Preparation of pedagogical university students for professional activity in additional education.

Pasholikov Mikhail Sergeevich Senior Educator; Department of State, Municipal and Social Administration; Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia 191186, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Chernyakhovsky str., 2 mikle.pasholikov@gmail.com Other publications by this author

In the modern educational space, the role of additional education for children is becoming increasingly important. This is due not only to the expansion of the range of interests of students, but also to the emergence of new needs in society. The interest of schoolchildren in mastering the profession of a teacher is also connected with the development of this sphere of education.

The control figures for admission to pedagogical specialties have increased by 21 percent since 2019 and have remained approximately at the same level for the past three years. Such data were brought to the Ministry of Education of Russia. According to the ministry, the number of applications submitted for pedagogical directions in 2023 increased by 17 percent compared to last year - up to 905 thousand.

There are 33 pedagogical universities, classical type universities (including 54 universities with training of specialists in pedagogical professions), 400 pedagogical colleges and 600,000 students studying in them on the territory of Russia.

According to open sources, 57 programs are being implemented in 87 universities, one way or another related to the training of specialists for the system of children's additional education.  As a rule, these are two-profile bachelor's degree programs: music education and additional education, additional education and educational work, art culture and additional education, social studies and additional education, Russian language and additional education.

A.I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University implements bachelor's and master's degree educational programs, one way or another focused on training specialists to work in the system of additional education: "Program management in the system of additional education", "Additional education (educational work), "Physics. High-tech technologies (additional education)", "Ethno-cultural education, Additional education of children").

Within the framework of the implemented basic educational programs, separate modules are attached to students for study, subject-thematically reflecting the content of the activities of specialists in the system of additional education:

• module "Additional education", containing the disciplines "Preparation for the work of a counselor in a children's health camp", "Organization of additional education", "Career guidance work with schoolchildren", "Industrial practice (summer)"
• the module "System of additional education", containing the disciplines "Modern additional education", "Legal foundations of additional education", "Professional standard of a teacher of additional education", Industrial practice (summer).

The works of many authors are devoted to the problems of personnel training for the children's supplementary system (O. Y. Yelkina ^[2], O. L., Zhuk ^[3], N. M. Ichetovkina []4, E.V. Egorova ^[5], A. P. Panfilov ^[5], E. A. Moskovtsev ^[6], V. V. Smolyar ^[15], E. V.Sokolova []17, K. R. Khachaturova ^[18], G. A. Esenalieva ^[19], etc.)

Work in this field requires a teacher to have an appropriate set of competencies to perform a wide range of work functions reflected in the professional standard "Teacher of additional education for children and adults" (approved by Order of the Ministry of Labor of Russia dated 08.09.2015 No. 613n, registered with the Ministry of Justice of Russia on 24.09.2015 N 38994).  That is why high-quality training of the future teacher during the period of study at the university is crucial.

Research methodology

The empirical basis of the study was the results of processing the answers to the questionnaires of students and teachers of the A.I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University, as well as managers, teachers and methodologists of institutions of additional education in St. Petersburg.

The study was organized and conducted on the basis of the A. I. Herzen State Pedagogical University in the period from May to September 2023. The following groups of subjects of the process of professional training of future teachers took part in the study:

· students of the 3rd-4th courses studying in the areas of training 44.03.01 Pedagogical education, who have passed various types of practices or have experience in institutions of additional education in St. Petersburg - 72 people.;

· teachers in the field of training 44.03.01 Pedagogical education – 12 students.;

· heads of institutions of additional education in St. Petersburg - 4 people.

· teachers and methodologists of institutions of additional education in St. Petersburg - 8 people.

Respondents were asked to answer questions related to clarifying the requirements for the results of training future teachers and the formation of competencies that are important for professional activity in additional education.

Research results and their discussion

Within the framework of this study, a comparative analysis of the labor functions described and disclosed in the professional standard and the competencies that should be formed in future teachers as a result of mastering the bachelor's degree program in the field of training "Pedagogical Education" was carried out (the content of competencies is presented in the methodological recommendations for training personnel in pedagogical bachelor's degree programs based on unified approaches to their structurere and content ("The Core of higher pedagogical education"), approved by the Board of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation on November 25, 2021) ^[19] (Table 1)

Table 1

Comparison of the requirements of the professional standard "Teacher of additional education" and the competencies reflected in the methodological recommendations for training personnel for pedagogical bachelor's degree programs based on unified approaches to their structure and content ("Core of Higher pedagogical education")

Thus, as a result of the conducted research, qualification deficits were identified within several labor functions for which the relevant competencies are not defined in the methodological recommendations:

·        Analysis of internal and external (environmental) conditions for the development of additional education in an organization engaged in educational activities

· Development of proposals for the development of additional education (direction of additional education) in the organization carrying out educational activities, and their submission to the management of the organization

· Formation of proposals to determine the list, content of additional educational programs, conditions for their implementation, promotion of additional education services, organization based on the study of the market of additional education services for children and adults

·        Coordination and control of the work of teaching staff and student associations in an organization engaged in educational activities

·        Advising students and their parents (legal representatives) on issues of professional orientation and self-determination (for teaching additional pre-professional programs)

·        Planning and organization, together with the methodologist, of methodical work and additional professional education according to advanced training programs for teaching staff of an organization engaged in educational activities

The identification of qualification deficits determines the need to update the content of educational modules, disciplines and practices of educational programs in the field of training "Pedagogical education" and to reflect as the results of training the advising knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the labor functions of a teacher of additional education for children and adults.

Thus, improving the process of professional training of future teachers requires the creation of certain organizational and pedagogical conditions.

The first organizational and pedagogical condition is the updating of the content of pedagogical education in accordance with the requirements of the professional standard "Teacher of additional education for children and adults" and based on the expert assessment of representatives of the professional community. During the analysis of the responses of the study participants, the priority expectations of representatives of UDOD and ODOD regarding the qualification characteristics of future teachers were established (Fig. 1)

Fig.1 expectations of representatives of HOOPOE and ODOD, regarding the qualification characteristics of future teachers

Among the main proposals, the improvement of the level of theoretical training, the expansion of practices and the development of the general culture of students were named. 

In order for students to remain competitive in the changing labor market, they must possess a wide range of knowledge, skills and abilities in demand in the 21st century, the formation of which is responsible for the content of education. These skills are designed to help the future teacher keep up with the lightning pace of the modern world. 

Conventionally, all these skills can be divided into three categories:

· learning skills - teach students the mental processes necessary to adapt and improve the modern working environment;

· literacy skills - focus not only on the ability to read and write, but also on the ability to distinguish between facts, manage your finances and health, build communication and use information technology;

· life skills are intangible assets that focus on both personal and professional qualities.

In general, these categories cover all 12 21st century skills that contribute to success in a student's future career (Figure 2).

Fig.2 Skills of the 21st century

Category 1 - learning skills. 4K competencies are by far the most popular skills of the 21st century. These skills are also called learning skills. More and more teachers know about them, because they are universal for building any career. Perhaps critical thinking is the most important skill that allows you to search, analyze, interpret and analyze information. 

Creativity allows students to see the world in a different light, which leads to innovation. Collaboration or collaboration is perhaps the most difficult skill, which means that students must work together, reach compromises and get the best possible results when solving problems together. Finally, communication is the "glue" that unites all skills. It is very important for students to learn how to communicate, effectively expressing and interpreting thoughts.

Category 2 - literacy skills. This group of skills determines a person's ability to solve a wide range of life tasks. Information literacy is a fundamental skill. It helps students understand facts by separating them from fiction. The messages, images, information, and experiences we interact with every day through the media help shape our beliefs, attitudes, and values. Media literacy allows you to decode media messages, evaluate the impact of these messages on thoughts, feelings and behavior, as well as independently create media content.

Technological literacy includes the mastery of using digital devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets) to access the Internet to discover, create, view, evaluate and use information through various digital platforms.

These types of literacy are components of functional literacy, which allows people to function and thrive in modern society. In the course of this study, students were asked to answer questions related to understanding the content of the concept of "functional literacy", to rank its main components, as well as to conduct a self-assessment of readiness to form functional literacy in their future students.

According to the results of the survey, about 60% of students have some idea of functional literacy, 15% understand very well what it is and 25% are not familiar with such a concept.

Among the most important components of functional literacy identified by students, financial literacy leads with an overwhelming advantage - making informed financial decisions is more important today than ever.  The second place in the rating was taken by media literacy, which allows you to feel free and safe in the vastness of the media. Students considered critical thinking to be another important component, which allows them to search for the necessary information in various sources, analyze and evaluate its reliability, as well as justify and argue their point of view. Business/educational games, quizzes, quests and other interactive technologies were named among the most common useful techniques and ways of working that students have mastered in the learning process. At the same time, some students (about 30%) complained about the lack of focused attention on the methods of forming functional literacy. The students attributed reading literacy and creativity to the most developed components of functional literacy. According to the results of self-assessment on a 10-point scale, more than half of the respondents (57%) rated their own readiness to form functional literacy by 6 points, 5% of respondents by 8 points, and the remaining 38% by 4 points.

Category 3 - life skills. These skills relate primarily to personal life, but they also have an impact on professional activity. Flexibility is an expression of the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Flexibility is crucial for the long-term success of a future educator in his career. Knowing when to change, how to change, and how to respond to changes is a skill that will pay dividends for a lifetime. Leadership is the ability to set goals, the ability to captivate others and lead the team through the necessary steps to achieve results.  For future teachers, it is especially important not only to identify problems, but also to search for opportunities to solve them.  This is initiative, which can be viewed in the context of active actions, and not just thinking about the future. Along with initiative, 21st century skills require students to learn about productivity - the ability to complete work at the appropriate time. The overall goal of any professional - from an entry-level employee to a manager - is to do more in less time.

Knowing what skills and qualities are important for a teacher of additional education allows you to update the content of students' training, bringing it in line with modern requirements.

The second organizational and pedagogical condition is the organization of practice-oriented training and the use of various types of extracurricular activities. Practice-oriented learning involves the interaction of three subjects: a teacher, a student and a specialized organization.  This type of training is focused on specific professional practice, and involves the formation of a specific set of competencies for future teachers in the conditions of close cooperation between the university and institutions of additional education.

One of the models of the organization of practice-oriented training is the model of on-the-job training (Work-based learning (WBL) ^[4]. This model assumes a set of strategies (apprenticeship, mentoring, service training, practice), which are implemented by employers and universities in order to expand the educational and professional experience of students. Table 2 shows the skills that, according to the study participants, can be formed in future teachers through on-the-job training.

Table 2 Skills formed as part of on-the-job training

Practice-oriented training makes it possible for a pedagogical university to take into account the qualification requirements of future teachers imposed by organizations implementing additional education programs.

In addition to the educational process, extracurricular activities occupy an important place in the formation of the personality of the future teacher. Self–government, science, sports, creativity, organization of various events - are crucial in the development of skills necessary to perform work functions.  Figure 3 shows the main advantages that, according to the study participants, extracurricular activities provide students.

Fig. 3 Advantages of students' participation in extracurricular activities

The third organizational and pedagogical condition is the organization of social partnership as an effective mechanism for building interaction between graduating departments and educational organizations implementing additional education programs for children. Social partnership has a positive impact on the development of the educational process and training of personnel. The interaction of the university with the institution of additional education provides significant advantages and has practical significance for both sides ^[7-12]. Firstly, it gives an opportunity to students-teachers to get the most relevant and applied experience. Within the framework of such cooperation, they can undergo various types of practices in institutions of additional education, which will help them better understand the specifics of work in this field, as well as test the theoretical knowledge they have gained. Secondly, an important aspect is the possibility of constant updating of curricula and teaching methods. A pedagogical university can use the experience of the institution of additional education to improve the content of training courses and programs, making them more relevant and relevant to the requirements of the time. It should also be noted that such interaction contributes to improving the professional skills of teachers. The exchange of experience between the teachers of the university and the institution of additional education allows both parties to improve their skills and knowledge, which ultimately leads to an increase in the quality of education. An important result of such interaction is the introduction of innovations. Within the framework of partnership between pedagogical educational institutions and organizations of additional education, joint projects can be implemented aimed at the development and introduction of new technologies, methods and forms of work.

The fourth organizational and pedagogical condition is the availability of appropriate staffing for the implementation of the educational process. The implementation of this condition involves the involvement of highly qualified teaching staff, as well as representatives of the professional community to carry out professional training of future teachers in the context of the university's interaction with regional organizations of additional education for children.  The success of any education system depends on an effective teaching process, which, in turn, depends on the activities of the teachers themselves.  In order to identify the most significant characteristics of a teacher that ensure the effectiveness of his pedagogical activity, an additional survey was conducted within the framework of the study among students who are studying in the field of "Pedagogical Education". Among the characteristics that are especially appreciated by students were named:

· ability to set goals well: teachers should set goals for themselves and their students, as well as achieve them within a certain time frame (67%);

· clarity of presentation of the material: the ability to break down complex concepts and explain them so that students can understand them requires teachers to develop a high degree of communicative competence (82%);

· be a role model: a good teacher should set an example for his students. Students should see the teacher as a source of inspiration (57%).

· preparedness: teaching requires a lot of preparation. Knowledge of the content of the taught subject, as well as the availability of professional education in the profile of the taught disciplines is a fundamental factor ensuring the quality of the educational process (94%);

· development of curiosity and love of learning: students should not perceive academic tasks with curiosity and consider them opportunities for development; (41%)

· motivation - the teacher should act as a motivational force, creating a learning environment in which students are encouraged to think independently, express their thoughts and make decisions in various situations (53%);

· dedication and commitment to the profession - these two factors play a crucial role in shaping students' vision of the future (41%);

· values and professional ethics - they say that skills are less important in the absence of an appropriate value system (43%). Therefore, teachers should take responsibility for the formation of students' value orientations. 

Conclusion

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of high-quality training of students of pedagogical directions to work in the system of additional education, because they will form the education of the next generation. However, there are certain problems in this area that need to be solved in order to achieve maximum results.

The first thing to take into account is the updating of curricula. To train qualified specialists, it is necessary to use current and modern teaching methods, as well as to include new disciplines in the program that reflect the requirements and trends of the time.

Students of pedagogical directions should be given more opportunities for practical application of the acquired knowledge. This will help them better understand their purpose as future teachers and develop the necessary professional skills.

In addition, it is advisable to intensify extracurricular activities. This will contribute to a deeper understanding of the educational material and the development of independence. It is also important to pay attention to the moral and psychological training of future teachers.

Working with children requires not only knowledge, but also empathy, patience, and the ability to find an approach to each child. Therefore, in the learning process, attention should be focused on the development of appropriate qualities.

Also, it is necessary to pay attention to the system of continuous professional development of teachers. It is impossible to form the competencies of future teachers without continuous self-development and constant study of new techniques and approaches.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the quality of training of students of pedagogical directions is directly reflected at the level of the entire education. Therefore, solving the above problems should be a priority for all stakeholders.