Role Of The University Socio-Cultural Environment In Formation Of Students’ Emotional Intelligence

Abstract

The paper considers the relationship of such concepts as socio-cultural space, education, upbringing, emotional intelligence and profiling. The socio-cultural space of the university is presented as one of the factors that determine, on the one hand, the professional becoming of the future employee pool of the country, and on the other hand, the university development potential. Attention is also focused on the educational milieu as a subsystem of the socio-cultural environment whose specificity is determined by the local characteristics of the university. The paper describes the activities of Don State Technical University. It is the largest technical university in the Southern Federal District which implements a regional model of continuing comprehensive education. The analysis of socio-cultural environment of the university which contributes to the development of emotional intelligence of both intending students and the students of DSTU (Don State Technical University) is presented. Based on the analysis of normative documents, local normative acts and the socio-cultural infrastructure of a particular educational institution, the structural components of the socio-cultural environment of the university are described, its influence on the formation of students' emotional intelligence is determined. The role of the educational process subjects in the formation and transformation of the socio-cultural environment is considered. The ways of formation of universal cultural values, group and personal interests of students under the conditions of humanization of engineering education and the regionalization of vocational education as a whole are described.

Keywords: Emotional intelligencehigher educationhumanization of educationoccupational universal cultural competenciessociocultural environmentsubject of educational process

Introduction

The activities of each university are based on the socio-cultural norms of society (Asmolov & Guseltseva, 2019) and are guided by the demands of the regional labor market, the professional culture of participants in educational activities, the hierarchy of their values, reflecting a certain cultural paradigm. Р The implementation of tasks is facilitated by the socio-cultural environment of the university. The “social” component in the designated category defines the subject of activity, and the “cultural” component indicates the quality and scope of the subject's activity. “Cultural environment”, according to academician D.S. Likhachev, “is necessary for spiritual moral life ... for moral self-discipline and sociality” (as cited in Filatova, 2007, p. 59), it is in it that the transmission of cultural experience, both of an individual and of the entire nation, is possible.

Problem Statement

In accordance with the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standards, a higher educational institution should create favourable conditions for the diversified development of the student's personality, assist student self-government, ensure the work of students in various public organizations, sports and creative clubs, scientific student communities and research laboratories, that is ensure the continuous development of the educational space of the university.

The educational space is considered as a set of information and educational environment and socio-cultural environment, each of which is designed and managed by the higher educational institution itself (Fugelova, 2015). The socio-cultural environment is a part of the educational space that directly surrounds the subjects of the educational process and includes them (Terekhov, 2016). The socio-cultural environment is a multifactorial phenomenon that combines cultural, social, educational, and other aspects of the educational process and is characterized by structuredness, multilayerness, controllability and resources (Filatova, 2007). Since in modern science there is no unambiguous interpretation of the term "socio-cultural environment", we understand the socio-cultural environment as the features of the educational process inherent in a particular university and the conditions for the formation of social and professional competencies depending on its specifics.

Research Questions

In the study, the authors ask a number of questions:

3.1. What is the structure and functions of the socio-cultural environment of Don State Technical University?

3.2. What is the specificity of the socio-cultural environment of the flagship university?

3.3. What components of emotional competence are formed in university students due to the constructed socio-cultural environment?

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to identify and reveal the structural components of the socio-cultural environment of the university, to determine its impact on the formation of emotional intelligence of students;

Research Methods

The research involved theoretical methods, analysis, synthesis, classification, and empirical ones, observation, description and comparison.

The source base of the study was made up of scientific publications of domestic and foreign authors on the specifics of higher education, technologies for the formation of the educational environment of the university (Golubeva & Petrova, 2013), its role in the educational process in the preparation of future professionals (Chen et al., 2017), and a comprehensive analysis of the content of the synonymous concepts of “educational environment” and “educational space” (Fishman & Picyuk, 2015). We were interested in scientific articles on the problems of profiling the young generation, its value attitudes and moral guidelines; the relationship between education and career development of specialists (Maillard, 2017; Sedov, 2018), conditions of lifelong education, factors of the formation of emotional intelligence, emotional competence (Timofeev, 2011).

Findings

The reform of the higher education system and the recognition of the fact that the intelligence of an individual and the intelligence of society as a whole have become the main driving force behind the development of the state entailed a change in approaches to the training of future specialists - the humanization of education. It switched the focus of attention of the teaching community to the personality of the student, such an integrative quality of a future specialist as professional competence, which includes intellectual and emotional components. The new approach contributed to an increase in the psychological component in learning, the creation of conditions in universities to meet the interests and needs of students (New Vision for Education: Fostering Social and Emotional Learning through Technology, 2016).

Higher education involves the formation of an individual culture of students, the accumulation of universal and professional knowledge that occurs within a certain social space, that is, the educational environment (Stracke & Kretschmer, 2012).

The educational environment of DSTU has a number of specific features:

dynamic development of education: continuous improvement of social infrastructure - 20 educational buildings, 10 hostels, a sanatorium, a health center with a swimming pool, an athletics arena, a multipurpose area with artificial turf, a student health and sports complex, 2 recreation centers, a student clinic, a private media center , research laboratories, coworking, congress hall, the Church of Saint Martyr Tatiana;

accessibility of education: distance education, additional education, inclusive education and education under UNESCO programs; the cultural and educational needs of university students and residents of Rostov-on-Don are satisfied. The university has a KVN (club of cheerful and resourceful) club, a Creative Center, a Center for Civil and Patriotic Education, a Cultural Center, a Volunteer Center, a Cultural and Exhibition Center, an open lecture hall, specialized classes, the Academy of Sports and Social Development of Children and Youth, the DOSAAF (Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy)-DSTU educational center, sports club, Center for History of DSTU. The Theater-Studio “Bravo-DSTU” deserves special attention: a unique school of additional education, whose graduates undergo the state certification procedure. Education in it is carried out in accordance with educational programs approved by the DSTU and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation;

continuity of education: within the framework of the Regional Complex for Gifted Children and Youth of the Rostov Region, the Children's University of DSTU is functioning - a unique educational project for children from 5 to 14 years old. The Academy of Applicants is an educational project that unites school students from the age of 14 and young people who are focused on choosing a future profession, striving to develop their intellect, acquire the skills and abilities of educational research. . Parent University is a project for parents wishing to receive education in the field of upbringing and development of children of all ages. Academy of the Third Age is a project for the social adaptation of older people (50+) in modern society;

practical and labor orientation: taking into account the requirements of the regional labor market and meeting its needs, 19 basic departments were opened at the university, created in cooperation with the largest enterprises of the region, 80% of the staff of which are graduates of DSTU. Practical and labor orientation is associated with a cycle of excursions to enterprises and institutions of the Rostov region, participation of employers in the development of the content of educational programs, strengthening the scientific and laboratory base and employment of graduates.

In the structure of the socio-cultural environment of the university, extracurricular activities can be distinguished, including two components that harmoniously complement each other: cultural and educational, and leisure. Extracurricular activities are represented by a wide range of traditional activities self-initiated by students or teachers. Of paramount importance are non-traditional events initiated by students (Baryshnikova et al., 2019) and with their active participation in the preparation and implementation:

• literary salons;

• discussion club meetings, which form the skills of organizing and conducting discussions and develop communication skills;

• scientific circles that develop students' skills of an interdisciplinary approach in mastering a professional educational program, critical analysis of scientific positions;

• classes at the University History Center, created to preserve historical memory, form respect for university traditions and the readiness of the young generation for social and political life in the Don region and the country as a whole;

• research activities in the scientific and technical library of the university, which creates favorable conditions for the independent activity of students;

• meetings at the Open Lecture Hall, where scientists, public figures and representatives of various professions share practical experience, highlighting current socio-economic and political problems;

• participation in coworking events, the territory for joint training of students, businessmen and inventors;

• excursions in the Don Cossack Guard Cultural and Exhibition Center, where you can learn historical facts about the Don Cossacks and the Don land, about the history of Russia and Europe;

• work in the Economic Clinic - a community of teachers and students-economists who provide consulting services to individuals and legal entities in business planning, economics and entrepreneurship;

• participation in the work of the Center for the Development of Volunteerism of the Rostov Region, which coordinates the actions of student volunteers during university, city, regional and all-Russian events. A group of volunteers provides assistance to the "Social and Rehabilitation Center for Minors"; helps people with disabilities, veterans and the elderly; participates in the implementation of the project of the Victoria charity foundation for children in difficult life situations; pays attention to the prevention of negative manifestations in the youth environment, promotes a healthy lifestyle; is engaged in environmental education of children and youth of the Don Region;

• participation of students in the activities of student teams: the activities of the 5-star service team are associated with the service sector in the University Congress Hall, the Raduga service team - with the service sector at the Raduga sports and recreation student complex located on the Black Sea coast; the mechanized harvesting detachment “Don” is annually involved in harvesting in the Rostov, Volgograd Regions and the Krasnodar Territory;

• graduates of the School of youth leaders work on the shores of the Black and Azov seas in the SOSC (student health and sports complex) “Raduga” and the DOK (сhildren's health complex) “Sputnik”; members of the Gagarin construction team are engaged in landscaping, work at the NPP in Volgodonsk, at the Rostselmash plant, in the cities of Novy Urengoy and Vorkuta; members of the “Morskoy” squad - rescuers on the water - apply the acquired skills in practice at the SOSC “Raduga” in Divnomorsk; fire and rescue team “Donskoy” helps in emergency situations; members of the ecological group “EcoForm” are engaged in environmental protection; the fishing season squad “Tikhy Don” is engaged in the processing of fish products on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Sakhalin Island. Such a system guarantees each student temporary or permanent employment and contributes to the development of student self-government, supports the traditions of university student teams.

The active participation of students in the listed activities testifies to the self-determination and self-realization of students, to modeling their own personality. But since education is an interactive process, then students themselves, changing under the influence of the socio-cultural environment of an educational institution, have an impact on it (Latchem & Кhanolajnen, 2017).

The basic platform for organizing leisure activities at the university is the Congress and Exhibition Center (KVTs), which creates conditions for the implementation of various educational projects within the framework of basic educational programs and professional additional programs.

Employees of the Creative Center, identifying gifted boys and girls, provide them with conditions for creative self-realization in dance, vocal, theater groups of the university taking part in events of various levels. The dance theater prepares show programs, organizes concerts and competitions. The opportunity to follow folk traditions, preserving ethnocultural values and norms, is provided by the exemplary folk ensemble of Georgian dances “Imedi” - a participant and winner of city, All-Russian and international competitions, the vocal studio “Impulses” and the theater-studio “Bravo”, headed by Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Anita Tsoi.

Thus, the Cultural Center is engaged in the aesthetic education of university students and future university students, the formation of their interest in the traditions and culture of different nationalities, and the education of tolerance.

DSTU pays special attention to sports: all the necessary conditions have been created for the popularization of physical culture, the values of a healthy lifestyle. The university has its own swimming pool, athletics arena, stadiums, basketball courts, an equestrian club, and sports sections.

Coaches and students view sports as psychological training for those who have communication problems. The ability to become a team, understand each other without words, insure and support, and then rejoice together in victory - all this is taught by sport. In the course of training, young men and women learn to manage their emotions, develop a sense of self-confidence, form the skills of concentration on a specific task, correctly distribute attention, maintain initiative, evaluate and predict the situation, and make adequate decisions in a timely manner.

University students participate in student activities, developing their creative potential and receiving assistance in personal professional self-determination. Personal motivation contributes to the acquisition and development of social skills (Shmeleva & Semenova, 2019): establishing and maintaining social contacts, skills in managing interpersonal relationships, creating a team of like-minded people. We can talk about the formation in students of four basic components of emotional competence: empathy, self-regulation, regulation of interpersonal relations and reflection (Yusupova, 2006).

Conclusion

1. The socio-cultural environment of the university is an intermediary between the individual and the surrounding world, provides the student with the opportunity to most adequately enter the socio-cultural space of society.

2. It is a system of subject-object and subject-subject relationships, among which the dominant role is played by relationships in the system of university administration - teacher - student. Regardless of the status, all subjects of the social and cultural environment of the university have the opportunity for self-realization and satisfaction of personal and professional interests.

3. The socio-cultural environment of the university implements two important functions: it forms and develops general cultural, professional competencies of future specialists and stimulates the teaching staff to continuously improve their own qualifications.

4. The educational process of the university includes the best practices of companies leading in their industry, and the content of academic disciplines meets the current needs of economy of the region and society. The university introduces a project-based training format, within which students solve technological problems of existing regional enterprises.

5. The humanitarian environment of the university as part of the socio-cultural environment forms the personal information culture of students as a basic element of social adaptation, as part of the professional culture of future specialists with developed emotional intelligence.

6. Cultural and educational activities as an element of the socio-cultural environment of the university contributes not only to a positive perception of the atmosphere of the university, but also to a positive attitude towards future professional activities.

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