A professionally oriented distance learning course in a foreign language as the basis for the formation of undergraduate students’ research skills

Abstract

Introduction. Nowadays society is in demand for skills required to conduct scientific research using a foreign language, among other things, but the problem is that students do not have well-formed research skills. In addition, the undergraduate curriculum does not provide for a separate learning course for the formation of such skills. The purpose of the study is to theoretically and practically substantiate the effectiveness of the application of a professionally oriented distance learning course in a foreign language to the formation of research skills in university students of non-linguistic degree courses. Materials and methods. The study involved second-year students (N = 34) pursuing a degree in “Pedagogical education” (main subjects “History, Social science subjects (Social science, Geography)”, “History, Social science”) at Bunin Yelets State University. For statistical data processing before and after the experiment, methods of mathematical statistics and Mann–Whitney U test, in particular, were used. Research results. It was revealed that the proposed authors’ course is effective for the formation of research skills in students of non-linguistic degree courses at a university. The data obtained at the control stage of the experiment after training indicate that the level of formation of research skills in students in the experimental group is much higher than in the control group (U = 70; p < 0,01). Conclusion. The data on the methods for the formation of research skills in university students are systematized and summarized; the formation of research skills in undergraduate students of non-linguistic degree courses while implementing the authors’ specialized distance learning course in a foreign language is experimentally verified; the effectiveness of this course for the formation of students’ research skills while working with foreign language material was proved. Keywords: distance learning course, professional orientation, research skills, foreign language, nonlinguistic degree course