Research And Methodological Support Of Professional Activity Quality Of A Lecturer

Abstract

In modern educational environment of Russia, the special attention is given to the problem of individual’s self-actualization including the sphere of professional activity. In modern social and economic conditions this problem is at the top urgency as the society demands self-motivated people and independent specialists able to develop their personality and improve their activity. The article shows the challenging character of solution of the considered problem in terms of organization of research and methodological support of lecturers to create conditions for their successful professional and creative self-actualization. The aim of the article is to demonstrate possibilities of conditions creation in a modern higher education institution for professional and creative self-actualization of lecturers via the technology of research and methodological support of quality of lecturers’ professional activity in terms of methodological work organization in a higher education institution. The authors, based on their own management activity experience in terms of department and faculty development, identified components of the considered technology. Creation of appropriate professional and creative educational environment at the department and the faculty via methodological work organization contributes to lecturers’ successful performance of professional functions, to social and professional orientation development, to readiness for quick knowledge renovation, to skills and abilities enlargement and to the ability of solving problems of own professional and personality self-actualization.

Keywords: Methodical serviceprofessional educationself-developmenttechnology

Introduction

Priority areas of modernization of professional educational system are specified with regulatory documents that aim at the development of the unique supply strategy of Russian economy with highly experienced staff. Due to this, a lecturer is demanded specially in the level of mastery of necessary professional competences and the special attention is given to lecturer’s readiness for participation in innovative areas of professional education development (Gurskaya & Kazayeva, 2015; Gruzdev & Terentev, 2016; Lovakov, 2015; Shmatko, 2016; Vasyagina & Pochtareva, 2018).

Problem Statement

A modern lecturer needs to master not only production, informational and management technologies, but also to build the process of self-development in the sphere of professional activity (Geitz, Brinke, & Kirschner, 2016; Fernet, Senécal, Guay, Marsh, & Dowson, 2008; Vukasovic & Stensaker, 2017; Vasyagina, Vasyagina, & Seryy, 2018). In the professional standard ‘Educator of professional training, professional education and additional professional education’ there are common requirements for pedagogic activity in professional training, professional education and additional professional education basic for such main purpose of lecturer’s professional activity as students activity organization on mastering knowledge, on formation and development of skills and competences that allow to perform professional activity, on assuring of their progress in regulatory education results; creation of pedagogic conditions for professional and personality students development, filling the needs of deepening and enlarging education; methodological support in educational programs implementation. Based on this document and generalized employment functions of academic staff of higher education institutions the complex of pedagogic competences a lecturer must correspond to can be identified. Herewith, in experience of higher education institutions activity the problem of creation of research and methodological support of educators’ activity in terms of optimal conditions supply for their professional and creative self-actualization is not much attention given to. Available researches cover the issues of lecturers’ readiness for implementation of system of students’ professional preparation in processes of education and upbringing (De Boer, Janssen, & van Driel, 2016; Caprara, Barbaranelli, Steca, & Malone, 2006; Han, Yin, & Wang, 2015; Klassen et al., 2009).

Research Questions

Not denying the importance of this activity area of higher education institutions it’s necessary to note that modern system of higher education must solve the greater number of tasks including conditions creation for lecture’s professional development and self-development in professional and creative activity (Katz & Shahar, 2015; Nitsche, Dickhäuser, Fasching, & Dresel, 2011; Klusmann, Kunter, Trautwein, Lüdtke, & Baumert, 2008). Such scientists as Getman, Kotenko, & Kotenko (2016) and Milovanova (2019) point at the necessity of these targets inclusion in tasks of modern higher education institution. Due to this, functioning of the service of research and methodological support of quality of educators’ professional activity is an important area in higher education institutions’ activity. The spheres of lecture’s professional and creative activities can include methodological creativity (choice of proved models of methodological activity in organization of teaching and educational process in a higher education institution); communicative creativity (proved choice and appliance of technologies of pedagogically efficient communication in own professional activity); creative self-development (determination of own professional and personality qualities requiring self-perfection and correction based on self-analysis) (Botasheva & Karakotova, 2015).

Purpose of the Study

The aim of the article is to prove approaches to searching conditions of research and methodological support of quality of a lecturer’s professional activity to develop their readiness for professional and creative self-actualization. The main hypothesis of the investigation was the assumption that introduction of the technology of research and methodological support of quality of lecturers’ professional activity in terms of methodological work organisation in higher education institution will allow to create conditions for lecturers’ development of readiness for professional and creative self-actualization.

Research Methods

Theoretical analysis of sources; mass survey among the lecturers (the stage of problem setting (N 81), ascertaining stage (N 44), experiment stage (N 50)). The main research methods were tested in Surgut State Pedagogical University; the professors of Psychology and Pedagogy Faculty, Department of Psychology, Theory and Methodology of Preschool and Primary Education, Special and Pedagogical Education took part in the research. The period of diagnostic investigation is 2017-2018.

Findings

At the stage of problem setting (the year of 2017) the diagnostic research was held to assess lecturers’ readiness for participation in scientific-research and research and methodological supply of education modernisation. The research was held in the form of questioning where 81 lecturers of Surgut State Pedagogical University took part. Here are the results. The greater part of the lecturers didn’t take part in any international (61%) or Russian (43%) academic projects but they would like to participate, 41% took part in Russian academic projects and 19% took part in international academic projects. Herewith, it’s worth noticing that 15% are not ready to take part in such activity. Among organisation forms of scientific-research work of the lecturers the greater choice was made in favour of writing scientific articles in national journals (59 individuals) and participation in all-Russian research and practice conferences (52 individuals). The next place is taken under management of activity clubs, creative task groups and sections and under students’ preparation for participation in scientific-research contests (41). And only 18 lecturers mentioned that they took an active (more than twice) part in grant contests. So, intensity of organisation of the lecturers’ professional activity in the considered area was restricted with some of activities, but as a positive factor the presence of the lecturers’ readiness for self-perfection of own professional activity (77%) can be noted.

The conducted research caused the necessity of development and implementation of the technology of research and methodological support of quality of lecturers’ professional activity in terms of organization of methodological work in a higher education institution aimed at level increase of lecturers’ readiness for professional and creative self-actualization.

Creation of the technology of research and methodological support of quality of lecturers’ professional activity in our work is connected with organization of methodological work in a higher education institution that is understood as a specially organized activity aimed at experience increase of managers and lecturers, at their readiness for solution new tasks in terms education modernization, and at last, at increase of students’ education quality (Yeroshina, 2003; Posohova & Ignatova, 2015; Kazayeva, 2015). For development of the technology the approaches of modern scientists to consideration of the definition ‘professional and creative self-actualization’ were taken into account. Under ‘professional and creative self-actualization’ we understand the process of an individual’s defining, understanding and actualizing possibilities, of realizing inner personality’s potential in the sphere of his professional activity (Burova & Zarakovsky, 2005; Bieg, Rickelman, Jones, & Mittag, 2013; Butler, 2007, 2012; Ivanov & Yanitsky, 2007; Leontyev, 1997). Based on above mentioned the components of a lecturer’s readiness for professional and creative self-actualization and assessment criteria were identified:

- value-based, showing value-based and creative conceptions and priorities, appropriate for an educator, defining internal motivation and orientation on professional activity; the assessment criterion is the awareness degree of the necessity in continuing education;

- cognitive, performed as a complex of knowledge contributing to an educator’s understanding of creative character of his work and influencing on his creative organization of professional activity; the assessment criterion is presence of an enduring interest in the sphere of professional pedagogy and psychology;

- activity, combining the elements contributing to creative potential realization (educator’s professional and personality realization) that have latent opportunities for his further development; the assessment criterion is the presence of need in innovative technologies appliance for own professional activity perfection.

So, conditions creation for educators’ readiness for professional and creative self-actualization becomes the purpose of research and methodological support of quality of lecturers’ professional activity. By no means important is the competent assistance to an educator and contribution to his professional and personality development. For effective activity of the higher education institution in whole as well as of the faculty and departments as its structural units the reconstruction of organisation of research and methodological work (including technological) providing with the support of lecturers’ professional activity at a fundamentally higher level was required. Let’s identify the constituents of the developed technology.

The first block is norms-informative. The aim is spreading of high technologies of professional activity in a higher education institution and supporting lecturers’ value-based attitude to appliance of innovative technologies in own professional activity. The main area in methodical service activity is provision of professional education system, performed by lecturers, with methodological, didactic and methodical developments up to modern requirements of pedagogical science and practice. It included development of methodological guidelines for lecturers on implementation of innovative technologies, methods and techniques of professional activity organisation on the base of work experience description of the best lecturers of the university and pedagogical sphere in whole, development of new methods in the sphere of taught disciplines, search of new, more effective, teaching ways and techniques. The above mentioned activities are fixed in lecturers’ contributions and participation in conferences of different levels. Due to demonstration of innovative practices of colleagues’ work at methodological committees’ meetings the possibility of transformation of innovative experience of professional activity organisation into educational area of own activity by lecturers appeared. The given technology block was directed at conditions creation for development of value-based and creative and cognitive components of lecturers’ readiness for professional and creative self-actualization.

The second block is instrumental and methodological. The aim is to organize and support a pedagogically rational style of lecturers’ creative self-actualization in professional activity. The base was a cooperative productive activity of the Department’s methodical service and lecturers (development of academic working programs, lessons’ plans, learning and methodological materials providing effective implementation of professional educational programs, accounts keeping); approbation and introduction into practice of more effective models and technologies of professional competences development at students (for example, through scientific students’ community), development of sub-system of lecturers qualifications upgrading (including through development and introduction of self-development programs based on reflection of own professional activity), distribution of own professional activity experience via participation in grant contests, professional mastery contests and other events of professional orientation. This contributed to lecturers’ creative self-actualization via fixation of meaning and values of professional activity, to intended transmission of innovative technologies into creative interpretation in terms of own professional activity organisation.

Organisation of purposeful work on introduction of the technology of research and methodological support of quality of lecturers’ professional activity in terms of methodical work organisation of in a higher education institution allowed increasing the level of readiness for professional and creative self-actualization of the greater part of the lecturers. According to the scientists (Posohova & Ignatova, 2015), resulting quality of lecturers’ professional and creative self-actualization can be assessed according to the criterion of outer achievements in professional activity (achievements of significant results in professional activity) and according to the criterion of inner achievements (self-perfection aimed at professional competency increase and development of qualities of professional significance). Let’s demonstrate the results based on the comparative analysis of the ascertaining and final diagnostics according to the first criterion. The diagnostics was conducted via questioning method on the example of publication activity criterion of lecturers before and after the technology (see Table 01 ).

The data analysis of the lecturers’ survey shows that before the technology introduction publication activity in all markers was at the low level on the ascertaining stage. The lecturers didn’t want to take part in grant contests, only 14% published the results of own scientific researches in foreign journals and a little bit more than half of the respondents published articles in top Russian scientific journals. The survey data shows the low motivation level of the greater part of the lecturers for participation in innovative scientific-research work that is one of the reasons of lecturers’ non-readiness for professional and creative self-actualization in a higher education institution.

In the result of introduction of the complex technology of research and methodological support of quality of lecturers’ professional activity the significant changes occurred in all investigated markers. The part of lecturers’ publication activity in individual contributions to foreign journals has increased at 24%, in top Russian peer-reviewed journals – at 38%, the lecturers’ readiness for participation in grant contests has increased at 19%. So, activity approach implementation in appliance of the technology aimed at level increase of lecturers’ readiness for professional and creative self-actualization allowed creating the effective mechanism of the given problem solution.

Theoretical and experimental proof of possibilities of research and methodological support of lecturers in different kinds of pedagogical creativity such as methodological, technological and didactic is the scientific interest for further investigations. Identification of the interrelation and influence of the technology implementation of research and methodological support of quality of lecturers’ professional activity on the resulting quality of students’ preparation for professional activity. What is the core of research and methodological support of lecturers’ professional activity in terms of their creative self-actualization by methodical service of a higher education institution contributing to increase of innovative activity of a higher education institution?

Conclusion

Appliance of the technology of research and methodological support of quality of lecturers’ professional activity in the system of research and methodological work of the departments and faculty allowed directing the activity of methodical service at creation of conditions for lecturers’ professional and creative work, enhancing lecturers value-based attitude to professional development possibilities and stimulating advanced experience expanding in the sphere of professional activity. The technology implementation had wholesome and system features and was aimed at development of lecturers’ readiness for professional and creative self-actualization. The technology of research and methodological support of quality of lecturers’ professional activity, developed and introduced into the educational system of the university, allowed getting positive changes in all investigated characteristics of lecturers’ readiness for professional and creative self-actualization.

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