Designing and implementing individual learning routes for mathematics teachers to overcome professional deficiency

Abstract

Introduction. In recent years, the problem of staffing mechanisms in the field of education has been actively discussed in the global community. Teachers are required to restructure their professional position with regard for modern demands of the society and the state, to improve their skills in designing the content of education. The latter is implemented through professional development of teachers as well as creation of personalised trajectories for the development of professional competencies. The purpose of the study is to describe a scientifically grounded approach to designing individual educational routes for mathematics teachers, aimed at overcoming the existing professional deficiency and creating due conditions for their realisation. Methodology and methods. The research involved 103 teachers of mathematics of mainstream educational institutions of Krasnoyarsk and Krasnoyarsk region, Russian Federation, aged below 35, having work experience in their profession of at least one year. Open observation of the teachers’ work, interviewing and online survey was used; in addition, the results of the final state certification of 9th and 11th-year pupils of the region were taken into account. The statistical analysis of the results was made using the Pearson’s chi-squared test. Results. The model of individual educational route of mathematics teachers, aimed to overcome professional deficiency, was designed and implemented according to the following stages: identification of teachers’ subject-specific and methodological deficiency; development of technology for design of individual educational route to overcome teachers’ professional deficiency; presentation of action plan for individual educational routes. The results of subsequent diagnostic work of mathematics teachers who took part in the study showed a statistically significant increase in the performance level in all parameters (p < 0.05). Conclusion. The proposed scientifically grounded approach to the design of individual educational routes makes it possible to eliminate a number of professional deficiency features characterising the work of mathematics teachers. The realisation of the author’s algorithm for designing the route contributes to professional development of a teacher. The research materials can serve as a basis for the development of personalised individual routes for teachers of any professional profile.