Pedagogical support for Ukrainian war-affected children: future teachers` readiness to work in crisis. Comparative analysis of research results in Ukraine and Poland

Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church on the 269th day of the war, 2022.

With the beginning of the full-scale military invasion of Ukraine by the russian aggressor, a significant number of children have been affected, either by being reported as kidnapped or illegally deported to the aggressor country. Since the first days of the war in Ukraine, the state portal "Children of War" (2022-2023) has been operating, providing data on the number of children physically affected by the war - wounded, killed, kidnapped, illegally deported, etc.

"Children of War" is a universal communication site in cooperation with law enforcement agencies: the National Police of Ukraine, the Office of the Prosecutor General, as well as with the National Information Bureau (Fig. 1). Information about victims of Ukrainian children due to unpredictable shelling, atrocities, and constant hostilities of the enemy can be received/reported here: about a lost child; about a crime committed against a child; if you found a child unaccompanied by adults; if you know about the fact of the child's deportation; on the forced change of citizenship and documents of the child; about other violations of children's rights during the war (Portal "Children of War", 2022 -2023). This portal was developed to assist in the identification, rescue, and release of children from places of forced displacement or deportation. As can be seen in Fig. 1, as of 30 October 2022, 430 children were killed, 823 were injured, 248 went missing, and 9441 were deported from their place of permanent residence.However, the terrible war is still going on, and Ukrainian citizens, including children, unfortunately, are still suffering. By comparison, as of 11 August 2023, this number has increased significantly: 499 were killed, 1097 were injured, 1166 went missing, and 19546 were forcibly deported to russia and belarus. This information serves as a proof of the genocide of Ukrainian children and crimes against humanity committed by the russian aggressor.

The UN Security Council identifies six grave violations against children in armed conflicts (Kivva, 2023):

- kidnapping and illegal abduction of children;

- recruitment and exploitation of children;

- killing and injuring;

- rape and other forms of sexual violence;

- attacks on schools, hospitals, and persons related to them;

- denial of humanitarian access.

All these types of crimes are now being committed in modern Ukraine as a result of the full-scale invasion of the russian occupier.

M. Rembierz describes some of the facts of the Germanisation of Polish children during the Second World War by referring to them as “ideologically sanctioned and pragmatically implemented 'all-round' crime: inflicting physical, spiritual and moral death on a massive scale", focuses on the detailed “anthropological, pedagogical and biographical aspects of the extermination, robbery, and Germanization [...]" (2020, p. 13). The same scenario is used by the russian occupiers on the territory of modern Ukraine, committing shameful crimes against children, including deportation, forced russification in russia and belarus, and adoption into russian families to deprive them of their Ukrainian identity. L. Witkowski highlights the phenomenon of negative identity (according to Erik H. Erikson), which can apply to individuals and communities, as exemplified by the fact of "dumbing down", i.e. the spread of the "negative identity of Germans", which was propagated by Hitler in his days. “Enthusiasm and a shared sense of pride, alongside intolerance and harshness, emerged as a result of the Germans anchoring their collective feeling of distinctiveness and reinforcing their identity through the e ndorsement of values that directly opposed a discarded world" (2015, p. 204).

Fig. 1 Information platfo rm ”Children of War”: a state portal for missing children.

Source: https://childrenofwar.gov.ua/en/

To protect children's lives and health, to teach them national values and priorities, and to preserve spiritual culture, religious traditions, and European ideals, a significant number of families (mostly from the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine) have been forced to leave their places of residence (occupied territories or those where the most active hostilities are taking place) and go to Europe or America during the first weeks of the war. They talk a lot about the trauma they have experienced, the fear of explosions, the loss of family and friends, and the fear of air raids or explosions. That is why professional help is required today for children who have experienced war trauma. Based on the analysis of Internet resources, currently, for example, there are about 300,000 Ukrainian children in Poland while only 18,000 of them study in Polish schools, so there is an urgent demand for the opening of such schools (the data was presented during the conference "Ukrainian Teacher in Poland. Free didactic conference") (Ukrainian school in Poland., 2022). This implies the necessity of social, psychological, professional, and pedagogical training of teachers to solve the problem of not only teaching but also development and adaptation to children's active social life -victims of russian aggression.

The article is aimed at (1) studying the current state of the problem in modern media and scientific literature on the importance of social and pedagogical support for children affected by war; (2) presenting the results of the questionnaire among students from Ukraine and Poland with experience of dealing with IDPs and identifying the most significant challenges they face in the pedagogical aspect; (3) based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the questionnaire findings, to propose methodological recommendations for the professional training of future teachers to work with students in crises.

ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

Research Methods

The following methods were used in the research.

The method of media monitoring was used to identify relevant information from publications on the research problem, in particular, psychological and pedagogical support for children affected by war.

The questionnaire method was intended to identify the experience and personal impressions of prospective teachers' (Ukrainian and Polish students) volunteer work with displaced children affected by the russian military aggression in Ukraine.

Narrative interviews with selected students, conducted based on a prepared questionnaire, aimed at deepening our understanding of the studied phenomena

Methods of mathematical statistics have been used to present the quantitative and qualitative results of the empirical research.

The method of comparative research proposed by F. Hilker (1962) incorporates a departure from purely empirical-positivist data comparison in favor of a humanistic approach, focusing on understanding analysis used in historical and philosophical research. According to Hilker, comparative research can elucidate the meaning of pedagogical phenomena embedded within specific cultural contexts.

The combination of quantitative and qualitative research allows for meeting the requirement of equivalence, especially within studies that necessitate enrichment with socio-cultural context.

Instruments and Procedures

To assess the readiness of prospective Ukrainian and Polish educators for working with children affected by war, we developed a questionnaire (Fig. 2). The survey was conducted online in June-August 2022.

Fig. 2 Questionnaire for Polish and Ukrainian students Source: The questionnaire form was developed by the authors of the article

The survey involved 47 students from Ukraine (Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University) and 33 respondents from Poland, including 15 students from the Institute of Pedagogy Jagiellonian University in Cracow (UJ), the rest were representatives of the University of Silesia in Katowice (US, Faculty of Theology) and The University College of Applied Sciences in Chefm. This sample cannot be considered representative. For example, the questionnaire was sent to 324 people (students of the UJ Institute of Pedagogy), and the feedback rate was 15. It is worth mentioning that in the group of students from the Institute of Pedagogy at the Jagiellonian University there were also people of Ukrainian origin who had begun their studies in Poland before the outbreak of the war, and their assimilation into the group was very successful. The solidarity of fellow group members resulted in the groups being extremely committed to helping and supporting Ukraine in various forms. However, not everyone had to deal with the children.

We assumed that only those students who had practical experience working with Ukrainian children of war voluntarily agreed to participate in the survey. However, this enables us to compare the impressions and experiences of Ukrainian and Polish students as prospective teachers regarding psychological support, education, and development of Ukrainian IDPs, and to identify their empathy and volunteer qualities. As the number of Polish respondents was slightly smaller compared to the Ukrainian participants, we were able to conduct a qualitative analysis of their experiences, which involved conducting narrative interviews.

Results of Research

The survey results showed that respondents from both countries (Ukraine and Poland) have some experience working with children of war who were forced to leave their homes and relocated within Ukraine due to the occupation or shelling (internally displaced persons), or who have moved to other countries, including Poland (who have received temporary protection as refugees). This was confirmed by their answers to the questionnaire: "How long have you worked with children affected by russian aggression in Ukraine?" (Fig. 3).

The majority of the respondents - 39.4% (13 persons) of Polish and 48.9% (23 persons) of Ukrainian students - have only 1-2 days of experience in pedagogical interaction with children affected by war. And this is natural because the survey was conducted in the first months of the war and most of them did not have the opportunity to gain such experience; such activities were voluntary, in some cases as a form of social and pedagogical practice at the university. At the same time, it is extremely positive that students have become actively involved in helping Ukrainian DPs. Among Ukrainian student s studying at a university in the west of the country, more than 20 percent of respondents reported that they occasionally help children with war trauma voluntarily, and almost 15 percent have been working with internally displaced children for a week or more.

Among the students surveyed in Poland, more than 15% continue to support young Ukrainians, 18.2% have been volunteering for 2 months or more, and 21.2% for more than a week. Considering the survey was conducted three or more months after the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, this is evidence of the great engagement of young people in both countries, a manifestation of their commitment to patriotism, tolerance, humanity, empathy, pedagogical identity, intercultural communication, etc. Even a relatively short-term contact with children from Ukraine was a powerful emotional experience, significant in the context of building important social and personal competencies. Students from both groups emphasized that this experience was/is incredibly challenging but also highly important. Again, we are persuaded that modern students are the future of national or European well-being, a dynamic and active social stratum of the population, distinguished by a progressive vision in the fight for independence, freedom, peace, justice, etc.

Fig. 3 The experience of students (prospective teachers) with Ukrainian war-affected children

Source: The survey was conducted by the authors of the article

In the research, it was crucial for us to identify the challenges faced by students (teachers) when dealing with children affected by war. The results of the comparative study are presented in Tab. 1 and Fig. 4. Thus, perhaps the main obstacles for Ukrainian and Polish students were psycho-emotional stress (78.7% and 60.6% of respondents, respectively), which resulted in communication problems in academic activities (70.2% and 57.6%), homesickness, sometimes complicated by depression, sleep disorders and high levels of anxiety (68.1% and 63.6%). They are exceptionally serious psychological symptoms that serve as formidable obstacles to learning, as students navigate through various emotional phases (understanding, adjustment, doubt, etc.) and face challenges related to adaptation to unfamiliar settings. Twenty students from Ukraine and an equivalent number (60.6%) from Poland noted this aspect.

The Polish respondents reported communication problems among ID children, including 75.8% (25 persons) who noted language obstacles in education. Because in May 2022, more than 2 million Ukrainian children were temporarily sheltered abroad, they faced serious language barriers in everyday communication, leisure activities, and educational institutions. Communication problems and language barriers were the first hurdles in providing assistance and support. During the interviews, there was a mention of an initiative taken by students from the Institute of Pedagogy at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow: self-organized Ukrainian language courses by Ukrainian-origin students for Polish students, focusing on basic communication skills. The need for a structured Ukrainian language learning program was submitted to the Jagiellonian Language Center (a unit specializing in foreign language education at the University of Jagiellonian).

From the statements of Polish students:

“I believe that it is particularly difficult to overcome the language barrier establish communication, and therefore build a relationship between student and teacher. The adaptation of students and building relationships with their peers is also a big challenge, especially in the senior years. I want these children to be able to adjust as best they can during the terrible wartime in other countries".

“I was in contact with the children for a short time, only during the process of their placement. Of course, the most important thing is to try to overcome the language barrier, because this is what causes them the most problems and frustration.Teacher and peer patience and understanding are also important".

Tab. 1

Challenges faced by prospective educators when interacting with Ukrainian children affected by war trauma1