This year, our research group was represented by Imre Kökényesi, Bernadett Micskei and Mór Antal Szűcs at the workshop of the MTA Public Education Development Research Programme in Mátrafüred.
Imre Kökényesi gave a presentation on “Transforming the learning environment – Are we playing or learning?” on Saturday morning.
Our research, supported by the Public Education Development Research Programme of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, will result in several new collaborative research projects. One of them is in the field of teacher training, on the topic of developing mathematical thinking through experience-based learning in the kindergarten and primary school. On 29 April, we held a special workshop with the participation of lecturers and the Rector of the Apor Vilmos Catholic College involved in this topic. The solutions we presented met the ideas of the rector and the lecturers, and we hope to start a research collaboration involving the Catholic Schools Authority of the Diocese of Vác.
Several research teams consisting of teachers, special-needs teachers, psychologists, and students have been established to continue the research. In Theme 1, the area of behavioural problems, three interrelated groups are working: the classification of problems, the development of a protocol for the assessment of problems, and the practical application groups have started work.
In addition, a more in-depth study of finger awareness was launched with the development of an online hand and finger awareness test with the contribution of Imre Kökényesi and a group of interested teachers, students, and specialists.
Today, we talked to a publisher about publishing the methodological materials used in the project and incorporating the teachers’ experiences in book and online form. The plan is to have nine units focusing on the development of sensori-motor, language, and thinking, i.e., the cognitive area, three units on spatial organisation and one comprehensive unit on learning organisation. This ratio follows the teachers’ preferences in the choice of methodology. Although we are aware that the methodology of spatial and learning organisation i.e., classroom organisation is at least as important as the integration of cognitive development in the classroom, the project has revealed the direction in which teachers expect professional materials. However, in the publication, we strongly emphasise that the learning environment necessary for developmental teaching must be balanced across all three areas.
We are looking for competent students, teachers and professionals interested in research and development work for the new research project that will evolve from the MTA-AVKF research project.
We start in three areas:
The research tasks are suitable starting for diploma, TDK theses, and doctoral theses
Further information and application: gyarmathy.eva@avkf.hu
After a year and a half of waiting, our article “School-entry Sensorimotor and Cognitive Profile and Success in Mathematics”, which we submitted to the International Journal of Early Years Education, has been reviewed.
The reviewers pointed out several improvements and additions. We have started to revise the paper for publication as soon as possible.
In the final year of the research, our main task is to process the data and publish the results. The first processing of the data will focus on the development of the baseline score of the Cognitive Profile Test. With the addition of the measurement of background sensorimotor function, the test is also suitable for pre-school children.
We have prepared two scientific presentations for the 24th National Conference on Educational Science in Hungary, University of Debrecen.
Györgyi Elekes, Judit Gombás, Bernadett Svraka and Éva Gyarmathy (2024). The health dimension and mental well-being among Hungarian teachers. 24th National Conference on Educational Sciences, “Instruction and education in the service of societal welfare.
Challenges of education and instruction in the age of crises.” Book of Abstracts p. 275, 24-26 October.
Judit Gombás, Györgyi Elekes and Éva Gyarmathy (2024). Characteristics of innovative teachers. 24th National Conference on Educational Sciences, “Instruction and education in the service of societal welfare. Challenges of education and instruction in the age of crises.” Book of Abstracts p. 299, 24-26 October.
Link to the Book of Abstracts: https://onk2024.hu/doc/absztraktkotet_v6.pdf
The programme part of our research has been completed. The final year will be devoted to processing and publishing the results. We have compiled a summary of the test data from the follow-up of the first and second grade children and their teachers. It is available here (KutatasiAnyag_EN.pdf)
We welcome applications from researchers or students who would like to work with the data collected during the research.
The report is available in the repository.
https://tanulas-kutatas.hu/en/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/MTA-AVKF-research_report_0912_EN.pdf