Педагогические науки/5.Современные методы преподавания.

Tyshyk Iryna

The Kirovohrad Volodymyr Vynnychenko State Pedagogical University, Ukraine

The Role of Tutorial Accompaniment

in Formation of Occupational Availability

of a Prospective History Teacher

One of the consequences of Ukraine joining the European educational space is the dynamic development of cross-cultural communications that resulted into appearing of separate processes inside the domestic educational system. These processes have become traditional in West European educational system long ago, still being considered innovative in Ukrainian one. The example is tutorial institute distributed in many countries of Europe.

The report of International Commission of UNESCO «Education: Hidden treasure of 21^st century» states that the creation of conditions for a person’s independent choice and the formation of a specialist’s availability to act on conditions of constant alternative should become the foreground task of 21^st century education. Hence the updating of modern system of higher education is characterized by direction towards realization of personality-oriented educational process. And so the nature of interaction of subjects of educational process is changing alongside with traditional teachers of higher educational establishments (professor, supervising professor), new role functions – tutor, academic consultant appear. Modern qualitative training of a specialist in higher educational establishments of the country demands the introduction of tutoring into the practice of teachers’ work. And tutoring in its turn will increase student-centered training and personalized formation of a student in the process of becoming individuality and a prospective expert.

The object of our investigation is conceptualization of the notion «tutor» and definition of the role of tutorial accompaniment in the formation of professional availability of a prospective history teacher at the stage of studying for a master’s degree.

Tutorial institution is relatively «new» for the domestic educational paradigm therefore it requires special attention of modern scientists. General survey of tutor’s activity and theoretical basis of tutorship are stated in the works of S. Shchennikov. Particular aspects of organization of tutorial activity are represented in the studies of O. Andreiev, V. Bykov, L. Bendova, A. Boiko, O. Kaidanova, Y. Komrakov, V. Kukharenko. The term «tutor» is observed much more detailed in the works of Russian researchers ( T. Kovalova, V. Maksymov, A. Zinchenko, S. Zmieiev and others). The names of V. Hlikman, B. Denis, H. Krisli, K. Selik should be mentioned among European researchers, who investigated problems, functions and peculiarities of tutorial accompaniment in higher educational establishments.

Taking into consideration the innovational activity of a tutor in the domestic educational space we find it reasonable in the given article to make a short historical review of appearing of the notion «tutor».

The phenomenon of tutorship is closely connected with the history of European universities and comes from Great Britain. It was formed approximately in the 14^th century at the classical English universities – Oxford and a little bit later – at Cambridge. Henceforth tutorship is understood as the organized form of university guidance. In the Middle Ages a university corresponded to brotherhood that professed common values, spoke the same language and recognized the same scientific authorities. The English University wasn’t much concerned that all the students took certain courses. The students of one college could be the listeners of professors’ lectures from other colleges. Each professor lectured and commented upon his own book. A student had the right to choose professors and subjects for listening. The university only made demands on examinations and a student had to choose his own way for gaining knowledge needed for taking his degree. And it was a tutor who helped him in that.

In the 17^th century the scope of tutor’s activity increased – educational functions gained greater importance. Tutor defined and recommended to a student which lectures and practical courses he should attend, how to plan his academic work, watched his students study well and were prepared for the exams at university. Tutor is the nearest adviser and assistant of a student in all of his difficulties. In the 17^th century the tutorial system was officially recognized as the part of the English university system and gradually supplanted the professorial one. Since 1700 until 1850 there were no public courses and chairs at English universities. It was tutor who trained a student for the exams. When both free chairs (private lectures) and collegiate lectures appeared at universities at the end of the 19^th century, a student was reserved the right to choose professors and courses [4, p.40-45].

Thus during 18-20^th centuries at the oldest universities of England the tutorial system did not merely lose its ground but occupied a central place in training, lecture system served only as supplement to the tutorial one. At present tutorship is widespread at the leading higher educational establishments of the world: in Great Britain, in the USA, in Finland, in Japan and France.

Freedom as the fundamental value of tutorship – comes into contradiction with standardization and control, underlying the domestic model of education. That very model, officially recognized and approved, once borrowed in Germany with rigid principles, standards, class-and-lesson system, timetable and control still predominates in the system of Ukrainian education, and tutorial activity is on the stage of its formation.

On basis of analysis of research and educational literature some approaches to the definition of the notion “tutor” can be distinguished:

· tutor – is the mediator between a lecturer and a student, organizer of activity and programmes of individual development. In a broader sense, tutor is defined by T.M. Kovalova as the one, who accompanies the process of mastering the activity [7]. According to N. Rybalkina’s definition tutor – is the position of «senior», who helps «junior» in building of his individual educational path. In contrast to a teacher, who controls, a tutor – is the one, who helps in the first place [6].

· in the system of distant higher education, built on the basis of traditional training system with the usage of information and communications technology (V. Kukharenko, O. Rybalko, N. Syrotenko), tutor – is a teacher’s assistant, who performs organizational rather than pedagogical function;

· tutor as the specialist in the field of organization of education and self-education is studied in the works of such domestic scientists as O. Andreiev, S. Kaplan, H. Krasnova, S. Lobachev, K. Lupanov, A. Poliakov and others.

In the monograph of S.A. Shchennikov the notion of «tutor» is defined as a teacher-consultant – «specialist in the field of organization of education and self-education. A tutor is charged with responsibility for conducting of the whole educational module, organization of individual and group work with students. Among the tasks of a tutor the following ones can be distinguished: methodical preparation and conduction of group practical studies (tutorials); assistance in doing certifying works, their checking and assessment; consultations and other forms of psychological and pedagogical supporting of students; individual assistance to students in solution of academic or personal problems, connected with studies; vocational guidance and consulting on career issues. Didactic, organizational, marketing, consulting, leader roles are the topical ones for a tutor.» [8, p. 4, 488].

Taking into consideration socially humanitarian orientation of a prospective history teacher in the given research we will keep to the viewpoint that tutor – is the one, who accompanies, shares his experience and expands educational horizons of a student or the group of students.

According to the British tradition the structure of tutorial accompaniment includes three elements: director of studies, who ensures students’ learning and counsels them concerning their work during vacation; moral tutor, responsible for social life of a student at university in the broadest sense of the word; tutor, who accompanies student’s learning throughout academic year. At the University of Oxford these three functions are performed as a rule by one and the same person. At Cambridge University as well as at many other ones tutor conducts practical studies with students and is named «supervisor» [4, р.46-47].

The situation in Ukrainian educational environment takes a little bit different turn. We share the opinion of Ala Boiko, the professor of Poltava V.G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University, regarding the following: «tutorship in Ukraine is the profession, which isn’t there and which is already there and will exist in connection with the situation in the society, with the contraction of students and schoolchildren, with the upbringing crisis» [2,p. 9].

It should be mentioned that tutorial accompaniment is not typical for higher educational establishments of our country and both educational and organizational functions are entrusted to a professor in charge of an academic group. However, the peculiarity of modern standard of education is the activity character of training, chief aim of which is the development of individual abilities of every student. In traditional didactic systems explanation is the foundation of any pedagogical technology whereas in personality-oriented approach – mutual understanding is. V.S. Bibler explains the difference between these phenomena in the following way: «In the process of explanation there is only one subject, one mind, monologue; during mutual understanding – there are two subjects, two minds, dialogue. Explanation is always «downright» look and mutual understanding is collaboration, equality» [1].

Taking into consideration the above mentioned it is tutorial approach that is appealed to widen student’s educational environment and perform its accompaniment. The purpose of educational activity of a student is defined by himself on the basis of his personal interest and a tutor only helps him with their realization. In such a way one of the contradictions, typical of a student’s age, is solved – aspiration for independence in selection of knowledge, means of its acquiring in sufficiently strict training forms and methods for a specialist at a higher educational establishment. Substantial characteristic of tutorial accompaniment is the fact that a student does the task by independently chosen rules and after that he discusses their effectiveness with a tutor.

Tutor’s position is the position of a teacher, who together with a student reveals the needs and resources of the latter. It is tutor who specifies three directions for consideration of every student’s action. These three directions correspond to three components of availability of prospective history teachers for cultivation of interethnic tolerance: what I know (cognitive level), what I can (practical level), why do I need this (personal level). Consequently, tutorial accompaniment helps to structurize and comprehend acquired knowledge.

In our research study we will examine potential possibilities of usage of tutorial accompaniment for the formation of availability of prospective history teachers in the process of their training for a master’s degree.

Taking into account multiethnicity of Ukraine on the one hand and integration processes in the field of domestic education on the other, the issue of tolerance cultivation becomes the call of the times. Educational sphere expert constantly comes across the absence of accompaniment competence during teaching and educational process under conditions of multiethnic environment.

We consider that introduction of tutorial accompaniment will be the most efficient on the very stage of learning for a master’s degree since the position of a tutor is the position of a teacher whose immediate target is not to pass the knowledge but together with a student to reveal the needs and resources of the latter and help in their full realization. It should be noticed that during studying for a master’s degree tutorial accompaniment concerning the formation of interethnic tolerance can be performed by both teachers as to undergraduates, studying for a master’s degree, and the very undergraduates, studying for a master’s degree, as to the students, studying for a bachelor’s degree.

In realization of our presented pattern of the formation of interethnic tolerance of teachers in the process of their training for a master’s degree a tutor has sufficient potential resources as the formation of interethnic tolerance is based in the first place on the pedagogy of cooperation which in its turn is the foundation of tutorial accompaniment.

The pattern is the interconnection and interdependence of the components: target (formation of interethnic tolerance of teachers in the process of their training for a master’s degree), intensional (informational supply of the formation of ethnotolerant ideology of an undergraduate studying for a master’s degree), technological (staged activity that guarantees the achievement of set objective), monitoring (valuation of the course and the results of goal achievement); efficient (the level of achievement of set objective as well as principles and conditions necessary for its realization).

The principles of pattern realization are the following: value-oriented (formation of the system of value orientations); ethno-cultural self-preservation (preservation of one’s ethnopsychological individuality); social adaptation (adaptation of undergraduates studying for a master’s degree to living conditions in modern multiethnic society). Fundamental stages of the technology of pattern realization concerning formation of interethnic tolerance of history teachers are given below: diagnostic (valuation of interethnic tolerance of history undergraduates studying for a master’s degree and perspectives prediction of formation in each of them the basis of ethnotolerance of a teacher at a higher educational establishment); motivational (arousing of interest for ethnopsychology, actualization of value attitude to ethnotolerant consciousness and cross-cultural interaction in educational activity at higher educational establishment), cognitive (understanding and accumulation of multicultural knowledge that determines the basics of a prospective teacher’s outlook concerning ethnocultural tolerance); reproductive pedagogical (application of acquired qualities, knowledge and skills in the sphere of ethnic tolerance in pedagogical practice of an undergraduate studying for a master’s degree); professional pedagogical (accumulation of pedagogical experience in ethnocultural environment of a higher educational establishment).

Basic conditions for pattern realization concerning the formation of ethnic tolerance of teachers are: ethnopedagogical competence and everyday display of ethnic culture by teachers who are involved in teaching of undergraduates studying for a master’s degree; ethnocultural component as the constituent of professional pedagogical training of prospective history teachers; ensuring of cross-disciplines ties determined by the needs of ethnocultural education and the formation of ethnocultural tolerance of prospective teachers, ethnocultural educational environment of training of prospective teachers and their undergoing of pedagogical practical training; motivatedness and activity of students in gaining professional experience of ethnopedagogical work (illustration 1).

Illustration 1

Pattern of Formation of Interethnic Tolerance

of a History Teacher in the Process of his Training for a Master's Degree

Thus, in our opinion a tutor has sufficient potential resources for cultivation of interethnic tolerance since with the exception of educational activity it is he who involves students into the work of social utility at a higher educational establishment, ipso facto he assists in comprehension of interethnic peculiarities of modern Ukrainian socium on tolerant grounds.

However, it should be certified that there is no educational establishment for training of tutors by now in Ukraine, in scientific pedagogical literature positions of a supervising professor and a tutor are often identified, but they have certain differences: tutorial activity what is more introduces the principle of individualization of studying. Consequently taking into account the increased interest in the process of individualization intensification of studying within the scope of modernization programme according to the ideas of Bologna it would be appropriate to transfer the elements of positive practice of West-European tutor to the field of domestic educational system especially on the stage of studying for a master’s degree.

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