Ådigenova A., Mukhmetova R.

Semey State Pedagogical Institute, Semey, the Republic of Kazakhstan

Modular education programs as condition for the development of professional competencies of future bachelors of PEDAGOGY AND METHODOLOGY OF PRIMARY EDUCATION

The accession of The Republic of Kazakhstan to Bologna declaration and accepting its major conditions in the system of higher professional education began the process of improvement of training specialists in Kazakhstan. Strategic objectives and principles of Bologna declaration are based on possibilities of developing and implementation of joint educational programs that assume the competence approach, provide academic mobility of students and teachers.

The Message by president of The Republic of Kazakhstan N. A. Nazarbayev “Kazakhstan-2050”strategy said that “the Institutions of higher education should not be limited to educational functions; it is needed to create and improve applications and scientific research units”. It is also mentioned that “Higher education should not be limited to the improvement of its educational programs and curriculums but to develop its scientific research activities” [1].

In this regard, the higher education institutions in the Republic of Kazakhstan are improving the work on the preparation of appropriate educational programs based on the acquisition of future professional competence teachers.

Main positions in creating module educational programs are competent approach, combination of disciplines based on formation of the same competence in module, taking in account the results of mastering modules in credits.

Unlike traditional so-called “knowledge, abilities, skills” complexes, previously estimated in the process of education and its completion, the competences have complex character and include not only educational components, but also behavioral aspect, namely the system of social, moral and professional orienteer which allows graduate to behave “properly” (reasonably, productively, acceptable to others) in different professional and non-professional situations.

According to N. I. Almazova the term “competence” is defined as knowledge and abilities in definite sphere of human activities, and “competency” is qualitative use of competence [2].

Competence is a dynamic combination of characteristics (concerned to knowledge and its use, abilities, skills, capacity, values and personal qualities), that describes the results of teaching on educational program, namely what graduate needs for effective professional and social activities and individual development, which he should master and demonstrate [3].

Competence is general ability based on knowledge, experience, values, dispositions which were acquired by training.

According to the definition of A. K. Markova “professional competence of educator is a work which carries out pedagogical activities and communication in sufficiently high level, realizes personality of a teacher that achieve good results in teaching and up-bringing”.

One of the ways of formation of professional competence is the introduction of modular education program, essence of which is in a combination and sequence of modules that have inner logic of the part which is responsible for the formation of a competence or a group of related competences.

Batyshev S. Y. points out that “module is a part of block, such amount of educational material which provides basic acquisition of some theoretical and practical skills to perform particular works” [4].

In scientific literature modules are systematized in three aspects:

¾   Module as a state educational plan for specialty representing a set of subjects, meeting the requirements of qualification characteristics.

¾   Module as an organizational-methodological interdisciplinary structure which represents set of topics necessary for mastering one specialty and provides interdisciplinary connections of educational process.

¾   Module as an organizational-methodological structural unit within a definite educational discipline.

So, Modular Education Program (MEP) is a combination and sequence of modules oriented on mastering competences, necessary for acquisition of definite qualification [5, 2].

In Semey State Pedagogical Institute (SSPI, Semey) modular education programs are being created actively. Their relevance is caused by necessity to get on the practical realization of principles for modular training as one of the innovative technologies in the educational process of higher education to improve the quality of training future teachers.

Department of Pedagogy of SSPI graduates bachelors in specialty “5B010200 - pedagogy and methodology of primary education”. Based on state and compulsory education standards that take into account changes taking place in the modern educational space, determine peculiarity of general professional training of future teachers, on this specialty the three modular education programs are worked out [6]. During the development of Modular Education Programs on specialty “5B010200 – pedagogy and methodology of primary education” special attention was paid to the demand of the labor-market and the requirements of employers in training, as well as oriented to the content of education “at the exit”, the final result of educational process.

After graduation of the Higher educational institution the Graduate is awarded the pedagogical qualification which indicates the level and type of professional and pedagogical efficiency of specialty. According to the qualification pedagogue can take this or that position, perform professional duties of certain level. At present getting a certain specialty restricts teachers to use their personal professional potential, needs, individual dispositions and requirements.

In order to satisfy social demand of society, the personal and professional needs of teachers, it is necessary to offer specializations that appear as a special kind of activity within the specialty and has a specific direction with the particular object of work.

Based on practical experience of teachers of the Republic of Kazakhstan, students in specialty “5B010200 - pedagogy and methodology of primary education” were offered following specializations: school guide (counselor), pedagogue of pre-school preparation, methodologist on educational and up-bringing work.

As a rule educational programs aimed on formation of competences have modular structure, and are not just lists of theoretical subjects and practical courses, but also groups of modules.

Further we developed a Modular Education Program which includes basic and profile disciplines of compulsory component (CC1) and the component of choice (CC2), forming the basis of specialty and aimed on the formation of professional or possible competences within a particular specialization.

Table 1 offers Modular Education Program of specialty “5B010200 - pedagogy and methodology of primary education”, specialization “The school guide (counselor)”.

Table 1.  Modular Education Program of specialty “5B010200 - pedagogy and methodology of primary education”, specialization “The school guide (counselor)”.

Course

The name of the module

Block

The name of discipline

Term

The number of credits

I

 

Module 1.

Ideological training

CC1

History of Kazakhstan

1

3

Module 3.

Basics of language training

CC1

Foreign language

1,2

6

Kazakh language

1,2

6

Basics of modern Kazakh (Russian) language

1

3

Module 4.

Functional literacy

CC1

Computer science

1

3

Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)

1

2

CC2

Basics of mathematics

2

2

Basics of natural science

2

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continuation of table 1

 

Module 5.

Psycho-propaedeutic basis of profession

CC1

Introduction to the teaching      

profession 

1

1

Psychology and Human Development

2

3

Self-knowledge

2

2

Age-related physiology and school hygiene

1

2

Module 12.1

Professional Practice

CC2

 

Introduction to pedagogical profession

2

 

2

 

Module  12.2   

Healthy Lifestyle

CC1

Physical training

1,2

4

Module 2.

Social and economic, legal and environmental training

CC1

Phylosophy

3

3

Sociology

3

2

Political science

3

2

Ecology and sustainable development

3

2

Basics of Economic theory

4

2

 Law Basics

4

2

Module 6.

Pedagogic basics of profession

CC1

Pedagogics

3

3

Ethnopedagogics

4

2

Theory and methodology of up-bringing in elementary school

3

2

CC2

Modern pedagogic technologies of primary education

4

3

Pedagogical diagnostics

3

3

Continuation of table 1

 

Module 8.  University established disciplines Ìîäóëü 8. 1.  Theory and methodology of teaching private methodological disciplines

CC2

Theory and methodology of teaching of the “art work”

4

2

Theory and methodology of music

4

2

Theory and methodology of physical training

4

2

Children’s literature

4

2

Module 12.1

Professional practice

CC1

Methods of teaching and education

3

 

3

Instructional methodological camp AltGPA

4

3

Module 12.2    Healthy Lifestyle

CC1

Physical training

3,4

4

III

Module 7.

Professional language

CC1

Professional Kazakh (Russian) language

5

2

Professionally oriented foreign language

6

2

Module  8. 1.  Theory and methodology of

teaching private methodological disciplines

CC2

Methodology of teaching Kazakh (Russian) in primary school

6

2

CC1

Methodology of teaching math

5

3

CC2

Methodology of teaching literary reading

5

2

Continuation of table 1

 

 

 

Methodology of teaching literacy

5

2

Methodology of teaching “Knowledge of world”

5

3

Module 9.   Professional pedagogy

CC2

 

Social pedagogy

5

3

Pedagogical mastery

6

3

Methodology of scientific pedagogical research

6

3

Theory and technology of pedagogical process in ungraduate school

6

3

Correctional pedagogy

6

3

Pedagogic deontology

6

2

Module 12.1

Professional practice

CC1

Child’s first days at school

5

2

Trial lessons

5

3

IV

 

Module  10. Professional psychology

CC1

 Pedagogical psychology

 

7

3

 

Module  11.

Applied pedagogy

CC1

 

Pedagogical activities and personality of the school counselor

7

3

Interactive methods of teaching in contemporary school

7

3

Technology of organization of culture-recreational activities

7

3

Continuation of table 1

 

 

 

Pedagogical work with children with deviant behavior

7

3

Family pedagogy

8

3

Work with gifted children

8

3

Pedagogical management

8

3

Module 11.  Applied pedagogy

CC1

 

Methodological work of counselor in comprehensive school

8

3

Module 12.1

Professional

practice

CC2

Internship (pedagogical)

7

5

Undergraduate

8

2

Module 13   Final attestation

CC 2

 

 

 

The diploma work (project)defence

8

2

State examination on specialty

8

1

In total

160

 

According to the proposed specialization, elective courses intended to provide a specific professional competence are developed. Elective courses were distributed to courses and terms according to the logical sequence of learning disciplines. For instance, such elective courses as “Pedagogical activities and personality of school counselor”, “Technology of organization of culture-recreational activities”, “Diagnosis and expertise of pedagogical activities of teachers ”, “Pedagogical work with children with deviant behavior”, “Methodological work of counselor in comprehensive school”. As well, for the Modular Education Programme on specialization “School councellor” the pedagogical practice “Instructional methodological camp AltGPA” was purposed. The camp is going to be carried out at the base of Altay state pedagogical academy, Barnaul city, Russian Federation.

The proposed Modular Education Program on specialty 5B010200-“Pedagogy and methodology of primary education” promotes the formation of professionally significant and personally important qualities, acmeologic invariants of professionalism, including creativity, an adequate level of claims, the motivational sphere, values aimed to the development of future pedaogogue.

Bibliographic list

1.     Message by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, leader of the nation, N. A. Nazarbaev “Strategy “Kazakhstan 2050”: New political course of the established state //Vesty – Semey – 2012. - ¹101(657)

2.     Almazova N. I. Cognitive aspects of the formation of intercultural competency in teaching a foreign language in non-lingual high schools. Abstract of pedagogigal science doctoral thesis. St. Petersburg, 2003 – 47 p.

3.     Tarasiuk L. I.  Higher Education of Great Britain in context of bologna process: teaching aid, - M, 2009 – 102 p.

4.     Galiamina I. G. The development of state educational standards of hihger professional education of the new generation with the use of competent approach: materials for 6th methodological session. March 29, 2005 – Research Center for the quality of training, 2005, - 206 p.

5.     Kovtun E. N. Rodionova S. I. Scientific approach to the creation of educational and professional programmes in a modular basis in humanitarian education. – Newsletter of the Council on philology of Association for Classical University Education. - ¹ 10 – Tver, 2007, - 30-63 p.

6.     State and compulsory standard of education of Republic of Kazakhstan. Higher Education. Bachelor’s. Specialty 5B010200 – pedagogy and methodology of primary education, Astana - 2011.