Instytucjonalne, środowiskowe i indywidualne uwarunkowania funkcjonowania pedagoga szkolnego

Abstract

The monograph is an attempt at a theoretical and empirical approach to the work of a school pedagogue in the context of the school’s transformations as an institution, changes within the educational environment (family, school, local) and the requirements for the pedagogue as a professional and a person. The work consists of eight chapters. The first chapter presents the institutional and legal dimension of the work of a school pedagogue. It describes the directions of educational changes in Poland from the end of World War II to contemporary times, in order to show continuity and change as processes accompanying the appointment of a school pedagogue. The role and tasks of the school pedagogue and their relation to the changing directives of the educational law are analysed. The chapter ends with a review of research on the profession of the school pedagogue. The second chapter covers the environmental determinants of the work of a school pedagogue. The family environment is presented as a place of life and upbringing of the young generation. The directions of transformation of the contemporary family, its threats and the importance of cooperation between the family and school are described. The contemporary school environment is presented in the institutional and social dimension, pointing to negative phenomena which the pedagogue recognizes and deals with. The role of the peer environment for the development of the young generation has been emphasised, and attention has been paid to the risks (especially peer exclusion and cyber-bullying) that may arise in the peer relationship. Working with a peer group is another important area of work for a school pedagogue. Family, school, and peer environment function in a specific local environment. The quality of this environment, the social control mechanisms that are applied in it, the number and type of institutions supporting the family and school are of great importance for the development of the young generation and they significantly determine the work of the school pedagogue. The third chapter covers the definition of the personal resources of the school teacher. Their description refers to different theoretical approaches in order to distinguish more important personality traits, which are treated as individual determinants of the school pedagogue’s work. Pedagogical competence is characterized, including interpersonal skills. The involvement in professional activities and the sense of effectiveness of the teacher’s own actions are described. The pedagogue is expected to be able to cope with difficult situations, which generates tension. Therefore, this feature of personality resources has been analysed in detail in the final part of the chapter. Chapter Four presents the concept of own research. It describes general methodological assumptions and adopts a quantitative-qualitative research strategy. It indicates the subject of the research, i.e. institutional, environmental and individual determinants of the work of a school pedagogue. The procedure of diagnostic and descriptive tests used to collect empirical material is presented. Research problems have been formulated – main and detailed. The methods used in the research – diagnostic survey and estimation method – are characterized. Also, the selection of the research sample and the research area is described. The following chapters (fifth, sixth and seventh) contain an analysis of the research results. The presentation of the obtained data starts with a description of the research sample and data coming from the diagnosis of the field of planning and organisation of pedagogical work. For this purpose, the statements of the pedagogues on working conditions, professional duties, forms of pedagogical assistance applied to pupils, parents and teachers, perception of their competences, aspirations and perspectives are reviewed. The classification of changes proposed by the pedagogues has been made in order to improve the quality of the work. In the sixth chapter, the opinions of the pedagogues on the educational environment in which the pupils function and which to a significant extent determines the directions of the pedagogical assistance have been collected. Chapter Seven presents the results of the diagnosis of selected personality traits of the pedagogues under examination. Five areas of personality have been analysed: assessment of one’s own pedagogical competence, assessment of one’s own professional preferences, interpersonal skills, own effectiveness, and strategies of dealing with stress. The final chapter is an attempt to model the activities of a school pedagogue. It reviews different concepts of the pedagogue’s work and, on the basis of the research results, presents own model of his/her work. The present publication is part of the tradition of research into the profession of school pedagogue. It is an attempt to empirically present the contemporary pedagogue in the context of the changing school, environmental conditions and his/her personal resources. The problems undertaken in the work are of great social importance, because a school pedagogue is a person prepared to act towards various categories of people, including those at risk of exclusion or socially inadequate. He or she is a professional providing psychological and pedagogical assistance, supporting educational activities of teachers and parents, organising and implementing various forms of assistance for students, undertaking interventions in the most difficult matters. The profession of a pedagogue is perceived competently, it is extremely important to know the scope of his or her duties, the environment in which and for which he or she works, as well as individual predispositions conditioning a particular style of work. The monograph deals with the problems which are important for professionals in the field of school counselling and educational pedagogy. It is also addressed to people responsible for shaping school reality, organisers of education for children and young people in the local and school environment, and teachers and educators directly involved in psychological and pedagogical assistance. This position can also be a source of reflection for students of pedagogical faculties.