higher education, focused on training, which will be in demand by the modernised economy in the strategic perspective, is one of the conditions for the implementation of the Decree the President of the Russian Federation of 07 May 2018. In this regard, the importance of an adequate efficiency assessment of the training system in general and in higher education is growing.

Aim. In the context of the initiated discussion on methodological improvement of efficiency assessment of universities, the aims of the present article are the following: to discuss the existing criteria and indicators (proposed by the macroregulator) of the expertise; to justify the inconsistency of such criteria and indicators to obtain real information on the innovative potential and the quality of human potential of graduates.

Methodology and research methods. The research work was carried out on the basis of a systematic approach and inductive research method. To confirm the hypothesis, the method of comparative analysis and the following general scientific methods were applied: analytical review of scientific literature and normative documents, generalisation, comparison and analogy.

Results and scientific novelty. Based on the performance monitoring data, the author presents the results of the evaluation of some universities, recognised as centers of innovation, technological and social development of the regions according to the indicators proposed by the Ministry of Education and Science. The conducted analysis indicates the complexity of the formulation of conclusions regarding the innovative potential of universities due to the incorrectness of the approach proposed by the macro-regulator. The shortcomings of the new project proposed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to assess the effectiveness of universities and their leaders are revealed. It is necessary to revise the methodology applied. When assessing university efficiency, principle focus should be emphasised on: a) identifying the fact and the dynamics of the increment of knowledge and skills of trainees (primarily, the degree of formation of abilities to learn and independently gain new knowledge); b) assessment of the economic component of the human potential of graduates, involving the introduction of indicators, by which it is possible to judge their demand in the labour market. Three measurement control points are proposed: the level of remuneration at the initial stage of career, in five and ten years after graduation. As a basic indicator of the university innovation activity, it is proposed to consider the share of the profits derived from the use of intellectual activity results in the total income of the organisation. In technical universities, this indicator can be used with additional indicators: number of patents per 100 scientific and pedagogical workers; the number of patents per 100 published articles indexed in the world scientometric databases. In order to maximise the potential of in-service teachers, the principles of financing universities should be changed, as well as the target rates should be introduced to attract young scientific and pedagogical personnel.

Practical significance. The research results can be used to improve the methodology for efficiency assessment of universities, as well as to avoid the institutional traps in higher education and science.

Introduction. Nowadays, the modern higher education involves not only advanced theoretical training, but also the formation of practical skills and universal professional skills, which contribute to the development of skills of future specialists and their successful careers. The participation of students in the research work is considered as a special direction of improvement of professional competency and an essential factor of general cultural development of the student’s personality. The research work creates prerequisites for qualitative change of the whole working practice through the acquisition of abilities to act reasonably in working situations, to solve tasks and problems independently and effectively, to assess the results of own work adequately. However, the active inclusion of students in research activities was characterised by the lack of guidelines, which could be used to fill the gaps in research methodology and research procedures. This fully applies to the students of political science specialties and updates the interpretation of research and political science practices.

The aim of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of organisational and technological procedures of complex socio-political applied research, using a specific example of a training model.

Methodology and research methods. The authors used general scientific and special methods and approaches: formalisation, abstraction, comparative analysis, system-based and conceptual approaches, etc. An interview was conducted as the main applied method to diagnose the degree of students’ (bachelor’s and master’s degree students training in the discipline “Political Science” at Ogarev Mordovia State University) interest in research work and their understanding of the importance of practice-oriented learning.

Results and scientific novelty. On the basis of the studentsэ questionnaire responses, the factors characterising the problem situation “Quality of Student Research Work”, are worked out in detail. The survey questionnaire revealed that the research work is perceived by students as a qualification component for obtaining master’s / bachelor’s degrees, but not as an important element of professional development. A good level of theoretical knowledge of the subject area is frequently negated by the low development of practical skills, including due to the unwillingness or lack of opportunity to participate in practice-oriented research. However, the majority of respondents (77.7%) stated that they lack available information sources on the methodology of specific scientific papers with examples in order to indeppendently choose the research strategy and to develop their own professional skills. In this regard, on the example of the topic “Spatial Development of Russia as a Factor of Nation-Building and Formation of National Idea”, a universal programme of political applied research was developed. The programme can be used as a basis for long-term analysis and as a template for other thematic studies. The proposed scheme includes the selection of analysis methods and techniques to maximise the scope of the study area.

Practical significance. The described research methodology can be used in educational practice, when teaching the following disciplines: “Methods and Technologies of Political Science”, “Information and Analytical Work”, “Political Analysis and Forecasting”, etc.

Introduction. In connection with the growth of religious consciousness of young people in Russia, the study of their religious identity is being updated. Scientists pay special attention to Islamic denominations, as both in Western countries and in the Russian Federation, the number of Muslims is increasing. However, scientific publications cover mainly sociological aspects of the problem, and its psychological component remains insufficiently investigated, which largely determines the social behaviour of a person and affects the process of his or her socialisation. In view of the interest shown by the scientific community in Arab-Muslim culture, appropriate psychological research should be carried out in Muslim-dominated regions. The Chechen Republic is one of such territories in the Russian Federation.

The aim is to identify the characteristics and types of religious identity of Chechen students.

Methodology and research methods. The study was performed in the framework of socio-psychological approach using the following questionnaires: “Scale of Religious Orientation” by G. Allport, D. Ross; “Structure of Individual Religiosity” by Y. V. Shcherbatykh; questionnaires developed by A. N. Tatarko and N. M. Lebedeva for the study of certainty and valence of ethnic identity and readiness for interethnic interaction; “Types of Ethnic Identity” by G. U. Soldatova and S. V. Ryzhova.

Results and scientific novelty. It is revealed that the majority of Chechen students are characterised by consistently internal religious orientation, in which religion is the main value and primary motive of activity. Almost a quarter of respondents demonstrated consistently external religious orientation, characterised by instrumental or external significance. A small group of respondents can be classified as inconsistently religious, whose external religiosity prevails over the internal, and their motivation for behaviour is poorly connected with religion. On the basis of the factor analysis, the types of religious identity of Chechen students are revealed: ethno-cultural, true Muslim, formal, pro-social, non-adaptive, nonreligious, ethnocentric and positive ethnic. The present study evidences that the structure of social identity of students is dominated by ethno-cultural religious identity.

Practical significance. The research results extend the knowledge about the content of the concept of “religious identity”, its place in the structure of social identity of the individual, as well as about the relationship of religious orientations with ethnic identity.

Introduction. The intensive development of adaptive information technologies leads to the active inclusion of adolescents with disabilities in Internet communications, expanding the possibilities of their social adaptation. At the same time, the limitation of opportunities for social interaction due to impaired psychophysical development is an additional factor in the uncontrolled involvement of adolescents in Internet communication and the risk of Problematic Internet Usage.

The aim of this research is to study the degree and indicators of Internet addiction among adolescents with disabilities in conjunction with indicators of their social adaptability.

Methodology and research methods. Theoretical and empirical study is based on the provisions of the psychological theory of activity and personality, culturalhistorical theory of L. S. Vygotsky, the ideas of domestic and foreign psychology about addictive behaviour including about risk and factors of Internet addictive behaviour normally developing adolescents and adolescents with disabilities. The study was carried out using empirical methods (questionnaires, psycho-diagnostic methods, survey methods); methods of quantitative analysis of empirical data, including methods of mathematical statistics: comparison of samples by the Mann-Whitney test; correlation analysis using the linear Pearson correlation coefficient. The calculations were performed using the Excel software package and using the SPSS 16.0 software package (Statistical Package for Social Science).

Research results and scientific novelty. The general and specific features of the Internet usage among adolescents with disabilities are identified; personality traits are identified as a prerequisite for the Problematic Internet Usage in this category of adolescents. It has been determined that virtual communication acts for adolescents with disabilities as a kind of adaptation-compensatory resource that allows overcoming communicative difficulties. At the same time, inadequate selfregulation of behaviour makes it difficult for self-control to stay online and thereby increases the risk of the negative impact of interaction on the Internet on their physical and mental state. It is revealed that the personal background of the Problematic Internet Usage has specificity depending on the nature of developmental disorders in adolescents.

Practical significance. The results of the research can be used in the work of a psychologist and a teacher for the diagnosis, prevention and correction of Internet addiction by adolescents with disabilities.

Introduction. In modern Russian science, there is a contradiction between the need for workforce rejuvenation and the orientation of the existing system on established scientists, whose interest in conducting breakthrough research has been weakened. Most promising young researchers are deprived of the freedom to independently choose the field of application of their abilities; also, scientists do not have access to resources to solve complex innovative problems and cannot directly represent the products of their work to those people, who may need them. As a rule, young scientists’ research interests are usually limited by the agenda dictated by scientific supervisors; the list of grant contests available for participation is extremely small; formalised requirements of postgraduate studies and thesis defence are conservative and full of outdated rules. In particular, all the above-mentioned problems are evident in the regions.

The aim of the work is to highlight young scientists’ (e.g. employees of provincial scientific and educational organisations) motivational factors influencing the research on relevant topics and conditions for success in such research activities.

Methodology and research methods. The methodological framework is based on the systemic approach, which involves a comparative analysis method and a hypothetical-deductive method. The empirical material was collected through questionnaire and expert surveys. The cluster sampling involved 148 young scientists (Doctors of Sciences under 40 years old, Candidates of Sciences under 35 years old, postgraduate students and researchers without a degree under 30 years old). In-depth interviews were conducted with the most successful respondents (N = 20) to comprehensively assess the factors of their professional activity, since it is the leaders, who primarily determine the effectiveness of functioning system.

Results and scientific novelty. The motivation of a young scientist is considered as a key factor in the productivity of his or her research behaviour, which, in turn, depends on the needs of the individual and the degree of his or her satisfaction with self-realisation in the process of targeted scientific search. The authors formulated a number of hypotheses regarding the motivation of young scientists and the reasons for the decreased scientific activity in recent years based on the analysis of statistics on the state and dynamics of research activities in Russia as a whole, in regions and in individual institutions; on the comparative indicators of such activity and the benchmarking of its best practices beforehand, in the course of the pilot study (in February-March 2018). The authors developed and validated survey tools in order to test the assumptions and to check the final list of assumptions, which included a questionnaire and a list of expert assessments. The generalisation of results based on the questionnaire and the interviews of young researchers made it possible to specify their motivational features and to identify the structural core. There is a clear discrepancy between the desire of respondents to engage in research and the opportunities provided at the state and regional levels, and in the scientific and educational organisations. Traditional support mechanisms for young scientists do not allow using their research and personal potential adequately. The lack of due attention to young scientific personnel will have long-term negative consequences not only for the Russian science, but also for the entire production and economic sector of the country.

Practical significance. The proposals and recommendations are made to adjust the management of research activities in the regions and to revise the research policy in order to implement the Strategy of Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation.

Introduction. In recent years, serious changes in the Russian system of preschool education have been observed. These changes are connected not only with the relevant updating of the educational content and introduction of new teaching forms and methods, but also with the need to improve the parents’ psychological and pedagogical culture in the questions of upbringing and education of children. In this regard, it is reasonable to consider the possibilities of social partnership between the family and the preschool educational organisation, the potential of which is currently not fully elicited.

The aim of the present article is to present the original technique for the development of basic (core) competencies of preschool educators and parents through social partnership between a family and a pre-school educational organisation.

Methodology and research methods. While developing the technique, the basic provisions of competency-based, humanistic, system-based and qualimetric approaches were taken into account, thus allowing the authors to implement the principles of individualisation, cooperation and self-organisation. When identifying and evaluating the level of the development of preschool educators’ and parents’ basic competencies, the method of group expert assessments was used as the main research toolkit. In order to organise and support the development of basic competencies, the authors used case study method, implying practical tasks, discussions and professional simulation games.

Results and scientific novelty. Social partnership is considered as the most productive form of relations between the specialists of pedagogical sphere and parents, who are experts in upbringing and understanding of the child. Voluntary and long-term cooperation, based on trust, recognition of mutual responsibility, common goals and values, provides a wide range of opportunities to increase the psychological and pedagogical competency of parents and contributes to the professional growth of the teaching staff of the preschool educational organisation. The authors designed a “reference” thesaurus, which is a hierarchical set of interrelated competencies, needed by each member of the interaction for the full development of a young child. Taking into account the members’ individual educational demands and needs, the stages of social partnership are identified: members of pre-school families – in qualified professional assistance and support; children − in educated parents; teachers – in information on the peculiarities of behaviour of pupils outside the preschool educational organisation. The algorithm of formation of basic competencies of teachers and parents of pre-school children was developed and tested in the course of the experiment.

Practical significance. The proposed technique can be used for developing social partnership in other pre-school educational organisations, as well as in the system of advanced training for pre-school teachers and in the preparation for their certification as a guidance material, demonstrating the ways of solving the problems, specified in the Federal State Educational Standard of preschool education.

Introduction. Secondary schools are the only social institution through which the entire child population passes. This suggests that the general education system is the most important link in the socialisation of an individual, where a health culture is formed among other values. Currently, in Russian and foreign pedagogical science and practice, there are various models for organisation of the activities of educational institutions in the formation of a health culture of students. However, individual institutions often require more strength and capacity to achieve the desired outcome.

The aim of the research is to substantiate the theoretical and methodological foundations of the integration of resources and capabilities of various social institutions in the context of their cluster interaction within the regional educational space in order to form a culture of students’ health.

Methodology and research methods. In the course of the research, the multilevel concept of methodological knowledge is used. At the philosophical level, the axiological approach, which is of particular importance in the conditions of protecting the health of the younger generation, is taken as a fundamental one, since health is a universal (highest) human value and the main value orientation of the personality (A. Maslow), which determines the healthy and full development of the individual. The general scientific level is represented by a system-interactionist approach, which is a correlation of systemacity and interaction. The system component of the approach involves the consideration of the object (organisation, pedagogical system, educational space, etc.) not as a simple sum of any separate components, but as a single functional whole that has its own qualities distinguishable from the qualities of its individual parts. The interactionist component of the approach involves solving a pedagogical problem through the influence, communication, transition, development of various objects under the influence of mutual actions on each other, on other objects. The specific scientific level includes an integrative approach, involving the implementation of the educational process in educational organisations based on the use of resources of all members of educational activity. The technological level allows for phased planning, sequentially solving tasks and interpreting the results. The administrative and managerial aspect of the technological level is represented by a cluster approach, and the psychological and pedagogical one is represented by a personal-activity one. To achieve this goal, the following generally accepted research methods were used: conceptual-terminological and theoretical-methodological analysis, comparison, interpretation, theoretical modeling, generalisation, formative pedagogical experiment.

Results and scientific novelty. The concepts of “regional educational space” and “cluster on the formation of a health culture of students in the regional educational space” were defined. Theoretical and methodological foundations for the integration of resources and capabilities of various social institutions in the context of their cluster interaction within the regional educational space with the aim of creating a health culture for students have been developed and described. Structural functional model and process flow chart of such interaction have been constructed.

Practical significance. The results of the research create the prerequisites for a systematisation of the activities of specialists in the field of education, other social institutions and local executive authorities in the creation and development of regional clusters in the interests of protecting the health of the younger generation.