Usage of a case study method as a means of increasing motivation of future officers in the process of foreign language learning at a higher military educational institution

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Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Army Academy

Department of Foreign Languages and Military Translation

Shcherba O.V., C. Polit. Sc., Associate Professor

Levko M.I., C. Ped. Sc., Associate Professor

Анотація

This method is focused on creating conditions for self-expression and self-development of future officers, gives them an understanding of why they perform tasks, a sense that they are developing, controlling the situation and can influence it. When considering any case, the main focus is not on performing exercises to practice vocabulary, grammatical structures or functional exponents, but on studying a professionally oriented situation, discussing problems in groups, finding solutions to these problematic issues. The case method is focused on students and involves future officers in active participation in self-study, group discussion and decision-making, creating conditions for authentic communication. Language is used as a tool to communicate one's own thoughts and convey ideas to others. Application of the case study method involves careful planning by the teacher of three stages: preparatory, when future officers study the case independently; basic discussion of the problem in groups or in plenary format; and a final plenary discussion with possible involvement of experts. Key words: case study; professionally oriented; professional activity; motivation; future officers.

Анотація

Використання методу кейсів як засобу підвищення мотивації майбутніх офіцерів у процесі вивчення іноземної мови у вищому військовому навчальному закладі

Сучасні геополітичні, соціальні, економічні, технічні та організаційні зміни, які відбуваються у військовій сфері нашої країни зумовлюють необхідність володіння іноземною мовою офіцерським та сержантським складом Збройних сил України на рівні СМР-2, що передбачає усне та письмове спілкування на побутові та професійні теми для успішного виконання подальшої професійної діяльності.

Для майбутніх офіцерів, які навчаються у вищих військових навчальних закладах, здобуваючи різні військові спеціальності, пріоритетним є вивчення загальновійськових та спеціалізованих дисциплін, тому викладачам іноземної мови необхідно знаходити додаткові стимули для мотивації майбутніх офіцерів до вивчення іноземної мови, зокрема англійської. Серед них варто виділити метод кейсів, який активно застосовується в Національній академії сухопутних військ імені гетьмана Петра Сагайдачного при вивченні варіативної дисципліни іноземна мова за професійним спрямуванням.

Цей метод зорієнтований на створення умов для самовираження і саморозвитку майбутніх офіцерів, дає їм розуміння навіщо вони виконують завдання, відчуття, що вони розвиваються, контролюють ситуацію і можуть на неї впливати. При розгляді будь-якого кейсу основна увага приділяється не виконанню вправ для відпрацювання лексичних одиниць, граматичних конструкції чи функціональних виразів, а вивченню професійно-орієнтованої ситуації, обговоренню проблемних питань у групах, знаходженню варіантів розв'язання проблемних питань. Метод кейсів орієнтований на студентів і залучає майбутніх офіцерів до активної участі у самостійному вивченні, груповому обговоренні і прийнятті рішень, створюючи умови для автентичної комунікації. Мова використовується як інструмент для вираження власної думки і донесення ідей до інших.

Заняття з використанням методу кейсів передбачає ретельне планування викладачем трьох етапів: підготовчого, коли майбутні офіцери самостійно вивчають кейс; базового обговорення проблемного питання в групах чи у пленарному форматі; та підсумкове пленарне обговорення з можливим залученням експертів.

Ключові слова: метод кейсів, професійно- орієнтований, професійна діяльність, мотивація, майбутні офіцери.

Statement of the problem in general

Development of military cooperation with NATO countries, organization and conduct of joint exercises and maneuvers, participation in peacekeeping operations as well as partnership in the training of military personnel necessitate language training of military professionals ready to work with representatives of other cultural societies.

The growing need for military professionals with a high level of foreign language competence makes us orient the educational policy of higher military school on the relationship between profession and language, the convergence of military professional and language education. Therefore, a foreign language has become an integral part of training a military professional.

The case study method is supposed to be among the means that strengthens future officers' creative abilities, promotes development of independence in learning and professional interest, encourages cadets to search for additional sources of information and contains interdisciplinary links. The case study method is highly motivational as it provides professionally oriented focus and requires application of specific knowledge of military subjects.

Analysis of recent researches and publications. Western scholars have contributed to the development of case studies: J. Erskin, M. Linders, P. Hutchings, R. Lewis, R. Merry, J. Reynolds, M. Stanford and many others including David Thomas who looked at case studies for English language teaching as a source of motivation. Christine Roell analyzed using a case study in the EFL classroom. K.M. Bonney dealt with the case study as a method that improves student performance and perception of learning gains.

Among Ukrainian scholars who touched upon this problem there are Shevchenko O., Surmin Yu. Vitchenko A., Smetansky M., Galuzyak V. and others.

The purpose of the article is to reveal the significance of the use of a case study as a means of activating the motivational sphere of cadets of higher military educational institutions in the process of foreign language learning.

The main part of the research

A Case study is the method of active and effective situational analysis by solving specific problems and situations. The use of a case study has a much greater effect than traditional teaching methods, as it is focused not so much on acquiring knowledge as on the formation of professional skills, personal qualities, values, motives and attitudes [3, p.22] and, therefore, it is effective in forming and developing motivation to training future officers.

Case studies are also useful for training learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) because to find a solution to a case study, the learners need to apply linguistic skills in combination with analytical and I or interpersonal skills [10, p. 24].

At Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Army Academy cadets study the subject of Professionally- Oriented Foreign Language using the textbook Campain. Level 2 [8]. At the end of every unit, they are supposed to analyze different cases e.g. Platoon Training Programme, Axercise Mountain Trail, Vehicle Patrol, Mission in Fantasia, Ambushed in Orange, Planning a Visit etc.

The Case study is based on the description of a specific professional activity or emotional and behavioral aspects of human interaction. The professional process is modeled in real conditions in accordance with the content of training. This method gives students the opportunity to put themselves in the place of a professional who is faced with the need to develop several courses of action and take a decision. The peculiarity of the case study is that it has a professionally oriented focus, as it requires specific subject knowledge.

For example, every cadet has participated in different types of training. At the English lesson they have the opportunity to make a schedule of training for their platoon [8, p. 12]. First, they listen to the dialogue and analyze how an officer and sergeant of the British Armed Forces plan a week training for the platoon. Then they analyze the given case and, finally, plan different activities for their platoon including installations and instructors. This is the type of task future officers may deal with during their service in the Armed Forces.

There exist different opinions about the feasibility of introducing a case study in the educational process of Ukrainian higher education. Some scholars deny such expediency, arguing that the student is unable to work, using several types of educational activities simultaneously or working simultaneously with a whole package of educational materials. Others argue that this type of learning motivates students' learning activities. The task of this research is to show how motivating study of a foreign language could be through using a case study method in Hetman Petro Sahaisachnyi National Army Academy.

One of the components of motivation is student's understanding of why they are doing the tasks. Scholars state that any case study should develop the creative abilities of students, be professionally oriented, have a scientific basis and links with other subjects studied by the student. Case studies, when used correctly, are closely intertwined with problem-based learning, learning in small groups, independent work of students. case variant еnglish officer armed force

Fulfilling their duties future officers will definitely face the necessity of briefing their personnel. While studying the topic Fearless Warrior future officers analyze the case that is briefing of the Public Information Officer, slides to the briefing and then relying on functional exponents given in the exercises, they make up their own briefing. Carrying out these tasks in pairs and groups promotes development of communicative skills and the future officers clearly understand the importance of briefing sub-skills in his future professional service.

The case study method is characterized by collective cognitive activity, which involves a variety of techniques: brainstorming, exchange of ideas, discussions, interactions, which lead to active interpersonal communication. While using this method, future officers develop specific skills in working with information: search for the necessary knowledge through independent processing of source information, its analysis, synthesis; formulation of the problem and its individual components [4, p. 21].

Studying the topic Lessons Learned future officers' study the case of patrol report written by a platoon sergeant. First the future officers' task is to study the situation. Then, during the brainstorming stage they have to identify the positions of different sections on the map, answer the questions to the text and discuss what could different people responsible for success of the petrol have done differently as well as what lessons future officers learn from the situation, analysis of the case, formulation of the problem and its constituents lead to developing active information processing skills and close interpersonal communication.

Traditionally, the structure of the case includes normative and optional elements. Normative structural elements include a situation (case, problem, story) from real life or professional activity, as well as questions and tasks to work with the case. Optional elements are considered to be the context of the situation (chronological, historical, topological, personal, etc.) [2].

For instance, the topic Combat Search and Rescue [8, p.113] gives future officers the task to study the case in which three people are injured during the patrol. It is a case from their professional activity. Moreover, as an additional element future officers can give their personal examples since a lot of them have patrolling experience in the zone of operation.

While introducing the case, the first stage is the selection of groups of cadets according to their skills of independent learning. This provides an opportunity to further prepare tasks of appropriate complexity for each group. As a rule, we divide cadets into three groups: cadets with formed and developed skills and skills of self-study, students with formed but undeveloped skills and abilities to learn independently and cadets with unformed skills and abilities of independent learning.

For the first group we prepare creative and inventive tasks, for the second partially exploratory and for the third introductory and reproductive. Thus, we individualize learning, focus the educational process on a particular individual with his individual skills and abilities.

At the second stage, while combining a case study and independent work of future officers, the teacher determines the goals of implementing this type of work in the educational process. The overall goal is to acquire new knowledge, develop new skills and abilities of practical character in the development of a topic. However, at this stage, each teacher determines what goal he or she plans to achieve as a result of work.

The next stage is preparation of material, technical, methodological and informative support for the educational activities of future officers. Furniture is arranged appropriately, guidelines for the case study is developed. Then the schedule and forms of the control of independent educational activity of future officers are developed, the organization and character of consultations is planned.

Gases for educational and cognitive activities of future officers during English lessons are theoretical (grammar structures), theoretical and practical (study of language aspects and their application in practice), purely practical (solving certain practical language situations) and interdisciplinary character (combination of learning a foreign language with professional training).

Cases are designed for careful study and processing by individual cadets, then a comparison of results in a small group (4-6 cadets) and the final plenary discussion in a large group (academic group).

A part of work is done individually, hence independently. Therefore, it is important that a future officer, working independently, is able to achieve the closest result to the correct one. To do this, future officers in addition to attending consultations and classes constantly improve the theoretical and practical level by processing basic and additional material, conduct constant search on the Internet, compare knowledge gained in print sources with the latest knowledge of the global information network.

According to R. Merry, when using a case study, the student focuses his or her educational activities on a joint or individual search for a solution to the problem, rather than to perceive and reproduce the already prepared and transmitted knowledge by the teacher [9].

Future officers are provided with opportunities for individual creativity, without limiting them to the framework of program material, which allows to combine a case study and independent work. Teachers only direct the activities of future officers in the right direction, correct mistakes, warn against making wrong steps in their research, monitor and evaluate the results of their work.

In order to achieve positive results in the educational process and intensify cadet activities, our tasks must include real or close to reality professional tasks related to a foreign language. These types of tasks raise the feeling of development which is also a constituent of motivation.

A noticible feature of cases is the ability to combine theory and practice, which is very important in training future military professionals. A case study has a number of advantages, namely: introduces cadets to real life situations; stimulates critical thinking and involves finding a solution to the problem; develops communication skills, etc.

The purpose of applying a case study in the process of formation and development of communicative competence and motivational sphere of future officers during foreign language classes is activation and motivation of cadets' cognitive activity, encouragement to process information; actualization of the importance of learning a foreign language, because in foreign language sources (textbooks, the Internet) the student can find a lot of necessary information related to future professional activities; development of communicative skills, verbal communication, which is realized in the form of dialogical interaction of the cadet with the computer, with the teacher, interaction of cadets in pairs and microgroups; formation of skills of professional communicative behaviour in the team, the ability to analyse the character of interpersonal relationship in different communicative situations.

Introduction of a case study in foreign language lessons takes place in three stages: (1) preparatory (independent work of cadets on the case); (2) basic (plenary discussion of the case during the practical lesson); (3) final (summarizing) [1].

At Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Army Academy during the first preparatory stage teachers encourage future officers to study the case independently and dedicate some time for that activity at the lesson. At the next stage future officers participate in the discussion of questions or statements preliminary made up by the teacher. They practice target vocabulary, grammar structures and functional exponents. As a rule, future officers first hold the discussions in groups and then present their results in plenary. At the final stage the reached decisions are summed up or an invited expert can present his or her course of action. Going through these tasks gives future officers the feeling they control the situation and can influence it which in its turn raises their motivation to study.

Case studies are considered effective because "by presenting content in the format of a narrative accompanied by questions and activities that promote group discussion and solving of complex problems, case studies facilitate development of the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive learning; moving beyond recall of knowledge to analysis, evaluation, and application" [7, p. 21].

Usage of the case study method contributes to motivational and volitional development of future professionals; formation of the scientific worldview; education of universal, as well as socially and professionally significant qualities of future officers; formation of such professional qualities as the ability to analyze and diagnose problems of different levels of complexity; ability to clearly formulate and predict ways to solve problems; ability to express and defend one's own position; communicate, discuss, accept and evaluate information; ability to adapt to extreme situations and take decisions.

For instance, while learning to write incident reports [8, p. 100], future officers are asked to find authentic incidents in the Armed forces described in the media and study these cases for their homework. During the lesson cases are presented and discussed in detail while working in small groups. Finally, incident reports are written individually. Future officers have to analyze problems of different levels of complexity both linguistic and professional since those are authentic texts. Moreover, they are supposed to foresee the ways of avoiding such incidents in future. Furthermore, they develop their skills of defending their own position and finally summarize everything in an incident report format.

As a result, the case study method facilitates both the expansion of knowledge and development of skills necessary for future professional activities of future officers. Training based on practical examples contributes to development of analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as allows future officers to apply new knowledge and skills in practice; take professional decisions concerning the given situation.

Thus, the use of a case study method in the process of learning a foreign language contributes not only to enhance the cognitive activity of cadets, the development of socially significant and professionally important personal qualities, but also to the development of motivation to learn a foreign language of cadets studying at higher military educational institutions [6].

At Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Army Academy we involve foreign instructors from different branches of the US and Canadian Armed Forces in the educational process of foreign language learning. Therefore, discussion of cases with foreign instructors is held particularly lively and with high involvement of personal participation of all members of the group.

Conclusions

Nowadays, foreign language training involves teaching professionally oriented communication and, thus, the learning process itself should be practically oriented. It is necessary to look for such universal methods of teaching a foreign language which would allow achieving a higher level of training through integration of language and professional spheres.

Teachers of foreign languages at higher education institutions are tasked with motivating future officers to master the language, as well as to develop their ability to apply this knowledge in professional activities, performing professional duties in a foreign language environment. Usage of the case study method during English language lessons allows increasing the effectiveness of learning, developing motivation to learn and perform authentic tasks.

Creating conditions for increasing the level of positive motivation with the help of the case study method, cadets have the opportunity to develop independence, skills and sense of purpose, which promotes rising to a higher level of foreign language proficiency. The use of the case study method in the educational process certainly contributes to the formation of speech competence and the development of the motivational sphere of future officers studying at higher military educational institutions.

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