Peculiarities of the formation of design competence in future engineer-teachers under conditions of pedagogical practice

Abstract

The article identifies the specific features of the formation of design competence in the engineering educator as a component of overall professional competence.

Design competence is defined as an integral factor in the implementation of research activities by engineering educators and higher education students. This component of professional competence is examined through the content of the Higher Education Standard for Specialty 015 “Vocational Education (by specializations)” and the Professional Standard “Teacher of Vocational Training.” The article explores the process of forming design competence within the space of a higher education institution, relying on activity-based and competency-based approaches. It is established that teaching practice, as a form of professional training in higher education, is grounded in a theoretical framework that supports solving both theoretical and practical tasks related to the professional preparation of modern engineering educators. Researchers have extensively studied various approaches to teaching practice for engineering educators across all levels of pedagogical education. However, there is a notable lack of academic works analyzing and substantiating modern technologies for organizing and conducting teaching practice for future engineering educators in the context of developing design competence. The object of the study is the pedagogical conditions of a higher education institution; the subject is the specific features of developing design competence during teaching practice. The study analyzes both classical works by domestic educators and contemporary publications, which serve as the conceptual basis of the article. It is revealed that teaching practice, as a form of professional education in higher school, is supported by a certain theoretical foundation, enabling the resolution of theoretical and practical issues of training modern engineering educators. The formation of design competence is recognized as one of the key factors contributing to the success of the modern educational process, allowing the integration of research activity into the educational experience of students and into the professional activity of engineering educators. Alongside research competence, design competence is one of the most significant components of the general professional competence of an engineering educator. It is intended to ensure meaningful engagement with and resolution of educational tasks that are predominantly research-oriented. The development of this competence during teaching practice is determined by the nature of the defined goals, tasks, types of activity, and the system of research tasks aimed at effectively fostering the design competence of future engineering educators.