Elective courses “Educational Practice and” and “Industrial Practice” as the means of development of professional competences of school students

Abstract

The subject of this research is the educational-methodological support and organizational-pedagogical conditions for integration of vocational education in the discipline “Horticulturist” in a public school. Research methodology is based on the fusion of theoretical and empirical approaches with application of the methods of analysis, pedagogical engineering, pedagogical experiment, testing, survey, generalization, comparison, synthesis. The relevance of this study is defined by the importance of preparing citizens (counting public school graduates) for professional self-determination and choice of profession, need for development of the corresponding pedagogical conditions, including vocational education in the disciplines “Horticulturist”. This article considers elective courses of educational and industrial practices as the effective means of formation of professional competences of school students. The conducted research demonstrated that completion of educational and industrial practices indicates an increase in the level of formedness of professional competences among students. Comparative analysis of the results of 2018 and 2020 monitoring “Employment of Graduates” illustrated 100% better preparedness of the graduates of 2020 who took elective courses. The scientific novelty relies on the empirical data and formulated conclusions that the considered innovative approach towards modification of public education curriculum through integration with the program of vocational education contribute to achievement of  not only standard educational results (personal, metasubject and subject), but also to formation of professional competences useful for selection of future profession and employment.