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| 1 | Introduction. A review and analysis of the innovative component of the teacher’s activity is necessary in order to provide a new level of national education and its positioning in the world market of educational services. The aim of the investigation is to help teachers improve the quality of their work in accordance with the modern level of education based on the development of the concept of an “individual innovative teacher’s trajectory of a foreign language”. Material and methods. The material for the study was the articles on the topic of innovations in the field of teaching a foreign language, as well as teachers’ answers to the questionnaire which was held on-line. These answers were supplemented by the results of the individual interview. The obtained data was processed to the statistical analysis. Results and discussion. The empirical data was obtained as a result of an online survey of teachers of a foreign language at universities and schools in the center of Russia in order to define their attitude to innovations, which confirms the teachers’ interest in the topic of innovations in the profession. The factors are revealed that interfere with the implementation of innovations, the main of which is the heavy teachers’ workload. The personal teachers’ participation is defined in the development of innovative methods and their positive perception of the concept of an individual innovative trajectory. Conclusion. The teacher’s awareness of the possibility of the personal professional growth based on the implementation of “an individual innovative trajectory” will allow to improve the quality and efficiency of his work, contribute to his professional and creative self-realization. The attentive teachers’ attitude to the innovation, a critical understanding of its effectiveness and feasibility of implementation will also improve the quality of research in this area. On the one hand, the optimal combination of the strengths of traditional methods and innovative opportunities will help to maintain a sustainable balance in the national educational system, on the other hand, it will help follow all the most progressive trends. Keywords: innovations in the teaching of foreign languages, teacher’s individual trajectory, traditional teaching methods, personal professional growth, innovative trajectory | 1106 | ||||
| 2 | The purpose of the study is to analyze foreign language teachers’ views on distance education (DE) in the period that is defined now as post-COVID period; on the optimal ratio of the online and offline forms of education; on main difficulties while shifting to hybrid format of education; on the changes in quality of life among teachers and in their emotional state. The anonymous answers of 120 foreign language (FL) teachers served as a basis for the research. They answered questions in the online survey. It was found 46 % of FL teachers have fully adapted to the distance teaching, but 39 % of the surveyed work remotely with great reluctance. Half of the respondents believe that online learning is effective only in combination with full-time education. For 63 % of teachers, the main difficulty of online teaching is the accumulated physical and psychological fatigue. The optimal ratio of offline and online classes in a blended learning format in order to achieve its greatest effectiveness is 50–70 % of offline classes. Teachers perceive the advantages of online learning in the more rational use of their working time (40 %), the possibility of combining it with other work. Distance learning affects the health of teachers. The received results are recommended to use for the review of teachers’ workplace conditions in online as well as in blended learning with the aim to upgrade the quality of their professional activity in blended or distance learning. The research that is based on the empirical data would be useful for specialists in digitalization of the educational system. Keywords: distance education, foreign language teaching, pandemic, language teachers, COVID-19, post-COVID era, teachers’ health | 658 | ||||
| 3 | The online academic cheating (OAC) is widely discussed in academic circles of different countries. The present study was conducted after the second COVID-19 wave and therefore reflects the process of mass transition to online learning, which contributes to the originality of the research. The specificity of methodological approach is comparing the opinions of teachers and students, a total of 488 respondents answering online questionnaires. According to the data obtained, from 70 to 80 % of students resort to OAC. As a rule, students tend to use lecture and lesson materials for copying and peeking, contrary to the teachers’ perception of the use of electronic media. On detecting the deception, 57 % of teachers just admonish students, 39% deduct marks. One third of students believe that teachers tend to overlook fraud. Students report resorting to deception because of lack of confidence in their knowledge. Teachers believe that the reason lies in insufficient preparation for classes. From 50 to 70 % of respondents think that such forms of assessment as a spontaneous answer, free-source research and project work reduce cheating. According to students, individual creative tasks can be added to this list. The most important factor reducing cheating is intrinsic motivation (50-60% of students and teachers). Among the measures proposed by students to combat academic fraud, didactic methods are given the highest priority as well as students’ initiatives like the movement in social networks #iliketobehonest, whose icon is shown on a student’s screen in an online activity reflecting a conscious decision made by the student. Keywords: higher education, academic dishonesty, distance education, online assessment | 655 | ||||
| 4 | In the period of threat to the national sovereignty of the country, awareness of the value of the Motherland through the education and upbringing system will serve as the mobilizing force that will help us confront the challenges of the present time. However, numerous teachers are experiencing some problems in realization of the tasks of the patriotic education in general; and in particular, in developing the Motherland’s image during foreign language lessons. The teachers of European languages are suffering from specific difficulties in terms of maintaining fierce information war. The aim of the study was to rethink traditional approaches to organizing patriotic education in foreign language classes, the core of which is the formation of a personality that values its Motherland. The objectives of the research are in the study of the national experience of Motherland’s image development during foreign language lessons; underpinning of the importance to review longstanding norms in accordance with the current situation; the elaboration of new approaches in the development of patriotic education which will satisfy today’s requirements. The main directions of the research were constructed on the basis of empirical data results and the methods of comparison, generalization and analysis of literature data. The material of the research is the results of the practical experience of teaching the discipline ‘Foreign language’ to the students of linguistic faculties. The formation of the image of the Motherland in foreign language lessons should be based on the following principles: 1. Preservation of continuity. Work on patriotic education in foreign language lessons should be based on the best traditions of the national system of upbringing and education. 2. Formation of a holistic image of the Motherland. For a long time, knowledge about our country was transmitted fragmentarily and, as a rule, was only supplemented with some information about the country of the language being studied. It is important once again to assess the content of major disciplines with the aim to fill in the gaps which were made earlier and did not allow to see the multi-faceted image of the country. 3. The creation of a positive image of the country. It is essential to revise the curriculum with the aim to decently and informally cover the heritage of the country in specific sectors of economy and in the world landscape. 4. The development of the skill to criticize constructively by providing a weighted and critical analysis of the disadvantages, by being able to provide positive as well as negative sides. 5. The motivation to define the student’s personal opinion as an active citizen in our society. 6. The encouragement of the students’ proactivity. 7. The revealing of the most significant contemporary issues which require the youth active participation comprises the basis of the relevance principle. A special role in this paper is attributed to the personality of a teacher who develops the need to know more about their country; enables the formation of spiritual youth’s experience which serves as a basis for developing the feeling of love to Homeland; forms the sense of belonging to the common activity; teaches to see the ways to realize their own possibilities in favor of the motherland. On the contemporary stage it is important to be aware of the significance of the individual algorithm to the acquisition of the Motherland’s image among students, as well as the skills not only in presenting this image to a representative of another culture but also in guarding the interests of the Motheland’s image. Keywords: foreign languages, higher education, fatherland, homeland, patriotic education, national identity, civic position | 216 | ||||