Experience in Implementing a Practice-Oriented Programme for Retraining Mediators for Education and the Social Sphere

Abstract

The relevance of the present study is confirmed by an order for retraining specialists for education and the social sphere who can act as mediators and form a culture of peaceful conflict resolution in a multicultural environment. The article analyses and highlights employers’ demands for the mediation competence formation among the participants of the educational space of the Krasnoyarsk Krai. In this context, the authors disclose practical aspects of the mediation competence formation in the process of professional training of future mediators and specialists of school mediation services at the federal university. Based on the analysis of specific features of mediators professional activity, the results of a survey of specialists in the social sphere, as well as experience of training students majoring in pedagogy at the federal university, a model of a practice-oriented programme for retraining mediators for education and the social sphere of the Krasnoyarsk Krai has been proposed. The programme is implemented on the basis of the Centre for Mediation in Education of the School of Education, Psychology and Sociology of Siberian Federal University, in the networking between educational organisations and professional communities. The retraining programme considers the needs of the multinational Siberian society and is aimed at solving regional problems in education and the social sphere. The retraining programme is based on the principles of continuity, professional activity supervision, eventfulness of the educational process, professional activity tests, as well as continuity of the results of formal and non-formal education. Future mediators training within the framework of the retraining programme “Mediation. The Psychology of Conflict Management” is carried out according to a modular curriculum, in which the proportion of practical classes is increased, students’ scientific and research activities on the issues of productive communication in a mediation procedure are organised, and professional tests are carried out within the framework of placement practice. To form the applied aspects of the professional competence of future mediators and specialists of school mediation services, representatives of network partners take part in the educational process. The applied aspects of training future mediators and specialists of school mediation services among teachers help to effectively solve professional tasks of organising a conflict-free educational space and contribute to the formation of the culture of productive communication and conflict resolution. The mediation competence formation among the educational process participants was carried out using methods of measuring communicative, information and analytical, organisational and managerial, as well as emotional competences. The study was conducted with the use of Google services in the period of 2019-2020. In total, 333 people took part in the study, including 238 practicing specialists of school mediation services (control group), and 95 master’s students of the School of Education, Psychology and Sociology of Siberian Federal University in Krasnoyarsk and students of the professional retraining programme “Mediation. The Psychology of Conflict Management” (experimental group)