Integration of Education

Introduction. The various challenges faced by international students encourage educational scholars and practitioners to advocate for the development of assistance and support activities targeting this group of students. The scientific justification of the study rests on the lack of empirical studies investigating the specific demand of international students for support activities organized by universities. The aim of the study was to find out the most important types of university support sought by international students. In addition, the study was to determine which university staff should be involved in assisting international students.

Materials and Methods. The main research method used was a group survey conducted in the spring of 2023 at the Belarusian-Russian University and covering 96% of the entire contingent of international students. A questionnaire including 14 types of supportive initiatives was developed for the survey. In the course of the study, respondents assessed the significance of the proposed types of support on a four-level scale. The SPSS Statistics program was used to process the results.

Results. The results showed that the main forms of support for international students were facilitating problem-oriented meetings and increasing extracurricular initiatives. In addition, international students perceived the support provided by university lecturers as slightly less important. Specifically, the following forms of faculty support were ranked in the following order: giving international students additional time to formulate their answers, optimizing academic assignments, distributing printed lecture materials, and facilitating individual consultations. Finally, relatively less important types of support were considered by international students to be learning a special adaptation course and being accompanied by senior students or faculty mentors.

Discussion and Conclusion. The results of this study confirmed the need to improve the educational environment at the university, thereby contributing to the identification of precise measures to assist and support international students. The contents of this paper will prove valuable to researchers working in comparable academic fields and practitioners seeking to improve the standard of education for international students. The results may also form the basis for further research into the development of activities to support international students.

Introduction. The state of a person’s psychological safety determines his/her effective functioning in a crisis situation. The significance of this state and its support increase sharply in a social situation of uncertainty, in which there is no stability of the external environment and there are many threats to the physical and mental status of a person. Such a tense sociocultural situation is currently typical for the new territories of the Russian Federation. The aim of the study is empirical substantiation of the structure of psychological safety of students studying in new territories of the Russian Federation, and the identification of personal resources that support this state.

Materials and Methods. The study sample consisted of 1,034 people studying in the Zaporozhye region. Methods for collecting empirical data: a questionnaire of subjective well-being; indices of acceptance of aggressive, addictive, self-harming, suicidal, risky, delinquent behavior as normative and acceptance of the ideas of extremism, nationalism, xenophobia, fascism; “TromsØ Social Intelligence Scale”, “Cognitive Regulation of Emotions”, “Life Style Index”; indicators reflecting value orientations related to human life, health and safety, value orientations of social interaction and personal development were used. Factor and linear regression analyzes were used to process the data.

Results. The structure of psychological safety of students studying in new territories of the Russian Federation has been empirically determined. It consists of 7 components: subjective well-being, assessment of the acceptance of such forms of behavior as aggressive, addictive, self-harming and suicidal, risky, delinquent as normative, as well as assessment of acceptance of ideas of extremism, nationalism, xenophobia and fascism. The composition of personal resources of the state of students’ psychological safety in a tense sociocultural environment has been proven.

Discussion and Conclusion. The identified personal resources of psychological safety of students studying in new territories of the Russian Federation are the basis for developing a model of psychological and pedagogical support in an educational organization and creating psychological technologies that meet the real needs of a tense socio-cultural environment.

Introduction. The issue of suicidal behavior among minors highlights the need to explore preventive measures within the family. Optimizing family-based suicide prevention for children necessitates the assessment of parental awareness regarding the phenomenon of suicidal behavior and the potential strategies for prevention. This serves as the primary objective of the study.

Materials and Methods. A survey was conducted embracing 3,866 parents and containing 85 questions testing parents’ perceptions on suicide determinants, behavioral risk signals, understanding of response methods to avert suicidal behaviors in children, and identification of challenges and requests within suicide prevention and intervention.

Results. The findings reveal lacunas in parents’ understanding of suicidal factors, with many respondents downplaying certain factors as inconsequential. Parents predominantly identify overt self-harm indicators as significant markers of suicidal risk, while early warning signs are often overlooked. Given this, some parents perceive direct suicidal threats from children as manipulative tactics. School psychologists and private specialists like psychologists, coaches, and consultants are the main source of hope for parents in terms of suicide prevention. Overall, a majority of respondents acknowledge significant shortcomings in contemporary parents’ suicidological knowledge.

Discussion and Conclusion. Tailored interventions to enhance parents’ suicidological awareness show promise and should adhere to specifications such as succinct delivery, accessibility, and evidence-based content. Other important components include the option for remote learning of training materials and parents acquiring skills to aid children in developing coping mechanisms, fostering assertive behavior, providing support during challenging life circumstances, and examining a child’s online presence from a suicidological perspective. Additionally, reinforcing suicidological training, particularly related to deviant behaviors, for educators is deemed pertinent. It is imperative to monitor and evaluate the quality of suicide prevention and counseling services offered by a variety of private specialists like paid psychologists, consultants, psychotherapists, and coaches. The practical significance of this research lies in the fact that the findings may provide a foundation for the development of programs aimed at educating parents about suicidology and preventing suicidal behavior among minors.

Introduction. Service learning is a relatively new phenomenon and pedagogical approach in Russian higher education, with its widespread implementation starting in September 2023. The growing attention from researchers to the topic of service learning, along with the lack of corresponding scholarly publications, has sparked our scientific interest. This article is dedicated to the specifics of implementing service learning in the national context.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted from March to August 2023. The case study method was chosen as the research strategy. 18 Russian universities participated in the research. The study design included semi-structured interviews and document analysis.

Results. Through our research, we identified the peculiarities of implementing the “service learning” approach in Russian universities during the nascent stages of this practice. The analysis of the results allowed us to identify the reasons, sources, and motives for applying the service learning approach in higher education, as well as to determine the characteristics of implementing the service learning approach during its emergence in Russia.

Discussion and Conclusion. Firstly, we observed a polarization of service learning practices regarding key categories – learning and service. Some practices were labeled as “learning without service”, focusing predominantly on students’ professional training. Another set of practices was termed “service without learning”, due to the predominant interest in social activities at the expense of students’ development as future professionals. Secondly, the identified lack of attention to interpreting results, setting goals, and achieving them led to discussions about a specific “non-reflective pedagogy” within the framework of the service learning approach.

Introduction. The digital landscape is becoming increasingly important in shaping adolescents’ social interactions. Most researchers examine the negative effects of social media, but there are virtually no publications on the positive effects of social networks on the formation of prosocial behaviour in the digital space. The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of social networks, moral identity, empathy, and social self-efficacy on the formation of prosocial behaviour in students on the Internet.

Methods and Materials. A total of 430 students participated in the study in public high schools in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The data obtained were analyzed using the software tool Smart-PLS, which is used for structural equation modeling analysis, related to the constructs of revisit intention and suggestion intention. Two types of analyses, external and internal models, were applied in this paper.

Results. The materials of the article prove the positive influence of social networks, moral identity, belongingness, and social self-efficacy on prosocial behaviour of adolescent students on the Internet. Social interaction through digital media enables students to engage in prosocial behaviours: sharing positive experiences, emotional support, etc. Moral identity becomes a key factor in cyberspace in terms of determining how interaction responds to content on the Internet. Empathy acts as a link that facilitates the transformation of information received through social media into positive reactions. Social self-efficacy is the psychological basis that motivates people to maintain positive behaviour on the Internet as well as in social networks.

Discussion and Conclusion. The results of the study will be essential for the development of students’ prosocial behaviour on the Internet in schools through various educational programs, especially in the context of online interactions; provide a solid foundation for the creation of educational programs that help reinforce moral and ethical values, as well as improve students’ empathy and social self-efficacy skills.