Educational Strategemes in the Design of Supplementary Professional Teacher Education Programs: Setting the Priorities

Abstract

A survey of 436 young teachers from 18 federal subjects of the Russian Federation who started their teaching careers between 2015 and 2017, 72 school principals, 96 deputy headmasters for curriculum and discipline, and 64 experts from regional and municipal methodological agencies has revealed the most essential downsides of teacher education. Young teachers reported first of all to be lacking soft skills and practical knowledge in psychology as well as being unprepared for classroom realities; they also complained about the lack of practice and variety in teacher training programs. School principals believe that new teacherslack subject-specific knowledge, have gaps in their knowledge of practical teaching methods, and find themselves unprepared for teacher’s routine obligations (filling out gradebooks, making lesson plans, etc.). Methodologists point out the lack of knowledge of children’s age characteristics, poorly-developed didactic competencies, and an inability to work with components of learning and teaching support kits among young teachers. The data obtained is used to develop a number of promising avenues for the design of supplementary professional education programs as tools to increase teachers’ levels of expertise, i. e. the strategemes of humanities education, lifelong learning, and personification.