Two Kinds of Critical Approach Towards Change Among the Academic Staff of Modern Language Faculties at Polish Universities

Abstract

The text addresses the issue of how the academics at modern language faculties at Polish universities perceive selected aspects of the change implemented by the Higher Education Reform since 2011. The main objective is to present the results of empirical research (an online questionnaire) based on opinions concerning work over adapting the programs and syllabuses of foreign language studies to the requirements of the NQF (National Qualification Framework). A secondary research objective was to observe whether the necessity to perform additional and demanding tasks to meet these requirements had induced teachers’ reflection as to their own competences and the quality of their social, as well as professional work conditions. The two kinds of critical approach included in the title refer to the author’s attempt to juxtapose a critical attitude of an emancipatory character, which is demonstrated predominantly in the research results, with the signs of a more transformative and constructive criticality: the one that would suggest building new quality on the new grounds. Foreign language teachers and researchers seem to be in the possession of tools that are especially helpful in meeting this challenge. Nevertheless, it is not yet clear how and to what extent they can be useful. The paper speaks with the voice of those academics who fight to maintain the high quality of philological education in the face of its “massification” and marketization processes.

English translation: Anna Moroz-Darska

Modernisation of the journal's operations and translation into the English language of articles published in Ars Educandi in 2012-2017 were financed with funds from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education as a part of the task Science Promotion Activity (pl. DUN).

The task ‘The implementation of the editorial module on the platform of Uniwersyteckie Czasopisma Naukowe – a system facilitating the editing and management of the academic journal Ars Educandi‘ was financed as a part of contract 661/P-DUN/2018 of 12.06.2018 from funds of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education designated for the promotion of science.

The task ‘The creation of a modern online version of the academic journal Ars Educandi through the implementation of the publication module on the platform of Uniwersyteckie Czasopisma Naukowe and the handling of international indexing databases’ was financed as a part of contract 661/P-DUN/2018 of 12.06.2018 from funds of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education designated for the promotion of science.

The task ‘Preparation of the English language version of the last 6 annual issues (2012-2017) of the academic journal Ars Educandi and their publication online’ was financed as a part of contract 661/P-DUN/2018 of 12.06.2018 from funds of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education designated for the promotion of science.