The need for developing the open nonlinear system of higher education is caused by the structural uncertainty of educational processes, chaotic aspirations of trainees and other disorganizing factors. Such complicated phenomena demanding a new conceptual approach are difficult to explain and manage in the framework of classical pedagogy. In author’s opinion, the conceptual apparatus of synergetics can be used as an instrument for modeling and designing the coherent interaction of subjects in the higher school educational process. The author specifies some categories such as self-organization of the system – a process or number of processes facilitating its self-formation, self-restoration and self-modification.

The paper presents the research data concerning the pedagogic content of the main synergetic concepts. A comparative analysis of the essence and structure of traditional (linear) and nonlinear educational process was carried out emphasizing such components as educational goals, content, forms, organizational methods, teaching resources, specifics and content of the teachers and trainees’ activities.

The research findings can be used in developing the educational model adapting to the changing socio-cultural environment. 

The paper analyzes educational standards as the key concept of modern education; their interrelation with the national qualifications system and professional standards being considered. The authors denote the reasons for changing the conceptual approach to the standard developments, and demonstrate the possible ways of educational quality assurance.

Diversification and mobility of the modern qualifications along with the fast technological changes affects the educational content and knowledge acquisition, and requires the variable and flexible educational  curricula and management. The global development trends, concerning the educational quality standards, involve their orientation on the learning outcomes, which should be taken into account while developing the Federal State Educational Standards of the fourth generation. The authors reveal the structure of the future standard, outline its implementation stages, and demonstrate the mechanism guaranteeing the regulatory legal provision of professional education. 

Whereas the competence approach has been implemented in the higher and secondary vocational educational establishments in CIS countries, its introduction to the school education is still lagging behind. Mean-while, in the school practice, there is an urgent need for the competence approach propagation intended to overcome the gaps between the national and European educational systems and develop the lifelong learning attitude.

The paper presents the survey results targeting school teachers and concerning the competence approach implementation in schools of Kazakhstan. Teachers of different subjects with various records of service, and representing both the town and village schools were questioned. The survey reveals the main reasons for teachers’ negative attitude to competence-based ideas. In this context, the author recommends overcoming the identified adverse stereotypes by sensible combination of traditions and innovations.

The paper outlines the main aspects to be considered while developing the tools for implementing the competence-based approach to school education, and gives a definition of the cognitive competence regarding it as an important characteristic of a school leaver. 

The paper deals with the theory and practice of social audit of the municipal system of general education. The authors have developed a conceptual model of social audit to accurately identify both the short- and long-term development prospects of the given system. The paper describes the social audit procedures in Berezovsky municipal district of Sverdlovsk region including four stages: the content analysis of municipal documents concerning the development strategy of the general education system, diagnosis of the current conditions and problems, effectiveness evaluation of the municipal system of general education, and practical  recommendations for improving the education quality. The above mentioned audit demonstrates that the indices of education development are unsystematically tracked, obstructing therefore the adjustment process. To solve the given problems the following measures are recommended: personnel policy development, creating the regional managerial reserve and organizing management workshops, informing the teachers about the modern educational tools, and updating the municipal program of the «Educational System Development of Berezovsky Municipal District for 20011–20015». However, the above suggestions target only the current problems disregarding the challenges of tomorrow which require the advancing strategy. In authors’ opinion, the main emphasis should be re-placed on the quality improvement of the municipal educational services instead of the infrastructure reinforcement. 

The paper is devoted to the research and education network management regarded by the author as a dynamic set of interrelated agents – scientific, educational, social and cultural institutions including their units and creative teams, as well as innovative infrastructure elements and industrial enterprises anxious about educational system developments. The given network operates as a virtual organization and implements the innovative projects in educational sphere with the efficient objective coordination and resource integration achieved by creating the nationwide informational environment, which results both in collective intellectual property developments in the given sphere and the rise of the external effect.

The author considers the essence of systematic synergetic approach applied to the educational system management, and observes the work experience of the research and education network of innovative educational institutions in the Ural region. The paper specifies the transition of educational institutions to the self-development mode on the principle of transparency and diversity. In this regard, the key network characteristics include: the expanding informational educational environment that makes it possible to describe the variety of horizontal and vertical interactions within the network; information that reveals the content of interactions in question; and the time demonstrating the logic of the network development. The main implementation outcomes of the innovative educational projects within the given network include fostering the academic staff’s innovative behavior and capability to operate effectively in situations of uncertainty. 

The research subject concerns the discrete mathematics teaching - a fundamental aspect of training the future teachers of mathematics and computer science. This field of mathematics has had the priority in various practical applications since 1970s and till our days. The paper outlines the model of pedagogical mathematical education including the following disciplines: mathematical logic, discrete mathematics and algorithm theory. The given model is developed for three educational  levels: general education, in-depth bachelor course and post-graduate course,  and is based on the comprehensive analysis of mathematical logic and discrete mathematical ideas and methods incorporated in the school course of mathematics and computer science.

The recommended model can be taken as the methodology basis for developing educational plans and curricula for pedagogical higher schools and departments of classical universities to provide the graduates with the application tool of discrete mathematics. 

The paper emphasizes the relevance of the axiological approach to managerial activities based on identification of key values meaningful for the heads of educational establishments. From the above standpoint the author analyzes the classification of values by Plato, Aristotle, D. Hume, I. Kant, H. Rickert, N. Lossky and other thinkers, and puts forward the four-level hierarchy of managerial values that involves the following successive levels: recourse values; procedural values; work values, efficiency and effectiveness; and human, social and organizational values. The results of retrospective analysis are extrapolated to the activity  of educational establishments wherein the values of educational management are regarded as social values. The range of the given values might differ depending on cultural, social and other peculiarities that should be taken into consideration by heads of educational establishments. The above distinctions lead to the different role evaluation of the natural environment, social institutions, personal rights and freedoms, as well as traditions and innovations in developing the social organizations. 

The paper demonstrates the sociological research findings concerning the students’ ideas of creativity based on the questionnaires and testing of the students of the natural science, humanities and technical profiles at Siberian Federal University over the period of 2007-2011.

The author suggests a new method of semantic association analysis in order to identify the latent groups of notions related to the concept of creativity. The range of students’ common opinions demonstrate the obvious trend for humanizing the idea of creativity, considering  it as the perfect mode of human existence, which coincide with the ideas of K. Rogers, A. Maslow and other scholars. Today’s students associate creativity primarily with pleasure, self-development, self-expression, inspiration, improvisation, spontaneity; and the resulting semantic complex incorporates such characteristics of creative work as goodness, abundance of energy, integrity, health, freedom and independence, self-development and spirituality.

The obtained data prove the importance of the inspiration experience in creative pedagogy; the research outcomes along with the continuing monitoring of students attitude to creativity development can optimize the learning process. The author emphasizes the necessity of introducing some special courses, based on the integral approach (including social, philosophical, psychological, psycho-social and technical aspects), and aimed at developing students’ creative competence. 

The paper looks at the problem of social security and emphasizes the urgent need for developing the general theory of social security, its concepts and models designed to meet the requirements of time and specify different aspects and levels of socialization process – federal, regional and municipal. The author regards actualization of teenagers’ life experience as a promising direction for exploring the opportunities for creating the safe social environment.

The individual socio-psychological functioning is delineated as a multilevel correlation of internal and external human resources used for resolving difficult situations. According to the author, the prompt mobilization of internal resources of a teenager, training the ability to apply the external resources for solving the problem and developing the safe behavior can improve the quality of life in the modern society. Along with the risks of modern information society, the author emphasizes a number of dangerous social trends: disruption of social institutions, ifantilization of education, distortion of historical cultural channels, and devaluation of the collectivism idea.

In author’s opinion, teenagers should get some special knowledge and individual training to develop the skills of safe behavior in actual situations; and the prospects of the modern society considerably depend on the above procedures. 

The paper considers various concepts of the game phenomenon based on the retrospective analysis of different epochs and relating viewpoints of philosophers, cultural workers and pedagogues; and emphasizes the link between the game genesis and evolution on the  one hand and the changes in the mythology, religious and secular customs, traditions and rituals on the other hand. The author refers to Plato, Aristotle, and Heraclites – the ancient philosophers emphasizing the educational, ethical and aesthetic values of the game. The critical and controversial position of the Middle Age Church is reviewed along with the summarized ideas of pedagogues and thinkers of the Renaissance and the age of Enlightenment, all of them recognizing the universal character of game, its versatile influence on the child’s personal development.

Philosophical, culturological and pedagogical game concepts developed in different ages prove that the game is a creative instrument and powerful channel for familiarizing children with knowledge, practical experience and mental activity. The game, being a symbolic model of the surrounding world, can be used to the full capacity if the teacher is competent in the game modeling and interactions, ready for improving the game technique, directing and organizing the game environment. Only then, in author’s opinion, the game can turn into one of the key factors of pupils’ individuality formation and harmonious development.