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3TASK APPROACH IN THE GENERAL PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF FUTURE ECONOMISTS AT UNIVERSITY
This article identifies general professional training as a subsystem in professional training aimed at the formation of general professional competencies of economists by orienting the content and the learning process towards solving general professional tasks. General professional tasks determine the content and logic of economic activity in planning, calculation, analysis, management (justification of the effectiveness of the solution chosen, communication) and are basic for various types of training of future economists. The task approach allows university teachers to design a set of professional training tasks based on various contexts and form the ability of students to organize activities for the economic justification of making managerial decisions in various professional areas, quickly respond to changes, get to know about the processes abroad. The example of a professional training task for future economists is considered.
Keywords
general professional training, professional training tasks, training economists, general professional competencies (GPC)
AUTHOR
Ludmila S. Maslova,
PhD in Pedagogy,
Senior lecturer Department of foreign languages in the sphere of Economics and Law, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
lsm-2003@list.ru
DOI: 10.24412/2311-8806-2023-1-10-17 Introduction
Contemporary trends in the modernization of higher education tend to see it as being intended to provide a solid fundamental grounding in order to meet rapidly evolving professional needs. This conflicts with the increasing demands of society in general, and the labor market in particular, for highly specialized staff. The contradiction lies in the fact that narrow specialization is rapidly losing its relevance, since changes in society take place far ahead of the changes in the processes of training specialists that they necessitate.
In the economic sphere, the processes of both globalization and localization in the world economy produce the need to articulate and harmonize the general and the particular, to develop deductive and inductive approaches in the study of economic phenomena, and, since economies are interconnected, to improve understanding by economists the processes in general and local trends in other countries.
At university level, a combination of practical and theoretical training can be implemented with the collaboration of different institutions (for example, the university and the banks). This sort of mixed education comes from the fact that in the banking profession the staff have regular update periods to keep up with changes in legislation, in organization, in practices etc. Academics have had problems with providing an up-to-date practical training and conversely the banks have had great difficulty keeping up with new trends in general education (albeit in the specialized field of money, banking and finance).
For example, bankers need to be able to assess the trends in the economic situation and that necessitates being knowledgeable in macroeconomic analysis.
By specifying general professional training as a special category of professional training in the system of higher education we can determine the other way to overcome this contradiction. General professional training should become the basis for the development of students' ideas about the diversity of ways to build a professional career, their conscious choice of possible educational and professional trajectories in the field of professional activity that they master at university (Maslova, 2021). General professional training can serve as the strong foundation for mobility of future specialists. Introducing task approach can improve the general professional training of economists. It should contribute to the development of students' understanding of the goals of economic education, increase motivation to master professional activities, awareness of belonging to a certain social group, promote involvement in the professional community of economists.
Materials and Methods
The general professional training of future economists is understood as a subsystem of professional training common to all future economic specialists, necessary for all areas (spheres) of their professional activity and aimed at solving general professional tasks. General professional tasks are defined as typical tasks of economists, reflecting the main groups of tasks of professional activity: tasks for calculation, planning, analysis, management (Maslova, 2021).
General professional training of future economists at university is preconditioned by the presence of variable contexts of professional activity in the field of economics, the developing need of society for the training of specialists of various qualifications and specializations in the field of economics.
General professional training of future economists should be carried out in the logic of developing general professional competencies of a future economist in all subject areas (economics, foreign languages, mathematics and information technologies), which are common to all types of training of future economists and provide the foundation for the development of professional competencies.
As part of the improvement of general professional training of various specialists, there is a number of studies by foreign and domestic authors: S.Allgood and, A.Bayer, W.E.Becker, M. Watts, H.Kasper, M.Rao, T.L. Kamoza, N.A. Lukoyanova, S.V. Rivkina, E.I. Semushina, V.P. Timofeev and others.
In the works of domestic researchers, the organization of general professional training is considered in the aspect of the development (formation) of professional competence (T.L. Kamoza, V.P. Timofeev, N.A. Lukoyanova, S.V. Rivkina).
T.L. Kamoza (Kamoza, 2010) considers general professional training as the basis for the professional development of a bachelor, necessary to ensure the ability to act professionally, creatively in specific professional conditions, and be mobile enough when moving to related fields of activity.
In the thesis of S.V. Rivkina (Rivkina, 2011) "general professional training" of students of a pedagogical university is understood as preparation for solving general professional tasks that are mandatory "for all types of pedagogical activity at various levels of education and in various subject areas" .
V.P. Timofeev (Timofeev, 2007) considers the general professional training of future engineers "as a process of forming professional competence, which manifests itself in the readiness of a future engineer to solve professional tasks that arise in real life situations, using knowledge, educational and life experience, values and inclinations". General professional training is understood as preparation for solving the main groups of tasks of professional activity. It is carried out in the logic of the development of basic competence.
The study by S. Allgood and A. Bayer (Allgood, Bayer, 2017) emphasizes the importance of expressing the learning outcomes of economists through competencies, which allows the integration of knowledge and practical skills for its application. The authors argue that economics curricula most often define training outcomes through the titles of economics sections and concepts, at best with the advice "demonstrate understanding", "develop economic thinking", "study how economists think". In contrast, articulating competencies motivates students, enhance their learning, allows them to plan and monitor their progress. Defining and emphasizing the competencies allows university teachers to reduce the amount of optional information, evaluate the progress of students and improve the training programs for economists.
Authors S. Allgood, A. Bayer consider five competencies that are essential for teaching all future economists at various levels of education in accordance with the project organized by the Social Science Research Council with the participation of economists (SSRC). The authors formulated competencies in a general way, considered in detail in application to microeconomics courses. These competencies can also be extrapolated to other domains such as management, finance, etc. at all levels of study:
K1 : the ability to apply the scientific process to economic phenomena;
K2: the ability to analyze and evaluate behavior and outcomes using economic concepts and models;
K3: the ability to use quantitative approaches in economics;
K4: the ability to think critically about economic methods and their application;
K5: the ability to communicate economic ideas in diverse collaborations.
The development dynamics of the Federal State Educational Standards of Higher Education characterizes general professional training as an unchanging invariant core, which is preserved during the transition from one educational standard to another (FSES HE (Federal...,2011 ), FSES HE 3+(Federal...,2015), FSES HE 3++(Federal...,2020)).
Thus, a certain invariant core is designated, the basis for the training of economists, general professional training, which should provide a general comprehensive understanding of economic phenomena, be focused on the development of analytical, creative abilities and intuitive thinking, the ability to solve problems, develop the ability to communicate;
The ongoing processes of globalization reveal similarities in the direction of development of general professional training of economists in Russia and abroad. The development takes place along the path of increasing the importance of general professional training of economists, reducing the number of competencies, their generalization, maintaining a balance between their generalization and specialization.
An analysis of the dynamics of the development of the Federal State Educational Standards and the work of foreign researchers makes it possible to single out general professional competencies. The fundamental competence for economists is the ability to analyze and interpret financial, accounting and other information contained in the reporting of enterprises.
This competence is presented in the FSES HE 3+ (FederaL.,2015) as a professional competence pC-5. It means the ability of future economists to use economic information, tools of economic analysis, documentation of enterprises of various forms of ownership for the qualitative solution of professional tasks, for making effective managerial decisions. This competence is formed in stages in the process of studying such disciplines as: "Accounting and analysis", "Corporate finance", "National economy", "Economics of the company".
PC-5 refers to the knowledge of patterns of functioning of the modern economy, its basic concepts, categories and tools, features of the formation of enterprise reporting; the mechanisms and conditions for the use of financial, accounting and other information contained in the reporting of enterprises; methodical approaches to the procedures for preparing and making organizational and managerial decisions, to non-standard situations.
As a result of formation of PC-5, students should develop the abilities to search and analyze economic information contained in the reporting of enterprises; put into practice
the financial, accounting and other information; make effective managerial decisions based on the analysis of enterprise reporting information; evaluate the performance.
The transition to the new Federal State Educational Standard of Higher Education 3++ (Federal..., 2020) allows us to state that the formed competence PC-5 is the basis for general professional training of future economists (Maslova, 2021).
The main feature of the Federal State Educational Standard of Higher Education 3++ is the possibility of choosing professional competencies based on the requirements of professional standards in the field: 01 "Education and Science" (2 standards) and 08 "Finance and Economics" (29 standards).
The following general professional competencies are presented in the FSES HE 3++(Federal..., 2020):
GPC-1: Able to apply knowledge of economic theory in solving applied tasks (at an intermediate level).
GPC-2: Able to collect, process and statistically analyze the data necessary to solve the set economic tasks.
GPC-3: Able to analyze and meaningfully explain the nature of economic processes at the micro and macro levels.
GPC-4: Able to offer economically and financially justified organizational and managerial decisions in professional activities.
It should be noted that the analogue of the professional competence PC-5, which was considered above, is the general professional competencies GPC-3, GPC-4 of this standard.
The competence GPC-3 includes the competence PC-5 (micro level) and additionally considers the influence of external factors.
Thus, for the development of GPC-3, it is necessary to study endogenous and exogenous factors, develop a global vision, abstraction, and synthesis. It is supposed to study the active balance of foreign trade, highlight the factors that affect the efficiency of the development of the region and the economy as a whole.
It is important to note that the selected types of professional tasks of economists, namely tasks for calculation, planning, analysis, management, are consistent with the identified five general professional competencies, which in turn correlate with the general professional competencies of the FSES HE 3++ (Federal., 2020). Planning is associated with competencies K3 and K4, analysis, management with competencies K2, K5, calculation with competencies K1, K3.
In accordance with the concept of the task approach (Talyzina, 1986), as one of the varieties of the system approach that singles out the system (task) and the system that provides the solution of the task (G.A. Ball, N.F. Talyzina), the system of professional tasks of the future specialist is considered, which serves for the development of learning objectives and the creation of educational and methodological support for general professional training.
Thus, the essence of the task approach to designing educational and methodological support for general professional training of future economists at a university is expressed in the use of a system of professional training tasks for future economists to implement integration processes, practical orientation and create educational and methodological support for general professional training on their basis (Maslova, 2021).
The development of general professional competencies requires the contribution of all disciplines of general professional training to this process. A special place in this process is occupied by the discipline "Foreign language". Teaching a foreign language at a university should be improved in the context of the development of general professional competencies among students - future economists, in particular, the ability to carry out economic activities in the field of international cooperation.
Thus, general professional training involves the conjugation of various programs of specialized training disciplines, disciplines and practices focused on the formation of general professional competencies. General professional competencies are developed in accordance with the requirements of the educational standard and lay the foundation for the formation of labor functions defined by professional standards adopted in the field of economic activity.
Educational and methodological support of general professional training can be considered as both the process and the result of the development and implementation of pedagogical conditions that help prepare future economists for solving professional training tasks.
Pedagogical conditions that contribute to the preparation of future economists for solving professional training tasks are considered with an emphasis on the development of motivation and basic abilities of economists (analysis of the economic situation at the micro and macro levels, communication, intuitive and creative thinking). The creation of these conditions presupposes the orientation of the learning process towards the general professional competencies of economists. Such conditions are:
1.Creation of an integrative (informational, activity, communicative) educational space that allows considering the general professional training of future economists as a system of their preparation for solving professional training tasks in various contexts of the professional activities of economists.
2. Orientation of the content and process of preparing future economists for solving professional training tasks on the practice-oriented productive activity of students, contributing to the development of students' professional experience.
3. The use of electronic educational and methodological teaching aids that provide pedagogical support to students in the process of their general professional training based on solving professional training tasks.
4. The use of interactive technologies for teaching students that contribute to the development of foreign language communication competencies in the process of solving professional training tasks (Maslova, 2021).
The implementation of pedagogical conditions is associated with the solution of the following pedagogical tasks:
- enrichment of the program of foreign language training of future economists with conceptual terminology that reflects the content of modern economic activity;
- development and implementation of competency-oriented assignments (COA)(Maslova, 2016), reflecting the specifics of economic activity(figurel) ;
-development of professional training tasks that reflect the contexts of real economic activity (figure 1).
General professional tasks economic activity in planning, calculation, analysis, management
competence - oriented assignments (COA)
u
Hie use of the COA as a means to develop and assess general professional competencies
FIGURE 1. THE STRUCTURE OF THE GENERAL PROFESSIONAL TRAINING TASK
The solution of pedagogical tasks was carried out in cooperation and creative interaction of teachers of economic departments and departments of foreign languages in the real educational process of the university and outside it in extracurricular activ'ties.
Interdisciplinary cooperation of teachers of disciplines of specialized and foreign language training is defined as the pedagogical interaction of teachers, focused on providing training for future economists who are able to integrate into the global professional community. At the same time, the forms of integration of foreign language and specialized training and the degree of pedagogical interaction of teachers change depending on how centered on the content of specialized disciplines the teaching of a foreign language is.
Accordingly, the interaction of teachers of specialized departments and departments of foreign languages varies by level, from consultations in the field of the conceptual apparatus to closer systemic cooperation, expressed in the joint development of educational materials and evaluation apparatus, joint academic activities, information exchange in related subject areas.
Results
The study showed that the vast majority of teachers of disciplines of foreign language and specialized training of future economists at St. Petersburg State University of Economics (SPbSUE) share the need for pedagogical interaction in the process of teaching students. At the same time, teachers can perform different roles (language consultant, methodologist, facilitator, moderator, tutor, etc.), which contribute to the integration of students' education in specialized disciplines of economists and language training.
It is in this way that the pedagogical interaction of teachers creates an integrative educational space for general professional training, in which it becomes possible for students to develop informational, activity, and communicative competencies necessary for solving professional training tasks.
In the process of pedagogical interaction, professional training tasks are developed, the solving of which assumes that the educational activity of students is conditionally professional (quasi-professional) in nature.
Let's consider one of the professional training tasks that future economists should be ready to solve.
Professional training task "Development of a business plan for an enterprise"
The solution of such a task involves the synthesis of assimilation by students of information from various sections of economic knowledge: description of the company, its structure, services provided; position in the market, the Starting Balance Sheet. Thus, the business plan is the final project, which is based on knowledge of the forms of presentation of financial statements.
The logic of solving the professional training task
1. Generalized formulation of the task. A complex characteristic of any purposeful professional activity is its effectiveness. The competitiveness of the country is determined by the efficiency of the economy as a whole, which in turn is determined by the efficiency of individual enterprises. The unifying principle for describing the activities of the various firms in Russia and abroad is the general professional task of economists, which can be formulated as the use of accounting principles at the micro and macro levels as a universal tool for evaluating performance.
The professional training task within the framework of calculation and economic activities (Maslova, 2016) is to draw up economic sections of the plans of enterprises of various forms of ownership, organizations, departments (business plans). Ensuring productivity, liquidity, efficiency, sustainability of the enterprise. Investment policy of the enterprise.
When solving such a task, the problem arises of mastering integrative skills to use economic knowledge in the process of foreign language communication.
2. Key task (Competence-oriented assignment) (Maslova, 2016).
Draw up a balance sheet for a particular enterprise; draw up a balance sheet transformation. Write a business plan.
3. Contexts for solving the problem.
The context is the area of activity of the enterprise and its characteristics. Consider two contexts for solving the task:
- draw up a business plan for a hotel. The hotel is located in a developing region, near the sea. Focused on business class consumers (negotiations, business meetings, team building, seminars, exhibitions with accommodation). The hotel is commercial, that is, the financial source is its own (authorized) capital, profit, depreciation.
- draw up a business plan for a medical diagnostic center. Creation of a diagnostic center on a long-term lease to serve residents and guests of the city. The activity of the enterprise is aimed at providing services in the medical field for people with an average income level. To finance the project, it is planned to take a loan in the amount of 2.5 million rubles for a period of 1 year at 25% per annum in the bank as part of the small business support program, the rest of the money is 2 million rubles contributed by the founders. The payback period of the project is 2 years.
4. Assignments (competence-oriented) that will lead to the result ("product") of the activity:
- justify the use of the terms of the balance sheet, financial statement (profit and loss statement);
- analyze the structure of the business plan: the purpose of the project, product overview; analysis of consumers and market segmentation; competition; choice of "product-market" connection; definition of the marketing mix (pricing policy, promotion of the product on the market,
- analysis of sales channels; marketing cost forecast; production plan (raw materials;) organizational structure of the enterprise; legal plan (joint stock partnerships of open and closed type; partnerships with limited liability, etc.); financial plan (break-even analysis of production, cash flow statement); investment program; environmental protection; risk and insurance assessment; project performance indicators (expected profit from sales; indicator of the use of production assets; profitability of production, etc.);
- analyze the specifics of the tourism industry (seasonality, dependence on investments, etc.).
Professional training tasks develop the ability of students to analyze professional tasks, work with the context of the task, search for information, search for and select a solution to the problem.
Conclusions
Thus, the essence of the task approach to designing educational and methodological support for general professional training of future economists at a university is expressed in the use of a system of professional training tasks for a future economist to implement integration processes, practical orientation and create educational and methodological support for general professional training on their basis.
In addition, the task-based approach to general professional training makes it possible to take into account the specifics of the activities of economists based on:
- orientation to the rapidly changing situation in the economic sphere (contradiction between economic theory and practice), ensuring a leading level of economic training, mobility of economists;
- development of creative potential (decision making);
- orientation towards solving problems in a situation of uncertainty, based on intuition (integration of knowledge, skills, experience);
- development of creative and analytical abilities with a focus on e-learning, simulating the work of economists;
- using dialogue technologies to substantiate the decisions made (based on efficiency analysis, etc.), defending one's position (point of view) in the dialogue.
Improving the general professional training of future economists on the basis of a task-based approach requires the readiness of university teachers to understand and comprehend the goals and values of preparing students to solve professional training tasks in the context of rapid changes in the field of professional activity of economists.
Recommendations
As priority areas for further research, a task-based approach to training specialists at a university can be considered as the most important condition for their competitiveness and mobility in the future field of professional activity.
REFERENCES
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