Ludmila V. Kurochkina

Bio: Ludmila V. Kurochkina is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Competence (human resources). The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 2 publications receiving 4 citations.

Technologies of Organizing Prospective Teachers' Practical Training on the Basis of Competence Approach

Abstract: The aim of the article is to determine efficient educational technologies providing the formation of prospective teachers’ professional competencies during their practical training at school. In the conditions of implementing competence approach into the system of teacher training the issues of prospective teachers’ personality, their teaching skills, and the problem of undergraduates’ professional self-determination are of great importance. The article presents the results of the research where much attention is given to assessment of students’ professional activities and the criteria of this assessment. The research included comparing the results of the students’ self-evaluation and the experts’ evaluation of the students’ competence development level. Students’ practical training at school reveals some problems that can be eliminated by using competency-based methods and technologies. The process of students’ practical training at school presupposes proper planning of the activities, analyzing competencies formation, monitoring students’ learning achievements. The content of the article can be used by school teachers, moderators, university professors supervising students’ practical training at school.

Activating the professional self-identification of students in extra-curricular activities

Abstract: Self-identification occupies an important place in a person's life. School years determine the choice of a future profession. Practice shows that school leavers often choose a profession under the influence of random factors. To avoid this mistake, it is advisable to start work on activating the professional selfidentification of students at the moment when they show their first professional interests at the age of 7-11. During this period the foundations for professional self-identification are laid, such as the development of the intellectual and emotional-volitional sphere, the formation of ideas about the world of professions, the development of self -reflection and self-understanding skills, which serve as the basis for the development of an idea about oneself. The purpose of activating the professional self-identification of students is to broaden the understanding of the world of professions and foster respect for work and diligence by involving students in practical activities. In this regard, it is necessary to use all the possibilities of the educational process. The research methods used in this article, such as studying the literature on the problem and the experience of school teachers, questioning, analyzing and synthesizing, allow us to say that the professional orientation of students is a propaedeutic stage of professional self-identification. The optimal condition for activating the professional self-identification of students is the organization of extracurricular activities. Systemic extra-curricular work in the form of thematic form periods, extra-curricular activities on school subjects, excursions to enterprises, joint project activity of students and their parents, students’ participation in additional education all this provides conditions for their self-knowledge, selfrealization and self-identification. The most effective methods of education in students’ extra-curricular activities are playing games, doing exercises, conversations, and encouragement. In the course of extracurricular activities, schoolchildren show cognitive, creative, sports and social activity and through fantasy and experiments they learn to reflect on their future.

Evaluation and Development of Digital Competence in Future Primary School Teachers at the University of Murcia

Abstract: This paper presents the findings of a study carried out in the academic year 2014-2015 at the faculty of Education of the University of Murcia with first year degree students in Primary Education studying Research and ICT. The study started with the application of the DIGCOM questionnaire to analyze the digital competences of 134 students. The questionnaire served as an initial task to help students reflect on their digital competences. The subject was developed around tasks which adopted a transversal approach and used the nature of the contents itself to direct and improve students’ digital competencies. Finally, the initial questionnaire was reformulated and run in order to ascertain the students’ self-perception of their improvement in these competencies through the tasks they had performed. Below we present the tasks carried out, the organization of each subject and the most relevant data regarding the self-perception of digital competencies of the future primary school teachers enrolled at the University of Murcia. The data reveal, on the one hand, that the students participating consider themselves to be competent in the most basic aspects of digital competencies and, on the other, their perception that the work done in the subject has helped them quite a lot in improving their competencies.

Quality of teachers in technical higher education institutions in India

Abstract: Purpose The quality of education depends upon the quality of teachers, i.e. professional competence. The purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the state of faculty’s quality in technical higher education institutions of Punjab (India) in terms of their competences. Later, differences in the quality of the faculty of both public (government funded) and private (partially or not funded by government) technical institutions were examined. Design/methodology/approach In total, 35 technical institutes were selected to conduct a field survey and total 594 respondents including teachers, students and administrators had responded to the present study from different departments of engineering and management. The state of faculty’s quality in terms of their competences has been examined through confirmatory factor analysis in AMOS 20.0. Discriminant analysis in SPSS 20.0 has been performed to find the differences in faculty of both the public and private sectors. Findings This paper provides a broader picture of the poor quality of teachers in technical institutions of Punjab (India) in terms of lacking most of the competencies. The study also reveals significant differences in the faculty of both public and private sector institutes in terms of select competences. Originality/value This paper demonstrates an alarming stage of poor-quality state of teachers. Therefore, educational administrators and policy makers need to show their concern for the improvement of teachers’ quality in technical higher education institutions of Punjab (India).

Competences Desired among Educational Leaders of Technical Education Degree Institutions.

Abstract: This study aims to identify and classify various competences and competencies that educational leaders should essentially possess.,The systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify various competences of educational leaders in the institutions. Later, an empirical research was conducted. The data were analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using AMOS 20.0 to classify these competences according to their relative importance considering natural gaps in standardized beta (s) values. In all, 96 administrators of 35 technical institutions of Punjab (India) offering engineering and management programs and 93 veteran educational experts had responded in a survey.,The results of the study identified five competences: pedagogical, leadership, innovative, research and evaluation competences. The competencies “help others in improvement and not blame circumstances”, “set high benchmarks” and “align class activities with learning objectives” have qualified among the “most important” competencies for the educational leaders.,The sample was specific to one state. There may be the chances of response bias in a few situations. Therefore, there are few reservations in generalizing the findings.,The study has several implications for both the faculty and the technical education degree institutes. The study provides a link between the characteristics and competencies of educational leaders. This study also contributes in terms of mapping of these competencies while recruitment of the faculty to test whether the candidates possess the potential of becoming educational leaders.,The administrators can test these competencies in their faculty for the purpose of identifying both the educational leaders within their institutes and the potential educational leaders in future by assessing “requisite” and “important” competencies.

Network form of interuniversity cooperation as a way of implementing virtual academic mobility

Abstract: The article is devoted to the development of network forms of interuniversity cooperation that is one of the vital problems of higher education in Russia. The article describes theoretical basis for updating the elements (training modules) that already exist, as well as for developing methodological support and networking model of cooperation of partner universities. The necessity of using network forms in the activities of universities is emphasized in “Education Act of the Russian Federation” (dated 29.12.2012). The current process of integration requires active and successful ways of network cooperation among universities in different fields (scientific, educational, and social). The algorithm description of the educational activities according to the implemented educational programs at the Departments of the partner universities appear promising and relevant, and is able to help activate the virtual academic mobility in accordance with the new objectives in education and new stages in the development of science. The research is based on the cooperation of Mari State University and Ulyanovsk State Pedagogical University named after I.N. Ulyanov". The project presupposes the following: interdisciplinary, social and philosophical understanding of the phenomenon under study, the outcome of which will be clear theoretical and methodological foundations for analyzing and designing models of partnership networks with the participation of universities; optimization of activities in the social network, evaluating the effectiveness and predicting the results of partnership networking of universities. The partner universities stated in the project have the necessary facilities for carrying out educational process and scientific co-operation using on-line technologies as a way of implementing virtual academic mobility.

Formation of the Foundations of Ecological and Economic Culture in Preschoolers in the Conditions of a Megalopolis

Abstract: In the modern world, the problem of human ecological and economic culture is defined as a global challenge of social significance. It is no coincidence that the first decades of the 21st century were marked by an increased scientific interest in the study of the problem of ecological and economic education of preschoolers, as well as the development of innovative educational projects and technologies in this area by practicing teachers. In this context, starting from the preschool level of education, the formation of the foundations of ecological and economic culture in preschoolers in the conditions of a metropolitan city is of particular importance. It is possible to ensure the quality of the solution to the tasks set, subject to the high professional competence of teachers, their mastery of modern technologies for the formation of the foundations of ecological and economic culture. The analysis of dissertation research indicates the presence of scientific works of Russian and foreign scientists devoted to the study of this problem, and indicates the insufficiency of its consideration. The scientific and practical relevance of the indicated problem is confirmed by the traditional approach to this problem, the need to expand the use of partial programs for the formation of ecological and economic education in a metropolis, which have a certain potential in the development of the educational process. Despite the absence of conditions, it is necessary to search for directions in this direction. The article presents the results of a study that made it possible to identify positive and negative trends in the activities of teachers in the formation of the foundations of the ecological and economic culture of children in a metropolis. The content of educational programs in environmental and economic education has been studied; their correspondence to the originality of the metropolitan areas and the socialization of modern preschoolers under the influence of the family was determined. The tendencies that characterize the priority directions, forms, methods, pedagogical technologies and effective cultural practices of the formation of the foundations of ecological and economic culture in interaction with the parents of preschoolers are revealed; satisfaction of parents' requests, the possibility of obtaining specific recommendations for the successful socialization and individualization of a child's development in accordance with the target guidelines of preschool education.