Abstract:

What is becoming important towards the integration of education in the world is the improvement of Master’s programs in Teaching and Learning in accordance with the changing needs of graduates and employers. The objectives and content of graduate programs are specific in different countries. They are defined by the system of modern requirements to graduates as well as and traditional approaches to training of specialists with higher education. In some countries these are Master’s programs which solve the problem of shortage of teachers at schools whereas in others the purpose of Master’s programs is to improve the quality of vocational training of teachers who have completed Bachelor's degree. The formation of a two-tier system of higher education in the field of teaching and learning in Russia highlights the problem of specifics of Bachelor’s and Master’s training and simultaneously their successive combinations. The legislation of the Russian Federation provides an opportunity for bachelors to continue training in Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL) or offers bachelors of other areas of training to study there.

The first experience of MTL in Russia has shown that the highest demand is among graduate students without Bachelor’s education in Teaching and Learning (BTL). This is because the graduates of BTL do not understand the goal of getting the second teaching education. Having Bachelor’s diploma, they have the right to teach at secondary and high school. However, they have expressed the wish for the necessity of Master's programs that implement their needs for professional development (improving their Bachelor’s preparation or providing additional opportunities in teaching and learning). The objectives of the research is, after studying the world experience, to analyze the goals and needs of bachelors in the field of teaching and learning to improve existing and create new in-demand Master’s degree programs. The study involved 109 students of BTL at Kazan Federal University, having the following specializations: "Mathematics and Informatics", "Mathematics and English". The survey of the students has shown that their preferences are connected with the deepening of training in the selected profile. The weak students choose additional areas that give the second speciality. The most attractive area for students is "Mathematical education in the system of specific training". The design of the educational program in this area is important because of the need to prepare teachers for teaching in physics and mathematics lyceums as well as specialized mathematical classes. Constant study of bachelors’ demand in the Master’s training will take into account their views when improving existing and designing new Master's programs in teaching and learning.

Keywords:

Higher pedagogical education, Master’s program, Masters in Teaching and Learning, Bachelor's degree, students’ demand, teachers’ preparation.