The paper discusses the present stage of the world educational system development influenced by the fast increasing flow of information and knowledge. The situation requires the adequate pedagogical technologies for compressing the learning information; one of them is the transdisciplinary technology based on the synergetic methodology identifying the order parameters and general conformities of organizing the academic content. The trans-disciplinary technologies incorporate the general laws of evolution, Bohr’s principle of complementarity, fundamental concepts of nonlinearity, fractality, actual and potential infinity, etc. As an illustration to the trans-disciplinary approach, the author analyzes the fundamental methodology principles of Aristotle and Newton’s mechanics. The author points out the equal importance of understanding the asymptotic adequacy principle by students of the natural sciences and humanities profiles; implementation of the trans-disciplinary approach being regarded as a way for the fundamental knowledge acquisition and the world outlook development. The research findings are addressed to the higher school academic staff for theoretical and practical applications

The paper substantiates the need for profile training in mathematical modeling for pedagogical students, caused by the total penetration of mathematics into different sciences, including the humanities; fast development of the information communications technologies; and growing importance of mathematical modeling, combining the informal scientific and formal mathematical languages with the unique opportunities of computer programming. The author singles out the reasons for mastering and using the mathematical apparatus by teaches in every discipline. Indeed, among all the modern mathematical methods and ideas, mathematical modeling retains its priority in all professional spheres. Therefore, the discipline of “Mathematical Modeling” can play an important role in integrating different components of specialists training in various profiles. By mastering the basics of mathematical modeling, students acquire skills of methodological thinking; learn the principles of analysis, synthesis, generalization of ideas and methods in different disciplines and scientific spheres; and achieve general culture competences. In conclusion, the author recommends incorporating the “Methods of Profile Training in Mathematical Modeling” into the pedagogical magistracy curricula. 

The current situation in the higher education requires both the extensive implementation of the new information and communications technologies and transformation of traditional forms and ways of teaching. The author emphasizes the vital necessity of redefining the types, functions, and place of the university lecture in educational process along with the related potentials and advantages. While the mere informative outcome of the lecture is losing its position, the functions related to adjustment, methodology, meaning-building, personal development and moral upbringing are likely to get additional meaning and importance. The author demonstrates the advantages of face-to-face communication between a lecturer and a student; the special emphasis is on the problem-setting lectures implementing the interactive techniques and methods. According to the author, the optimum educational methods and technologies require both the unity and integrity of traditional and modern approaches. The rejection of approbated and recognized methods of interpersonal face-to-face communications can generate the technocratic graduates with a selfish attitude to professional activity and lack of individuality.

The paper looks at the urgent problems of the Russian higher vocational school from a philosophical and social viewpoint, and maintains that its current situation and prospects should be analyzed in the context of complicated social processes and socio-economic reorganizations undertaken at the turn of the 20th – 21st centuries. Facing the cultural crisis, the Russian society requires new cultural, political, economic and social ways out. The research shows that a considerable decline in the specialists’ competence level results from the low education quality requirements and decreasing social status of vocational education. The authors emphasize the culture study aspects of professional activity and regard them as the basis for vocational training quality assurance and professional competence acquisition. In authors’ opinion, the aspect of culture studies remains the most important in the process of liberalization and humanization of vocational education, since the modern culture is an effective instrument of world perfection as well as students’ self-development and self-understanding.

The paper reveals the sociological research findings reflecting the development problems and prospects of theRussianStateVocationalPedagogicalUniversity. A survey, conducted in March 2013, demonstrates positive dynamics of the university prestige, rank and popularity index compared to the year 2003. The academic staff tends to recognize the unique competitive advantages of the given university: status of the Russian higher school and leading vocational pedagogical institution; professional quality of human resources, variety of prestigious specializations, existence of the Educational Methodology Association, Dissertation Board, etc. Although the respondents point out some factors adversely affecting the university image and public opinion, the criticism helps to identify the problematic units and corresponding contradictions of the university development. The research outcomes can provide the background for strategic development programs ofRussianStateVocationalPedagogicalUniversityfor the nearest future; and help to promote the university brand as the leading, dynamic and competitive educational centre at the regional, federal and international levels.

The paper denotes the vital need for the human-centered pro jects of education updates and develops the idea of the culture adequacy raised by Y. V. Larin in «Education in search of the adequacy principle». The author regards culture as a creative basis for upbringing the young generation, and provides the detailed analysis of its semantic content; in his opinion, culture contains neither value neutral nor destructive connotations. The world of culture incorporates the model samples of human subjectivity, based on the main criterion of perfection. By revealing the model samples of cultural heritage to students, a teacher develops their general cultural competences and the related individual, professional and civic qualities. Consequently, the author argues that socio-economic and political problems, including the renovation of social institutions and industrial spheres, can be solved by cultivating and developing the universality and integrity of productive and creative human forces. Additionally, the paper proves the impossibility of separate development of the general cultural and professional competences in educational process. 

The paper is devoted to the problem of professional selfdetermination, which involves selection of and enrolment in a particular educational institution, as well as preparation for a job placement after graduation in the fast changing labor market. Additionally, the authors point out the related complications, caused by deformations in the professional orientation system, and leading to a professional self-identification crisis. The aim of the research is to demonstrate that fostering the competitive university graduates -the priority task of the modern higher school - requires psycho-pedagogical facilitation, and flexible alternative application of available resources of time, content, organization, and technology. However, the necessity to follow the Federal State Educational Standards and other regulatory procedures slows down the higher school’s response to changing realities, and hinders the prompt development of mobile and adaptive educational programs. As an effective tool for solving the problem of professional selfidentification, the author recommends the variational programs of additional education, regarded as an option to the major specialization. The paper discusses the “SchoolofProfessional Success” project, approbated inBashkirskyStatePedagogicalUniversity, based on the competence and person-oriented approaches, and analytical monitoring of students’ requirements for additional skills and knowledge. The above experience can be further extrapolated to different fields of training.

The paper looks at the educational activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Western Siberia from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. The analysis of archival material reflects the foundation, development and evolution of parish schools in Western Siberia; the activity of the eparchy inspectors and parish school boards being outlined. The main emphasis is on the Tomsk eparchy – the regional leader in successful primary school development in Western Siberia. For many Russian citizens then, the parish schools were the only available educational institutions. In Western Siberia, the ascetic enlightening activity of the clergymen had a great impact on raising the literacy level; the process being complicated by the vast territories, remoteness of the settlements, and lack of local schools. The research demonstrates the parallel evolution of the parish and civil education, however, the former one was always ahead in many aspects. The competition between the two systems stimulated new effective educational methods and teacher training processes, and contributed a lot to the Russian primary education development. The paper might be of interest to the experts in education and church history, and local historians

The paper is devoted to the urgent issue of moral personality formation in the framework of the modern education system. Both the society and education specialists are concerned about the unsatisfactory moral education of the growing generation. For solving the problem of moral revival, the author considers the Russian pedagogical heritage – particularly, the philosophical and publicistic works of F. M. Dostoyevsky and L. N. Tolstoy. The paper provides the modern definition of spirituality as the intellectual essence of the human being, based both on the deep knowledge of nature, society, human individuality and humanistic or religious values outweighing the selfish needs. In author’s opinion, the pedagogical concepts developed by Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy are still relevant, being aimed at developing the free personality and addressing the universal human values. The ideas and concepts of the 19th century’s outstanding thinkers perfectly correspond with the currently proclaimed educational content: they define the man as the highest society value; direct all the principles and parenting practices of spiritual and ethic education at creativity development, self-development, and self-improvement; and acknowledge a student’s individuality.

The paper discusses the physical education problems in the context of environmental degradation, uncertainty of socio-economic situation and ideological setting, informational boom, wide spread of the alcohol and drug abuse, etc. As a solution to the problem, the author recommends to propagate the sport lifestyle to university students by creating the proper sports environment; the factors determining the given life style being emphasized, the definition of the university sports environment, its structure and functional system demonstrated. The author describes the theoretical and applied aspects of the environmental approach to physical education based on the constructive interaction and cooperation of teachers and students. The paper considers the sports activity – a semantic core of the approach in question – in terms of the specific sport facilities, behavior regulating rules, and students’ free choice of sport, place and schedules. The conceptual basis of the given approach incorporates the ideas of developmental education and complies with the Federal State Educational Standards. In conclusion, the author demonstrates the changing dynamics of students’ motivation for the mass sports activity resulted from implementation of the environmental approach to physical education at Tumen State University. 

The paper discusses various methods promoting the cognitive activity of secondary school pupils, whose psycho-physical conditions are adversely affected by the changing realities of educational process: its acceleration, growing amount of the required information, increasing number of disciplines, declining moral of the educational environment, etc. The authors emphasize the need for the urgent systematic and complex measures for pupils’ health promotion and working capability restoration with the reference to the age profile and specificity of the particular educational environment. The definitions of the main categories and ways, activating the knowledge acquisition, are given along with the basic groups of methods facilitating the mental activity. They include traditional didactic methods; psycho-emotional methods, used for emotional adjustment and optimization of pupils’ perception; and pharmacological methods for increasing the mental work capacity by means of various medications. In conclusion, the authors demonstrate a project model of the complex method for activating the cognitive abilities of secondary school pupils.