PROJECT ACTIVITY AS A MEANS
OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF FUTURE
PHILOLOGISTS
Guzel A. Izmaylova
Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia.
Leilya R. Mukhametzyanova
Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia.
Natalia V. Konopleva
Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia.
Natalia V. Gorbunova
V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University
E-mail: guzel.gulyusa@mail.ru
Recepción: 05/08/2019 Aceptación: 09/09/2019 Publicación: 23/10/2019
Citación sugerida:
Izmaylova, G.A., Mukhametzyanova, L.R., Konopleva, N.V. y Gorbunova, N.V. (2019).
Project activity as a means of improving the quality of professional training of future
philologists. 3C TIC. Cuadernos de desarrollo aplicados a las TIC. Edición Especial, Octubre 2019,
164-179. doi: https://doi.org/10.17993/3ctic.2019.83-2.164-179
Suggested citation:
Izmaylova, G.A., Mukhametzyanova, L.R., Konopleva, N.V. & Gorbunova, N.V. (2019).
Project activity as a means of improving the quality of professional training of future
philologists. 3C TIC. Cuadernos de desarrollo aplicados a las TIC. Special Issue, October 2019,
164-179. doi: https://doi.org/10.17993/3ctic.2019.83-2.164-179
3C TIC. Cuadernos de desarrollo aplicados a las TIC. ISSN: 2254-6529
166
ABSTRACT
In the context of modernization of education and digitalization of society,
one of the socially signicant areas implemented in educational institutions of
higher education is pedagogical design. The urgency of the problem is due to
the social order of the society for the training of highly qualied specialists with
critical design thinking, ready to solve professional problems of any level of
complexity; the increased interest of scientists in the development of theoretical
and methodological foundations of pedagogical design, on the one hand, and
the lack of development of mechanisms for its practical implementation in
higher education, methodological support tools for its implementation on the
other. Students should select texts based on the language of their future specialty,
make assignments for the consolidation of the passed terminology (Erofeeva &
Yusupova, 2018). The design background goes back to antiquity. Plato in the works
“State” and “Laws” proposes and discusses the project “ideal state”. Speaking as
a practitioner of state building, Plato proposes to rst build a state mentally, which
is one of the rst prerequisites for design. Scientic understanding of the process
and results of design as a special activity began at the turn of 20-21
st
centuries,
which was characterized by the presence of reection and design activities, the
emergence of project terminology.
KEYWORDS
Project activities, Professional training, Future philologists, Pedagogical design,
Methodological support.
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1. INTRODUCTION
The idea of the project method, put forward by the American teacher John
Dewey, appeared in Russia as a “brigade method”, however, not nding support,
“immigrated” to the United States. The idea of project learning, which arose in
the early 20
th
century (Kilpatrik, 1925a, 1925b). Having become widespread and
popular in schools in the US, UK, Belgium, Israel, Finland, Germany, Italy, the
Netherlands, it has not been adequately reected in Russia.
One of the advantages of project training is a rational combination of theoretical
knowledge with their practical application to solve specic environmental
problems in joint activities (Kudryavtsev, 1925).
In the modern system of higher education, there are three approaches to learning:
• In the rst approach, the teacher determines what the student must learn,
what knowledge and skills he must acquire. Training at this level is easy to
control. This approach is most common. The key role is given to the “good
lecturer”. The result of training depends mainly on the preparedness and
qualication of the trainee, while the position of the trainee as the subject
of training is passive;
• The second approach is thematic: knowledge is acquired in the study of
a specic topic within the framework of the educational subject. This
approach is mainly focused on the interests of students and allows to
establish links between previously studied areas of knowledge and new
material. When working with the selected topic, the learner is more active;
• The third approach is problem-oriented, organized as a project. In
this approach, students nd a solution to the problem in the process of
consideration and discussion of dierent points of view on the selected
topic. The trainee is in the most active position (Šeškauskienė et al., 2011;
Kheirabadi & Mirzaei, 2019; Kashisaz & Mobarak, 2018).
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2. METHODS
The willingness of teenagers to implement the idea through modern computer
technologies and the ability to independently select and use art materials,
techniques and their combinations according to the subject and the design task
have noticeably increased (Erofeeva & Yusupova, 2018; Eslami & Ahmadi, 2019;
Jabbari, Charbaghi, & Dana, 2019).
In compliance with the purpose and the objects state above, the following research
methods were employed at various stages of the research:
• Empirical: questioning, interviewing, testing, conversation, design;
pedagogical experiment (ascertaining, forming and control stages);
• Methods of mathematical statistics: for quantitative and qualitative analysis of
the results of the pedagogical experiment.
Eective communication, in its turn, is impossible without certain language skills
(Kuzmina et al., 2018).
The pedagogical experiment was being conducted on the base of humanity
and Education Science Academy (branch) in Yalta of V. I. Vernadsky Crimean
Federal University.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This study is aimed at testing the system of work on the preparation of future
philologists for project activities and the use of the project method of training as
a means of improving the quality of training of future philologists. Evaluation of
the initial level of readiness of future philologists for project activities was carried
out using criteria and diagnostic tools. For this purpose, criteria and indicators of
readiness of future philologists for project activities were identied:
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• Motivational criterion with indicators: awareness of the importance of
project activities in the profession of philologist; focus on the active use of
project activities;
• Cognitive criterion with indicators: mastery of an integrated system of
design and modeling knowledge, skills; knowledge of the features of the
application of project activities in the teaching of philological disciplines;
• Operational criteria with indicators: formation of projective skills: search,
communication, methodological, managerial, reective, presentation,
aimed at the creation and implementation of the project; formation of the
ability to develop and present projects.
Based on the selected criteria and indicators, the levels of readiness of future
philologists for project activities were characterized: threshold, productive,
advanced.
To check the formation of the selected criteria and indicators, diagnostic methods
of examination were selected. The selected criteria and indicators were checked
by means of questioning, interviewing future philologists, testing, conversation,
direct project activity.
The results of the ascertaining stage are presented in Table 1.
Table 1. Levels of readiness of future philologists for project activities at the ascertaining stage.
Level Experimental group Control group
Advanced 5,47% 6,32%
Productive 39,63% 38,96%
Threshold 54,9% 54,72%
Analysis of the results of the ascertaining experiment showed that most
respondents had a threshold level: 54.9% in the experimental and 54.72% in the
control groups. At the productive level were 39.63% of the respondents of the
experimental and 38.96% of future philologists of the control groups. Advanced
level detected in 5,47% of future philologists experimental and 6.32 per cent of
the respondents of the control groups.
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The system of work on the preparation of future philologists for project activities
was implemented in three stages, starting from the second year and continuing
to the fourth: motivational and cognitive; procedural and technological;
reexive and creative. The developed system of formation of readiness of future
philologists for project activities was based on the methodological principles of
integrated, system-activity and contextual approaches and was a set of elements:
target, substantive, procedural and evaluative. Selection of means of formation
of readiness of students to project activity was carried out considering specics
and features of their professional activity.
The readiness of future philologists for project activities will be more eective in
creating several pedagogical conditions:
• Activation of cognitive and mental activity of students;
• Creation of a creative atmosphere conducive to sustainable motivation for
design and project activities;
• Practice-oriented nature of the educational process;
• Methodological support of the process of preparation of students of
philological specialties for project activities;
• Professional and reexive self-identication of the future philologist
considering the specics of the project activities.
The system of work provided for the formation of projective skills of future
philologists: search; communicative; methodical; managerial; reective;
presentation.
At the rst, motivational and cognitive stage (the 2
nd
year of learning) the following
tasks were solved: to determine the level of cognitive activity of students; to
acquaint with the essence of project activities; the importance of preparation for
project activities. Eective at this stage were such forms of work as monitoring
the work of teachers of Philology and its analysis in the period of pedagogical
practice, conversations, round table, lectures, trainings.
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The objectives of the procedural and technological stage (the 3
rd
year of learning)
were: to form projective skills; to improve special knowledge in the eld of project
activities and the ability to create their own projects of linguistic orientation. In
order to solve the selected tasks, this stage was aimed at the gradual formation of
such projective skills: the ability to consciously perceive information , the ability
to listen to the interlocutor and analyze information, the ability to conduct a
dialogue (checking the speech and theoretical readiness of students to organize
project activities in the primary school), distribute work among team members
according to their skills (Executive aspect), organize work in a group, predict
the course of events, monitor and evaluate the work of the group (control and
corrective aspect).
The reexive-creative stage (the 4
th
year of learning) of training of future teachers
of philological specialties was aimed at the development, presentation and public
protection of research, information, professional, practice-oriented projects. At
the third stage of work the following tasks were solved: to improve projective
skills, to develop creative potential of the person in the process of preparation of
research, information, professional, practice-oriented projects.
The control stage of the experiment was carried out in order to check the
eectiveness of the work on the preparation of future philologists for project
activities. To this end, future philologists were asked to perform diagnostic
techniques like the tasks of ascertaining experiment: questioning, interviewing,
testing, conversation, direct project activities.
A comparative analysis of the study results for the experimental and control
groups is presented in Table 2.
Table 2. Comparative levels of readiness of future philologists for project activities.
Groups Experimental group Control group
Levels
Ascertaining
experiment
Control
experiment
Ascertaining
experiment
Control
experiment
Advanced 5,47% 20,94% 6,32% 8,96%
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Groups Experimental group Control group
Levels
Ascertaining
experiment
Control
experiment
Ascertaining
experiment
Control
experiment
Productive 39,63% 64,3% 38,96% 42,69%
Threshold 54,9% 14,76% 54,72% 48,35%
As follows from the comparative analysis of the results of experimental work, the
level of readiness of future philologists for project activities was increased. There
have been signicant positive changes in the experimental group. The number
of respondents with advanced (from 5.47% when ascertaining to 20.94% during
the control survey) and productive (from 39.63% during the ascertaining survey
to 64.3% during the control experiment) levels signicantly increased and the
number of future philologists with a threshold level of readiness for project
activities decreased (from 54.9% when ascertaining to 14.76% during the control
survey).
The control group also experienced positive changes, although less signicant.
Thus, the number of respondents with advanced (from 6.32% during the
ascertaining experiment to 8.96% during the control survey) and productive (from
38.96% in the ascertaining experiment to 42.69% during the control experiment)
levels increased and the number of students with a threshold level decreased
slightly (from 54.72% when ascertaining to 48.35% in the control survey).
The pedagogical approach of Roskilde University is based on the idea that the
student will better master the professional training if he starts with the search
and formulation of the problem about interest to him. The formulated problem
should be realized by the group members as real and its solution should be
found within one of the educational cycles chosen by the student: humanitarian,
humanitarian-technological, natural science or social (Berthelsen et al., 1985).
Work on the method of problem-oriented project is based on ve grounds:
1. Problem statement: what is accepted as the main question of the project –
what do you want to explore?
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2. Research objective: why do you want to research this?
3. Empirical base of research: what factual material will be used to solve the
problem?
4. Theoretical basis of the research: within the framework of which theory
will you investigate the selected problem and using what methods?
5. Methods of research: how will you carry out the planned search?
(Papandreou, 1994).
One of the functions of the teacher in the role of project Manager is facilitation of
the educational process. It is important that the teacher can ask problematic and
leading questions, create a friendly atmosphere in the group, a positive attitude
to solving problems, and not a direct guide, devoid of direct hints or prohibitions
(Olsen & Pedersen, 2003; Yepaneshnikov et al., 2017).
Creative activity within the educational project is considered as a combination
of conscious psychological phenomena (synthesis, analysis, comparison, analogy)
and unconscious. The activities under consideration include the following
stages: data search, data study and development of new ones. The author
interprets the educational project as a special didactic regime, as a cognitive
and creative cooperation. The project includes three components: motive,
innovative technologies and creative potential and the following stages: formation
of educational space improvement; model to achieve the goals related to the
creativity of students’ activity; appropriate pedagogical conditions (Ignatieva et
al., 2018; Mailybaev et al, 2018; Nakhaee & Nasrabadi, 2019).
In the article by Reshetnikova (2013), the methods of training the creativity of
future teachers in the process of studying philological disciplines are considered.
The analysis of the literature allowed to identify such methods that are important
for the process of formation of creative potential of students, based on role
and problem-situational problems that aect dierent spheres of personality:
cognitive, emotional, motivated and psychological.
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Modern philologist should not only transfer the experience of previous generations
to new generations, but also to form an appropriate level of language learning,
the desire for constant updating of knowledge, skills of self-education in the eld
of foreign language, be ready to interact in a foreign language environment,
using active teaching methods. This is provided by mastering the knowledge and
skills of using interactive technologies in professional activities, which are a set
of interrelated actions that create pedagogical conditions, the implementation of
which ensures the formation of the studied phenomenon (Lypchanko-Kovachyk,
2017).
Interest in project work and its integration into second and foreign language
learning is growing worldwide. The project work leads to the purposeful use
of language, as it requires the personal participation of students: from the very
beginning of the project, students, in consultation with their teacher, must decide
“what they will do and how they will do it”. This includes not only the content of
the project, but also the language requirements. Work on the project includes a
variety of skills that focus on the topic of interest, rather than on specic language
tasks (Sheppard & Stoller, 1995).
4. SUMMARY
The specicity of the preparation of future philologists for project activities is
due to the inclusion in the activities of adequate readiness, which is formed (the
ability to “include” in the project, to carry out all stages of project activities,
the ability to overcome psychological barriers during inclusion in the project
activities).
However, at the present stage, schoolchildren are often not able to empathize, they
are inclined to pragmatic reading, to receive information, and only during the
analysis of a ctional work can they understand the depth of the text’s intention
and experience certain emotions (Kayumova et al., 2018).
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The state of the problem of preparing future philologists for project activities in
foreign and domestic pedagogy is studied. In this regard, the project activities of
future philologists are considered as an integrated activity, synthesizing cognitive,
educational, communicative, creative activities, having a common goal, consistent
methods, methods of activity aimed at achieving a common result.
A comparative analysis of the results of the experimental work showed an increase
in the number of respondents with the level of readiness of future philologists of
the experimental group for project activities, where signicant positive changes in
the redistribution of levels were revealed.
5. CONCLUSION
The study does not exhaust all aspects of the problem. The promising areas
of research include: the improvement of didactic and methodological support,
the use of information and communication technologies to prepare future
philologists for project activities; the development of professional mobility of
future philologists.
6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The work is performed according to the Russian Government Program of
Competitive Growth of Kazan Federal University.
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