KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor Vahan Sargsyan today presented the administration and teaching staff of Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) the future plans, activities and expected results of the newly-opened Centre for Educational  Research in Chess, as well as its problems and research programs.

Contradictory ideas and opinions about chess efficiency, lack of assessment tools for educational progress and special educational needs, study of the low rates of the internationalization of research: the newly-established Centre will focus on these and other activities with the help of its experienced professionals from various fields.

Speaking about the directions of the Centre, Vahan Sargsyan particularly presented three of them, those including comparative studies of educational progress and chess, methodological issues of chess teaching, chess and inclusive education practices. Outlining the logic of the research process, he added that they plan to involve Master’s degree students in studies and experiments.  

The Head of the Centre also stressed the significance of local and international cooperation in the Centre’s activities in the coming year, which, he said, would allow assessing educational progress at schools, developing and introducing education quality assessment methodology in compliance with international experience.

The attendees then addressed their questions to Vahan Sargsyan. 

ASPU Rector Ruben Mirzakhanyan hailed the predetermined conditions and results of the new Centre and recommended involving specialists and students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages in the program for ensuring its effective internationalization.

“Chess is now moving towards education, hence each new scientific research deserves attention. I am convinced that the new Centre will help our country to present the world new ideas,” said Smbat Lputyan, Head of the Department of Chess and Sports. He expressed hope that the specialists involved in the mission would be devoted to their mission.