Formation Of Teachers’ Ict-Competencies In The Field "Computer Science And Mathematics"

Abstract

The article presents the methodical concept of the formation of teachers’ ICT-competences based on two components: the invariant core that reflects the importance of ICT-competence for specialists of any profile, including pedagogical and variation part, including elements significant for specialists in this field, including pedagogical. This will help to: streamline the ideas about ICT-competencies offered by different authors; specify the framework characteristics of ICT-competencies formulated in a number of official documents; organize a science-based educational process of ICT-competencies formation. Since the main, universal human activity is the solution of various tasks it is advisable to establish the stages of problem solving information technology, also universal as the basis of the invariant core of ICT-competence. The content of the invariant core of ICT-competence is defined through the disclosure of the content of each stage according to the three components of ICT-competencies: "knowledge", "skill", "experience". The variable component of ICT-competence, which reflects the features of professional activity, is built on clarification of the stages of information technology for problem solving with special emphasis on symbolic activity. The article emphasizes the increasing influence of ICT on the learning process, and this requires redefining the goals, content, forms and methods of teaching any academic discipline on a new contemporary level, including the system level.

Keywords: Competenceprofessional activity of the teacherstages of solving problems

Introduction

Modern information society of global mass communications has undergone major changes in the content and structure of the professional teacher training, primary school teachers in particular. One of the most important trends of such training is the assimilation of information and communication technologies as an effective tool for professional activities.

It is definitely possible to form a general idea of the current teaching state of the subject "Computer Science and ICT" and the formation of ICT competencies of the subject of education. Under conditions of global informatization of social and informational aspects in the scientific and educational sphere, these ideas are further developed and redefined.

A great deal of research of scientists, methodologists and IT specialists in Russia and in most other countries publications and materials of international conferences (Korotenkov, 2016; Korotenkov, 2014; Kim, Addom & Stanton, 2011; Floridi, 2011; Taylor & Raskin, 2014; Rogers et al., 2012; Allen & Seaman, 2013) emphasizes the increasing influence of ICT on the learning process, and this requires redefining the goals, content, forms and methods of teaching any academic discipline on a new contemporary level, including the system level.

The requirement for systematic training is related to the systemic nature of the surrounding world and is implemented in the process of preparing didactic materials. Its rationale contains two factors:

- the educational material should reflect the system of connections in the surrounding world;

- since the way of reflection depends on the properties of the object being reflected, the cognition process of the learning material must be performed within the system.

Problem Statement

According to the professional teacher standard, a primary school teacher should particularly: "Possess ICT competence which is necessary and sufficient for planning, implementing and evaluating educational work with children of early and preschool age" (Professional standard RF, 2013).

The need for the formation of ICT competence is prompted by the fact that the SES (State Educational Standard) for primary school (as well as for other levels of general education) contains the professional ICT competence of the teacher particularly; work in the information educational environment as a requirement for the educational process.

The professional pedagogical ICT competence in the professional standard of the teacher is in its turn defined as. "Professional pedagogical ICT competence is the qualified implementation of means of ICT common in this professional field in developed countries for solving professional problems where necessary" ... This competence:

- "is based on the UNESCO Recommendations" ICT Competence Framework for Teachers", 2011;

- is expected to be present in all components of the professional standard;

- is identified in the educational process and assessed by experts, basically in the course of monitoring the activities of the teacher and analysis of its fixation in the information environment. "

Thus, the concept of professional pedagogical ICT competence within the professional standard of the teacher is framework based and requires further clarification.

The current established practice of ICT competence forming is generally limited to its technological component. This is due to the fact that ICT - competence is mostly considered as a necessary condition for the activity of the student and teacher in the information educational environment. This understanding of ICT competencies severely limits their significance in achieving personal, cross-curriculum and educational results formulated in SES.

On the other hand, the above components of ICT competencies, on the whole, reflect the point of view of the authors and do not have a motivated internal logic. This leads to the fact that the very concept of ICT competence becomes vague and indefinite, which makes the process of its formation extremely complicated. Furthermore, the structure of ICT competence largely depends on the nature of the professional activity, in our case the activity of the primary school teacher. Under these circumstances, it is very important to single out the invariant core of ICT competence.

Research Questions

Identification through the analysis of psychological pedagogical literature, of the content of information competence as a component of the professional competence of a specialist and determining the invariant core and composition of professionally directed ICT competences of the future teacher on the basis of continuity and consistency principles combination, when various academic disciplines include and require knowledge and skills in the field of ICT means.

Purpose of the Study

The research goal is to define the concept of pedagogical ICT competence of teachers in the subject field ‘Computer science and mathematics”.

Research Methods

The implementation of the principle of consistency involves the mastery of educational material on three levels: reflection; understanding; assimilation.

Teaching computer science (as well as any school subject) consists of a theoretical and practical part and, accordingly, of the study by the subjects of education of the theoretical foundations of computer science as a fundamental science and their study of the application area of informatics (methods and means) which constitute the object of its research. Applied orientation of teaching computer science includes:

• direct immersion of subjects into the information sphere and interaction with objects of this environment, with information systems, resources, technologies;

• learning the theory of informational interaction with information systems, resources, technologies, their content, appropriate methods, algorithms and their computer representations (Abdurazakov, at. al., 2017).

The requirement for the consistency of training is associated with the systemic nature of the surrounding world and is implemented in the process of preparing didactic materials. Its substantiation contains two factors:

• the educational material should reflect the system of connections in the surrounding world;

• since the way of reflection depends on the properties of the object being reflected, the cognition process of the learning material must be performed within the system.

Findings

At present, there is a significant number of works devoted to the analysis of the concepts of ICT competence and the investigation of the ways of their formation (Asmolov, et. al., 2010; Beshenkov, et. al., 2017; Lapchik, 2007; Mindzaeva, 2013; Rakitina, 2002; Henner, 2008; Semenov, 2008; Shutikova, et. al., 2017). Generally, ICT competence is considered as awidening of computer literacy, by including the ability to receive, process, transmit and evaluate information, as well as make decisions based on it, both in terms of the completeness of the source information and in the situation of uncertainty (Floridi, 2011; Minsky, 1982; Rodogno, 2011). At the same time, the means of information technology are actively deployed.

Of particular interest is the study of E.A. Rakitina (2002) which most fully represents all the components of ICT competence:

competence in information and analytical activities: realizing the importance of information at all levels of human life, the ability to take into account and apply the patterns of information processes in various systems;

competence in the field of cognitive activity : realizing the essence of the informational description of reality; knowledge of the basic stages of building an information model of this reality;

competence in the field of communicative activity : realizing the communications characteristics in the modern information society; knowledge of modern means of communication and the most important qualitative and quantitative characteristics of communication channels;

technological competence : comprehension of the essence of the technological process of information processing and transmission; knowledge of the features of modern information and communication technologies; the ability to identify the main stages and operations in the description of the technological process of problem solving;

competence in the field of social activities : realizing the importance of information resources of society and ensuring the information security of a person, state, society.

These components of ICT competence cover a wide range of human information activities, which correlates with the comprehension of the ICT competences laid down in the Federal state educational standard.

Conclusion

According to the A.M. Pyshkalo’s classical scheme, methodical system is an interconnected set of goals, content, methods, forms, teaching aids. The development of each of these elements is performed according to the following methodological principles.

The main goal of teaching is to master the stages of the solution of the problem, which will provide unity in achieving the subject and cross-curriculum results of teaching; i.e. the goal of forming ICT competencies should at the same time contribute to the formation of the UEA and the achievement of substantive results within the chosen subject area.

The content of problems that implement the above stages is retrieved from the subject area "Mathematics and Computer Science", while emphasizing that mathematics and computer science are two subjects that nevertheless have a very similar cross-curriculum component.

The methods of teaching are based on the principle of unity of rational and visual, since visual images play an important role in the formation of the ICT competencies of the primary school teacher and the teaching process in the junior school in general.

Forms of teaching, mostly by games, solving different types of problems, which is typical for the training primary school teachers. Its specific nature lies in the fact that in the process of ICT competences formation, a significant role is assigned to the so called "Semantic" games, where the main actor is the language.

The teaching tools vary wildly, which makes the methodical system an open system.

The implementation of these principles allows to build a training system aimed at the formation of all these components of the teacher's ICT competence.

References

1. Abdurazakov, M.M., Aziyev, R.A.-S., Muhidinov, M.G. (2017). The principles of constructing a methodical system for teaching computer science in general educational school. Espacios. V. 38,  40, pp: 2.
2. Allen, E., Seaman, J. (2013). Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States. Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC. University of Cambridge pp: 42. URL: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED541571.pdf.
3. Asmolov, A.G, Semenov, A.L, Uvarov, A.Yu. (2010). Russian School and New Information Technologies: An Outlook into the Next Decade. Moscow: "NexPrint" Publishing House, pp: 84. [in Rus].
4. Beshenkov, S.A., Shutikova, M.I., Mindzaeva, E.V., Dzamykhov, A.Kh. (2017). Computer Science in a digital society: information - knowledge – technologies. Karachaevsk: KChSU: Publishing house, pp: 134. [in Rus].
5. Beshenkov, S.A., Shutikova, M.I., Mindzaeva, E.V. (2016). From information to convergent technologies. Teacher of the XXI century, 4, pp. 86-93. [in Rus].
6. Floridi, L. (2011). The Informational Nature of Personal Identity. Minds and Machines, 21(4), pp: 549-566.
7. Henner, E.K. (2008). Formation of ICT competence of students and teachers in the system of continuing education. Moscow: Binom, pp: 188. [in Rus].
8. Kim, Y., Addom, B., Stanton, J. (2011). Education for eScience Professionals: Integrating Data Curation and Cyberinfrastructure. International Journal of Digital Curation. Issue 1, Vol. 6, pp. 125-138.
9. Korotenkov, Yu.G. (2016). Training in Informatics and ICT in modern education. Collection of scientific works of the XI international scientific-practical conference "Modern information technologies and it education". Moscow: M.V. Lomonosov MSU, pp: 43-49. [in Rus].
10. Korotenkov Yu.G. (2014). Smart-society and Smart-education. Materials of the X international scientific and practical conference “Trends of modern science 2014”, Sheffield, S Yorkshire, England.
11. Lapchik, M.P. (2007). ICT competence of the teaching staff. Monograph. Omsk: OmGPU, pp: 144. [in Rus].
12. Mindzaeva, E.V. (2013). The course of computer science as a cross-curriculum subject. Metaphysics. 4(10), pp: 101-114. [in Rus].
13. Mindzaeva, E.V. (2013). Development of a general education course in computer science in the context of the formation of the "knowledge society". Computer Science and education. 10, pp:. [in Rus].
14. Minsky, M. (1982). Why people think computers can’t. AI Magazine, Vol. 3, pp: 4.
15. Professional standard. (2013). "Teacher (pedagogical activity in pre-school, primary general, basic general, secondary general education) (educator, teacher)" - Order of the Ministry of Labor of Russia No. 544n of October 18, [in Rus].
16. Rakitina, E.A. (2002). Construction General course of Informatics for the activity based: dis. Doct. of ped. Sciences: 13.00.02. Moscow, pp 48. [in Rus].
17. Rogers, C. et al. (2012). On Becoming an Effective Teacher. London: Routledge, pp: 288.
18. Rodogno, R. (2011). Personal Identity Online. Philosophy & Technology.
19. Semenov, A.L. (2000). The role of information technologies in General secondary education. Moscow: MIPKRO, pp: 34. [in Rus].
20. Semenov, A.L. (2008). Formation of students and teachers ICT competence in the system of continuous education. Moscow: Binom,. pp: 188. [in Rus].
21. Shutikova, M.I., Smith, Peter. (2017). Teach Yourself Logic 2017: A Study Guide., pp: 95. URL: logicmatters.net/tyl/
22. Taylor J. and Raskin V. (2014). Towards a Formal Theory of Social Roles in Cognitive Computing and Cognitive Informatics. International Conference on Cognitive Informatics & Cognitive Computing, pp: 38.
23. Zhuravlev, Yu.I. (2005). Fundamentally mathematical and general cultural aspects of school computer science. Education. 3, pp: 192-200.