Zvarych I. Theoretical and Methodological Basics of Assessment of the Lecturers' Pedagogical Activities at the USA's Higher Educational Institutions (the second half of the XX-th - beginning of the XXI-st century)

The thesis is a study of the problem of the theoretical and methodological basics of assessment of the lecturers' pedagogical activity at the Higher Educational Institutions not only in the USA, but also in Ukraine for the period between the second half of the XX-th - beginning of the XXI-st century. Our study is a profound survey of the main problems of the faculty pedagogical skills assessment at the Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine and USA. The main task of our study was to compare different approaches to the assessment of the pedagogical skills at the Higher Institutions of Ukraine and the USA, and to select the main and progressive approaches which have withstood the time testing and proved to be really efficient. In our study the INTASC, NCATE and NBPTS standards relevant to the pedagogical activities of the USA teachers and professors have been thoroughly considered, requirements to awarding the Master's Degree for the teachers and professors of the higher educational establishments have been analyzed, and the directing guidelines for improvement of the teachers' and professors' pedagogical competence have been highlighted. The essential points of the five principal proposals in regard of awarding the Master's Degree for the right of teaching a subject at a higher educational establishment have been considered. These proposals were worked out by a National Council and highlighted in the NBPTS standards. They include the provisions he the teachers an professors shall be aware of, as well as how those should act in the process of pedagogical activities. The suggested proposals are directed at improvement of the pedagogical competence: lecturers shall teach their students well, the former shall have deep knowledge of the subject being taught and the teaching methods to be used in teaching the subject, systematically analyze the pedagogical activities and achievements as well as the leading experience of their colleagues, constantly improve the individual knowledge and competence, bear responsibility for the organization and assessment of the students' progress in the subject learning or studying.Therefore, teachers' pedagogical competence as being a harmonious combination of all professional features of the teacher or lecturer, his/her experience, knowledge, skills and aptitudes that are fully applied in the educational, organizational, methodological, scholarly and cultural component activities or the educational process, and which are based on high moral and democratic principles of educating and training students, a beneficial culture of communication, a creative scientific pursuit, availability of basis for new progressive ideas and implementation of new educational technologies, personal responsibility for the quality of the educational process and implementation of the authority to define the qualitative level of the students' knowledge and that of the professional level of the teaching professional staff at institutions of higher education.