Pedagogical principles in the activity of state service for education quality of Ukraine

Based on the analysis of educational and regulatory documents, the main pedagogical principles of the State Service for Education Quality of Ukraine (SSEQU) are summarized: a) basic pedagogical principles of SSEQU’s activity, which are defined by the legislator as basic principles of state educational policy (people orientedness; primacy of the law; ensuring the quality of education and equal access to education; humanism; democracy; unity of teaching, upbringing and development, etc.); b) principles that determine the legal sphere of the SSEQU’s activity (institutional separation of control functions and functions ensuring the activities of educational institutions; transparency and publicity of management decisions; responsibility and accountability of education authorities and educational institutions to society; public administration; public partnership etc); c) pedagogical principles that guide and structurally organize SSEQU’s activities (universal design and reasonable adaptation; scientific nature of education; diversity of education; integrity and continuity of education; integration with the labor market; freedom of choosing the types, forms and pace of education, educational program, educational institution; academic integrity; academic freedom, etc. Empirical data analysis based on the educational process participants’ views on the factors, which comprise educational quality, revealed that the interviewees valued most the level of qualification, experience, knowledge and skills of their teachers, educational and methodological support, the use of new technologies and innovations in teaching for achieving quality education. Interaction and cooperation between education stakeholders was identified as important by teachers and students, and less important – by parents. Interviews with students - prospective educational experts revealed that they valued the sequence of communication skills, knowledge and skills of expert activity, experience and knowledge of pedagogical activities. Keywords: quality of education; SSEQ of Ukraine; state system of monitoring the quality of education; educational expert, audit of educational institutions.

A competency-based approach to professional training of prospective nurses in the context of rehabilitation care reforms in Ukraine

In present conditions of turbulent development of scientific and technological progress, reforms of Ukrainian educational system and integration into European educational space, high quality training and professional orientation of medical workers, especially nurses, is highly needed. The baccalaureate nurse should obtain a high level of knowledge and competence in all areas of their work. This is primarily due to the involvement of baccalaureate nurses in extraordinarily complex medical procedures, usage of high-tech equipment in specialized institutions, and independent decision-making related to the implementation of palliative care in health care institutions. Because of these changes, nursing should become an independent medical profession, and one of the prerequisites for this is the modernization and improvement of nursing training programs at the level of a higher education (bachelor and master levels). The article analyzes the research on the development of medical education in the context of reforming the medical field in times of global crisis. The author presents a retrospective analysis of nursing education development in Ukraine in the middle of the 20th –the first half of the 21st century; a parallel is drawn with the existing state qualification requirements and areas of professional training for nurses of different levels of education. The author of the article indicates the necessity of a rational approach to the training of prospective nurses and substantiates the directions of nursing education development in the context of modern health care reform by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. It is argued the importance of developing not only hard skills, but also soft skills of prospective medical workers, especially within the framework of a narrow specialization during the period of study in higher education institutions. Keywords: medical education, rehabilitation support, nursing, competence, educational reforms.

Psychologo-pedagodical basics for ensuring international students’ successful studying results

The paper deals with the main problems of international students’ study at higher educational institutions and the necessary university services, for example, propaedeutic training and foreign language courses that help foreigners to study successfully in an unfamiliar learning environment. The interpretation of psychological adaptation and academic adaptation is given based on the analysis of the issue source. The work explores specifics of adaptation and favorable conditions for international students in higher education, as well as identifies problems with the adaptation of foreigners in university education. Recommendations for psychological support of foreigners by advisors are given. The university services of the international students’ advisors and other university staff are analyzed concerning assistance on academic adaptation to the different educational system of the country and university requirements to studying. It is indicated that knowledge of the basics of psychology, features of personality psychotypes, and human adaptive abilities is very important for advisors to help students adapt to the academic requirements of a particular educational system. Advisors should act as a mediator to facilitate the learning process of students, taking into account individual worldviews and intellectual development, for example, while developing a personal curriculum and teaching time management. The work also highlights three main forms of counseling by their advisors as seminars, individual assistance or group work. Various student centers and university campus organizations are listed that help foreigners study and live in an unfamiliar academic environment. Keywords: psychological problems of adaptation, pedagogical basics, advisors, international student, university.

Mastering the basics of pedagogical skills as a pedagogical condition of forming the professional thinking culture of the prospective teachers

The article clarifies theoretical, methodological, organizational and methodical, practical, diagnostic-corrective aspects of studying the issue of students mastering their basic pedagogical skills. It is viewed as a pedagogical condition for forming the culture of the prospective teachers’ professional thinking. The author substantiates methodological approaches (systemic, synergetic, activity-based, personal, culturological, competence-based) in the basis of the research tasks and analyses scientific literary sources to identify the essence of pedagogical skills. In the study, pedagogical skills are considered as an integrated set, the triad of the terms “teacher-pedagogical skills-skillsˮ. By pedagogical skills, the author means a dynamic unity of personal qualities, values, professional competence, developed pedagogical abilities and experience, which contribute to the creative activity, successful professional growth and self-realization of a teacher. The integrative model described in the article, represents the structure of pedagogical skills. It is determined that the structural components of pedagogical skills are humanistic orientation, professional competence, pedagogical technique, pedagogical abilities and pedagogical experience. On the example of professional and pedagogical training of the students in the Faculty of Chemistry, the author presents the content, methods, and organizing forms of educational process, which ensure students’ mastery of basic pedagogical skills. They are mainly developed at various pedagogical courses, methodology of teaching or teaching practice in higher education institutions. Certain criteria and indicators determine the levels of studentsʼ acquisition of pedagogical skills. They were defined during the pedagogical experiment conducted at the Faculty of Chemistry. Keywords: pedagogical activity, teacher, skills, pedagogical skills, professional skills, culture of professional thinking.

Leadership in the teacherʼs professional activity

The article substantiates the features of leadership in the professional activity of a teacher. It is emphasized that leadership is a specific type of management relationship, which is based on social interaction, and the leader in this situation is an innovator. The functional differences of a leadership (regulation of interpersonal relations in the team, spontaneity) and management (organization of official relations of the group as a certain social organization, purposefulness, control of various elements of social structure) are determined. It is argued that a person's leadership qualities mean a set of their psychological qualities, abilities and features of intragroup interaction that ensure the success of their leadership functions. Important leadership behavioral qualities of a leader: responsibility, cooperation, personal development, resilience, awareness, integrity. The organizational and managerial qualities of a teacher-leader (professional competence, moral qualities, ability to work, culture of taking into account different points of view, etc.) are systematized and the differences in the activity of a teacher-functionary and a teacher-leader are determined. It is noted that the effectiveness of leadership is determined by the teacherʼs ability to perceive and satisfy the specific needs of the group at each stage and choose the appropriate style of influence, harmoniously combining individual and group needs while providing the necessary conditions for completing the assignment. The main problem of leadership is to maintain consensus and unity of the staff of the educational organization on the basis of common goals and values, the implementation of a specific approach to reveal the individual potential of staff. It is concluded that the training of a teacher-leader should be aimed at developing his analytical skills, at the formation of design and modeling competencies, at stimulating the individual to a possible solution of the problems in difficult and uncertain situations, at the ability to respond not only quickly but also on the basis of various strategies behavior. Keywords: leadership, teacher, qualities of a leader, professional competence.

Christian values as theoretical basis of Ivan Bartoshevsky’s pedagogical views

The article describes the formation and development of pedagogy and the position of Greek Catholic Church in the 19th century. The author of the article analizes features of religious education in the system of pedagogical views of Ivan Bartoshevsky and determines main elements of I. Bartoshevsky’s theory. I. Bartoshevsky in his works supported main principles of Christian pedagogy, described the possibilities of their realization and tasks concerning the educational process of a child. Moral and ethical system of Christian upbringing forms a theoretical basis of the university textbook by I. Bartoshevsky “Russian Pedagogy or the Science of Educationˮ (1891). The significance of Professor Ivan Bartoshevsky’s textbook “Russian Pedagogy or the Science of Educationˮ (1891) for the formation and development of university pedagogy was crucial. The article describes the influence of the principles of Christian morality on the process of education and clarifies educational functions of social institutes, in particular the educational duties of parents, family, church, state, and school. It is determined that goals and objectives of Christian education are of great importance in the formation of a person’s character and worldview and the stages of the process of education in accordance with the age periodization of personality development are characterized. The researcher defines the place and role of each childʼs educator in the formation of his/her authorities and substantiates main features of the ideal upbringing of a child. It is clarified the role of the surroundings, environment, school for personality education as well as the importance of a teacher in the process of child’s development and growth. Psychological and personal characteristics of students according to their age periodization are characterized. Keywords: Christian pedagogy, textbook, the process of education, social institutions of education, family education, school education, religious education, authority, teacher, church, pedagogical objects, pedagogical functions, effectiveness of education.

Professional self-improvement of higher military school teachers

The article presents the meaning of the concepts of “professional and pedagogical activityˮ, “professional developmentˮ and shows that professional development is a multifaceted process of acquiring and using new knowledge, skills and qualities that are necessary for highly effective implementation of professional pedagogical activity. It is noted that professional development is a process of transforming the teacher’s individuality, aimed at self-improvement and achievement of acmeological peaks in professional activity; the features of professional and pedagogical activity of a teacher of higher military educational institution are singled out in the article. The stages of professional development of a teacher (choice of profession, professional education and training, professional adaptation, professional competence, professionalism, mastery and innovation) are analyzed. It is identified that self-improvement is implemented in two interrelated ways: self-education and personal development. A brief meaningful characteristic of these concepts is offered. The stages of self-improvement of scientific and pedagogical workers are characterized: the stage of self-knowledge (the initial stage of cognitive activity of a person), the stage of creating a personal self-improvement program (formation of goals and ideals for achieving one’s goal), the stage of implementation of self-improvement program (professional development implementation complex), the stage of control and regulation of self-improvement process (evaluation of achieved results). On the basis of theoretical analysis and selected results of the empirical research, the author offers advice for teachers of higher military educational institutions for their professional self-improvement. It is determined that constant improvement of professional skills is an important factor in the professional development of a scientific and pedagogical worker. Keywords: pedagogical activity, higher military education institution, professional development, stages of professional development, self-improvement, self-education, innovativeness.

Development trajectory of a primary school student: from theory to practice

The article describes the problem of forming an individual educational trajectory of primary school students in the modern educational space. Based on the analysis of the scientific literature, the essence of the concepts «individual educational trajectory», «individual curriculum» is specified and the stages of realization of an individual educational trajectory are determined. Emphasis is placed on the importance of the pedagogical support of the studentʼs movement along the individual educational trajectory. It is found that the individual educational trajectory is a way to implement personal potential of the student. It takes into account student’s abilities, interests, needs, motivation, opportunities and experience, and is based on the choice of types, forms and pace of education. The individual educational trajectory of the student is created on the basis of the individual development program and individual curriculum. Pedagogues elaborate it in interaction with students and their parents, and the pedagogical council of the educational institution gives an approval for its implementation. The authors of the article define some requirements for developing effective individual educational trajectory for primary school students. They include knowledge of the student’s personality, his/her psycho-physiological features and possibilities; organization of differentiated learning, which involves structuring the content of educational material, selection of techniques and teaching aids in accordance with the typological features of students; emphasis on the development of specific personal abilities and individual potential of the students as a guideline for their educational activities; advisory assistance to the teacher in building the student’s own educational program and determining the individual pace of its mastery. Keywords: educational environment, individual educational trajectory, individual development program, individual curriculum, primary school seeker, primary school teacher.

Adaptation of a child with Down syndrome into inclusive groups of preschool educational institutions

The article outlines the importance of interaction between teachers and parents in order to provide effective adaptation of a child with Down syndrome to the inclusive groups of a preschool education institution. Every year the number of children with genetic pathologies is increasing. Their adaptation in society is available through educational activities known as inclusive education. Among the common pathologies, occurring in newborns the most widespread is the one, known as “Down syndrome”. This pathology occurs with the frequency of one case per 500-800 newborn babies. The process of adaptation of a child with Down syndrome to the conditions of a preschool institution has three levels. This adaptation to the surrounding reality can be light (easy process of adaptation), middle (adaptation with some difficulties) and heavy (difficult). At each stage, the interaction between teachers and a child’s parents is very important. Cooperation of teachers and parents helps to find better educational forms and methods to be used, encourage children with Down syndrome to use and improve the skills and knowledge gained in educational institutions at home. Keywords: social adaptation, inclusive education, children with Down syndrome, preschool institution, teachers, parents, inclusive groups.

Creative potential of Jan Amos Komensky’s universal scientific and pedagogical heritage

The article emphasizes that J. A. Komensky as one of the creators of the modern pedagogical system showed himself in his numerous works as a passionate and consistent supporter of education general democratization. For the first time in the history of world pedagogical thought he created a system of rational and progressive didactics, substantiated the significant influence of native language on training and education. From the standpoint of democracy and humanism, he made a profound and substantiated critical analysis of the entire medieval and scholastic system of education. He thoroughly studied, and according to his social, pedagogical and philosophical outlook critically reworked those valuables that his predecessors and contemporaries accumulated in the theory and practice of education. J. Komensky developed a progressive pedagogical doctrine permeated with the idea of nationality. On the basis of Komensky’s fundamental philosophical and pedagogical work “Great Didacticsˮ the paper analyses the authorʼs contribution to the development of the education theory and practice. It proclaims the exceptional importance of the work, which substantiates a new system of human education based on the carefully learned laws of nature, and addressed to the eternal values. The focus is laid on the scientist’s basic innovative approaches, namely to the development of methods, didactic principles, rules of teaching, the provisions of the education system and school studies, etc. The authors of the article conclude that in modern conditions of modernizing, renewing the various segments of the Ukrainian education system according to the European requirements and criteria the idea of the creative, constructive and critical comprehension and reception of the unique and diverse pedagogical heritage of Jan Amos Komensky by specialists, theorists and practitioners remains relevant. Keywords: Jan Amos Komensky, “Great Didacticsˮ, scientific and pedagogical heritage, European cultural heritage.