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FORMATION OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY OF SOCIAL WORKS TEACHERS IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERNIZATION OF EDUCATION
L. A. Kochemasova
The article describes the tendencies of integration and economic globalization that have evoked the problem of social works teacher training in the context of education modernization. It substantiates the need for social works teacher training in a multi-stage system of higher education in order to develop professional competence. Pedagogical practice is the best form of training along with theory training in a changing society.
Key words: professional competence, pedagogical practice, higher professional education, modernization.
Innovative changes in Russian higher professional education connected with modernization have predetermined the need for working out adequate sociopedagogic conditions of shaping a student's personality that require the development and introduction of a new model of pedagogical practice based on a competency model of a tertiary school graduate. This is in regard to the tendency of implementing projects for creation of a balanced and high-tech innovative model of development of a contemporary social educator's professional competence. The undergraduate studies curriculum takes into account the Bologna Declaration provisions and affords Russian higher educational institutions the opportunity to act vigorously within the European educational area.
The study of theoretical aspects of the problem permitted us to carry out a comparative analysis and to interpret concepts as follows: competence - as a personal quality of a subject manifested in specialized activity in the system of the social and technological division of labor that can be viewed in an aggregate of competences as a structural component of competence; professional competence - as a totality of integrated characteristics of a person (specifically professional competence, social professional competence, individual/personal, professional competence, extreme professional competence) determine a professional's ability to realize in his or her activity a range of socio-professional and interdisciplinary knowledge, technologies of productive rendering of social aid and support to those in need of it for the purposes of improving the quality of social services; preparedness for shaping constructive social relationships of interaction, interperception and understanding another person; initiating a specialist's striving for personal advancement, professional self-realization and self-assertion in diverse spheres of activity.
Our analysis of pedagogical approaches (functional and activity, axiological, universal, personality oriented) permits us to conclude that professional competence of a social educator acts as his or her integrative professional and personal characteristic determining the quality of his or her activity expressed in the ability to act adequately, independently and responsibly in permanently changing social and professional spheres, reflecting his or her readiness for selfassessment, self-development and self-realization. The result of education is a
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specialist's preparedness for personal activities. The social educators' preparedness for professional activity leads to an integrative education of an individual characterized by a high level of his or her mastering of psychological, pedagogical and special knowledge, expertise and skills, as well as professionally significant qualities needed for efficient performance of the primary professional functions at a high creative level [3, p. 16].
In a study performed in the Orenburg State Pedagogical University (specialty 050400.62 Psychological and pedagogical education, scope of education: Psychology and social pedagogics, qualification: bachelor) a social educator's professional activities were viewed by us from the perspective of purposeful, conscious, personally meaningful activity aimed at a productive and creative solution of professional tasks. Pedagogical practice, being a link of the comprehensive educational process, permits integrating and generalizing perceptions and initial experience of a student's professional activity, and to form professional competencies. We should note that, in fact, practice integrates professional training of students in the sphere of theory, methodology and research work. Such an integration permitted us to create a comprehensive model of professional training through levels of the integration processes: the "external" integration ensuring interconnection with the future specialist's professional activity as per the Federal State Educational Standard of Higher Professional Education [5] and qualification profile in view of regional peculiarities and social partners' needs; the "structural" one, manifesting itself in the rapprochement of practice with other elements of professional training (character building, educational, independent, research work); the "internal" presuming interconnection and complementarity of some types and elements of practice as a system.
The results of the study confirm the validity of the developed conceptual theses of projecting the social educators' practice on the ground of the following approaches: (a) the competence-based approach (the goal of learning is not the process itself but the students' achieving a certain result - forming professional competencies); (b) the context-based approach (right from the start a student is put into an activity-oriented position because learning subjects are presented as educational and educational-professional activity objects; (c) the reflexive approach (the emphasis is not put on understanding reflexion as the student's understanding of thinking and communication patterns) (d) the modular and activity approach, which permits the students to perform a meaning-making transition from one type of activity (obtaining theoretical knowledge) to another (obtaining professional skills) and to establish a link between the expected result of education.
The development of the "Practice" modules was based on the principles whose implementation ensured the necessary efficiency in attaining goals, and determined the content and logic of pedagogical practice organization:
(1) continuity: one of the key principles of professional education development [4];
(2) the principle of consistency: stage-by-stage mastering of the whole complex of professional expertise and skills, successive mastering all the professional functions of a specialist; (3) the principle of successiveness: stage-by-stage mastering of various types of activity (organizational and managerial, sociotechnological, socio-projective, research activity); (4) the principle of integration: linking students' theoretical and practical skill in their independent social activity,
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the realization of integrative methods in training and implementation of practical activity; (5) the polyfunctionality principle: simultaneous performance of different professional functions in the process of practice (organizing, socio-rearing, socioeducational, rights advocacy, rehabilitation, research, etc.), mastering various professional roles within the framework of various kinds of practice (activity organizer, educator, protector, assistant, advisor); (6) the principle of social partnership: reflects relationships between all the practice subjects built on the priority of trust, partnership and cooperation; (7) the principle of personality: presupposes affording giving students the opportunity of choosing an institution for practice on their own depending on their interests.
In the modern context, the quality of professional training is primarily linked with the ability to shape professional competencies in students. This is stated in detail in the requirements of the third-generation Federal State Educational Standards (Higher Professional Education). Training must be carried out with regard for the actual needs of the economy in the context of modernization. The problem dictated by the polyethnic nature of Russian society is set by the need for including the objective of spiritual consolidation of Russia's multiethnic population into a single political nation among the main priorities of education (along with the educational objectives as such).
Professional competence is closely linked to preparedness for professional activity. The structure of professional preparedness of a social educator is represented by the following components: (a) the purpose-oriented component of practice is formulated in accordance with the general goals or professional training, the specific nature of the area. The purpose of professional training of social educators is the creation of conditions for acquisition of individual professionally significant orientations supported by productive changes in axiological and motivational, cognitive, affective and behavioral structures of a person; (b) the substantial component of practice presumes analysis of regulatory documents, analysis of the salary rate, and the skills handbook and the Federal State Educational Standards (Higher Professional Education) for the area in question, where the first step is determining the substance of professional training depending on the academic level, and the second one is determining a specialist's functions and activity types (socio-pedagogical, prophylactic, rights protecting); (c) the organizational component of the practice presumes thy choice of base institutions meeting general requirements for the selection of pedagogical practice bases: the availability of up-to-date equipment, the presence of qualified personnel, closeness of the base institutions if possible; (d) the technological component of the practice presumes the development of the program and methodological complex of the practice, including the work program, the trainee's diary and the package of methodological aids; (e) the regulative component of the practice presumes presentation of the results of practical socio-pedagogical activity of trainees in the form of contemporary information technology: an electronic portfolio [2].
Thereby, apart from training a good performer of professional functions, the system of undergraduate students' pedagogical practice developed by us prepares a subject of professional activity who is capable of making decisions independently and competently, and is prepared for self-development and self-realization in his or her future activity.
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The contemporary educational paradigm, "education for sustainable development", requires training of efficient specialists who can make decisions quickly and attain success. The task of higher educational institutions is to prepare future specialists who are not only competent in theoretical professional activity, but are highly cultured, and civically and socially responsible, sharing humanistic ideals and moral values.
References
1. Горшков М.К. Непрерывное образование в контексте модернизации / М.К. Горшков, Г.А. Ключарев. - М.: ИС РАН, ФГНУ ЦСИ, 2011. - 232 с.
2. Кочемасова Л.А. Формирование профессиональной компетентности социального педагога в контексте педагогической практики / Л.А. Кочемасова // Вестник ОГУ. -Оренбург: Изд-во ОГУ, 2011. № 16 (135). - С. 463-466.
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4. Проблемы устойчивого развития российской системы образования. - М.: Издание Г осударственной Думы, 2010. - 192 с.
5. ФГОС ВПО по направлению подготовки 050400.62 Психолого-педагогическое образование, профиль социальная педагогика (квалификация бакалавр). - М.: МОиН РФ, 2010. - 15 с.
Translated from Russian by Znanije Central Translastions Bureas
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