ISSN 0798 1015

Vol. 39 (# 10) Year 2018. Page 35

Regional Management in Higher Educational Systems Development within Multicultural Processes

Gestión Regional en el Desarrollo De Sistemas de Educación Superior en los Procesos Multiculturales

Tatiana ZHUKOVA 1; Andrea MOZZONI 2; Vladimir BOGOSLOVSKIY 3; Tatiana DOBUDKO 4; Svetlana SEVENYUK 5; Lidiya VERSHININA 6

Received: 12/10/2017 • Approved: 01/12/2017

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Method

3. Results

4. Discussion

5. Conclusion

Bibliographic references

1. Introduction

This paper presents conclusions from Russian and German scientific inquiries in addressing higher education development within multiculturalism.

Education is changing today as well as the society. The contemporary era is characterized by the growth of integrative processes in the society and the increasing convergence in terms of education and multicultural world. In this way education doesn’t mean anymore just driven by the needs of immigrants that are able to persuasive one-way communication (Goedegebuure, 1996; van Vught, 1996).

Throughout the analysis of the problem of higher educational systems development within multicultural processes researches have advocated the further views:

1. Comparative studies are taking the lead in addressing this goal and recommending specific steps to incorporate educational practices of different countries and regions of the countries more systematically into an existing education system (Goedegebuure, 1996; van Vught, 1996; Dzhurinskiy, 2007). The lack of systemic or unified research in the field of a higher education development within multiculturalism has reduced new two ways strategies of communication to the simple implementation and integration between educational practices (Bebell, 2014; Zhukova, 2014; Bondarenko, 2008).

2. Some researchers focus on the role of the processes which influence higher educational institutions development in multicultural world (Bennett, 2003; Alexiadou, 2007). Moreover they concern the cohesion of the state and international contribution of each individual to the maintenance in a higher institution of educational systems (Enders, 2002; Lehman, 2004; Chiu, 2004; Schaller, 2004).

3. As a result, some of the reserachers believe in that fact that higher education is generally oriented only towards the needs of a single country, rather than towards a system of multicultural interests as well as an understanding of the values native to one’s own country that takes into account the interests of multiple countries (Luijten-Lub, 2005; van der Wende, 2005; Huisman, 2005; Sevenuk, 2012). Many of them believe that the practices of educational relations, which allow ideal and helpful compromise between the educational systems and the communication applications, results thus previous and valuable in a context where development of both multicultural awareness and understanding of the values native is becoming increasingly relevant (Ringeisen, 2006; Buchwald, 2006; Schwarzer, 2006; Trautner, 2006).

The interest in the comparative researches to develop new strategies to education development within multiculturalism was the motivation of the study. Today, comparative research is a significant contributor to educational theory and practice in many countries. Furthermore, the authors of the paper wanted to investigate how educational practices could be applied to the current globalized dynamics. The paper has three research objectives. There must be a systemic description of the processes in the development of education which incorporate the logic of comparative research:

1. Analytical stage: In this stage it is critical to examine how the assimilative and cultural integration processes result conceptualized and related within the values native to one’s own country educational policy in the multicultural society. The authors believe it is essential to explore some studies which address the problem by discussing theoretical questions behind the development of the ideological basis of education within cultural integration model in a society.

2. Critical evaluation stage: At this point it is necessary to discuss and criticize comparative research that draws from empirical studies. One must critically analyze the stakeholders who have knowledge of the current system and analyze the possibility of comparing the two systems (for example, to analyze the role of the values native to the regions of one’s own country regarding the development of education within multiculturalism). Here the authors think it is important to explore what technologies are relevant to communicate, cooperate and collaborate between different societies in the world.

3. Structural orientation stage: At this point, attention should be focused on solving those problems associated with the development of life-style concept in education. To investigate the way in which the concept of life-style is perceived. The literature review considers the current dynamics of educational strategies within multiculturalism that drive the higher institutes in the age of globalized society, in particular in terms of self-awareness and multicultural distinction of different societies in the world.

2.1. Qualitative and quantitative methods

Qualitative research investigates culture, society and behavior essentially through an analysis and synthesis of people’s words and actions. They have the aim to describe the process where the inductive approach allows the researchers to build abstractions, concepts, theories and hypothesis from details. The qualitative paradigm is thus descriptive and that helps a researcher to analyze how students and teachers analyze education, educational systems within multiculturalism, how they examine experiences of the various cultural backgrounds and organize the teaching process.

Quantitative methods have an important role to analyze and understand the processes of social changes. Quantitative paradigm provides to the researcher results as the most indicated in order to conduct an effective research to implement ingoing evaluations to measure the success of new and existing views, to aid in the development of new approaches towards educational systems within multiculturalism. The impartation of educational practices must drive the development of new approaches and models amongst higher institutions. Thus, it is necessary to consider case study when researcher aims to explore a single entity or phenomenon to collect the new information during a sustained period of time. We analyze the educational practice of two regional higher institutions (Samara State Pedagogical University and Ludwigsburg Pedagogical Institute). This method aims to promote collecting, presenting and analyzing subject.

The literature review consists of two components: a theoretical and empirical review of the literature and a conceptual framework. The theories reviewed in this paper serve the purpose of explaining the problem of study. The empirical studies lend support to the theories, propose alternate suppositions, and highlight the need for further study. The conceptual framework identifies obstacles to the instruction of the development of higher educational systems within multiculturalism.

Aspect 1 – Assimilative and cultural integration processes in a society that influences the process of higher institution development within multiculturalism (Lehman, 2004; Chiu, 2004; Schaller, 2004).

The multicultural society in which the new technologies provide hope of overcoming scarcity represents a suitable field of study regarding the abilities of teachers and students to adapt themselves to these new dynamics. Indeed, the actual information education shows relevant relationships which have been established, and are continuously growing, between the contemporary aspects of teaching within assimilative and cultural integration processes and strategies to teach. The new basic idea behind the multicultural society is that education tries to make transformation towards values both of immigrants and the values native to one’s own country (Ringeisen, 2006; Buchwald, 2006; Schwarzer, 2006; Trautner, 2006). The roots of assimilative processes in education go back to the 20th century in the countries of the Northern America. Educational systems have not been involved in the communication process with the aim to transmit in an effective manner the varieties of value of people of different nationalities. The object of the assimilative model in education is not to engage in the communication of people of different nationalities. Moreover multicultural responsibility has not been communicated as a fundamental strategy in education. It does not aim to set the standards in education through initiatives and cooperation between different societies.

Contrary, the model of cultural integration in education has been global, taking advantage of global segmentation, multicultural experiences and backgrounds of students and teachers that must be considered as an important strategy to aid an individual in developing a global mindset (Bennett, 2003; Bosse, 2010; Aniskin, 2014; Bebell, 2014; Bogoslovskiy, 2014). On the one hand, the development of new ideas in education is necessary and important for today’s multicultural- oriented educational institutions to facilitate the integration of different societies in the world. The authors believe this model provides a new view on a variety of methodological and technological aspects.

On the other hand, cultural-oriented integration can lead to a change in the way regional educational systems are developed within an individual to learn to relate to local traditions and preferences.

Aspect 2 – Regional policy in education within multiculturalism (Bogoslovskiy, 2014; Zhukova, 2014).

Multicultural society is changing rapidly and profoundly. Educational systems and higher institutions operate on many levels: world, state and regional. The process of dividing an area into smaller segments called regions. One of the more obvious examples of regionalization is the division of a nation into states or provinces. For the last decades the scientists state regionalization as a management tool and a way to develop education within multiculturalism (Enders, 2002; Holzinger, 2005; Knill, 2005).

For instance, through a regional strategy, the educational programs of a higher education seeks to improve academic achievement, gender equity and life skills of people with different multicultural experiences and backgrounds, ensuring the students’ and teachers’ multicultural awareness as well as an understanding of the values native to one’s own country. The scientists believe that regionalization affects and is affected by many levels of the world system: the system as a whole, the level of interregional relations, and the internal structure of the single region. It is not possible to state which of these levels comes first or which is the more important, since changes on the various levels interact.

The concept «cultural regionalism» (Sevenuk, 2012; Zhukova, 2012; Vaira, 2004) refers to a transformation of a particular region from relative heterogeneity to increased homogeneity with regard to a number of dimensions to facilitate partnership between people of different multicultural backgrounds and values.

The authors of the article describe the further aspects:

- The new technologies to transformation of an individual and development of multicultural competence. Traditional teaching approaches and pedagogical models should be reconstructed to examine how they contribute to and support the variety of the values native to one’s own country. The goal is to develop teaching process that emphasis on the varying and multicultural experiences and backgrounds of students and teachers. We suggest it is important to develop the series of tasks to stimulate interaction of students and teachers of all nationalities, to develop educational environment within multiculturalism. That will influence an individual’s development. Moreover it is important to protect accuracy and present the diversity of cultural perspectives.

- The new technologies to support university and classroom climate through the transformation of higher institutes. The authors of the paper believe it is important to facilitate a partnership between teachers and students of different countries. It is crucial to mention the readiness of all faculties and departments of a higher Institution to contribute to a multicultural educational environment.

We propose the series of information gap tasks to develop students’ and teachers’ skills to work with people of different multicultural backgrounds.

Information gap task 1

Answer key. Life-style concept is the key aim of modern education. Experience of different countries is important.

Task. You have some students in your class from Germany and France. German and French education provides the idea of life-style education that gives opportunities to vary individual and class work.

Preparation.

• Review the Russian and foreign literature on the problem of the concept.
• Analyze educational websites or discuss the problem with students from Germany and France about this concept.
• Divide the class into groups of three or four. Their tasks are to imagine that they are at school to organize life-style concept for children at school.
• Discuss the tasks for children with your teacher.

Information gap task 2

Answer Key. In response to the increase in immigration the problems of a higher educational system in Russia are widely discussed. It is common to hear we have many problems with immigrants. Many talks have been held concerning assimilative and cultural integration processes in a society how to improve and further development of work with immigrants.

Task. Some researches show the importance of assimilative processes to a higher educational system development. Some scientists support the idea of cultural integration. Who is right?

Preparation.

• Understand the point of view
• Prepare a list of pros and cons.
• Improvise the situations to use assimilative model or model of cultural integration within multicultural educational environment.
• Work in groups and draw on situations which countries these models are important.
• Analyze the situation and think about you further view. Speak with students and teachers of different countries.

Information gap task 3

Answer Key. Although there is a growing interest in the importance of higher educational systems development in a region there is still a lack of theoretically well-grounded comparative studies in different countries. The teacher is not ready to organize and support regional curricula.

Task. You lived and worked in the western part of the country. Then you moved to live and work to the eastern part of the country. You understand you do not know how to organize your work with children with another multicultural backgrounds and preferences.

• Review the literature on the problem of regional police in education.
• Analyze the teaching practice at schools of different countries.
• Work in groups and share you views how to develop regional educational environment.
• Make an on-line project.

Information gap task 4

Answer Key. It is difficult for teachers to facilitate cooperation and collaboration between the teachers of different educational institutions. Draw on the problems they are likely to find themselves in when they work within multicultural educational environment. Which of the problems do you think we should rate the mostly highly to facilitate partnership?

Task. Make a project to help other teachers to facilitate partnership with different schools

Preparation.

• Review the literature on the problems of multicultural partnership between educational institutions.
• Give teachers of different countries a mini-questionnaire related to the problems they have to facilitate partnership.
• Think of the further actions to adapt to your country.

Aspect 3 – Life-style conception to stimulate the development of higher educational systems in a region within multiculturalism

The capacity to build long development based on the innovative idea of life-style segmentation can allow achieving an incredible level of communication effects between different societies in the world. Recently, many talks have been held concerning how to improve and further the developments of education within multiculturalism (Luijten-Lub, 2005; van der Wende, 2005; Huisman, 2005). As the importance of cooperation and collaboration has risen the national educational systems have changed as well. Many countries think important to define new indicators of integration in order to improve the teaching process in educational institutions in a region.

Although there is a growing interest in the influence of cultural integration issues in education the authors of the paper believe the asymmetrical relationship model (1) established between institutions has led to the creation of a number of problems to develop education within multiculturalism (Shogenov, 2008; Luijten-Lub, 2005).

The impartation of knowledge is to aim to stimulate interest to cooperation and collaboration between higher institutions. To do so, it is important to speak about symmetrical relations (2) in terms to exchange information, resources and further strategies between higher institutions in different regions (Shogenov, 2008; Zhukova, 2012). The authors believe that higher institutions must drive the development of distinctive management function which helps to establish and maintain «mutual lines of communication, understating, acceptance, involves the management of problems or issues, defines and emphasizes the responsibility of management» to take into consideration each higher institution needs and rights of different societies in the world in order to accept an individual’s cultural background.

By linking the disciplines of pedagogy and management it is evident that when forming policy addressing cultural integration in higher institutions, it is necessary to use a multidisciplinary comparative research. Thus, the authors analyze the views of European researchers as regards management, one of the conditions necessary for the development of the foundation of life-style strategy of higher institutions (Bobrova, 2007; Zhukova, 2007; Yarovova, 2007). Moreover, the authors of the paper believe that these strategies will help to develop students’ and teachers’ competence in multicultural context, when each individual can develop multiple ways of perceiving, evaluating, believing and solving problems.

For decades scientists have made a few advances regarding the «Push - Pull and Pass strategies» development (Kotler, 1998; Mindak, 1998; Mozzoni, 2010). The paper shows that it is possible to use these three strategies to improve teachers’ readiness to work within multicultural educational environment:

-Pull programs have aim to design to cooperate through scholarships, audience actions, publications, surveys etc.

-Push tools should work towards decreasing cultural stereotypes and reducing prejudice by encouraging interaction between diverse individuals. To do so, it is necessary to link between psychological, cultural and pedagogical phenomena and multicultural integration. It is crucial to be aware of the specificities of comparative researches in different countries. They show the varieties of characteristics of the overall worldview shared by members of an individual society. Table 1below shows some examples of the areas of research fields presented by the authors of the paper.

Table 1
Topics of research fields

-Pass strategy is required in today’s increasingly complex educational environment especially regarding to the assimilative and integrative processes in social society. The strategy helps to bear in mind «black boxes» or «black concepts» an individual can have when attempting to understand a problem presented in a region by a different cultural context. Because of this it is important to examine the role and perspectives of educational clusters. The main advantages of clusters are that they allow for: quick access to necessary information; complementary and interdependent structures; increasing motivation to implement activities; and improving the assessment of created materials in order to encourage convergence between various universities (Goedegebuure, 1996; van Vught, 1996).

The joint development of these strategies between higher institutions of different countries and regions of the countries plays an integral role within the framework of an individual’s educational system. These strategies in turn will help to define the educational system: to see its specific features and holistic characteristics.

Scientists in education believe that we have to spend more time looking for links between the specific characteristics and holistic characteristics of the educational systems. As the importance of comparative researches has raised the view on the educational systems and higher institutions has changed as well.

The holistic view focuses on the educational systems through cultural integration. This approach seems to be more relevant to the current multicultural environment driven by the differences of the varieties of educational systems within multiculturalism, as it takes into consideration all the new aspects of the acceptance, management and control of educational systems development within multiculturalism (Aniskin, 2014; Bebell, 2014; Bogoslovskiy, 2014; Ekimova, 2009; Ignatova, 2009; Zhukova, 2014).

Additional studies are needed to learn more about the differences between educational systems. Moreover, it is important to show that the transition from the one way to the two ways communication model is crucial for the development and establishment of educational systems within assimilative and cultural integration processes in a society. Pull-push-pass strategies in education seem to represent an interesting strategic opportunity concerning the ability to create exchanges and facilitate partnership between educational systems (through higher institutions between different regions). These there models of cooperation help to ensure a large usability to improve teachers’ readiness to work within multicultural educational environment. It results to facilitate various and current challenges of life-style conception.

The authors also show that it is important to analyze the current role and dynamics of assimilative and integrative processes in a society that has the aim to foster cooperation and collaboration between different educational systems (through higher institutions, to better understand interrelation between people of different nationalities and examine the new organization solutions.

For the purposes of this paper, we consider that a better model for a higher educational system within multiculturalism is one that takes into account comparative study and cultural integration model to education development (opposite to assimilative model). This comparison provides an outline for understanding the premises necessary to develop models oriented towards the improvement of higher educational systems (work of higher institutions in different regions) while also bearing in mind a country’s cultural characteristics.

Supporting this point, the authors of the paper suggest the idea that the further

researches should implement ongoing evaluations to measure the success of new and existing regional educational practices and to aid in the development of life-long strategy towards higher educational systems within multiculturalism. We believe, that further studies could incorporate the Questionnaire to analyze a) multicultural classroom observation in higher schools in different regions, b) survey measuring participants’ use of reflection in their own teaching practice in higher institutions in different regions.

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1. Ph.D in Pedagogy. Department of Foreign Languages. Samara State University of Social Sciences and Pedagogy. Samara, Russian Federation. tatianazhukova@yahoo.com

2. Doctor of Political Science. Commercial Director for Russian Market and ex USSR Countries for WTS SPA. Brescia, Italy. amoz84@gmail.com

3. Doctor of Pedagogy. Professor of Department of Methodics of IT and Technological Education. Herzen State Pedagogical University. St. Petersburg, Russian Federation. vibogosl@herzen.spb.ru

4. Doctor of Pedagogy. Professor of Department of IT, Applied Mathematics and Methods of their Teaching. Samara State University of Social Sciences and Pedagogy. Samara, Russian Federation. tdobudko@mail.ru

5. Ph.D in Pedagogy. Department of Psychology and Social Pedagogy. Samara State University of Social Sciences and Pedagogy. Samara, Russian Federation. kafped@mail.ru

6. Doctor of Pedagogy. Professor of Department of Foreign Languages. Samara State University of Social Sciences and Pedagogy. Samara, Russian Federation. lidver@yandex.ru