The study presents the theoretical and methodological substantiation of the system of continuous professional training of future navigators in higher maritime educational institutions. It is a consistent and dynamic complex of dialectically linked components (target, content and activity, analysis and results), which together provide conditions for achieving the goals and objectives of training future specialists in navigation and vessel handling at the first (bachelor’s) and second (master’s) levels of higher education in accordance with the requirements of international, state and departmental regulatory documents.
The concept of formation of readiness of future navigators for professional activity based on recognized and proved provisions of pedagogical and psychological sciences, regularities and principles of development of future specialist's personality which are interlinked and structured on methodological, theoretical and technological levels is substantiated.
Pedagogical conditions of formation of readiness of future shipbuilders for professional activity in the system of continuous professional training in higher maritime educational institutions have been grounded.
The technology of formation of readiness of future navigators for professional activity in the system of continuous professional training in higher maritime educational institutions has been developed. It has been proved that this process should be designed in four stages (first – primary, second – advanced training, third – integration of theoretical and practical training, fourth – professional formation). At each stage it is necessary to introduce certain pedagogical conditions. At the same time, for effective formation of readiness of future navigators for professional activity in the conditions of continuous education it is necessary to introduce pedagogical conditions which have a cross-cutting effect, that is throughout all the four stages.
The essence of the concept «the future of navigators’ readiness for professional activity» have been further developed. It is established that the structure of readiness of future navigators for professional activity is a set of motivational (professional motives, interests and needs), value (professional and value orientations), information (general and special knowledge), psychological (moral and psychological, professionally important properties) and operational (professional practical skills and abilities) components.
It has been established that the criteria of formed readiness of future navigators for professional activity are demand-motivating (it serves for diagnostics of the motivational component), value-orientation (it is intended for diagnostics of the value component), cognitive (it is used for diagnostics of the information component), professional-personal (it is used for diagnostics of formed psychological component) and practical (it serves for diagnostics of the operational component). The indicators of each of the criteria serve as indicators for obtaining quantitative (numerical) values and determining the level of mastering professional knowledge, skills and abilities, professional qualities, value orientations.
It is established that the formed readiness of future navigators for professional activity can be manifested at four levels: zero (critical), first (reproductive), second (productive) and third (creative).
As a result of the experimental verification it is proved that formation of readiness of future navigators for professional activity will be effective if this process is carried out on the basis of the author’s concept and system of continuous professional training of future navigators in higher maritime educational institutions.
A prognostic substantiation of the prospects of development of the system of their continuous professional training in higher maritime educational institutions at four levels – national, departmental, at the level of higher education institution and at the departmental methodological level has been carried out.
Educational and methodical support and methodical recommendations to scientific and pedagogical staff on improvement of quality of formation of readiness of future specialists of river and sea transport for professional activity are developed.
Scientific ideas about peculiarities, organizational-pedagogical and didactic bases of professional training of navigators in the countries with developed maritime education; characteristics of levels of formed readiness of future navigators for professional activity; the essence of the concept «continuous professional training of future navigators» have been further developed.
