Abstract
The article presents the results of a preliminary expert assessment of university graduates` (teachers with work experience of up to 5 years) readiness for research activities undertaken to elaborate a model of updating the research competencies of students of teachers training universities. The model is based on the skills of self-education, self-study and reflection; it will contribute to the formation of cognitive-functional orientation of a teacher in organizing research activities of students and the forming his own research position.

Key words
research activities; research technologies; teacher as a researcher; research potential; model of updating the research potential.

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Introduction

The modern world is featured by the highest rate of change in both natural and socio-economic environments, technologization and digitalization of production activities. In this regard, one of the main requirements of the modern labor market is the ability to make decisions in conditions of uncertainty, readiness to conduct independent research and to develop new scientific, production and management technologies. The introduction of research activities in school education creates the conditions for the implementation of system-activity and student-oriented approaches, contributing to the formation of skills of the 21st century. It defined new requirements for the results of education such as the meta-subjective results, which are the ability for independent research activities and obtaining new knowledge.

To achieve these results in school education practicing teachers and graduates of teachers training universities should conduct their own research and organize training and research activities of students. “Combining research with teacher education have been topical matters in various countries in recent years... The aim of these efforts towards more scientific training has been to raise the status of teachers and help them cope with the constantly increasing challenges of their work” [1; 101]. It defined the problem of finding ways to update teachers` research potential in the process of their training. The relevance of this research is determined by the following: 1. The modern system of higher professional education in Russia today is focused on training a creative professional who is able to actively conduct professional research and organize research activities of students, which requires new forms and methods of organizing the process of professional training of students-teachers; 2. Independent activity in higher professional education today is given a significant amount of time, therefore mastering the system of research knowledge and skills will determine finding the necessary educational material; 3. The creation of pedagogical conditions for updating research potential contributes to the formation of the cognitive-functional orientation of a student-teacher.

Therefore, the purpose of this work is the development of an original model of updating the research potential of a teacher. Here we understand “research” as the activities aimed at obtaining new knowledge using the skills of self-education and self-study, and “the research potential” is the prospect of a student-teacher in mastering the research position. “Actualization” here is a mechanism of personal development, when a person`s potential abilities transform into the actual ones. It appears in two components: 1) the content component - it identifies specific personality characteristics (potential ones); 2) the procedural component - actions that actualize these characteristics.

Literature Review

A.A. Sevryukova understands the teacher’s research potential as a personal characteristic, reflecting a set of renewable resources (knowledge, skills, motivation etc.), which provide a teacher’s ability to conduct research aimed at students` achieving educational results [2]. For L.A. Tortsova [3] the research potential of a teacher as a system of properties and capabilities of his personal and professional development, aimed at possible achievements in research activities.

Updating the research potential is considered by us as the process of transition of potential research abilities of a teacher into the actual research opportunities in certain pedagogical conditions. As British researchers note, the link between research and teacher training does not appear by itself and must be established in education institutions [4].

The formation of conditions of a teacher using his research abilities in practice are the subject of scientific research in different countries, which indicates the need for changes in teacher training [5]. Thus, in Finland, an attempt was made to investigate the understanding of the concepts “a teacher as a researcher” and “teacher training based on the development of research opportunities” by students. Analysis of the data showed that the students-teachers do not always see the connection between education and the daily work of a teacher [6].

Scientists also use various ways to assess the research capabilities of young teachers and students [7]. For instance, the questionnaire by Visser-Wijnveen G.J., van der Rijst R.M. was developed and tested among 221 students at a research university in the Netherlands. Data analysis revealed four factors relating to the integration of research into the process of subject studying: motivation, reflection, participation, and the current state of research. Such questionnaires are promising to give a feedback to managers to strengthen the links between student learning and their research capabilities [8].

The study of scientific literature and the authors' own long-lasting experience in a teacher training university show that the following components of research potential should be updated to include research activities in professional and pedagogical activities: 1) a value-semantic one (motivation) - need, interest of students in research activities, understanding their value (the level of reflection); 2) an activity one - research knowledge and skills (the level of change in the research position); 3) a cognitive-operational one – the awareness of various forms of research activities and how they are organized, the knowledge of teachers` and students` work in the course of research activities; understanding the practical significance of the research results (the level of creativity). Therefore, updating the research potential of a teacher implies mastering the necessary means, methods and skills to reflect on research activities. To develop a model for the development of research competencies of students-teachers, we carried out a preliminary expert assessment of readiness for research activities among young practicing teachers, having the work experience of up to 5 years.

Materials and Methods

The results of a survey of 35 young teachers in the south of the Tyumen Region (Russia) were examined. We used the original questionnaire (with both ready-made answers and independent response tasks), to take into account the criteria, structure, and methodology of research. The following criteria were used: 1) self-assessment of research competencies (value-semantic component); 2) availability of research knowledge and skills (activity component); 3) the experience of organizing research activities of students (cognitive-operational component). A survey of 65 experienced teachers from the same schools was used as a control group.

Results and Discussion

The study revealed different understanding of certain aspects of research activities, depending on the length of teachers` work experience. Thus, the majority of young teachers noted that research activity is becoming one of the key activities in educational process. Most of experienced have identified it as the secondary one. Young teachers answered questions aimed at matching the names of methodological characteristics of research activities and their content more successfully.

As for the conditions for implementation of research, young teachers noted methodological support by university supervisors; experienced teachers indicated the need for material incentives, and self-development was called as the main condition by teachers with the experience of more than 10 years. In this regard, the experience of the Netherlands is interesting here, as a special course was developed for experienced teachers to engage them in research activities [9]; it also testifies to common problems in education systems around the world.

When assessing the possibilities of organizing research activities, young teachers noted they have low motivation to it because of the workload of different reporting. Trainee teachers indicated they are not competent enough in research; it is time consuming for them, which determines low motivation or even the refusal. Young teachers demonstrated a higher self-esteem of research competencies. Probably it is due to their recent graduation from the university and being introduced to the new educational standards and the structure and methodology of research activities. It also explains deeper understanding of the significance of research activities in their professional activity.

Young teachers have a satisfactory degree of activity component of research potential, but not enough value-semantic (motivation) and cognitive-operational components, especially the operational one. The latter can be explained by the presence of external and internal obstacles that cause low motivation for research activities and insufficient experience of it. These do not allow transforming the potential research abilities into the actual research opportunities.

Conclusion

According to the results, the need to develop the value-semantic and operational components of the research potential comes to the fore, that is, the need to teach a teacher to realize the goal, the motives of the research activity and how to organize it, considering the skills of self-education, self-study and reflection. The model of updating a teacher’s research potential will allow implementing it if the process of professional training of students-teachers is filled with the methods of collaborative research and students-teachers are involved in the research activities of their university and general educational practice.

Literature

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3. Torcova, L. A. Razvitie issledovatel'skogo potenciala uchitelej innovacionnogo uchebnogo zavedeniya. - Saratov, 2002. – 21 s.

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8. Visser-Wijnveen G. J., van der Rijst R. M. A questionnaire to capture students’ perceptions of research integration in their courses. Higher Education. 2016; 71: 473–488. doi 10.1007/s10734-015-9918-2.

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Рекомендовано к публикации:
А.А.Ахаян, доктор педагогических наук, член Редакционной Коллегии