Social pedagogues are specialists representing the nurturant profession that requires high professionalism and is still in great demand. The modern society needs highly qualified social pedagogues to address the issues of younger generation’s socialization in today’s complex socio-economic and political context. Future social pedagogues improve their professional skills by mastering the profession through gaining the awareness of their professional level that motivates the career development. The excellence and necessary competences are incepted at the stage of professional education.
The authors of this article investigate the features of future social pedagogues’ professional formation in the training systems of Russian and Kazakhstan. Research methods are analysis, comparison, generalization, synthesis, historical and pedagogical reconstruction.
The article presents the results of a comparative analytical review of professional formation specifics in the national education systems of Russia and Kazakhstan. The comparison of professional formation specifics demonstrated the common problems of social pedagogues’ training determined by the shared historical past, the similarity of socio-economic factors in the development of the education systems. The identified differences imply the analysis of the ways to improve the training of future social pedagogues. The analysis shows that the professional success of social pedagogues is defined by focusing on social competences and social responsibility development as part of the training process. According to the authors, specialists’ training based on the methodological principles of axiological approach contributes to the formation of future social pedagogues’ conscious attitude both to their education and their professional development.
Keyword(s) : social competence
Development of Social and Intercultural Competence in Students through Peer Assessment
This article presents the results from research into the development of social and intercultural
competence in student teachers through peer assessment. The purpose of the study is to identify and
describe the degree to which peer assessment can influence the development of competencies. Also,
to formulate recommendations for the integration of peer assessment in the education of students
towards the development of social and intercultural competence. The theoretical analysis is based on
a review of the scientific literature on social and intercultural competence and peer assessment, and
it is followed by a quantitative and qualitative analysis. Twenty-five students, training to be teachers
at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of pedagogy, participated in the study. Each of
them wrote an essay on intercultural competence and each of the students reviewed three of their
colleagues’ essays. The research confirms that providing feedback helps the development of social
and intercultural competence in two directions: students form skills for providing constructive
feedback and criticism; and they develop their abilities for accepting feedback, reflecting on their
strengths and weaknesses, which leads to striving for self-improvement. Another conclusion, based
on the analysis is, that by providing detailed instructions prior to peer assessment, by organizing
a subsequent discussion and reflection, students would improve their skills in providing feedback,
constructive criticism, considering the ideas of others with respect, understanding different
perspectives. Hence, the study confirms that peer assessment provides educational opportunities for
the development of social and intercultural competence.