionnaire to measure subjective happiness. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods. The results indicate that youth well-being is influenced by elements such as positive emotions, a sense of security and stability, social relationships, achieving goals and successes, as well as faith and spirituality. Considering the timeline, half of the respondents evaluated that current events have the greatest impact on their happiness. The largest group among the respondents – a total of 39% – rated themselves as less happy than others. The article also discusses the theoretical frameworks of well-being and happiness, including Seligman’s PERMA model and Ryff’s model of psychological well-being.

The purpose of this paper is to reveal practical creative activities within the framework of recognizing and developing passion and creative abilities of students aged 13 to 16 years of age, implemented at the Talent Academy of the Youth University of Real Education (MUER). The presented cyclical program initiated by the PRO Foundation is being implemented with the support of academic instructors from higher education institutions located within the Białystok Science and Technology Park. The initiative is an example of voluntary and free, non-formal education focused on expanding students’ development resources. The goal of the program is to develop key practical competencies of youth, including creative, social, and civic, which are necessary for functioning in real life. The paper assumes that the Talent Academy is an example of educational practice that creates a specific climate conducive to developing its students’ creativity and passion. For this purpose, an analysis was conducted of forms and methods of working with project participants in the context of the constituent elements of the selected creative climate concepts (Ekvall, 1996; Ekvall & Ryhammar, 1999; Hunter et al., 2005; Karwowski, 2009, 2019).

Young people are increasingly engaging in contacts via social media. Although this activity is primarily a form of entertainment, students also treat social media as a learning-supporting tool. The aim of the studies presented in this paper was to determine whether using Facebook as an e-learning platform brings satisfying academic performance. Additionally, the application of the gamification feature was examined. Two quasi-experiments were conducted in which some of the subjects took part in traditional classes, while others participated in asynchronous classes conducted on social media. The results of the first experiment demonstrated that a Facebook-run e-learning course contributed to higher grades, while the second experiment showed the opposite effect. Gamification had a neutral or negative impact on the grades. The results are discussed in the context of differences between the designs of the two Facebook courses. The paper makes suggestions for future SNS-based or SNS-assisted classes. It is proposed to use informational feedback instead of a controlling one. Additionally, the use of team work is encouraged. The discussion includes a reflection on students’ autonomy.

Polish and foreign educational research on emotions is constantly developing. Scientific research conducted in schools and public libraries has not yet focused on the emotions felt by children in libraries. The article aims to reflect on the library as an educational space with its own emotional climate and to analyse the results of the pilot study and the primary version of the School Library Emotional Climate Questionnaire tool used in it. The study was conducted in a public primary school in Poland between April 2023 and June 2023 and 57 respondents took part. The study’s conclusions emphasise the importance of research on the emotional climate of libraries in developing solutions to improve the quality of functioning of this educational space.

The concept of Health Promoting Schools (HPS) aims to cause the desired changes in the health of the whole school community. Simultaneously, pupils are among the most important actors in the school setting. The successful implementation of the HPS idea depends on pupils’ active participation and contribution – which can be considered in the context of co-production services. It is based on the assumption that the effectiveness of services depends on broad involvement and appropriate contribution to their implementation not only by the organisers, but also by the direct recipients. Co-production can also develop in other phases: shaping the value chain, service planning, design, launch, management, delivery, monitoring and evaluation. Therefore, co-production builds support for planned interventions and creates a sense of co-responsibility among people involved in its development. Interventions that encourage stakeholder co-production are increasing, particularly in schools. The article discusses quantitative research results conducted among 500 school coordinators of HPS Programs implemented in Polish primary and secondary schools belonging to the HPS Network. So far, no research has been done in Poland on students’ co-productive behaviour as part of HPS programmes. Therefore, this article shows the potential of co-production approaches to promote health in Polish schools more effectively.

The subject and objectives of the research are conditioned by the topicality of STEAM education and the need for STEAM competences, the integration of science basics, the formation of competences in pre-service teachers and students, the instruction of the scientific method in teaching, the study of STEAM teaching methods, the dynamically developing digital society, gaps in the job market for IT specialists. Adequate hypotheses were developed. The study utilized various research methodologies, such as a review of existing literature, specific experimental studies, and the creation of research instruments like a questionnaire and a self-assessment for STEAM competencies based on the Likert scale from 1 to 5. The participants comprised pedagogy students from the University of Silesia in Poland (US) and Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in Ukraine (BGKU), along with both pre-service and in-service teachers. The findings present key research outcomes and offer recommendations for higher education institutions and pre-service teachers.

The aim of the exploration is the attempt of complacency capture amongst teachers of elementary schools and organization’s culture as their workplace at urban terrain in Podkarpackie Voivodeship in Poland. The research was conducted in June, 2023 amongst 219 teachers from 17 public schools, what was 63% of education’s institutions from one research area. The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) created by Cameron and Quinn, was used to collect research material. Thanks to the questionnaire, it was possible to get opinions of the respondents on current and expected types of organization’s culture of their workplace (clan, adhocracy, market, hierarchy). It was proved that the respondents’ opinions are discrepant from their vision of well-managed institutions. The analysis of current and expected states revealed not only dominant types of the chosen elementary schools’ organization culture but also it enabled the Author to capture everyday difficulties of teachers at school. Only the need for school competitiveness (the market) in the opinions of those surveyed is non-differentiating aspect of the organization’s found and expected culture. Divergent perceptions of the present and desired other types of culture (clan, adhocracy, hierarchy) may result in an unfavorable sense of security among the surveyed elementary school teachers.