Candidate of pedagogical science L.V. Nefedova, undergraduate Y.S. Ponomareva

Eurasian National University named after L.N. Gumilyov, Kazakhstan

Research activity at universities: History and Modernity

With the adoption of the new law "On Science" [1] in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the role of university research had significantly increased, and therefore requirements are being changed and approaches are being adjusted to research and development of teachers and students in bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs, and this is the topic of our discussion under this article. We believe that it is appropriate to evaluate the practice of research in modern universities through the prism of history, which, in our opinion, will not only take a fresh look at current existing problems, but will allow to find rational ideas for the advancement of science in the university sector.

As we know, the birth of the first forms of research learning of young people can be found in schools of the Ancient World, which are considered to be not only educational, but also research centers.

Examples here include the school of Pythagoras, Plato's Academy, the school of Isocrates, Cynosarges of Antisthenes, Lyceum of Aristotle, Mouseion at Alexandria and etc. As a rule, they represented the community, uniting students, who sought to improve themselves through the pursuit of truth in collaborative research. Here classical schools of thought are originated, characteristics of which are the presence of only a single authoritative and charismatic leader, the commonality of research interests, mainly a methodology and "their own" methods of learning, close communication between adherents of the school, representing different generations "the teacher - his students - students of students”, the continuity of the results of scientific research and the accumulation of experience in research activities.

In these research and education centers favorable conditions for research were being created: the libraries were purposefully organized (Academy, Lyceum and finally, the legendary Mouseion with a unique library, containing 500-700 thousands of manuscripts), places for tests and experiments were created, collections maps, zoological and botanical exhibits were formed (Academy, Lyceum, Mouseion), various mechanical devices for testing were built (Academy, Mouseion), etc.

It is noteworthy that in addition to the conditions for practicing science, the "rules" of operation of scientific thought were formed. Thus, in his work "Topeka", Aristotle in detail describes the procedure of definitions in Plato's Academy: "Investigation of the definitions includes five parts. We must show either (1) that the description (logos) is not suitable for a subject which is so named (for example, the definition of a human being should be right for each person), or (2) that, although the subject belongs to a particular kind, your opponent did not refer it to this kind or referred not to its (oikeion) kind ... (3) or because the description is not unique to this subject ... or (4) that, although all of these conditions are met, he didn’t give the definition of the essence (to ti ēn einai) of the defined substance. And in addition, (5) it must be checked whether the situation is not so that giving the definition, he could not give the correct definition” [2].

It is obvious that today the ancient "lessons" of research activities and training of scientists deserve more careful study and application in a high school practice. For example, we can recommend the introduction of logic as an elective subject, without studying of which the rational cognition in any field of knowledge is impossible, and, consequently, training of scientists would be insufficient.

Probably it is necessary to examine the form of joint research activities of leaders of scientific schools and their followers, which provided significant benefits in the ancient world – as example, scientific work of Pythagoras and the Pythagorean unions, and students of the Academy of Plato, Aristotle and his followers, etc. Options for co-researchers of all levels around an outstanding university scientist, who heads the department, and one topic of research, funded by the state, are known and for today: Bachelor students contribute in the implementation of term papers and senior theses, master’s and doctoral students make more weighty research within the master's and doctoral theses, the faculty of the department conducts research in the cathedral laboratories or research institutes. It is clear that joint efforts will certainly be more effective, as opposed to "initiative" themes, which are not in demand in practice.

We believe that it is possible to adopt experience of public scientific debates, practiced during ancient and medieval time, and think about changing the order and forms of defense of the results of research, carried out within the framework of term papers and senior theses, master's and doctoral theses, which today had lost its actuality and appeal, becoming a formal procedure, where the questions are prepared in advance, in fact, there is no serious scientific debate and opposing positions for the defense.

The early Middle Ages with the monopoly of the church in the spiritual life, culture, education and science consigned to oblivion values of the ancient world, but at this time a University as a Center for Education and Science appears. And while training at the early universities consisted of the acquisition of book learning by memorizing the content of works of recognized authorities, and the faculty and students were not engaged in collecting and researching scientific facts, but in this period separate tradition of research activities had originated that have been preserved and today: For example, the exclusive privilege of universities in the awarding of academic degrees (this is extremely important now at universities of Kazakhstan in the light of new Law "On Science"), the origination of academic freedom, including the right to free choice of topics, methodologies, and methods of scientific research, mandatory use of references of literature to be used, etc.

Very true assessment of the Middle Ages A.I. Piskunov gives in his work: “university education has expanded beyond book learning, and developed a type of highly educated scientist, not only to absorb knowledge for self-improvement, but also replenish them for the sake of all mankind" [3, 126].

In the Renaissance and the Enlightenment the influence of the church in education had greatly diminished, the value of scientific knowledge was again reinforced: from the XVII century the Academy of Sciences and the laboratories began to develop, which establish the principle of free scientific research, drawing on new research methods, facts and evidence. Gradually, the principle of transparency of the results of scientific research and popularization of science in general starts to operate; there are the first scientific journals. For example, from 1665 the Royal Society regularly published reports in the journal «Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society», which contained a detailed description of the experiments, used methods and opinions of scientists about the results. Moreover, the experiments were described in great detail so that everyone could repeat them and ensure fidelity of the results.

The experience of engaging in research activities of students of the St. Petersburg Academic University is very interesting (XVIII century). Thus, M.V. Lomonosov developed a curriculum, in which the first year of learning for students calls for mandatory attendance of all lectures "to have some idea of all the sciences that everyone could see, to what science everyone is gifted in and has desire for", the second year - attendance of only special cycles, and the third - the attachment of students to individual professors to "exercise one science" [4].

Unfortunately, today this approach is not realized: the students during the years of study have several supervisors who fail to observe continuity in the topics and results of term papers and dissertations, and it does not allow to deep and thorough study of investigated problems and not enable to form a "taste" for research activities in general.

We can not ignore the experience of German research universities in the XIX century, the basis of which were the ideas I.G. Fichte and F. Schleiermacher, implemented in practice by Wilhelm von Humboldt, who considered the university as a moral soul of society, and university education as elitist, called for to follow the principle of "teaching - research, researching – teach”, rather than problems of practical training.

Academic activities and educational process at this time are not only united, but having received official status and support from the state, permanently fixed in the world's leading universities (including the Russian and later Soviet universities). However, it should be noted that in recent decades, universities as centers of thought, science, personality formation and development of the creative individual researchers have become increasingly rare, as they carried away with the pragmatic function of vocational training (in particular, this characterizes universities in Kazakhstan).

Karl Jaspers pointed scientific orientation of the universities in the twentieth century: "The University is a community of scholars and students, engaged in a joint search for truth" [5, pp. 86].

Today in Kazakhstani higher schools, including universities, research activities of faculty and students is regulated by SCES 5.03.011 - 2006 "Research and development in higher education institutions" [6] and it is a mandatory component of training at all levels - bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs. Participation of students in research, science and technology, engineering and other works is carried out under the guidance of professors, associate professors, teachers, and is provided through: scientific and research work, including in the educational process (term papers and senior theses, research practice); scientific and research work, carried out during out-of-school hours (in excess of or outside curriculum - scientific societies, conferences, etc.), scientific, technical, organizational and public events, including the adversarial nature (competition of scientific projects, competitions, etc.) [6, p. 9.5].

But from the regulations to its implementation in practice there is an enormous distance: research faculty in the departments and university research institutes do not give the expected by the state results, the quality of research students in the performance of term papers and dissertations, master's and doctoral theses are not always able to compete with similar studies abroad, articles in academic journals and collections of scientific conferences often do not conform to this type of publication, etc.

There are reasons, they are objective - the lack of appropriate laboratories and research facilities, outdated scientific foundation of university libraries, a large amount of academic work of university professors, excluding the possibility of systematic research, the withdrawal of university scientists in other fields of activities and others, and subjective - Low motivation of research activities of faculty and students, the formal requirements for the quality of research results, connivance at detecting plagiarism, biased evaluation of scientific studies, etc.

It seems that the way out of this situation may be an integration of Kazakhstan's science into the global educational and research space, publication of scientific articles in journals with high impact factor, as well as more intensive participation of Kazakhstani researchers at all levels from professor to student in the activities of "network" scientific schools, which are characterized by openness and accessibility of scientific results, extensive horizontal communication links, exchange of ideas and results, etc.

It is required by the agreements, signed by Kazakhstan in the framework of the Bologna Declaration, including not only the integration of education, but also to unify the requirements for scientific training in master's and doctoral programs, participation in the European Higher Education Area and European Research Area. The content of the latest regulations is optimistic: the Law “On Science”, The concept of post-graduate education of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2010-2015, draft requirements for the master's and doctoral theses, rules on the training of masters and PhD [www.edu.gov.kz].

Literature

1. Закон Республики Казахстан «О науке».

2. Антисери Д., Реале Дж. Западная философия от истоков до наших дней. Академии и научные общества. Академия Линчеи и академия Чименто. Лондонское Королевское общество и Королевская академия наук во Франции //http://polbu.ru.

3. История педагогики. Часть 2. С XVII в. до середины XX в.: Учебное пособие для педагогических университетов /Под ред. А.И. Пискунова. – М.: ТЦ «Сфера», 1997. – 304 с.

4. Высшее образование //http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Высшее_ образование.

5. Ясперс К. Идея университета /Пер. с нем. Т.В. Тягуновой; ред. перевода О.Н. Шпарага; под общ. ред. М.А. Гусаковского. – Минск: БГУ, 2006. – 159 с.

6. ГОСО РК 5.03.011-2006. Научно-исследовательская работа в высших учебных заведениях. Основные положения. – Астана, 2007.