Postgraduate extent of the education module "Higher education quality and expert support: Ukraine’s movement toward the European union"

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Postgraduate extent of the education module «Higher education quality and expert support: Ukraine's movement toward the European union»

The interest of scholars and of a wide range of educators in training of doctors of philosophy, in particular, in the field of education, has been conditioned by the profound changes in the training of scientific personnel in Ukraine and by a series of urgent problems related to the requirements, structure and content of the scientific research for obtaining PhD degree.

The training of applicants for the PhD degree under new educational and scientific programs has been n progress in Ukraine since September 2016 and during this short period universities and scientific institutions have accumulated some experience in this field. However, as S. Sysoeva and I.Y. Regeylo (2016) note, there arise difficulties in developing the content of educational and scientific programs for training specialists at the third level of higher education, which are due to the lack of higher education standards for each specialty and passports (standards) for new specialties, approved at the state level, under which the training and defense of doctors of philosophy and awarding scientific degrees and academic titles will be done; the uncertainty of the subject field of training doctors of philosophy in the field of education, which cannot be denoted by the contents of doctoral programs (p. 86).

The latter induces a review of the quality of training of PhD degree applicants, monitoring and expert support for the functioning of the educational process. Efficient introduction of internal quality assessment of higher education in institutions of higher education by post-graduate students requires from them theoretical and practical training on quality assurance and expert support in Ukraine based on the experience of the European Union.

Let us note that the problem of maintaining the quality of education in the European educational space is becoming increasingly relevant and is the subject of research by G. Atanasov, P. Kandayeva, K. Vesselinova (the Republic of Bulgaria), J. Kotsutek, J. Maren, K. Venulova (the Czech Republic), G. Bednarchyna, C. Kuppisevych, S. Lewandowski (the Republic of Poland), P. Adina-Petruti, A. Bargulescu, M. Opray (Romania), G. Mattisek, R. Seyma, M. Udom (Estonia) and others. An increasing cohort of domestic scholars is involved in these studies, among them we should mention S. Sysoyeva, I. Sokolova, N. Bat - echko, N. Mospan and others.

At the same time, today scientific sources lack works on the analysis of the training of doctors of philosophy in the field of education and the coverage of the problems related to the quality of the educational process and its expert support.

The purpose of the article is to reveal the main trends in the training of doctors of philosophy in the context of the educational process quality.

Analysis of the main tendencies of studies on training for obtaining a PhD degree in the context of reforming the educational field in Ukraine. Traditionally in Ukraine, back in the days of the Soviet Union, there has been accumulated a considerable experience in the training of scientific staff, in particular in postgraduate training program. Being distinct by certain conservatism, training of young scientists has always been sustainable and has since acquired certain academic traditions. Therefore, the beginning of the preparation of postgraduate students under new educational and scientific programs has become a certain surprise for the scientific community and prompted the search for new vectors for the development of the training of scientific staff in Ukraine.

It should be noted that in the national pedagogical theory the problem of training of highly qualified specialists was disclosed at the methodological level by L. Vakhovsky, S. Goncharenko, O. Sukhomlynsky, as for the tendency of their training in Ukraine in the ХХ - early ХХІ centuries - by I. Regeylo, through various aspects of the comparative analysis of the training of scientists in various foreign countries - V. Lugovy, L. Lobanov, Zh. Talanova, S. Sysoyeva, I. Regeylo, and others.

Foreign scientists also actively research the problems of training of PhD candidates, among which we will distinguish: the methodology of doctoral education (C. Beauchamp, M. Jazvac-Martek, L. McAlpine and others), the influence of globalization processes on doctors training (Ph. Altbach, L. Reisberg), the processes of reforming of doctoral education in the European countries (A. Bitusikova, J. Eggermont, J. Chambaz).

In the conditions of reforming of doctors of philosophy training in Ukraine, Ukrainian scientists are increasingly turning to the experience of scientific staff training in leading universities of the world (S. Sysoyeva, I. Regeylo, 2016), which, in their view, should serve as a methodological guide for the national education sphere, in particular, in the implementation of the Law of Ukraine «On Higher Education» concerning these issues (p. 87).

It should be noted that the attention of the Ukrainian scientific circles is attracted by the experience of those universities in the world that train doctors of philosophy and are on the list of the world's most important brands of higher education institutions, in particular, in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the QS World University Rankings.

Important aspects of scientific research for doctors of philosophy training, in particular in the field of education, are the quality of the educational process of scientific staff training and involving young scientists in this process.

Higher education quality: the experience of the European Union and attempts to implement in Ukraine. The reform of education in Ukraine, implemented in accordance with European standards, priorities and values, requires monitoring and expert support for the functioning of all parts of the education sector. Effective introduction of the internal quality assessment of higher education in higher education institutions by postgraduate students requires from them theoretical and practical training on quality assurance and expert support in Ukraine based on the experience of the European Union.

It is worth noting that the countries of the European Union have accumulated considerable experience in ensuring the quality of higher education, starting from the first half of the 20th century. The idea of creating ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) originates from the European pilot quality assessment of higher education (1994-1995), which demonstrated the value of sharing and developing experience in the field of quality assurance. In accordance with the recommendations of the Council of the European Commission for European Cooperation in Quality Assurance in Higher Education and the Bologna Declaration of 1999, ENQA was founded in 2000 as the European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education for the European Quality Management Collaboration (An Overview of External Quality Assurance Developments within EHEA, 2014).

Instead, in Ukraine, the creation of the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education was envisaged only in 2014 by the updated Law of Ukraine «On Higher Education». In 2015, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a resolution on the establishment of the Agency, which con-tains its Statute. It was expected that the institution will start working in the autumn of 2016. However, at the moment, the Agency is still not functioning.

In one of the points of Article 16 of the Law, it is determined that the system of quality assurance of educational activities of higher education institutions and the quality of higher education provides for the implementation of such procedures and activities as, for example, «ensuring the availability of publicly announced decision criteria in accordance with standards and quality recommendations in the European Higher education, «and also in paragraph 2 of Article 23 it is stated: «independent institutions for assessing and ensuring the quality of higher education can cooperate with the European Association for the Quality Assurance of Higher Education, in particular with the aim of introducing European standards and recommendations for improving the quality of higher education in Ukraine» (Law of Ukraine On Higher Education, 2014).

Despite the positive developments at the legislative level, the realities indicate that the higher education system of Ukraine remains closed, quality requirements are formulated and verified by mainly profile ministries (executors, not real customers of educational services) that do not always correlate with the real needs of the open market. And important players who should guide the participants of the educational process - business, students, national, international public organizations and others - do not participate (even indirectly) in quality assurance procedures, although formally such participation is envisaged. The main task of educational institutions is not to improve one's own quality and efficiency, but the success of formal reporting to state control bodies (The Concept of Quality Assurance in Higher Education of Ukraine, 2014).

The main differences in the formation of Ukrainian and European systems of quality assurance in higher education, which directly determine the quality of education in Ukraine, are as follows: in the EU - development conditions: freedom of choice in the market conditions, in Ukraine - the administrative command system; the main consumer of education in the EU is a student, an employer, in Ukraine - a state mechanism; in the EU the society has accumulated skills and abilities to setting requirements for the quality of education, in Ukraine - skills and adaptations to the demands of the authorities, to distribute budget funds in their favor.

In September-October 2016, in-depth interviews were conducted by CEDOS analysts with 17 members of the Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (the total number is 25 members) (Natsionalne ahentstvo zabezpechennia ya - kosti vyshchoi osvity: choho ochikuiemo vid no - vostvorenoho orhanu, 2016). It should be noted that more than once the Agency members mentioned about the need to borrow the European experience of accreditation: for the organization of the procedure itself, as well as for attracting, training and training experts. Most respondents believe that students, post-graduate students, graduates and employers should take part in assessing the quality of their own university education. By the way, students, in their opinion, should be attracted even more than teachers in all types of assessing the quality of education at their own university, except for bodies for consultations.

Now there is a need to involve not only management, administrative staff, teachers, but also post-graduate students in the evaluation of the quality of education of their own university, the effective implementation of the internal evaluation of the quality of education at the university by postgraduate students, requires a thorough theoretical and practical training on the quality of higher education and expert support for it ensuring taking into account the progressive experience of the EU countries. In addition, postgraduate students as qualified professionals who received a full higher education, basically, already have experience of professional work in various fields. This kind of training allows specialists to use the obtained theoretical knowledge and practical skills in their professional activities and to popularize the best educational practices of the EU among the general public.

The example of the educational module «Higher Education Quality and Expert Support: Ukraine's movement towards the European Union» in attracting post-graduate students to the evaluation of the quality of education. In order to implement effectively the internal assessment of the quality of higher education by postgraduate students in a higher education institution, at Borys Grinchenko Kiev University, there was conducted training with PhD candidates under the educational program «Higher Education Quality and Expert Support: Ukraine's movement towards the European Union».

The purpose of the educational program was to provide theoretical and practical training of future doctors of philosophy (PhD) on quality assurance and its expert support in Ukraine based on the experience of the EU.

Among the objectives of the educational program, it is worthwhile to highlight the following:

1. Acquiring knowledge on the quality assurance in higher education by the future PhD and providing its expert support in the EU member - states.

2. Acquiring the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Higher Education by future PhD.

3. Acquiring technology of expert support of quality assurance in higher education.

4. Promoting the EU experience in quality assurance and its expert support.

Let's focus on the methodology of the educational program. The methodological basis at the philosophical level made the provisions for inextricable link between culture and education; unity of theory and practice. At the level of general scientific methodology - the position of humanization and liberalization of higher education; principles of tolerance, cultural conformity. At the level of specific scientific methodology - conceptual ideas of Comparative Education to analyze the progressive experience of the EU quality assurance. At the technological level - methods of research of quality assurance in higher education and its expert support in the EU member-states.

The methodology for implementing the educational program was considered as the organization of activities aimed at achieving the main objectives of the educational module «Higher Education Quality and Expert Support: Ukraine's movement towards the European Union». The methodology of the project implementation will directly involve holding lectures, seminars and interactive sessions. To carry out the task of mastering the system of knowledge on the issues of education quality assurance and its expert support in the EU countries, we will use such method of teaching as a lecture.

The module provides delivering 30 lectures (60 hours) on the following topics: Quality assurance in higher education and general principles of its security in the EU; The standards and guidelines for quality assurance in higher education in the EU; Methodology of quality assurance in higher education in the EU; Expert activity in higher education in the EU: goals, tasks, content, objects and subjects; Legal principles of quality assurance in higher education: the EU experience; Internal monitoring of quality assurance in higher education in the EU; External monitor of the quality assurance in higher education in the EU; Expertise innovations for quality assurance in higher education; The quality assurance in higher education: the experience of Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Croatia; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Italy; Hungary; Ireland; Lithuania; Netherlands; Poland; Portuguese Republic; Romania; Slovenia; Spain; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

To solidify the knowledge of future doctors of philosophy in quality of higher education and expert support for its provision in the EU countries, as well as to assimilate the basic European standards and recommendations for quality assurance of higher education, 30 lessons (60 hours) are held. Seminars cover the following topics: The quality assurance system of higher education in the EU member states; Implementation of standards for quality assurance in higher education: Ukrainian and European experience; Methods and technology of expert support of quality assurance in higher education; Organizational forms and methods of expertise in higher education; Legislative support of quality assurance in higher education of the EU and Ukraine; The concept of internal monitoring. Goal Objectives; Quality assurance indicators in the EU; Managing the implementation of educational innovation in the EU; The activities of international organizations in the field of Comparative studies on education; Activities of Quality Assurance Agencies of Higher Education in Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Croatia; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Italy; Hungry, Ireland; Lithuania; Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovenia; Spain; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

To implement the task of mastering the technologies of expert support in quality assurance in higher education by future doctors of philosophy (Ph.D.), the module provides for interactive sessions (60 hours), namely: oral journal «Recom - mendations on quality assurance in education: EU experience»; «Criteria and indicators of the effectiveness of the expert's activities for the education quality in the EU countries»; round table «Methods and technologies of expert support of the quality of education in the EU countries»; business game «Court session for consideration of the case on expert opinion on licensing of educational services»; coaching session «Accreditation procedure: EU experience»; case-study «Activity of an accreditation expert», a symposium «Ratings in monitoring studies», a bank of ideas «Indicators of the quality of education in the EU countries», a master class «Examination of training programs», a training marathon «Expertise of innovation for ensuring the quality of education in the EU countries, «the pedagogical workshop» Methodology of Comparative Studies: Parameters of Examination of Educational Systems, Phenomena, Processes «; methodical theater «Ethical code of an expert in the field of education»; debate «University autonomy: the path to quality assurance or lawlessness?»; quiz «Activities of educational quality assurance agencies in Germany»; open microphone «Prospective directions of using the experience of the Nordic countries in ensuring the quality of education in Ukraine»; open microphone «Perspective directions of using the experience of the countries of Southern Europe to ensure the quality of education in Ukraine»; open microphone «Perspective areas of using the experience of Western European countries in ensuring the quality of education in Ukraine»; open microphone «Perspective areas of using the experience of Eastern European countries in ensuring the quality of education in Ukraine»; scientific and practical conference «Ensuring the quality of education in the countries of the European Union» with online broadcasting.

During the lectures, seminars and interactive exercises we use different means of teaching, including: graphic means (drawings, diagrams, maps, presentations); technical (audio and video recordings); teaching materials; PC, SMART board and the Internet.

The subject of lectures, seminars and interactive classes is adjusted on the basis of possible changes in the legislation in the field of education of Ukraine and the EU, as well as in accordance with educational reforms. In addition, we try to adjust the subject according to the needs and requirements of the audience.

In order to fulfill the task of promoting the progressive experience of the EU on the quality of higher education and providing expert support for its provision, we created a website. Also provided is publication in periodicals and cooperation with mass media and media.

Summarizing the carried out studies, it is worth noting the presence of profound changes in the training of scientific staff in Ukraine and a number of pressing problems in this field. Among them we note the absence of the standards of higher education approved at the state level, the uncertainty of the subject field for the preparation of doctors of philosophy. In such conditions, the importance of viewing the quality of training for candidates of an advanced degree, expert support for the functioning of the educational process and attracting young scientists to this process acquires extreme importance.

The example of the implementation of the educational module «Higher Education Quality and Expert Support: Ukraine's movement towards the European Union» was used for demonstration of the need to involve not only management, administrative staff, but also post-graduate students in assessing the quality of education of their own university. Mastering the future scientific materials of lectures, seminars and interactive classes gives them the opportunity to focus not only on the theoretical aspects of the quality of education, but also on their practical application in scientific and pedagogical activities. The materials offered to the post-graduate students will enable them to master the rich European experience of introducing the quality of education into the educational process of the institution of higher education.

Contents of the article reflects only the author's view, the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency and the European Commission are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

References

candidate dissertation postgraduate

1. Zakon Ukrainy «Pro vyshchu osvitu» [Law of Ukraine On Higher Educanion]. Retrieved from http:// zakon0.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1556-18 (ukr).

2. Kontseptsiia zabezpechennia yakosti vyshchoi osvity Ukrainy. Za rezultatamy proektu Tempus «TRUST» «Natsionalna systema zabezpechennia yakosti i vzaiemnoi doviry v systemi vyshchoi osvity Ukrainy» [The Concept of Quality Assurance in Higher Education of Ukraine. According to the results of the Tempus TRUST project, «Natsionalna systema zabezpechennia yakosti i vzaiemnoi doviry v sistemy vyshchoi osvity Ukrainy»] (2014). Retrieved from http://www.cs.jyu.fi/ai/ QA_Concept.pdf (ukr).

3. Natsionalne ahentstvo zabezpechennia yakosti vyshchoi osvity: choho ochikuiemo vid novostvorenoho orhanu [National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education: What do we expect from the newly created body] (2016). Retrieved from http://www.cedos.org.ua/osvita (ukr).

4. Sysoieva, S., Reheilo, I. (2016). Zmist pidhotovky doktoriv filosofii u haluzi osvity v universytetakh SShA [Contents of Doctorate in Philosophy in Education at US Universities]. Pedahohichnyi protses: teoriia i praktyka, 2, 86-93 (ukr).

5. An Overview of External Quality Assurance Developments within EHEA (2014). Retrieved from http:// adm.archimedes.ee/inqaahe/files/2014/05/Melinda-Szabo.pdf 9 (ukr).

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