Педагогические науки/ проблемы подготовки специалистов

К. п. н. Трофимова Л. Н.

Омский университет путей сообщения

A competence-based approach in teaching mathematical and natural-science disciplines in a technical university

Introduction

Under existing conditions of higher professional education reforming the problem of integration of European and Russian universities, with the aim of internalization and the development of educational resources according to the world tendencies, is gaining special significance.

Omsk State Transport University is one the oldest universities of higher education in Russia. It is basic for training the specialists for the railways enterprises of Ural-Siberian region. Our university plays an important role in forming the educational standard, in realization of the national program in the field of higher education. In modern world, when the industry is becoming more complex and intensive and innovative science technologies are coming in our life very quickly, the issue of the modernization of the educational system is often raised. Modern specialists, former students do not correspond to the modern requirements of the industry brunches.

Up to now the education has been basically aimed on aсquiring knowledge, mastering abilities and skills. However, it is an extensive way of the educational system development. Such way of the development is a deadlock one because teaching is limited by endurance.

An intensive way of the development of the educational system may be realized only in the context of a competent - based approach in teaching. From the position of the competent approach the level of the education is defined by the ability of a student to solve problems of different complexity and on the basis of acquired knowledge.

Teachers’ task consists of a competitive specialist training whose professional knowledge corresponds to the requirements of a present-day society.

For the solution of the problem it is necessary constantly to improve the quality management system of education which must correspond to the requirements fixed in the international standard ISO 9001:2008, and also to the requirements of the European standards in order to provide the quality higher education in the context of Bologna process.

The correspondence to the criteria of the engineering education is essential to the integration of Russia in the world educational community and to successful system positioning of native engineering education in the world market of the educational services.

Russia’s joining to Bologna process gives a new impulse to the modernization of higher education, opens additional possibilities for taking part Russian institutes of higher education in projects financed by European committee and both students and teachers of higher education will have the possibilities to take part in academic exchange with universities of European countries.

Discussion

The scientific issue of the research consists of solving the contradictions between the necessity of a highly qualified creative minded engineer training and not properly developed method of teaching mathematical and natural-science disciplines focused on the forming of common cultural and professional competences taking into consideration advanced European experience.

The main idea is to define how to organize educational activities for training specialists of our university in order to push the qualification they get closer to the established world standards, to justify scientifically and to elaborate methodical system of Mathematics and Computer Science training in technical higher educational institution corresponding to the requirements of Bologna Declaration (two-level education (bachelor and master)) focused on forming professional competences taking into account the European experience [2].

The object of the research is the process of Mathematics and Computer Science training in technical higher educational institution.

The subject of the research is a methodical system of Mathematics and Computer Science training in technical higher educational institution focused on professional competences forming.

There have been carried out a number of theses recently where the processes that characterize modern tendencies of higher educational institutions in European countries have been analyzed [3]:

historical and pedagogical approaches for the educational processes effectiveness assessment in universities of Western Europe (Grachyova V., Andreyev V, Kirichenko G.);

professional – pedagogical training of universities teachers of the USA, Germany and Russia (Maklakova H., Suntsova M., Levina M.);

didactic centres of higher school of Germany (Piterskova T., Moroz H., Sabirova D.)

A great number of dissertations on pedagogy, philosophy and social sciences are based on the analysis of modernized processes in higher schools in the context of integrative tendencies initiated by Bologna process as well as in foreign practice. The analysis of the discussions held nowadays in the pedagogical community shows that in Russia there is no consonance in opinions concerning educational reforms, initiated by the government in terms of the country’s joining to Bologna process. There are many arguments concerning the transition to the two-level system (bachelor-master) as well.

The urgency of foreign experience research [1] is caused by the possibility of using more valuable achievements in pedagogical science and in overseas practice in the context of a new paradigm formation of higher professional education in Russia. The priority is given then to the educational objectives, caused by the urge of our country to take the leading position in the world science and in innovative economics and thereby to interact with the world society in solving global human issues.

Although the range of problems of the organization of a highly qualified specialist training is widely developed in the science of our country, at the same time there is a lack of works where from a pedagogical point of view there is a complex analysis of the development trend of foreign higher professional education.

Thus, the analysis of existing sources in the field of the subject issue has allowed to formulate a number of objective contradictions between:

- the importance of studying international experience in the field of highly qualified specialists training at the current moment and the lack of the information about issues in this field, carried out abroad

- the raising demands from the part of the state and the society to the quality of specialists training and the level of specialists training in most Russian higher institutions;

- the creation of a unified educational space and the lack of mass practice of systematic contacts between Russian and foreign institutes of higher education;

Stated system of contradictions allowed to identify the scientific issue of the research.

Expected results and output of the study:

1. To carry out the monitoring of European tendencies in education, learning and assimilating the advanced European experiment.

2. To investigate the directions of the perfection of the methodical system of mathematical and natural-science disciplines on the basis of available experience in European and Russian educational paradigms.

3. To define the foreground purposes, to project the content and to explain the methods and didactic means selection.

4. To work out the methodic system training of Mathematics and Computer Science corresponding to the international standards and providing the achievement of planned results of the training.

The decision of stated problems is based on the following method of research: theoretical analysis of guidance, psychological and pedagogical literature published in European countries, monitoring the study process in one of the leading European higher educational institution, questionnaire design, selective analysis of the task material of European textbooks, adaptation and modification of the received materials to the conditions of the system of Russian higher education.

The phases of the research.

Acquaintance with the system of organization of the study process in one of the famous higher educational institution in Europe, the structure of that higher educational institution, forms and methods of the realization of the theoretical and practical trainings, logistical support of the laboratories of that higher educational institution. The conducting of the questionnaire design for the teachers of the university , visiting lectures of the foremost teachers of the institution, taking part in holding practical and laboratory studies, analysis of guidance, psychological and pedagogical literature devoted to the theme of the research.

We have carried out an analysis of several areas of training bachelor (Civil Engineering, Information Science in Engineering Systems, information Technology) of Germany and Russia.

This choice is explained by the fact that, the system of higher education of Germany is highly effective and well accepted all over the world.

Germany isn't rich in natural resources. The basis of its economic stability is highly qualified specialists.

Analysis of curriculum have revealed:

Curriculums at bachelor's degree in Germany have composed of 6 semesters.

Curriculums at bachelor's degree in Russia have composed of 8 semesters.

The curricula of universities in Germany haven't humanitarian, social and economic disciplines. In Russian universities they are binding and constitute 48-58% of the load in each semester.

The total number and proportion of hours planned for: lectures, workshops, independent work in almost identical semester.

We can make the conclusion, since Russia signed the Bologna Declaration, it is necessary to develop curricula taking account the European experience.

We mustn't teach students bachelor to program as students specialist.

Conclusion

The purpose and the character both of training and education depend on the following conditions:

· the level of the society development

· culture;

· aims and tasks which the state specifies a particular stage;

· State educational politic.

The aim, the training and education character changes influence the mathematical training character (introduction of new mathematical branches in education, the level of mathematics course training, textbooks which are recommended for future engineers).

Referens

1. Griese B., Roesken B. Engineering students and their learning of mathematics. // MAVI. 2011. № 17. P. 3-23.

2. Trofimova L. Professional competence of a tutor of a technical higher school in terms of the conditions of the realization of mixed training technology. // Collected papers after the materials of international scientific-practical conference “Modern directions of theoretical and applied studies 2011” Volume 33. Pedagogy, psychology and social sciences. Odessa: Chernomorye, 2011 . P. 79-82.

3. Trofimova L. The peculiarities of the formation of educational-methodic complex on the discipline IT. // Collected papers after the materials of the scientific-practical conference “Challenging problems of science”. Part 2. Tambov, 2011. P. 132-134.