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VISUALIZATION IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICS FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN AND IN TRAINING FUTURE TEACHERS // ΠΡΑΞΗMΑ. Journal of Visual Semiotics. 2018. Issue 4 (18). P. 235-250

The paper discusses the role and functions of visual thinking within the context of modern education in physics and mathematics. Visual thinking is an intrinsic part of the thinking process of the work of specialists in the fields of exact and natural sciences. In connection with this, with the increase of environment visualization in the learning, professional and personal human activities, and with the growth of information flows and their impact on people, the modern role and possibilities of semiotic resources of mathematics and physics become of considerable relevance. The paper delineates the prospects of visual modeling with the help of mathematical and physical models, and of mental experiment in developing images, reflecting on them and subsequent operating them. On the basis of the analysis of Russian and foreign literature and arguments developed by the author, the paper substantiates the necessity of the development and extension of the theory of the semiotic component of education and its implementation. Semiotics expands the meaning of both theoretical and practical parts of mathematical and natural science education. The paper focuses on the analysis of the development of new approaches to the implementation of the semiotic component of modern education in teaching schoolchildren and in training teachers of mathematical and physical specializations. In teaching schoolchildren, the component is to be implemented by means of their inclusion into educational practices based on real situations appearing in professional activity of specialists working directly in the fields of mathematics, physics and in the spheres of their application. The approach to teachers’ training is based on visualizing their future professional activities in practical resolving problems within selected training situations. In connection with this, the author identified and substantiated the priority directions of the development of the semiotic component in physical and mathematical education. Dwelling on the concepts of visual thinking and on the provided grounding of the necessity of visual modeling in teaching schoolchildren and the relevant teachers’ training, the author identified and considered two basic processes in becoming a teacher (which are also the teacher’s professional activity functions): interiorization and modeling. The paper presents a variant of systematization of the semiotic component of the future physics and mathematics teachers’ competencies in their professional activities. The development of this semiotic component concerns such elements of competencies as knowledge, skills, values and attitudes, prevailing ways of performance. Mastering the competence of educational-professional information visualization by future teachers is to facilitate the increase of the quality of their training, to ensure their ability to perform educational activities in actualized regional practices, including innovative ones, and to design effective learning activities of their students in the visual space.

Keywords: visual thinking, semiotic resources, semiotic component of the teacher’s competency, teaching physics and mathematics, modeling, mental experiment

THE SEMIOTIC CONTEXT OF PEDAGOGICAL EDUCATION // ΠΡΑΞΗMΑ. Journal of Visual Semiotics. 2019. Issue 4 (22). P. 206-222

Although there exists a considerable number of research works on the semiotic nature of education, they do not provide a comprehensive idea of the semiotic context of pedagogical education. The article considers the issues of hierarchization of sign systems and the part they play in pedagogical students’ development as professional teachers. To characterize the semiotic context of pedagogical education, the author of the article addresses A.B. Solomonik’s pyramid of sign systems. In connection with this classification, he distinguishes two goals of pedagogical education. The first one is connected with the use of sign systems for the determination and application of the content of a school subject pedagogical students learn in order to transfer it to schoolchildren. In this context, the relevance of semiotic research and its development has three aspects: semiotics of school subject content visualization; semiotics of educational process visualization based on the modern capabilities of technical educational aids, information and communication technologies; semiotics of pedagogical communication. The second goal is associated with the application of the semiotic pyramid for systematization and transmission of the general professional culture to student teachers. However, pedagogy as a science does not have formalized sign systems of the first and second orders of the considered classification. In this study, stereotypes (representations, images, forms of behavior) that determine the dynamics of the student teacher’s professional development act as units of sign systems. The development of pedagogical culture stereotypes in students determines their further professional and personal progress. The description of sign systems of four stages is given. (1) Natural sign systems. These are elementary ideas about relationships, characteristic of interaction between the student and the teacher, which reflect life experience obtained by the student prior to their professional education. (2) Image systems. These include stereotypes that characterize pedagogical university applicants’ ideas of the system of lessons and its attributes thus forming the image of the traditionally existing school. Stereotypes may have both positive and negative properties. (3) Language systems. These are verbal texts containing theoretical information about a specific field of professional culture which suggests its individual assimilation by each student (lecture material, traditional educational tasks, etc.). A semiotic teaching model emerges. The professor introduces educational paradigms (metastereotypes of pedagogical ideas and forms of behavior) to the student in theory through language systems. (4) Notation systems. These include written texts (documents) reflecting pedagogical systems and technologies, educational programs and standards. A certain role in the development of stereotypes in student teachers belongs to lists of competencies and labor functions set by educational and professional standards. The article considers student teachers’ personal and professional development approach to pedagogical education which implies a practice-oriented system of education through the continuous solution of profession-oriented educational tasks. In this sense, teachers’ training is to reflect professional activities in terms of the emergence of a synergistic effect.

Keywords: levels of sign systems, pedagogical education, content of education, educational process, general professional culture, stereotype

CYBERSEMIOTICS OF DATA ANALYSIS IN DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS // ΠΡΑΞΗMΑ. Journal of Visual Semiotics. 2022. Issue 4 (34). P. 9-27

The article deals with the problem of cybersemiotics of the analysis of educational data and human development data in digital educational environments. In the context of the formation of anthropological ideas about the learner as a subject of activity and the implementation of project-oriented education, the cybernetics of digital educational platforms remains in the logic of “didactics of object learning” and does not sufficiently contribute to the logic of “didactics of the development of the subject of cognition and activity”. The cybernetics of digital educational environments determines the cybersemiotics of educational data analysis: the pedagogical meaning and pedagogical tasks of development are often constructed in distorted optics in relation to a developing person. In the conditions of digital educational platforms and data analytics in digital environments as special cybersemiotic systems, a request is being formed for conceptual approaches that allow social research, technological programming, and pedagogical design of developing, learning environments. The aim of the research presented in the article is to study the semiosis of the analysis of educational data and data on human development in digital educational environments. The research was carried out in two aspects: the technological aspect – the study of digital artificial intelligence (AI) services on educational platforms of Russian education; the pedagogical aspect – the study of data competencies of teachers in working with the semiotics of data analysis in education. The article reveals how cybersemiotic AI systems of digital educational platforms (these systems are based on the concept of the pragmatic function in visual semiotics semiotics) become the object of management, the object of pedagogical analysis, the object of technological development in the design of digital artificial intelligence services of digital educational platforms, and the object of procurement for the development of digital educational environments. The study is significant for the development of the theory and practice of digital didactics and the methodology of cybersemiotics of digital educational environments. The prospects of the research are the development of a conceptual adjustment of cybersemiotic systems of AI services for data analysis in the context of the National Data Management System development.

Keywords: educational data analysis, digital educational platforms, digital educational environments, artificial intelligence (AI) services for educational data analysis, semiotic data analysis of human development and quality of education

“MIRAGES” AND THE “REALITY” OF VISUALIZATION IN THE CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL PROCESS // ΠΡΑΞΗMΑ. Journal of Visual Semiotics. 2023. Issue 3 (37). P. 9-36

The study is dedicated to visualization considered as a current trend, a phenomenon of contemporary education. It is known that visualization reflects the current visual turn and a new transformation of the educational sphere. A scientific study of the contemporary stage of visualization of education is important and topical because theorists have not yet fully comprehended all the processes and results of this trend, its “mirages” as something impressive, amazing, but illusory, and its “reality” as something real, but not always joyful and in line with expectations. We need to anticipate both the positive and negative educational effects of visualization during and after the bursts of the visual turn in education that is happening before our eyes. The effects are caused mainly by technical and technological breakthroughs, the state educational policy, which can be traced, for example, in the latest Education national project. The aim of the study is to identify and generalize the obvious (objective) and non-obvious (supposed) advantages, risks, disadvantages (negative influence) of visualization in the contemporary educational process. In accordance with the aim of the study, its objectives were formulated, aimed at clarifying the key terms that constitute the core of the terminological fields “visual turn” and “visualization of the contemporary educational process”; determining the current state of education visualization; comparing arguments and counterarguments in assessing the positive impact of visualization on the contemporary educational process; identifying and generalizing obvious (objective) and supposed advantages, as well as the negative impact of visualization (its risks and disadvantages) in the contemporary educational process; studying the possibilities of visualization for the individualization of the educational process and the development of students’ initiative. Research methods included an analysis of scientific literature on the research problem, reflection of our own educational activities and experience in the pedagogical design of educational resources, a study of the scientific and pedagogical experience of teachers, the method of binary positions, generalization and concretization. As a result of the study, we summarized the most common and objective arguments and counterarguments regarding the positive impact of visualization on the modern educational process, which reflect and confirm the lack of “transparency”, evidence and persuasiveness of the advantages of visualization. The authors compared the most obvious “mirages” and “reality” of visualization at the levels of subjects of the educational process (teachers and students) and visualization aids and techniques, which is the key scientific implication of the study. As expected, “mirages” are present at all levels under consideration, but to a greater extent they are manifested at the level of visualization aids and techniques. A significant potential of visualization is predicted for the individualization of the educational process, for the development of students’ initiatives.

Keywords: visualization in education, principle of visualization in education, visual turn, “mirages” of visualization in contemporary education, advantages of visualization in contemporary educational process, disadvantages of visualization in contemporary educational process

Image of an initiative teacher // ΠΡΑΞΗMΑ. Journal of Visual Semiotics. 2024. Issue 3 (41). P. 91-116

The formation of a holistic (internal and external) image of a teacher must be created and developed in future teachers even at the stage of their university education; it is a prerequisite, a condition for the creation and development of their own “teacher self”. The image of a teacher is not just an image that gradually emerges in the student’s mind from the beginning of receiving pedagogical education, but deep subjective connections that are gradually and consistently transformed into values, thoughts and actions. Their complex is manifested in the teacher’s appearance, style of thinking and activities, where the regulator is the visualized “teacher self”. The limitations of full-scale studies of the image of an initiative teacher are obvious, which is due to the lack of a universal definition and unified understanding of the essence of a teacher’s professional initiative. The aim of this article is to study deep and superficial interpretations of the image based on a comprehensive analysis of philosophical and pedagogical sources focusing on theoretical justifications of iconic models, characteristics of the concepts “image”, “ideal” in relation to educational activities, to the teacher and generalization of the collective image of a proactive teacher through the eyes of teachers themselves (experienced and future). Research objectives are: clarification of the concept “image” and related concepts; systematization and generalization of ideas about a contemporary proactive teacher; specification of examples of manifestation of initiatives in educational and extracurricular professional pedagogical activities; identification of the ideas of future teachers and experienced teachers about the image of an initiative teacher; determination of the positive characteristics of such a teacher, the connection between professional pedagogical initiative and the quality of teaching and education, the specifics of the perception of such a teacher by students of a pedagogical university. The value of the conducted research lies in expanding theoretical knowledge, ideas about the image of a teacher in the minds of students (future teachers) and its detailed characteristics, in capturing young teachers’ vision of the essence of a teacher’s professional initiative. Research methods include analysis and synthesis, specification, generalization, grouping, oral surveying of experienced teachers and surveying of future teachers (students of a pedagogical university). An image is often associated with stereotypical associations, including in the educational environment, since stereotypes are a schematic image of an object, stable and emotionally charged. An oral survey of experienced teachers and teachers of a pedagogical university (Tomsk, 96 people) revealed a number of positive characteristics of the image of an initiatice teacher: constant development, concern, activity, passion, uniqueness, etc. Surveying of future teachers (students of Tomsk State Pedagogical University, 104 people) showed that an initiative teacher, as a rule, does not have clear gender and age boundaries, although it is more likely to be a young woman. Such teachers are competent, smart, highly qualified, and have a sense of humor. Their external beauty, passion and activity visible to everyone are not so important. The school administration respects and supports them, yet can “use” them for one purpose or another. Every fourth student has the opinion that in a team an initiative teacher may be disliked by his colleagues, but, on the contrary, respected and supported by students. There is a relationship between a teacher’s initiative and their ability to teach well (almost 70% of the respondents think so), to be a good class teacher, mentor (this was indicated by almost 80%). The examples given by students of the manifestation of initiatives by teachers in educational and extracurricular teaching activities indicate that they often replace initiative with activity. Thus, many activities designated as initiative are not such and are considered traditional and widespread. The results of the study can be used to correct the content of pedagogical disciplines and pedagogical practices in the professional training of teachers, and to develop career guidance activities.

Keywords: image, teacher, proactive teacher, ideal of teacher, perception of teacher, idea of teacher, idea of teacher’s initiative

Development of visualizations and the phenomenon-based learning method: Experience of integration in teaching physics // ΠΡΑΞΗMΑ. Journal of Visual Semiotics. 2024. Issue 4 (42). P. 100-118

The article presents the results obtained at the intersection of three research tasks: the development of visualizations for teaching physics in schools; the implementation of the Phenomenon-Based Learning (PhBL) method under various educational systems; and the construction of a creative educational environment for the training of future physics teachers. The relatively coincidental convergence of the authors’ research interests ensures the originality of the results obtained. The relevance of visual semiotics for solving these tasks is defined not so much by the development of the visualizations themselves, but by one of the PhBL key principles —contextuality—and by constructivism as its conceptual foundation, which opens the way for the application of “semiotic diagnostics” to assess the limits of the PhBL method itself. The article details the circumstances and tools involved in developing three visualizations: (1) light refraction; (2) the interaction of forces; and (3) the solar system model. The effectiveness of the visualizations is assessed in correspondence with the PhBL method and the students’ understanding of physical phenomena, such as light refraction, object motion, Newton’s laws, and planetary movements. This integration has allowed for an expanded context in students’ understanding of physical phenomena by combining the idealizations inherent in physics, the abstractions of the corresponding mathematical tools, and the interpretation of everyday situations. The study was conducted in four schools, where a total of 96 tenth-grade students participated in tasks based on visual representations of physical phenomena. The effectiveness of these methods was assessed through an organized observation of the students’ learning activities. The results of the study showed that 85% of the students reported a significant improvement in their understanding of complex physical phenomena due to the developed visualizations. The study is limited by the relatively small sample size and its focus on schools within a specific region, adhering to a particular educational system. Nevertheless, the findings from this pilot study indicate the effectiveness of the integration of visualizations and the PhBL method. The significance of the results lies in demonstrating the potential of visual semiotics for integrating teaching methods.

Keywords: visual semiotics, interpretation of physical phenomena, educational activities, schooling, integration of teaching methods