Modern education overcomes institutional, age, and spatial limits. It provides each person with the opportunity to lifelong learning, and it also allows managing the learning process. Self-education as a proactive human activity for the purposeful accumulation of experience is becoming a relevant subject of scientific research. The research contexts of self-education in world science are the following concepts: «adult learning», «continuous learning», «continuous professional development», «informal learning», «lifelong learning», «non-formal learning», «self-development», «self-directed learning», «self-education», «workplace learning». A review of the segments of the subject field formed by these concepts was carried out. The main goal was to compare and determine the possibilities of using these concepts for the study of self-education in educational, organizational (professional) and life contexts. The articles indexed in the Scopus database served as the basis for the review. Quantitative indicators characterizing the prevalence of terms and the content of the sought-for concepts in the most cited articles were identified. The results showed that the significant amount of knowledge about self-education is concentrated in the segments related to the concepts of lifelong learning, self- directed learning, informal learning, and workplace learning. The most promising is the study of self-education of students or professionals based on the theories of self-directed and informal learning. The theories of self-directed learning are necessary to consider the initiation, implementation, and control of person’s proactive learning activities. The theories of informal learning are necessary to analyze the spontaneous, but meaningful experience accumulation in the process of various activities. The materials of the review, which describe contexts for the study of self-education, will be useful for scientists to determine the current research perspectives and select an adequate theoretical framework.
Keyword(s) : lifelong learning
Vocational Education with Social Distancing: Data from Online Platforms
This is a study of how vocational education was transformed to deal with social distancing due to
coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation. Data was taken from online delivery platforms such
as Coursera, Timepad, and Edumarket. The demand for educational courses in Russia increased by
2.5 times in the first half of 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19. Despite this only 19% of learners
are prepared to continue their learning after the quarantine measures are lifted. In the first half of
2020 programs on these platforms were focused on soft skills. There was an increase in programs for
stress resistance, leadership, productivity, business, hobbies and art, parent-child relationships, and
foreign language learning. The proportion of programs reliant on social communications decreased
significantly. However, there was an increase courses in IT (blog / website development, machine
learning), and medicine (ensuring safety in case of coronavirus infection, prevention of COVID-19,
etc.). The study is of interest to the heads of regional educational departments, specialists of the
continuing education in universities, professional educational organizations, non-governmental
organizations of continuing education, labor exchange and those who are involved in continuing
education and self-learning.
Open and distance lifelong non-formal learning for self-development: current practices and possible applications in Russian contexts
Non-formal and lifelong learning play a critical role in self-development and mastering the
knowledge and skills demanded by an ever-changing world. This review examines the ways in which
open and distance learning methods and technologies are being used to provide such non-formal
learning in the developing countries to reduce inequality, provide education for all and ensure
sustainable development. Having considered the main trends and possibilities in these contexts, it
speculates on the possible applications of these methods and technologies in support of the social
and economic development of Russian society.
Vocational Teacher Training in Germany
The international developments of globalization and demographic changes of an aging society have
led to new concepts of teacher education since the beginning of the 21st century. Currently, the
debate pertaining vocational teacher training focuses on two issues: 1) Firstly, reform is necessary
because of structural and curricular changes, further professionalization and quality development
of vocational teacher training as part of the measures imposed by the Bologna. 2) Secondly, given
the scope of a profound socio-demographic transformation process, the focus of attention is shifting
onto the acute needs for teachers in scarce subjects of personal care services as well as MINT
professions within the professional vocational disciplines of teacher training. The following article
outlines key reforms and developments in vocational teacher education in Germany and Europe
on the following points: 1) Structures and university centers of teacher education in Germany
2) Curriculum development and didactic approaches in teacher training 3) Requirements on
competencies and professionalization in teacher training.
Formation of professional competence of the future Teacher of Music
Against the background of the current globalization process, technocratic development of society, it is particularly important to prepare future teachers of musical art training to the professional activities fo-cused on the development of the spiritual, high moral standards and multicultural personality. The changes involve the development of new requirements for the specialist training that makes it necessary to adjust all the structural components of the educational process. The relevance of the work is the need to improve the effectiveness of music education, aimed at training teachers to creatively become active person that is capable of professional musical activity in the contemporary socio-cultural environment. The search for new approaches contributes to maximum interaction of musical arts and teacher education, provide a harmonious combination of general and professional (music-theoretical and performance) preparation, intensifies personal-professional development of the teacher. Formation of professional competence of future specialist as a result of the activity of musical-pedagogical education system is an important problem of modern pedagogical science and practice, and affects not only the content but also the forms, methods, means of training and reflection teaching. This article discusses the characteristics of professional competencies; analyzes existing approaches to the definition of this concept, as the unity of practical and theoretical readiness of the person to the profession; structured the professional competence of the future teacher of music, including personal, metasubject, subject, professional communication and information competence; we have determined the optimal conditions for the training of specialists in the area of musical art to professional activity, such as the axiological concept of education of personality, the use of metasubject relations, the implementation of a permanent reflection of own activities, designing the pedagogical process; the creation of cultural and educational environment, the use of modern information technologies in the educational training of the future professionals.