Tereminko L. Forming future software engineering specialists’ readiness for professional mobility

The thesis deals with the urgent research issue of the substantiation, development and experimental verification of the effectiveness of the structural and functional model, psychological and pedagogical conditions for forming future software engineering specialists’ readiness for professional mobility. Pedagogical, psychological and methodological sources on professional mobility, theory and practice of software engineers’ professional training have been analyzed. It was determined that, despite the awareness of domestic and foreign scientists of the need for specialists to form this integrative quality, the problem remained insufficiently solved. The definitions of «professional mobility», «readiness for professional mobility» have been specified. The peculiarities of software engineering specialists’ professional activity and mobility have been considered. The notions of «professional mobility of software engineering specialists» and «readiness for professional mobility of software engineering specialists» have been formulated. The author’s interpretation of the key concept of «readiness for professional mobility of future software engineering specialists» (integrative personality quality, which means the ability to effectively perform tasks in dynamically changing conditions of educational and professional activities, improve educational level and skills, change the field or technology of programming, master a related IT specialty and make professional displacements for effective professional realization) was given. The theoretical background and practical experience of foreign language instruction for developing readiness for professional mobility have been studied. The feasibility of choosing the disciplines «Foreign Language» and «English (for Specific Purposes)» as the means of forming readiness for professional mobility of future software engineering specialists in the process of integration with the disciplines of the cycle of professional and practical training has been proved. The methodical approaches to the formation of software engineering specialists’ readiness for professional mobility based on the interdisciplinary integration of a foreign language and professional disciplines have been proposed. The psychological and pedagogical conditions for forming future software engineering specialists’ readiness for professional mobility at higher educational institutions have been substantiated and determined (development of students’ positive intrinsic motivation for training and future professional activity; synergy of the psychological and pedagogical process of forming readiness for professional mobility of future software engineering specialists due to subject-to-subject interaction of a teacher and students; integration of the content of foreign language and professional training through blended learning, socially and personally, professionally and technically oriented learning of a foreign language; organizing quasi-professional activity of future software engineering specialists using interactive teaching methods and information technologies). The structural and functional model for forming readiness for professional mobility of software engineering specialists in the unity of its components (theoretical and methodological, organizational and design, evaluative and resulting) has been developed for the first time. The structure, criteria and indicators of future software engineering specialists’ readiness for professional mobility have been determined. The three levels (reproductive, productive and creative) of forming readiness for professional mobility have been proposed. The effectiveness of the model and the psychological and pedagogical conditions for forming future software engineering specialists’ readiness for professional mobility has been experimentally confirmed. Manuals «Professional English. Fundamentals of Software Engineering» and «Professional English for IT Students», a practical guide «Professional English. Software Engineering: Theory and Practice», cases for case studies, problem situations for discussion, business and intellectual games, brainstorming tasks for implementation into the professional training process of software engineering specialists at higher educational institutions have been developed.