At Kazan University, a large-scale transformation of the education of future teachers continues. This time, university scientists drew attention to the search and justification of the forms and methods for assessing professional competencies specified in the teacher’s professional standard.
Associate Professor of the Department of Translation Theory and Practice of the Institute of International Relations of KFU, Director of the German Center Olga Donetskaya and Associate Professor of the Department of Pedagogy of the Institute of Psychology and Education of KFU Inna Golovanova are sure that achieving a high level of professional competence is a strategic goal of professional teacher education.
They attribute this to an attempt to harmonize the content of education and the needs of the market: at present, there is an increasing demand for employees with a certain personal potential, who can solve complex professional problems of a complex nature.
– To ensure the necessary quality of education during the training period, the graduate must have the professional competence of the future teacher. In the conditions of modernization of teacher education, the system of professional training of teachers is focused on changing approaches to organizing the practical component, Olga Igorevna shared.
The search and justification of the forms and methods of assessing professional competencies in accordance with the structure and content of labor functions specified in the professional standard of a teacher is one of the urgent problems of modern higher education pedagogy.
The scientists of Kazan University set the goal to determine the levels of competence formation among students – future teachers and to identify the main components of the competence of further professional development.
The experimental base of the research was the Department of Pedagogy of the Higher School of the Institute of Psychology and Education of KFU. Here, programs of pedagogical master’s programs are implemented, aimed primarily at professionalization in teacher training.
– At present, the area of formation of professional competencies among university students is in the zone of priority areas of research activity of scientists and teachers.
In total, 132 undergraduates were covered by the study. Of these, 79 people came to the magistracy after the pedagogical bachelor’s degree, 41 people graduated with a non-pedagogical bachelor’s diploma, 12 people after specialty and have teaching experience. The input parameters for the formation of competencies were based on the results of entrance tests to the magistracy.
A competency-based approach is implemented during the pedagogical practice of the magistracy.
– During the pedagogical practice of students, not only is their readiness to carry out professional activities checked, but the development and improvement of already partially formed professional competencies continues.
The study of the problem was carried out in several stages.
At the initial stage, relevant competencies and diagnostics of their formation were identified and specified.
Scientists noted that in the current system of teacher training, a certain bias is often observed: students acquire a high level of theoretical knowledge, but do not find willingness to apply this knowledge in their practical activities to solve specific professional problems.
At the next stage of the study, scientists conducted a simulation of practical activities in which they developed tasks for the first pedagogical practice.
Further, a diagnostic system was developed for the criteria and indicators for the formation of competencies of future teachers, based on an assessment of the presented reporting documentation, an assessment of the lessons learned and reflection on them.
The diagnostic stage included an assessment according to indicators of the level of formation of pedagogical competencies.
– At this stage, it was important to align the existing gaps for the further development of competencies. The work took place as in the study of theoretical sections, where students carried out research and design activities, preparing for practical activities. The teacher, leading the pedagogical practice, conducted training counseling on the identified gaps. Teachers who teach theoretical courses and conduct seminars, as well as teachers who supervise undergraduates from the educational organization, worked to develop the expected parameters, consisting of relevant competencies developed during the first teaching practice.
Analysis and systematization of the educational results of students (assessment of the project passport and assessment of the lesson or extracurricular activities) made it possible to identify problem areas in the formation of the competencies of future teachers.
