The structure and characteristics of the formation of professional competence of engineers

Abstract

The main components of professional competence of material science engineers have been defined in the article. Despite the existence of numerous publications which justifies the actuality of this issue, the conception of professional competence formation, establishment of its structure still requires additional researches.
Research methods are the following: theoretical ones which are an analysis of scientific and methodical literature, educational-normative and law documents;
generalization, classification, analogy, prognostication, planning are used to make conclusions; empiric ones are questioning, supervision, self-rating, conversations
with students and teachers, discussions; methods of mathematical statistics used to interpret research results, establishment of their authenticity (Pearson Correlation Coefficient).
Professional competence is considered as a generic and integrated ability to deliver a sustainable effective performance (including problem solving, realizing innovation, and creating transformation) in a certain professional domain. The structure of professional competence includes universal, general, general professional, technological, functional and personal components. The indexes for each of the components have been determined. The results of a survey of teachers’ and students’ professional competence structure have been represented.
The results of the conducted questioning illustrate substantial differences in the views of teachers and students as for their mutual educational activity.
Statistical divergences of the results have been evaluated using Pierson’s Coefficient χ2. The results of research will be taken into account in creating the curriculum, updating educational program and introducing innovative methods and forms of learning. The components of professional competence, outlined in work, allow to determine the strategy of educational process. Further researches will be aimed at
the development of methodologies and approbation of diagnostics of students’
professional competence and formation of components.