Potential of socio-humanitarian disciplines in training future engineers: students’ opinions analyzed

Abstract

Introduction. Higher education is a key factor for societal development; new challenges associated with ultra-fast socio-technological transformations create new demands for professionals, especially in engineering. In addition to knowledge of natural and technical sciences, a modern engineer is to possess a wide range of so-called flexible competencies. In this regard, the issue of how these skills can be developed becomes particularly relevant. In particular, experts in higher education development believe that sociohumanitarian disciplines are indispensable for solving this issue. The study aims to assess the potential of socio-humanitarian disciplines in training future engineers and to outline proposals for optimizing their role in education. Research methods. The study had two stages: a comparative analysis of Russian and foreign research and expert assessments regarding challenges to modern engineering education, and an assessment of the influence that specific disciplines of engineering education have on its quality; a survey-research of 548 students of Saint Petersburg Mining University (Russian Federation). Research methods: survey, comparative analysis, pedagogical consultation. Research results. More than 60% of students positively assess the potential of socio-humanitarian disciplines, considering them essential for the development of a wide range of communication and cognitive skills. At the same time, 60% of students noted that the teaching methods used and the content of work programs do not always meet their expectations. Conclusion. The survey results confirm the opinion of experts that modern technical education is to be more practice-oriented and address current problems of modern society in order to be competitive. Based on the results of the study, proposals were formulated for solving the identified problems in engineering education.