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Introduction. There are two tendencies considerably allocated in educational process of the modern higher school: the increasing amount of time for independent work of students and the active introduction of the information and communication technologies (ICT) which is followed by its continuous updating and improvement. The article contributes to the problem of managing competency-based and professionally-oriented self-study for future teachers; the suggested method combines the advantages of project-based learning and the use of ICT. Aim . The objective of the paper is to assess the efficacy of interdisciplinary e-project-based approach to managing university students’ self-study. Methods . To evaluate the efficacy of such innovative method as interdisciplinary e-projects, we use quantitative and qualitative assessment. A set of quantitative pre- and post-surveys are administered for students in order to evaluate their learning outcomes and competencies development. Students’ motivation and attitudes were evaluated through questionnaires, interviews and discussions. An expert group appraisal method was used to define assessment components. Results. The groups of didactic properties and ICT didactic functions are allocated and analysed. Types of educational projects are presented. Definition and characteristic of the interdisciplinary e-project are given. Results of the pedagogical experiment conducted in M. T. Kalashnikov Izhevsk State University are described; the technology of development among students of foreign-language and information-communication competences as the most important professional ones is approved. Scientific novelty. The method of interdisciplinary e-projects is offered; it involves a set of the educational-informative techniques and procedures realized in the electronic environment and directed to the solution of the interdisciplinary problem connected with types and tasks of vocational activity. Interdisciplinary eproject-based approach to managing university students’ self-study prevents the loss of vital professional competences that were formed at early stages of training; the problem-oriented nature of activity of pupils should be considered while performing e-projects. Gradual and systematic use of the method of interdisciplinary e-projects throughout the whole period of training in higher education institution provides positive dynamics of vocational training quality. Practical significance. E-project-based approach proposed in this paper can be used for full-and part-time educational courses, correspondence courses, and for vocational development courses.

The aim of the presented publication is to discuss the changes in the practice of professional higher education which consist in strengthening and emphasis of an educational component in educational process. Methods. The methods involve the analysis of a condition of higher education and the provisions of the Federal Law on Education regulating its functioning in the Russian Federation; text-centered approach to education of the person of culture – the professional specialist, responsible for the activities. Results and scientific novelty. It states that some drawbacks of the existing present-day education organization are being constantly discussed by a pedagogical community of the Russian Federation: the absence of development stability; the absence of effective strategies and technologies of their implementation; the triumph of national nihilism confirmed by high schools and individual scientists participation in different foreign educational projects, usually having world notorious reputation; penetration of commercial principals in to an education system, the latter having been turned in to an education service, etc. As a result the personality quality itself has greatly deteriorated as well as Russia society intellect, on the whole, according to some law, psychological, philosophical and pedagogical analysis. The article stresses that the way out maybe found in restoring Russian national traditions and lost values and returning them to Russian education via adequate upbringing process. The authors describe their innovative model comprising three directions: 1) the integral three-factor spiritual, moral and intellectual upbringing of the students; 2) specially selected text content professional information using text-centered approach and 3) peculiar interaction of two education subjects: a student and a teacher. Their cooperation envisages the following stages: first, teacher’s strict guidance of a student; then – teacher’s soft support of a student; after this – teacher’s accompanying a student at a special request and, at last, – wise consulting a student if needed. In the long run, in the author’s opinion, this system should succeed in creating some special platform for student’s further self-upbringing and self-learning. The model described in the paper is considered on the example of the discipline «A foreign language in the professional sphere». The just described model was worked out for effective foreign language education process perceived as a part of professional high-school education. Due to this system, foreign language becomes a source of professionally demanded and personally valuable information. Practical significance. The model provided in the paper gives the chance to the student to be lifted to self-education level, to plan professional self-development and to build an individual trajectory of professional career.

The purpose of the paper is the continuation of a cycle of the methodological articles, called to help work of young researchers. The general dissatisfaction with quality and results of research work in an education sphere and pedagogics has been largely caused not only insufficient level of methodological culture of competitors of scientific degrees and researchers-experts, but also their inability to choose a work technology of procedure of research that will be adequate to the purposes, problems and a plan of it. The present article is also devoted to this problem. Methods . The methods of the analysis, synthesis, idealisation, generalisation of author’s experience, a concrete definition and modelling are used. Results and scientific novelty . The general technology of scientific search in an education sphere is presented; the technology is developed on the basis of long-term experience of the Tyumen scientific and pedagogical school, and justified in practice. The author doesn’t take into consideration the rigid technology of algorithmic type which is hardly useful in works of creative character; but in the present case – frame technology that defines the expedient organisation, sequence of stages of work and its corresponding maintenance. The following technology components are described: self-determination of the researcher or research group on the basis of creation and the statement of the developed project of all procedures of search; statement of questions on initial allocation of the problem conducting ideas, a plan-way of its realisation; project performance, its ascertaining and a reformative part, research procedures (the basic stage); summarising, generalisation of the research performed, a writing of the text of report documents, preparation of total publications. Examples of typical errors of the young scientists who do not own the technology of scientific activity are given. Practical significance. Proposed recommendations stated in the paper are designated for teachers-researchers, students, master’s students, post-graduate students and doctoral students, mastering practical methodology of scientific and pedagogical search, and also to the supervisors of studies, aspiring to raise efficiency and content of the tutorial activity.

The paper considers the need for reinterpretation of the content and functions of methodological training of teacher-musicians in the higher school; the above problem being raised as the result of the massive penetration of information technologies, intensification of knowledge updates, rejection of narrow specializations, and propagation of the postmodern culture. The author focuses on modernization of methodology training of teachermusicians with the emphasis on general features of the modern musical environment affecting students’ personality. The proper methodology training of the future teacher-musicians, based on the culture-adequate knowledge and accompanied by the actual project activity forms, is capable to counteract the influence of the second-rate common musical tastes and negative world perception. In conclusion, the author highlights the need for intensification of the ontological and personal worldview orientation of methodology training and further development of professional tools. The paper is addressed to the higher school teachers and students, music school teachers, and additional education teachers.

The paper looks at the institutional and functional features of the artisan activities, and vocational training of future artisans- entrepreneurs; the specificity of career guidance in related training profiles is discussed. In the course of successful socio-economic development, the given specialists can form a considerable part of the Russian middle class strata. However, there exist the two opposite trends: on the one hand, the specialists realize the modern day requirements for vocational training and enrollee selection, while, on the other hand, the majority of the society regards the artisan occupations as common and primitive. This controversy signals the urgent need for vocational guidance addressed to the school leavers. The authors suggest using acmeology – the studies of the highest professional achievements – along with psychological facilitation and visual grounds for career guidance development. The paper is recommended to the secondary school teachers, vocational training teachers and sociologists analyzing and predicting the labor market demands.

The paper is devoted to the urgent issue of moral personality formation in the framework of the modern education system. Both the society and education specialists are concerned about the unsatisfactory moral education of the growing generation. For solving the problem of moral revival, the author considers the Russian pedagogical heritage - in particular, philosophical and publicistic works of F. M. Dostoyevsky and L. N. Tolstoy. The paper provides the modern definition of spirituality as the intellectual essence of the human being, based both on the deep knowledge of nature, society, human individuality and humanistic or religious values outweighing the selfish needs. In author’s opinion, the pedagogical concepts developed by Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy are still relevant, being aimed at developing a free personality and addressing the universal human values. The ideas and concepts of the 19th century’s outstanding thinkers perfectly correspond with the currently proclaimed educational content: they define the man as the highest society value; direct all the principles and parenting practices of spiritual and ethic education at creativity development, self-development, and self-improvement; and acknowledge the student’s right of individuality.

The paper deals with the theory and practice of social audit of the municipal system of general education. The authors have developed a conceptual model of social audit to accurately identify both the short- and long-term development prospects of the given system. The paper describes the social audit procedures in Berezovsky municipal district of Sverdlovsk region including four stages: the content analysis of municipal documents concerning the development strategy of the general education system, diagnosis of the current conditions and problems, effectiveness evaluation of the municipal system of general education, and practical recommendations for improving the education quality. The above mentioned audit demonstrates that the indices of education development are unsystematically tracked, obstructing therefore the adjustment process. To solve the given problems the following measures are recommended: personnel policy development, creating the regional managerial reserve and organizing management workshops, informing the teachers about the modern educational tools, and updating the municipal program of the «Educational System Development of Berezovsky Municipal District for 20011–20015». However, the above suggestions target only the current problems disregarding the challenges of tomorrow which require the advancing strategy. In authors’ opinion, the main emphasis should be re-placed on the quality improvement of the municipal educational services instead of the infrastructure reinforcement.

The paper looks at the problems facing the art teachers and resulted, in the author’s opinion, from separation of the content and functional side of the subject. The other problem is the lack of insight regarding social behavior, forms of consciousness and perception (including the spatial and temporal ones) underlying all sorts and forms of art. The paper demonstrates the interrelations between the history of arts and education history considered in terms of development and fixation of various forms of social consciousness. The audiovisual syncretism is regarded as the nature of perception and world reflection at specific historical stages of human knowledge and creativity development. Both the history of arts and education include the content and procedure related aspects. The whole history of pedagogy involves the procedure improvements (methods, means, forms, etc.) along the way «from integration to differentiation, and backwards»; and on the other side, it incorporates the invariable educational content. Likewise, throughout the history of arts we can trace the procedural aspect developments and the existence of the “eternal” content related to personality upbringing Автор статьи считает, что проблемы, которые возникают перед учителем искусства в педагогической практике, обусловлены разделением содержания и функциональности предмета, отсутствием у педагогов, особенно молодых, осознания того, что в основе любых видов и форм искусства лежит общественное поведение человека, способы видения, слышания и мышления, особое понимание движения (а значит, особое понимание пространства и времени) и, как следствие, особый принцип построения представления образа из этих элементов. Показана взаимосвязь истории искусства и образования, которая рассматривается с точки зрения развития и закрепления форм общественного сознания. Аудиовизуальный синкретизм прослеживается как природа восприятия и отражения мира на конкретных исторических стадиях познания и творчества. История искусства и история образования включают две стороны – содержательную и процессуальную. Со времени становления педагогики как отдельной области знаний до сегодняшнего дня продолжаются поиски совершенствования именно процессуальной стороны (методов, средств, форм и т. д.), сводящиеся к маршруту «от интеграции до дифференциации и обратно» при неизменном содержании воспитания. То же демонстрирует история искусств с момента его распада на отдельные виды до современного искусства с его разработками интегративных методов, средств и форм (процессуальная сторона) при «вечном» содержании – воспитании личности. Статья адресована учителям школ, студентам и преподавателям средних специальных и высших учебных заведений, чья деятельность связана с образовательной областью «Искусство»

The paper considers the problem of young people’s moral education with the reference to the system of secondary vocational education; the relevance of the study being enhanced by the greater independence of vocational college students compared to their high school peers. In addition, the paper describes the psychological and pedagogical difficulties in developing the moral norms, behavior principles, and life position in adolescence, when a mere moral declaration has little effect. Taking into consideration the students’ psychological and age characteristics, the authors suggest the active methods of dialogical interactions and recommend the system of ethical education and culture studies based on a differentiated understanding of specificity of the domestic moral culture, and axiological analysis of its educational potential. The multi-variant moral norms coexisting in modernRussiainclude the traditional, aristocratic, pragmatic and other types of values; all of them can be introduced in the series of educational discussions. The paper lists the approximate topics for such ethical and cultural debates, and demonstrates the expected effect of students’ moral self-assessment related to their life position and behavior patterns. The recognized moral values are likely to make a foundation for the students’ proper behavior both in college and in their future work.

The paper raises the issue of school teachers’ resistance to innovations related to modernization procedures, updates of educational content, methods and forms. The rejection of innovations is regarded by the authors as a psychological and pedagogical phenomenon; its roots and causes being analyzed including the consequences of some ineffective, poorly developed and even harmful innovations introduced or proposed by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. The research findings demonstrate different innovation barriers along with the resulting inner skepticism and its external manifestation. However, in spite of partially justified skepticism, the authors maintain that the firm resistance to any innovation adversely affects both the education quality and teachers’ personal and professional characteristics. In conclusion, the paper suggests some preventive measures for overcoming teachers’ resistance to positive innovations in educational practices, and describes a successful experience of one of the rural schools applying a psychological mechanism of internalization of innovations. Additionally, the role of the school principal in developing teachers’ motivation for innovations is emphasized.

The paper considers the European experience of the citizenship education developmentan important aspect of internal policy in the most countries. The education in question is considered to be the democratic citizenship training aimed at developing the loyal attitude to different value priorities in society, social responsibility, active citizenship position, awareness of democratic rights, capability of using and protecting them. The author looks at the transformation of citizenship education concept in the last three decades from the civics education (i.e. history, political science, law, etc.) to the democratic citizen education. The paper analyzes differ- ent approaches to citizenship education in several European countries including the post-soviet ones. It is emphasized that both in western and eastern Europe a lot of effort is made for spreading and supporting the education in question. The author recommends considering the foreign experience of integrating the democratic citizenship education into the state academic curricula at the primary, secondary and higher school levels.

The paper is devoted to the technology of qualimetric competence formation of undergraduate pedagogic students training for the bachelor degree. The author regards the qualimetric competence as the complex of expertise, skills, and abilities necessary for successful professional activities, related to student assessment and training quality control. The structure of the above competence includes the following set of components: organizational, managerial, control and evaluation, informational, analytical and personal. The paper provides the characteristics of the “Educational Quality Control” course designed for the bachelor students specializing in Technological Education. The opportunities for using the case technology both in classroom and as the self study work are described along with the options of cases and the criteria for their evaluation. According to the author, it is advisable to use the group peer review method as the key one in quality measurement. The implementation results of the above course demonstrate the positive dynamics in qualimetric competence formation of the future bachelors in Technological Education.

The paper is devoted to the quality issue of the research conducted by the candidates for a scientific degree in pedagogy and psychology. The author – Chairman of the Expert Council in Pedagogy and Psychology of the Higher Attestation Commission and Vice President of the Russian Academy of Education –points out once again that awarding the scientific degree involves both the assessment of the research work and validation of the candidate’s contribution to the scientific society: publications, conference and symposium presentations, participation in discussions, etc. The paper exemplifies and analyzes the shortcomings of the thesis research: methodological illiteracy, incorrect wording, irrelevant and narrow themes and hypotheses, obvious borrowing of ideas, lack of novelty. The author lays the blame for the undue level of theses on the candidates for a degree, as well as the expert society – the department and laboratory staff, scientific and dissertation councils, scientific advisors, opponents and consult- ants, and experts of the Higher Attestation Commission. The paper suggests the correcting ways to improve the current situation in theses preparation, its defense and approval.

The paper, devoted to the communicative competence development, regards it as the key element of professional competence. Modern specialists in any sphere of professional activity need the necessary information and communication skills (i.e. the ability to use the principles of busyness communication for planning and analysis, goal-setting, choosing strategies, understanding the partners’ intentions and modifying the communication ways). The author highlights the labor market requirements to communication skills of the higher school graduates, and insists on introducing the theoretical and practical methods of communication competence development into the educational curricula. The paper specifies the aspects of perception and reflection in interpersonal contacts, and describes the group training methods with the main emphasis on such collective forms as role plays, group discussions, and training sessions. The outlines of the training program in business communication are given along with its approbation results including the improvements in students’ self-assessment, group communication, feelings, moods, activity, self-control in conflict situations, etc.

The paper investigates the qualitative and quantitative research methods, their application fields, advantages and limitations. The author argues that, in spite of the high capabilities of modern mathematical apparatus and information technologies, the qualitative research methods still retain their priority in pedagogy. The examples of comparative experimental analysis are given demonstrating the lack of universality typical of the quantitative methods. Both methods are generally applied as the separate procedures; however, there are some modern research methods integrating the above ap proaches. The paper demonstrates such integration by means of the Seman- tic Differential Method implemented in the students’ creativity studies in the Grammar school of Tyumen State University. The research materials can be of interest to specialists in education and pedagogy exploring the students’ creative abilities.

The paper reveals the basic statements of the author’s concept of the pedagogical hermeneutics – the theory and practice of text interpretation of different genres focused on deeper and detailed understanding with the reference to socio- cultural traditions, reflective comprehension of the emotional and spiritual human experience, as well as personal experience of educational process participants. It has been proved that pedagogical hermeneutics is required as a methodology of the humanistic understanding of the cultural phenomena, being based on the idea of mediated influence of cultural texts comprehension methods on human consciousness, ways of thinking, world views, and other education related spheres such as forecasting, modeling, projecting, diagnosing and pedagogic communication. The paper describes the principles and methods of pedagogic hermeneutics such as cultural mediation, integrity, metaphor conceptualization, inter-text method, converted forms, convertibility of mentality, etc. The research findings are assessed applying the Author’s Concept Interpretation method by A. N. Slavskaya, the Semantic Differential and M. Rockich’ method, etc. The suggested approach can be implemented in comprehensive school, teachers’ training and research work.

The paper deals with one of the fast developing modern educational approaches – the pedagogy of dialog, based on the philosophical works and concepts of the well-known thinkers of the 20-th century: M. Buber, F. Ebner, O. Rosenshtok-Hussy, M. Bakhtin, etc. Two main directions of dialogic pedagogy are outlined – the instrumental and ontological. Within the framework of the first direction, the dialog is considered to be the main means or instrument of effective teaching used for communication skills development. According to the ontological version, the dialog is not only the instrument, but rather the dominating goal of education: it facilitates meaning- ful assimilation of skills and knowledge, including the learning ability; promotes cooperation and communal life skills; provides favorable conditions for versatile creative self-development. The supporters of this approach regard the real people, as well as the art works, nature, culture, alter ego etc, as the dialog subjects. The paper observes the main characteristics or prerequisites of dialogic interaction: dialogic attitude (emotionally ethical precondition); antinomian thinking (intellectual precondition); open outlook and creativity (precondition of personal meaning creation in the course of dialog). The comparative analysis of dialogism and non-dialogism of schoolchildren from Riga and Moscow are given regarding their behavior in conflicting situations; attitude to extremism; and reactions to bulling situations. The author is convinced that studying students’ dialogism in different age groups should be continued to improve the educational process effectiveness. Shearing the positive experience in dialogic education by Latvian and Russian colleagues can be very useful.

Introduction.The trend of teaching staff aging in secondary schools is evident in many countries. A negative consequence of this is the growing gap between the personal resources of teachers and the requirements of the profession. Solving the problem of maintaining an optimal age structure involves studying its dynamics and forecasting its development in order to develop measures for personnel planning. The present paper presents the results of the analysis of the current age structure of teachers in the regional context (in the subjects of the Russian Federation) and develops a forecast for its development.The aimof the current research was to present the results of the development of a medium-term (until 2024) forecast of the age structure of teachers in the subjects of the Russian Federation.Methodology and research methods.The research was based on a general scientific methodology applying a systematic approach and the methods of statistical analysis, comparison, generalisation, systematisation, structuring, interpretation, extrapolation, forecasting, and graphical representation of data. The authors analysed the data in official statistics of the Russian Federation and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The provisions of normative and legislative documents in the field of strategic regulation of education in the Russian Federation, scientific publications of Russian and foreign researchers in the Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Index databases were investigated as well.Results.The authors identify and highlight the factors, which have the most significant impact on the current state of personnel support for educational activities in the world. The analysis of age-specific teacher characteristics in cross-country comparison is performed. The assessment of age structure of general education teaching personnel in Russia as a whole and at the regional level is carried out. The forecast for its development for the period up to 2024 is developed. Scientific novelty. The conceptual feature of the present study lies in the view of the trends in the development of age cohorts in homogeneous groups. The approach employed allows for increasing the accuracy of forecasting of teacher demand, taking into account the specifics of regional demand.Practical significance.Taking the specifics of the regions into consideration, it will be possible to improve the quality of education. The results of the research can be used by specialists in the course of conducting international research, planning teacher training, and developing measures to enhance the prestige of teaching profession and to stimulate the influx of young personnel to schools at the Federal level and in the regions of the Russian Federation.

Introduction. Nowadays, the modern higher education involves not only advanced theoretical training, but also the formation of practical skills and universal professional skills, which contribute to the development of skills of future specialists and their successful careers. The participation of students in the research work is considered as a special direction of improvement of professional competency and an essential factor of general cultural development of the student’s personality. The research work creates prerequisites for qualitative change of the whole working practice through the acquisition of abilities to act reasonably in working situations, to solve tasks and problems independently and effectively, to assess the results of own work adequately. However, the active inclusion of students in research activities was characterised by the lack of guidelines, which could be used to fill the gaps in research methodology and research procedures. This fully applies to the students of political science specialties and updates the interpretation of research and political science practices.Theaimof the article is to reveal the peculiarities of organisational and technological procedures of complex socio-political applied research, using a specific example of a training model.Methodology and research methods. The authors used general scientific and special methods and approaches: formalisation, abstraction, comparative analysis, system-based and conceptual approaches, etc. An interview was conducted as the main applied method to diagnose the degree of students’ (bachelor’s and master’s degree students training in the discipline “Political Science” at Ogarev Mordovia State University) interest in research work and their understanding of the importance of practice-oriented learning.Results and scientific novelty. On the basis of the studentsэ questionnaire responses, the factors characterising the problem situation “Quality of Student Research Work”, are worked out in detail. The survey questionnaire revealed that the research work is perceived by students as a qualification component for obtaining master’s / bachelor’s degrees, but not as an important element of professional development. A good level of theoretical knowledge of the subject area is frequently negated by the low development of practical skills, including due to the unwillingness or lack of opportunity to participate in practice-oriented research. However, the majority of respondents (77.7%) stated that they lack available information sources on the methodology of specific scientific papers with examples in order to indeppendently choose the research strategy and to develop their own professional skills. In this regard, on the example of the topic “Spatial Development of Russia as a Factor of Nation-Building and Formation of National Idea”, a universal programme of political applied research was developed. The programme can be used as a basis for long-term analysis and as a template for other thematic studies. The proposed scheme includes the selection of analysis methods and techniques to maximise the scope of the study area.Practical significance. The described research methodology can be used in educational practice, when teaching the following disciplines: “Methods and Technologies of Political Science”, “Information and Analytical Work”, “Political Analysis and Forecasting”, etc.

Introduction.The first part of this work is devoted to the examination of the scientific knowledge structure as a three-level scheme of its division (the field of phenomena of nature, laws of nature and the field of symmetry principles), wherein each next level provides the previous one with its structure. According to V. S. Lednev’s approach, scientific knowledge is a determinant of the general education content. Therefore, the general education content structure requires to be revised as well. Aim. The aim of the current study is the determination of a needed alteration of the general education structure corresponding to integrative trends, which have been registered in the process of formation of the scientific knowledge new structure.Methodology and research methods.The methodology of the study is based on the ideology of F. Klein (the Erlangen programme) and the ideas of E. Wigner about the levels of division of the scientific knowledge field (the totality of these ideas allows using them as a tool for description of the scientific knowledge structure and, consequently, of the structure of the education content, the determinant whereof it is); on the personal-activity approach developed by V. S. Lednev for the analysis of the structure of the education content, and on the approaches to description of the behaviour of complex systems on the base of regular laws established by synergetics.Results and scientific novelty.A new element, specifically “Structure of scientific knowledge (symmetry)” through line, is proposed for introducing into the general education content structure. Its function is the global integration of subject-based through lines of the general education. On this basis, it is possible to optimise the content of education that balances the process of differentiation within scientific knowledge. It allows solving one of the topical issues of the global educational crisis related to the constant growth of the scientific knowledge volume and fragmentation thereof. The present paper takes into consideration that certain features of sporadic formation of such a new element of the education content structure take place. Among them, one can mention the attempts to launch “Concepts of the Modern Natural Science” and “Scientific World View” courses, discussion of possibilities to use synergetics in pedagogy and active discussion of use of the ideas of symmetry within various disciplines – from humanitarian to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The perspectives of further development of formulated ideas about the scientific knowledge structure and the general education content structure in light of trends in STEM are also discussed.Practical significance.The ideas about “Structure of scientific knowledge (symmetry)” through line will be utilised for task-oriented revision and re-distributing of the content of subject-based through lines of the general education with the aim of its optimisation, taking into account the highest level of the scientific knowledge integration, which was formed in the course of the evolution thereof.

Introduction. Both the level and the specific character of the organisational culture of preschool pedagogical staff influence the degree of psychological comfort of the environment in which younger children are brought up. The relevance of the research is related to the need to improve the quality of preschool education through the creation of emotionally favourable conditions for forming pupils’ individuality and preserving their health. In addition, it is important to acquaint the staff of nursery schools with the content of the new methodological requirements (the formation of interaction between a tutor, a child and parents) recorded in the Federal State Educational Standard.The aim of this research paper was to identify the specific features of teachers’ ethical choices when dealing with difficult professional situations according to the type of organisational (corporate) culture established in a pre-school educational institution.Methodology and research methods. In the course of the research, teachers were selected to participate in an anonymous online poll and a follow-up questionnaire. The authors developed a face-to-face feedback approach using the cases of difficult professional situations and parameters to build the corporate culture profile of the organisation. The obtained data were processed by qualitative and quantitative means through the approaches of content analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and intercrossing of confidence intervals calculated by a standard procedure in the R programming language. Results and scientific novelty. A model of differentiated types in the organisational culture of the system of education was designed. “Democratic”, “leaderfollowing”, “laissez-faire” and “bureaucratic” (these terms do not carry an evaluation characteristic) kinds of the corporate cultures of preschool educational institutions were identified and characterised. The concepts of “ethical dilemma” and “difficult situation requiring a direct professional action” were clarified. The first abovementioned concept refers to a contradiction between two equivalent values, while the second denotes a confrontation between new, progressive approaches to implementing professional duties with the stereotypes and traditions entrenched in the teaching process. The diagnostic tools allowed the authors to establish that different solutions to resolving problem situations or ethical dilemmas are often derived from the different values prevailing among preschool teachers as representatives of the various types of organisational cultures. Practical significance. The authors concluded that to ensure permanent improvement of preschool education (increase in the efficiency of participants’ interaction of the learning process) it is important to count not on members’ formal characteristics, but on basic characteristics which often can be seen as implicit representations. The diagnostic tools proposed by the authors and the joint interpretation of findings by all members of the teaching staff with participation of the invited experts and parents will help to identify formal and basic characteristics.

Introduction. Today, the students’ personality traits and increasing their motivation to self-development are the most complex and urgent problems in foreign language training at higher technical university and in the system of higher education in general. According to the authors, the technology of student blogging is a means for addressing these issues, despite the lack of research on its methodology. In that regard, there is a need for further studies on information and communication technologies (ICT) application by promoting independent student work. The aim of this paper is to present the developed model of organization of bachelors’ independent work through educational blogging; to fulfill educational potential and to prove the efficiency of ICTs application in education taking into consideration professional foreign language competence development of future specialists in tool making. Methodology and research methods. When designing the model, the basic considerations of the following methodological approaches were considered: competency-based, personal-oriented, activity-based, thesaurus, and qualimetric; the listed above approaches enable to realize the principles of individualization, professional orientation, integrity, self-organization and interactivity in the performed work. The method of group expert assessment, as the leading one in pedagogical qualimetry, was chosen as the main method in the research undertaken. The methods of modeling and pedagogical experiment were involved. Results and scientific novelty. The structure of professional foreign language competence (including communicative, cognitive and subject components) of future toolmaking bachelors is identified. The development of the competence formation model among students is described in detail: having studied independently the subject topic, the students post the material. Pedagogical conditions and didactic guidelines for the model realization are formulated. The developed model, unlike many other models based on using ICT in foreign language teaching, takes into account the necessity of professional orientation of students’ foreign language self-learning. The model involves the use of thesaurus approach to enrich the learner’s vocabulary; and qualimetric approach to identify the level of their professional foreign language competence development. The developed model and the technology of student blogging were successfully tested as a part of pedagogical experiment at M. T. Kalashnikov Izhevsk State Technical University in the 2016−2017 academic year. Practical significance. The materials of the present investigation can be useful for teachers to organize independent student work. The technology of student blogging can be generalized and adapted to a wider range of higher education training programs.

Introduction . Today, the issues of formation and assessment of professional competencies of students of the highest professional educational institutions are widely discussed in the scientific community. A large number of the Russian and foreign publications are devoted to the problems of competency-based approach. However, there is still no general technique for assessing a competency level formation as the characteristics of each program of training of specialists are so specific that it is impossible to build up a unified universal professional competency framework. The aim of the publication is to present the author’s methodology for assessing student courseworks in terms of the academic discipline “Databases” which is studied during a bachelor program “Business Informatics” based on the competency-based approach. Methodology and research methods. The research described in the publication is recognized as being empirical-exploratory and experimental. The content analysis of the Federal State Educational Standard of the Highest Education (FSES HE), the data mining technology and statistical methods of data processing were applied in the course of the present research. Results and scientific novelty. Taking into account the features of the competency-focused model of educational process and specifics of the field of vocational education, the criteria for assessing the quality of student courseworks are formulated. The relationship of these diagnostics criteria with the competencies stated in the educational standard is shown. This article demonstrates how it is possible to assess the general structure and separate sections of student courseworks using the means of the offered indicators. The following conclusions are drawn: 1) the system current control of professional competencies mastering is necessary for timely correcting of individual educational trajectories; 2) the assessment of professional competencies of students means diagnostics of preparation results including a large number of various criteria; 3) the unified approach to level formation measurement of professional competencies is impossible due to complexity and heterogeneity of their structure; 4) there is a need for the variability as well possibility of increase or reduction (association) of criteria for assessment of professional competencies in order to identify the most significant indicators of effectiveness and quality of a particular academic paper. Practical significance. The method provided enables to establish the relationship between contents of the training program and the requirements of FSES; to concretize assessment of competencies and to give reasons for its numerical indicators. Under a certain adaptation, this technique for assessment of student courseworks of economic and technical specialties can be applied for assessment of other academic works of students.

Introduction. The present-day higher education in Russia based on a two-level system is oriented as to high standards of education as to the labour market requirements. Among the competences meant for these requirements satisfaction there is a communicative competence providing a person’s social interaction in the given professional area by way of bilingual language means (Russian and a second language). However, the well-known facts of the students’ language proficiency falling down as related to both languages are to witness the insufficient care for communicative competence formation at higher school. The aim of the research is to highlight the psychological aspects of higher school students’ communicative training that is viewed as the process of their mastering a specialized language of a profession (using both Russian and the second language) as the means of professionally-oriented bilingual verbal communication. Methodology and research methods. Considering the activity approach as the basis for higher education process study, the author outlines the stages of professional consciousness development (objective, theoretical and practical), treating them as the stages of the future professionals’ specific characters and psychological abilities development in the course of their mastering the professional activity objective content. The relationship of verbal communication and object-oriented activity as the central methodological problem of the paper is studied by way of analyzing a number of theoretical communication models. Results and scientific novelty. The author defines communicative preparation at the higher school as a process of development among students of the specialized language of profession (both native and foreign) acting as means of the professional focused bilingual speech communication. It is emphasized that this preparation has to become a core of professional development of students and have complex and intersubject character. Communicative competence is offered to be formed progressively, in the process of development among students of subject content of professional activity. It is shown that there is a change of ways and means of subject (cognitive) and communicative activity at each grade level depending on objectives; in result, a professional consciousness of future expert appears. The specific role of two forms of consciousness is proved: cognitive is directed to detection of object of activity; communicative fixes the revealed contents in system of values. The conclusion is drawn on expediency of use for acquisition by students of communicative skills and abilities of activity model in which speech communications are inseparable from the purposes and motives of joint activity. Practical significance. The possibilities of development among students of terminological system of native and foreign languages as tools of the forthcoming professional activity are shown. It is summarized that the educational process in higher education institution aimed at the development of communicative competence promotes formation and development of professional consciousness and makes an essential contribution to development of the qualities necessary for the modern expert.

The aim of this paper is scientific substantiation of the importance of the individual characteristics of the age specific youth development which will result in the rational modelling of students’ physical education. Methodology and research methods. The methods involve collection of experimental data carried out by means of evaluation of motor abilities and general intelligence of students. Motor abilities of students were studied by measuring of strength (dead lift dynamometry), strength endurance (pull-up), speed and power abilities (standing jump), as well as speed ability (running 30, 60 or 100 m, depending on age), aerobic endurance (running 1000 or 3000 m, depending on age). The dynamics of integral physical preparedness (DIPP) of each student was calculated by calculation the arithmetic mean values of the growth rates of the development of motor abilities. Assessment of General Intelligence (GI) of the 8th, 10th and 11th-grades school pupils as well as the 1st to 3rd year students was carried out through the test of R. Amthauer in the adaptation of L. A. Yazykova, and school pupils of the 6th grade were assessed through the Intelligent Test (GIT). Results. Discrepancies in the dynamics of the mental and motor areas development of maturing personality, which are interpreted as individual characteristics of the age specific development are experimentally revealed. Individual psychological differences leading to the different susceptibility to the development of motor and intellectual abilities appearing in adolescence and early adolescence are analysed. A leading role of activity in formation of the individual characteristics of the age specific development is substantiated. The conclusion of necessity to formulate to the students differing in individual characteristics of the age specific development differentiated in the complexity requirements and motor tasks in the course of physical training is made. Scientific novelty. For the first time scientific evidence of sustained differences in the dynamics of the physical fitness of students with different levels of general intelligence is obtained on the basis of the experimental research. Scientific substantiation of factors affecting the formation of the individual characteristics of the age specific development is given. Practical significance. The findings serve as the basis for developing of the differentiated approach to the organization of physical education, taking into account individual characteristics of the age specific development.

The aim of this article is to demonstrate the possibilities of application of the contextual approach, developed in pedagogy and psychology, in the process of literary analysis. Initially contextual approach was developed by A. A. Verbitsky as a methodology of education. A key category of this approach was the context, interpreted A. A. Verbitsky as a psychological phenomenon. Accordingly, in this paper on the basis of later research context is understood as a psychological mechanism of semantic, objectified in external forms of test patches, social and communicative situations, etc. Now contextual approach became general psychological methodology, which led to the possibility of its application in various fields of the humanities in particular – in psycholinguistic literary studies, where the notion of «context » is used in-depth psychological interpretation. Methods . The contextual approach developed by A. A. Verbitsky as the main component of methodology of education became the main instrument of the research stated in the publication. Besides a field of the general education, this approach is applicable to various private spheres – to educational aspect of education, and also to methodology of teaching various subject matters – mathematicians, biology, foreign languages, etc. The contextual approach at the level of allpsychological methodology has allowed to apply it in various fields of humanitarian knowledge, in particular in literary researches with a strongly pronounced psychological perspective. The contextual analysis corresponding to approach has been chosen as a method of work. Results . Based on A. A. Verbitsky’s interpretation and results of the latest researches the author shows that the context is a semantic mechanism, objectified in external forms of test fragments, social and communicative situations, etc. The following types of contexts are allocated: microcontext of a personality and works of an author, a mesocontext of socio-cultural influences, and also macrocontext of perception and interpretation of works in culture and science. The critical view of psychoanalysis as the literary criticism tool in the Russian culture is presented. Through the systematization of complementary contexts and psychoanalytic interpretation the myth about F. M. Dostoyevsky’s epilepsy as a source of his creativity is discredited; though by recognition of the writer, personal problems and neuroses nevertheless were reflected in his works. The hypothesis of the opposite influence of creativity of F. M. Dostoyevsky on S. Freud’s concept, i.e. formation of psychoanalysis under impact of art creativity is made. Scientific novelty. Methods of engaging of an intertextual and socio-cultural environment are known in linguistics and literary criticism long ago. However, diverse environments of existence of the personality and works of the artist as the unified system of contexts psychological in essence have not been considered yet. The novelty of the proposed way of a research consists in systematicity of formation of a complex of contexts of the studied phenomenon that makes it possible to correlate the diversified information through its origin. As a result, the researcher receives a number of complementary descriptions in the spirit of «the principle of a complementarity» by N. Bohr that provides dimensions and completeness of perception of the studied phenomenon. Practical significance of the work lies in the hard proof of the prospects of the contextual approach to interdisciplinary psychological and literary research.

ARTICLE RETRACTED The aim of the paper – the detailed analysis of the monograph «Contents and Structure of Regularities of Process of Training (Theory and Experiment)» which is written by the corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Education (RAE), Doctor of pedagogical sciences, Professor I. I. Logvinov. The book was included into a series «Basic researches of institute of the theory and history of pedagogics of the Russian Academy of Education. Proceedings 2008–2012». The review of the monograph of I. I. Logvinov has become a reason for reflections of the author of the present publication about actual, most burning issues of a modern Russian educational system: on the status of pedagogics in modern domestic science; evolutions of didactic knowledge and its typology; quality of dissertation researches and emasculation in scientific pedagogical concepts of the fundamental bases; ideologization of didactics and a role of the state in this process. Sorting basic thesis of I. I. Logvinov’s work, in something agreeing, and in something arguing with the scientist, the author of article claims that it is a serious and necessary work where the extremely important questions concerning the most painful points of the Russian pedagogical science and a condition of our education in general are brought up.

The publication purpose is to plan perspective directions of pedagogical research activity. Methods. The analysis and generalisation of the situation fully developed in the Russian education and pedagogical science for the last quarter of the century. It is proved that the low demand of results of pedagogical researches is caused not only by full subordination of a science to departmental interests and inquiries, inability and unwillingness of officials to listen to opinion and conclusions of scientists, but also low quality of considerably increased stream of dissertational works and the publications which authors aspire to avoid sharp, socially significant problems. Theorists not too actively oppose dominations of formalism, petty official guardianship, the paper and computer-based data reporting. As a result, practice is also out of order – plenty of important issues are lost in the educational plan, the preparation of qualified engineering and personnel, and knowledge on natural-scientific disciplines; leading position of the Russian education in a world ranking concerning development of creative abilities of oncoming generation is lost. Under «the optimisation» slogan, unreasoned decisions with not counted risks, focused on illusive momentary benefits and heedless of the delayed social effects are made. Results and scientific novelty. Measures on real support of scientific and pedagogical schools, on education of methodological culture of supervisors of studies and scientific consultants are offered. It is referred to the establishment of regional centres of science on the basis of leading universities under the authority of the Russian Academy of Education. The long-term experience of activity of the Centre on the basis of scientific and pedagogical school of the Tyumen State University is presented as an example. Practical significance. The author points out the approximate subjects required by practice and the perspective scientific themes providing real but not a declarative priority of education in the state development; it will allow the country to overcome the development gap behind the best world educational standards.

RETRACTED ARTICLE The purpose of the paper is to develop a theoretical model conjugation of personal and professional mobility on the high school teachers’ example. Specific research problems of the study are to analyze the correlation properties of the mobile identity and mobile professional; the possibilities of forming professional mobility of teachers in the absence or underdevelopment of personal preconditions for mobility; search the features that can compensate this deficiency. Methods. The study is based on a theoretical analysis of different methodological approaches to the description of the personal and professional mobility. Also there were used the results of non-formal interview which was aimed at identifying the characteristics of the mobile professional teacher of high school. Results and scientific novelty. The concepts of «personal mobility» and «professional mobility» are clarified. Personal mobility is defined in the work as an integrative personal qualities, based on the individual properties (activity, plasticity, flexibility, adaptability, high energy source) and manifests itself in the behavior and activities of the entity in the form of commitment, independence, openness to new experience, creativity and motivation for self-development, speed decisionmaking. Professional mobility is interpreted as a strategy to adapt to the changing conditions of professional activity, which is a special case of the general personal life strategy. Psychological readiness for pedagogical activity is considered as a link between the personal and professional mobility. Nine types of teacher's professional mobility, emerging as a result of different levels of personal mobility combined with the severity of psychological readiness for pedagogical activity are described. Practical significance. The analysis of the conjugacy problem of personal and professional mobility creates an informational basis for prolonged work on the formation of professional mobility behavior of the high school teacher, the main focus of which is the development of technologies for psychological support of the formation of psychological readiness for activity as a mediating link between the personal and professional mobility.

This work is aimed at demonstrating the possibility of the inclusion of religious elements contained in Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition in the general natural scientific courses based on the principle of symmetry. The method used in the work is confined to a comparison of perceptions formed in modern science and is closely related to the forms of symmetry and invariance principles (symmetry principles) and, in particular, space-time concepts with those of the Book of Genesis. Such a comparison reveals the following unexpected feature: most profound presentation of modern natural sciences is closer to the provisions of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition than a look at the same things existed in the earlier stages of the development of science. This allows the authors to formulate the hypothesis that in the process of development of scientific knowledge, it gradually becomes closer to the religious worldview. This process is slow, so its results have become visible only within 3500 years after the establishment of the truth of the Old Testament and 2000 years after the New Testament. Results and scientific novelty. The «firmament of heaven» and «water under the firmament» concepts are explained in the terms of the model of the Kleinert – Planck World crystal and understanding of the properties of matter and fields which are related with the conservation law of the wave-function parity. The relational nature of phenomena such as «life» and «death» in the course of universe evolution as a general trend is considered as the process of lowering the degree of symmetry of matter after the Big Bang wherein the Universe was created. The concepts used by E. Wigner for the description of the structure of the scientific knowledge are analysed. Its structure is determined by shapes and specific principles of the symmetry of exact sciences. The analysis of the concept «natural phenomenon» has shown that they are different in the degree of space-time localization. As the nonlocality of nature phenomenon becomes intensive, the limits of the scientific knowledge are approached. Understanding of creatures with the utmost degree of nonlocality is beyond the scientific knowledge. There is a tendency in modern science to study the behavior of objects in frames of nonlocal spacetime description. This trend is reflected, for example, in a study of the phenomenon of quantum entanglement. It can be stated that in this respect the position of science closes in the positions of the religious worldview. Practical significance. In this paper the authors present a few examples of selection of content of the course based on the Principle of symmetry.

The purpose of this paper is to study changes in the conditions of the educational process associated with the development of information and communication technologies (ICT). Methods. The main methods of the study were the analysis of scientific publications and regulatory documents, observations, interviews, surveys and questionnaires of students, the data processing, interpretation and analysis. Results. By analogy with the Web-technologies, the concept of educational context (dynamically changing conditions in which educational content is studied) is introduced. Context of educational process can be understood as special conditions, which determine educational purpose; the way (technology) in which the content must be submitted and will be studied; the feedback it is assumed. The features of the ICT context (conditions, arising from the use of ICT), which are characteristic of the current level of information environment are noted. It is shown that some of the negative features (the formalization of teaching materials, excessive use of the computer testing due to it’s simplicity, the easiness of obtaining information, etc.), have been manifested in the education to a greater extent than the features, which can enrich the educational process (multimedia, computer modeling, communications). The results of tests and interviews with undergraduates and high school students have showed that the vast majority of students actively using ICT couldn’t explain the principle of the computer operations, the organization of the Internet or social networks, the search algorithms, etc. However, they are not interested in these issues. Teachers promote superficial approach using ICT only for office work and testing. The importance of the teacher’s role in the ICT context creation achieving adequate quality of education is proved. Scientific novelty and practical significance. The research results can be used while developing basic educational programs of teacher education. The system changes in the context of the educational process have been identified due to the negative aspects of informatization. The conclusion has been made on the need for special approach to the determination of the ICT courses content, serial appropriate combination of traditional educational technology and ICT in the educational process. It has been noted that the information educational environment of modern classical university creates the conditions for the preparation of future teachers who will be ready to solve such problems.

The paper demonstrates the sociological research findings concerning the students’ ideas of creativity based on the questionnaires and testing of the students of the natural science, humanities and technical profiles at Siberian Federal University over the period of 2007-2011. The author suggests a new method of semantic association analysis in order to identify the latent groups of notions related to the concept of creativity. The range of students’ common opinions demonstrate the obvious trend for humanizing the idea of creativity, considering it as the perfect mode of human existence, which coincide with the ideas of K. Rogers, A. Maslow and other scholars. Today’s students associate creativity primarily with pleasure, self-development, self-expression, inspiration, improvisation, spontaneity; and the resulting semantic complex incorporates such characteristics of creative work as goodness, abundance of energy, integrity, health, freedom and independence, self-development and spirituality. The obtained data prove the importance of the inspiration experience in creative pedagogy; the research outcomes along with the continuing monitoring of students attitude to creativity development can optimize the learning process. The author emphasizes the necessity of introducing some special courses, based on the integral approach (including social, philosophical, psychological, psycho-social and technical aspects), and aimed at developing students’ creative competence.

The paper deals with one of the priority tasks of Russian educational system – developing the health responsibility. The recent health deterioration trend among children and adolescents calls for the complex health care measures, equally affecting the learning outcomes. The authors argue that there is a need for proper definition and specification of the key term of health care quality. However, the analysis of the available scientific and documentary recourses demonstrates the absence of such unified definition. The authors describe the existing approaches to defining the health care quality, and examine structural components of the health care activity, their interrelations and interdependence. In authors’ opinion, the synthesis of the available research materials provides the basis for further studies in the theory and practice of quality management activities regarding the health protection of children, adolescents and young adults in educational institutions.

The paper looks at the intellectual elite reproduction as one of the key elements of innovative society development. In 2012, Russian President approved the National Concept for Identifying and Fostering the Young Talents. In many regions, there are local projects targeting gifted children and teenagers. Though, the main concern is the teaching staff development for working with extraordinary students. In author’s opinion, the university complexes appear to be the most capable of fulfilling the given task by providing the fundamental classical education expanding the horizons of professional perfection both at theoretical and practical levels; in this regard, the positive experience of Tumen State University, incorporating the Higher Pedagogical School and the Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology, is revealed. The main emphasis is on the high schools within the university complexes; the advantages of summer schools in selecting gifted children and developing creativity and intellectual abilities are demonstrated. The author maintains that the teaching staff readiness for working with gifted children has long term prospects for developing the nation’s intellectual potential, and therefore can be regarded as the key criterion estimating the effectiveness of educational establishments. However, the managerial staff should be pro-vided with the relevant indicators for monitoring the above activity.

The paper reveals the survey findings investigating the students’ attitude to the higher education quality. The education quality concepts are considered in pedagogical, economic and sociological context; the main aspects of education quality involve: the compliance with the existing norms and standards, and correspondence with students’ personal requirements for professional training. The comparative analysis of the above survey findings demonstrates that the students’ idea of education quality is based on the teaching staff professionalism, implementation of new educational technologies and individual approach. Students at a technical state university emphasized the high level of professional training, adaptive abilities development and career prospects; while students at private classical universities valued personal and cultural qualities, and fundamental knowledge. Few of the surveyed students mentioned the normative content aspect of education quality - compliance with the state educational standards. Therefore, the author proves the need for acquainting students with the above standards in their respective profiles. The research findings can be applied for optimizing the training process in the higher educational establishments.

The paper looks at the problems of modern art education. Thе aim of the research is to identify the interrelation between the innermost an artistic aspects of the artwork based on theoretical analysis and synthesis. Th authors explore the axiological and acmeological nature of the unseen, which manifests itself as a revelation and inspires a creative person to strive for perfection. The need for developing students’ moral values and ethical attitude t the surrounding realities intensifies the significance of the innermost aspect o art education. According to the author, the emphasis on the inmost thought and feelings can guarantee a spiritual immunity of the young generation an prevent penetration of a low taste and banality into the artistic sphere. The category of the unseen, being closely related to the spiritual level o self-awareness, requires a particular attention in art education; it should b taken into consideration while developing and implementing the educationa curricula

The paper looks at the contemporary youth environment from the standpoint of juvenology. The youth is regarded as a distinct social community prone to violating the norms and rules due to the specific mentality and functional characteristics. The authors denote the youth age range, social status and roles, behavior patterns, life style and subculture preferences. The youth community is most open to innovation, being its generator and consumer, conductor of information flows, initiator of new behavior patterns and stereotypes including the negative ones. The main disadvantages of the given age group are the lack of social experience, rejection of traditional cultural behavior patterns on the one hand, and high susceptibility and imitation propensity on the other hand. The research demonstrates that social deviation often results from the young people’s dissatisfaction and lack of social prospects. Therefore, the factors determining the above trends are related to insufficient attention to the youth’s requirements and interests on the part of the government and society.

The paper explores the current development trends of primary, secondary and higher education. The authors emphasize the crisis of professionalism in various spheres of national economy caused by the crisis of Russian education. The vocational teaching and managerial staff are facing the global task of training the specialists demanded by the modern economy and capable of adapting to the increasingly changing life and information environment. The main emphasis is on the ability to foresee the production needs by analyzing the industrial enterprise from the socio-technological perspective. The authors outline the key factors affecting the above functions along with the resulting requirements for employees’ professional levels. To train the vocational university graduates in accordance with the above requirements, the authors suggest the project method implementation providing the accumulation of methodological, social and professional competences and facilitation of cross-disciplinary knowledge.

The paper looks at the urgent problems of the Russian higher vocational school from a philosophical and social viewpoint, and maintains that its current situation and prospects should be analyzed in the context of complicated social processes and socio-economic reorganizations undertaken at the turn of the 20th – 21st centuries. Facing a cultural crisis, the Russian society requires new cultural, political, economic and social ways out. The research shows that a considerable decline in the specialists’ competence level results from the low education quality requirements and decreasing social status of vocational education. The authors emphasize the culture study aspects of professional activity and regard them as the basis for vocational training quality assurance aimed at raising the professional competence. In authors’ opinion, the aspect of culture studies remains the most important in the process of liberalization and humanization of vocational education, since the modern culture is an effective instrument of world perfection as well as students’ self-development and self-understanding.

The paper gives an overview of the education system in Germany and explores the structure of National Qualifications Framework, developed in compliance with the Recommendations of the European Parliament and Council, and reflecting the specificity of the four-level educational structure. The author regards it as an effective means for educational system modernization and interaction with the labor market. Additionally, the research demonstrates the mechanisms, put forward by the Association for Developing the German Qualifications Framework to guarantee the compatibility and comparability of German and European qualifications; it also denotes the eight levels of German National Qualifications Framework along with their descriptors. The author believes that German experience of classification and systematization of qualifications in question can be used by Russian specialists.

The research investigates the principles of creativity-oriented teaching (COT), substantiates its strategy based on developing the didactic structure of creative educational environment, and looks for the invariant of pedagogical activity guaranteeing the creativity development. The methodology involves a theoretical analysis and specification of COT principles, and empirical methods of identifying the creative teaching invariant. The paper describes the content of COT principles, and provides recommendations for their implementation; the concepts of creative teaching invariant and creative potential being defined. The author supplements the theory of heuristic teaching and applies the methods of logical and graphical structuring of information to foster students’ creative activity. The research findings can be implemented in the system of school education for developing the students’ intellectual potential and creative abilities.

The paper reflects on the current state and development trends of higher pedagogic education in Russia, and considers the possibility of either renewal or liquidation of education in question. The authors maintain that teachers’ training system should be preserved, and emphasize the need for the proper strategy development combining both the best educational traditions and leading concepts and technologies. It is recommended to modify all the modern educational establishments – colleges, pedagogical institutes and pedagogical universities. The special emphasis should be on teachers’ training at autonomous pedagogical institutions within the university complexes, and educational standards and curricula developments. In authors’ opinion the classical education effectively combines all the aspects of teachers’ training – the research capability, education fundamentality and cultural awareness. The experience of teaches’ training in Tumen State University is revealed.

The paper substantiates the introduction of interactive techniques in music and arts education, and analyzes the definitions of interactivity – a key term of the modern educational paradigm. Various interpretations of interactivity and its components – interaction, communication, dia logue, polylogue, interpretation, reinterpretation, intonation, feelings, comprehension, generalization (reflection), and experience – are given. In the methodology context, the author traces out the similarity of interactive concepts in general didactics and the humanities knowledge (M. M. Bakhtin, V. S. Bibler), and maintains that the main components of interactive teaching include the basic categories of culture, art, music, and psychology of artistic perception and creativity. Therefore, similarity of the content and approach to interpreting the conceptual terminological apparatus of interactive education makes it possible to implement the interactive techniques in teaching the cycle of music and arts disciplines.

The paper considers the problem of implementing the method of the ascent from the abstract to the concrete in education. The author emphasizes the interrelation between pedagogy and philosophy, as well as the need for their cooperation especially at the time of considerable changes in social and educational spheres. The poly-modal conceptual nature of the abstract and concrete makes it possible to attribute to them respectively the positive and negative values. By analogy with the «bad infinity», the author introduces the concepts of «bad abstract» and «abstract pedagogy» typical for the modern educational practices disregarding the specifics of the concrete areas. The historical and logical analysis of implementing the method in the Russian pedagogy demonstrates that, in spite of its fairly long development history, a systematic technological formalization can be found only in V. V. Davydov's didactics. Based on V. V. Davydov’s concept of developing education, the author makes the following conclusion: as a cognitive method, the ascent from the abstract to the concrete develops theoretical thinking, in-depth understanding, personal attitude to the acquired knowledge and adequate behavior strategies. Therefore, the given method facilitates harmonious personal development.

The paper looks at implementing the probability theory and mathematical statistics while analyzing the outcomes of the unified state examination (USE). The research is aimed at investigating the impact of closed questions that make the greater part of USE, on test results. The methodology is based on so called Bernoulli’s trial. The research findings demonstrate the higher probability of incidental right answers to the closed questions compared with the open ones. The author makes a conclusion that the considerable number of closed questions in the test can misrepresent the final result which tends to improve. The proposed method of statistic analysis can provide the explanation for the USE results anomalies, evaluate the quality of examination materials and scoring system, and give the quantified assessment of social implications.

The paper is devoted to introduction and implementation of quality management system in the sphere of Russian higher education. The research demanded the prehistory observation of the above processes, their legal bases analysis, as well as setting the existing practices of the state control and supervision of education in compliance with the principles of TQM (Total Quality Management). Different normative acts and documents have been reviewed concerning accreditation of higher educational establishments, and determining the state policy of quality improvement of the higher school functioning. The author emphasizes that participation of different organizations - including educational ones – in certification procedures and competitions in the quality sphere is considered voluntary according to the Russian legislation. However, for getting the state accreditation educational establishments have no other way apart from setting the internal structures responsible for students training quality. The above structures in educational establishments look rather strange and alien duplicating in their best the state control and supervision system. They appear to be quite expansive for educational establishments and demanding extra time and effort from the staff. In conclusion the author points out that the state policy forcing the quality management issues reflects the interests of certain social groups, namely those who directly participate in external supervision of higher educa- tional institutions. The research findings can be applied while correcting the educational policy of the Russian Federation, and developing the concepts of regulatory legal acts in the higher educational sphere.

The paper deals with the current situation in Russian Education, which is referred to as being in crisis but having a chance for renovation and transformation from its present position of the follower behind the society’s demands to the advancing educational system leading to the cultural, social and economic progress of state and society. The non-stability factors of both the global and national type are denoted; the social, personal and economic effects of education are emphasized as being postponed, but affecting both national security and country’s political development. The author outlines the strategic reference points for solving the main problems of educational modernization based on the new generation of the Federal educational standards and integrating the traditional and modern educational technologies.

To ensure the competitiveness and integration of the Russian educational system in the global educational environment it is necessary to study the experience of the leading countries faced by the problem of creativity fostering. The paper provides the comparative analysis of the content, approaches to and organizational forms of the creative faculty formation in educational systems of the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia. According to the author, the creative component is the inherent part of educational systems of the given countries, though its place in the system might be different. At the state level, the interest to creativity development is demonstrated by the statutory documents, official statements and legislative acts; their content reveals that both in Russia and the USA the interest to creativity fostering results from the state strategic policy, while in the UK the focus is on the economic prospects. The author mentions the centralized projects supported by the British government and aimed at stimulating creativity, though the participation of universities in the projects is optional. The didactic and methodological materials acquired by the author have the practical implications and can be used in teachers’ training at various levels. The research materials were introduced at several Russian and International scientific conferences, discussed at seminars, round-table talks, and in the course of the International Creative Project performed by the students of Yekaterinburg and York in 2007–2013.

The paper deals with different approaches to defining the education quality concept, and analyzes its sociological aspects revealed in the works of foreign and Russian authors. As a key issue, the author emphasizes the divergent interests of different social groups in the context of higher school reorganization. Based on the empirical research conducted at seven universities in Yekaterinburg, the author maintains that the evaluation of the reforms by educational society is largely negative, its rejection being of a systematic rather than a random character. Both professorial teaching staff and students opposing the reform do not seem to change their attitude until the considerable amendments to the reforms are introduced. The main concern is about the quality and values of education, its gradual transformation from classical fundamental education focusing students’ personal development to the practical one targeting the competitiveness of graduates. The author argues that without consideration of opposing opinions of teachers and students the reorganization process is destined to slow down or even fail.

On the grounds of theoretical synthesis, the paper reveals the phenomenon of human being in its creative dimension. The present research is aimed at exploring the prospective opportunities for academic processes. The basics of universal essence of man as a cultural historic being with unlimited potential of self- development are defined; the man being mirrored by the basic philosophic concepts: naturalistic, orthodox-oriented, bio-social or bio-socio-cultural. There are two opposing views on human nature: the anthropological essentialism holding that individuality is predetermined by essence; and the anthropological existentialism claiming the opposite – human existence precedes the essentiality, the latter being constituted by the acts of choice, self-development and self-responsibility for personal choice and projecting. In the first case, the subjective side of human existence is ignored, while in the second – the objective socially conditioned side is left behind. Both theories are antihistorical as it is the history that conditions the essence of man according to the ancestral determination, the latter being modified by way of human activity and communication in a particular historical period. The components of human universal essence are defined as follows: possession of organic body, social heritage, free will, self-activity, creativity, social and rational human nature, absence of antagonistic programs of social behavior. According to the author, for the adequate realization of human universality, it is necessary to move from the profit oriented speculative market economy to the creative one oriented on social effectiveness, quality of life and reproduction of wholesome individuals. The research output can be used for devising the methodology of philosophic and pedagogic anthropology, as well as pedagogic practices of teaching philosophy and pedagogic theory in higher school.