An additional academic module has been designed at Tomsk State University as part of master’s degree programmes for specialists working in the field of education. Each of them is given opportunity to study according to their individual curriculum. Since the training is to be conducted on a budgetary basis, the master’s degree students with good or excellent academic progress will be able to count on the stipend.
To date, 36 people working in the field of education have already intended to study in these programmes.
There are ten majors where the teachers will be trained: geography, biology, physics, philology, mathematics, psychology, chemistry, history, linguistics, and work with the youth.
The procedure for admission to the master’s degree programme at TSU implies, as usual, entrance exams, an interview, a competition, and other tasks. At the same time, during the interview, the programme managers and lecturers will take into account whether a person has work experience and individual achievements in the sphere of education, and also how motivated they are to work with children and the potential of each applicant.
Speaking about the relevance of such master’s degree programmes, the admission committee notes: Tomsk Oblast, the same as other regions of the Russian Federation, needs high-quality training for professionals working with children and adolescents.
– Despite the fact that we have TSPU (Tomsk State Pedagogical University) and TOIPKRO (Tomsk Oblast Institute for Advanced Training and Professional Retraining of Educators), which train teachers, other universities also need to be involved in solution of this problem, – explained Anna Korshunova, head of the department of vocational guidance and work with the regions of the office of the new admission. – A special unit is included in the program for teachers, they will be trained in methods and technologies for working with gifted children. Our Institute for Innovations in Education is engaged in this, so TSU has experience in this area. Actually, the specialists of the institute helped their colleagues from the faculties to develop this set of classes.
As Elena Sukhanova, Deputy Vice-Rector of TSU for research, noted, the university has been involved in the discussion of the problem of teachers training for the region for several years and there is a regular contact with the department of general education and the Oblast Duma education committee.
– We always receive a steady order from the department to design programmes for working teachers which will allow them to reach a new professional level. Here we are talking about both the in-depth teaching of subjects in accordance with new developments, and working with gifted children, and using intensive teaching methods, and doing interdisciplinary research which can improve teaching. Therefore, we have changed current master’s degree programmes so that they will comprise a pedagogical module, – commented Elena Sukhanova.
The improved TSU master’s programmes imply research practice in laboratories of international level and teaching practice at several platforms. For teachers there is the Center for the Development of Modern Children’s Competences based in TSU, Tomsk “Kvantorium”, and leading universities in Russia and abroad.
To date, the major of chemistry was chosen by one person from among those who already work with children, geography, biology, and physics – by two people each, history, linguistics, computer science, and physical education – by three people each, four people went to mathematics, five – to philology, and eight people – to psychology.
– Some of those who have applied for admission to master's degree in these programmes work at school, already having TSU diplomas. Now they want to receive new competences, therefore, having learned about additional opportunities for teachers while studying at TSU, they decided to continue their study, – added Anna Korshunova.
Applications from teachers are going to be received until August 14 in the admission committees of faculties and educational institutions of TSU.