The article deals with the efficiency of acmeologic approach in developing creative potential of novice foreign language specialists’ for professional training in higher institution. Methodological-theoretical relevance of training would-be-teachers and determining new priorities in higher education system that will meet social and economic changes in modern community.
What national higher education aims at is to give students a solid grasp of generally essential knowledge and skills, promote all around development, improve creative thinking and shape professional competency as well. It is also essential to assure the development of students’ creative thinking as our future significantly depends on their competence. In this case, the level of proficiency of graduates, first and foremost, refers to the insurance of the knowledge specific for their professional competency. The education process in a higher institution is intended to address the following priority areas namely training specialists that mastered productive means of teaching; increasing student achievement at all subjects and raising personality with vast knowledge who embodies high moral and ethical qualities, spiritual and cultural values; promoting novice specialists to display activeness in social life of the community; improving general pedagogicalmethodological skills, teaching mastery; developing abilities to work independently.
The president stresses the need of developing and deploying the innovative courses into educational process and implementation of acmeologic approach as well in his address «Social modernization in Kazakhstan: twenty steps towards a universal labor society» dated by 2012.07.10 [1].
Acmeology is a new direction of interdisciplinary researches that made by teachers in search for the means to improve their trade. The term stands for «the top, ultimate achievements» derived from Greek word«acme».
The international rivalry in modern days has been shifted gradually to the education system. Due to the rivalry between European and the United States education systems Bologna process emerged. This resulted in the necessity of the laws based on fundamental and scientific theories that will meet the requirements of worldwide rivalry in education environment. When the major part of participants (advisers, teachers and tutors) in education process is aware of the theory, technology and methods of assessing students’ productive and creative activity, it really works.
The renewal of education process greatly depends on the balance between a rapid development of scientific information and the optimization of time used to acquire it. The majority of contradictions in education system occur due to the scientific and technical progress. The primary conflicts in upbringing appeared when the education emerged. They are made and solved by a group of specialized educators, which are directly in contact with disciples.
Today, the myriad of experts testing students’ knowledge at various levels have their impact on the quality education. The national testing system, testing knowledge of undergraduates, «The teacher of the year» are interventions that held every year. The best teachers are selected by several criteria: the quality of training future experts, teaching aids and methodology, their personal contribution to the development of higher education. The purpose of cycled monitoring of fundamental education is to identify the experts in training future specialists that will be good at problem-solving [2].
B.G.Ananyev, in his monographic work «A man as a subject of knowledge», determined the place of acmeology in the system of sciences in a man science [3]. They were the first who conducted longitude researches in developing adults and children by means of teaching aids in education process. This resulted in the emergence of acmeological theory in fundamental education system.
Education, in acmeology firstly has been regarded as a self-regulated system of a human’s spiritual value. It is specified by realization of natural potential through a new supply of cultural values [4].
The perspectives for pedagogical acmeology are determined by various subjective priorities in education process, namely to equip young people with the theories and techniques that develop creative potential of each individual in his future trade. «Pedagogical acmeology» — a professionally oriented course has been implemented in preparing students in higher pedagogical education establishments.
An acme phenomenon is a new area of scientific knowledge which studies patterns and mechanisms of adults and younger people’s development in recurrent education. This reveals its specific nature.
Acmeologic approach is the generalizing key notion, acting as a body of principles, methods and techniques that allow solving acmeologic problems. A human’s self-development in achieving optimal results in terms of a specially organized education process
The acmeologic approach is defined as the ideas of improving education and a basis for contemporary ideology of upbringing.
The acmeologic approach enables to
- renew steadily professional competence and needs of specialists
- ensure creative self-development
- direct to higher achievements in the trade
The acmeologic approach to education is determined as a system of theoretical and methodological approach to maximum personal disclosure of human potentialities. The acmeologic approach is specified in predicting the following issues:
- it studies younger people and adults in education process as a subject of activity, as a personality with his inner qualities;
- it works out pedagogical principles on having a professional motivation, nurtures the needs to selfdevelopment for achieving best results in their
- it is specified in organizing creative approach in learning process as the diversity of education
- it estimates the knowledge quality and personal orientation to self-development as learners as educators in the system of synergetic education: as the ultimate development of human creative potentialities; the well-being as the integrated criteria for power to live; the ultimate independence in personal creative activity; the integrated criteria for the unity of education and upbringing in human development in every maturity milestones; the competency as ultimate level of human power in his occupational activity; spiritual features as well [5].
Acmeologic education as the area of self-regulation in social and cultural development and creative activity in fully planned acmeologic conception develops productive models of education system based on acmeologic approach [6].
The maturity stage — is a set of cognitive and relation factors, steadily growing form of ontogenetic development for reaching the maturity at a certain age. Its function is to develop the principle of selfregulation, improve new social relations, to overcome common thinking, to orientate to creative and productive work, to reach the top. This is rather crucial to meet this set of requirements in rapidly developing modern community for the nearest future. One can succeed in the variety of problem-solving issues through ‘life oriented’ education. Education, in this case puts first the factors of ontogenetic and socially cultural human development.
The scientific and pedagogic competency of educator requires being a master of his trade who equipped with methodological, disciplinary, psychological, physiological, acmeologic competencies.
New occupational and personal skills, qualities of young people enable them to develop their creative potential.
- man as a spiritual being, personality and subject of activity; his humanistic and spiritual values, wisdom, purity of his thoughts, awareness of the needs to live and work and do well-wisher action, to display genuine interest in people;
- self-development as the necessity to make decisions which is vital to his occupation that requires responsibility and independence and ability to select and predict its results;
- readiness to an innovative professional-pedagogic activity as a professional perfection (competency, orientation, professional excellence)
- acmeologic orientation of educators is resulted in their professional, personal and spiritual development, the productively collaborated work of the teacher with his disciplines nurtured by humanistic principles that guarantee his well-being and success [6].
Acmeologic orientation is an integral set of professional quality, self-development and the results of his work. It greatly improves knowledge quality, pedagogic process and its outcomes.
The acmeologic model of educators in continuing pedagogic education may be distinguished as the orientation in their development of higher and post-graduate education.
Acmeologic development of educators is defined as overall occupational development of experts as a personality with high spiritual features. Furthermore, the improvement of reflection over their professional competency and pedagogic activity, professionally oriented cognition.
Thus, acmeology in its essence is a science of quality of human resources and life quality as well. Acmeologic approach to education studies the development of participants in education process and the principles of further improvement for gaining the quality in education system.
The Greeks used the word acme to describe the period of age in human life, the blossom of his intellectual ability and strength. Due to historic periods in people had different aims in their lives, but they always thrive for gaining an integrated education as the outcomes of the harmony in heterogenic process.
At the end of 20th century acmeology was recognized as the synthesis of theory and practice; a positive trend in a human development in education process (B.G.Ananyev, A.A.Badalev, A.A.Derkach, N.V.Kuzmina, V.N.Maksimova, A.A.Rean and others). Pedagogical acmeology widely spread in professional trade, the ways of maximum possible disclosure of the human potentialities.
In historical view to education, acmeology as a science, initially denoted as a technique based on lawful agreements of students’ achievements. It informed what direction to follow, how to organize qualified systematization of achievements, how to ensure a steady productiveness.
From methodological value acmeology has been viewed as a science fundamentally applied system of knowledge. The essence of acmeology can be revealed by considering the truth from its specific angle. The applied features may be better displayed through acmeologic techniques for putting onto practice. The acmeologic techniques are a set of techniques that ensures the development of necessary skills, inner potential, professional competency, the capacity to grasp the ultimate level of excellence in one’s trade. The following categories have been distinguished as primary ones. They are: competency, excellence (professionalism), creativity, creative potential, professional competence and development.
Innovative priorities in education reformation of the Republic of Kazakhstan give a chance successfully resolve strategic tasks. It ensures to integrate into the world wide education environment, improve education quality, and develop creative personality through new samples such as «General compulsory education» and «Knowledge through one’s life».
Thus, it is aimed at implementation of education with a new content that meets contemporary requirements, preparing competitive intelligent experts with professionally well orientation and competency, to be flexible for rapidly changeable environment, developing citizens willing to take an active role in social life of the community.
The integration into the world wide education environment of the Republic of Kazakhstan requires a teaching staff consider the professional tall orders in a new way. A contemporary teacher in the time of innovation technology development must be very intelligent, creative and do his work with excellence
One of the measurements of successful implementation of education reformation is to upgrade the competitive experts with good knowledge and great skills which successful in arranging his career abroad. We should meet universal standards on the insurance with quality education», — once the president has emphasized in his address [7].
The primary purpose of preparing specialists in higher institutions is to develop a competitive, integrated multi-dimensional expert with high creative skills, capable to solve complicated practical and pedagogic tasks.
The analysis to contemporary scientific and pedagogic literatures has shown the advocacy to develop creative readiness of learners as one of the education priorities. Some scholars have defined a creativeness readiness as a dynamic productive structure of creative orientation and diligence in personal activity. Such all-around phenomenon ensures personal improvement and self-regulation.
There is one more thing that certainly teachers must be trained to master is a scientific orientation. It is usually shaped in higher education institutions. This quality enables a foreign language teacher to estimate the phenomena from scientific angle, do scientific hypothesis, organize the project work, conduct the experiment and also collect progressive ideas by making analysis in theory and practice, to fulfill in school life.
The would-be-teachers can succeed in the career through the implementation of new teaching techniques into the process, self-professional improvement, self-development, self-responsibility, creativity are also of great importance. Professional competence is what we consider relevant for would-be-teachers.
Creativity — higher form of acting and thinking process of a human. Creativity is mainly defined as the act of creating material and cultural values, but if to take its philosophical significance it is known as the troublesome action, that interrelates its inner bindings and results in purposeful activity of new material and ideal qualities.
A person with creative potential and his personal ability to work independently shapes an integrated dynamic structure
Creativity, in general, is the process of sensual attitude to the problems search for the solution, intelligence, feelings and thoughts, patience and desire to achieve the aims. The outcomes from productive activity make a man happier and inspires to new achievements.
The program for improving students’ creative skills to work independently:
- to evoke students interest to develop necessary skills by setting relevant problems though critical thinking, analyzing, making comparison of ceratin data, events and
- to promote students to make reflexive analysis and self-summary in students’ creative
The structure of students’ productive activity can be de defined through their cognitive interest and eagerness to study and broaden their minds. It goes without saying, that in the process of preaparing for occupational fields display students intellectual and cognitive, creativity in their future trade. Thus, professional oriented activity, social and creative minds of the learners determine their life cycle for the nearest future.
The purpose for training experts and its results can be estimated by the set of occupational skills, worldview, talent and personal qualities of the students’ prepared in the higher institution. This fully reflects the way a subject is taught.
The productive activity of learners must result in the acquisition of skills to work independently, develop specific cognitive skills and the capacity for self-improvement as well. The reflection through psychological mechanism directed to self-responsibility is what may guarantee a bright future and the adoption of the right system of attitudes and beliefs in whole community.
The scholars in pedagogic field, mentioned above, agreed that an educator’s professional orientation quality is common to a foreign language teacher, too. The professional orientation comprises the following qualities: a sincere interest, integrity, justice, communicative skills, capacity for professional activity, active intellect, discipline, (labor and professional diligence); professional competency (the level of professional orientation, overall knowledge, activeness); cognitive activity: scientific erudition; spiritual and intellectual activity.
Building an education system conducive to sustainable development requires the improvement of the content, the quantity of subjects and the implementation of new disciplines, steady application of novel technologies in teaching. Thus, each passing year sees further enhancement of the role of teachers and their pedagogic competency [8].
The importance of the issue we raised, becomes rather significant in dealing with training future teachers whose trade mainly concerns with creative potential. One of the complicated and crucial points in higher education process is to bring students closer to their future trade, train teachers that are always willing to participate in a social life, to improve personal and creative skills, develop competencies. The implementation of innovative technologies, new teaching methods and approaches are very crucial in training broad-minded specialists. Furthermore, the process of training teachers should be reviewed so as to achieve the integration and strengthening education.
In the state program of education development in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2011–2020, the president, Nursultan A.Nazarbayev, is an essential tool in knowledge assurance all over the country. Today the government has made better conditions to upgrade the teacher training in higher institutions. The requirements for training a teaching staff are growing as they are responsible for the future of younger generation in modern higher education.
Thus, what new modern times expect from a would-be-teacher is to demonstrate the ability to keep the track of informative technology, in fast-thinking and problem-solving, in managing and giving directions.
References
- Social renewal of Kazakhstan: 20 steps towards Common Labour, Independent Kazakhstan, 10th of July,
- Kuzmina V. Akmeological concept of development of productive competence of the expert, Saint-Petersburg; Kovrov, 2008, p. 62.
- Ananyev B.G. A human as an item of cognition, Leningrad: LGU, 1968, p.
- Ananyev B.G. Issues of a human study, Moscow: Nauka, 1997, p.
- Maksimova V.N., Poletayeva N.M. Psychology graduate education teacher, Saint-Petersburg, 2004, p.
- Bodalev A.A., Ganzhin V.T., Derkach A.A. The world of psychology, 2000, 1, p. 89–108.
- Nazarbayev N.A. President of Kazakhstan Republic in his message to people, Astana, 2005, 18
- Sabdenova G. Innovative technologies in education process. Kazakhstan’s school, 2009, 7, p. 62–64.