PhD, Associate Professor E.Ya. Mikhailova¹
Dr. Hab., Associate Professor N.G. Zakrevskaya¹
Dr. Hab., Associate Professor E.V. Utisheva¹
Dr. Hab., Associate Professor R.N. Apoyko^1
1Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health, St. Petersburg

Keywords: magistracy, multilevel education system, academic mobility, occupational mobility, vocational education, physical education and sports, specialist training.

Background. The topic analyzed herein is in a growing priority due to the academic physical education and sport specialist training service development challenges in the context of the ongoing reforms of the national education system on the whole. The study makes a special emphasis on the magistracy progress trends in the physical education and sport specialist training system.

It was in the 1990s that magistracy was reinstated in the national multilevel academic educational system closely mimicking the classical university model – that historically combines theoretical and practical education with a research project activity [1, 2]. Bachelor in this model will continue studies in the relevant magistracy as required by his/her background education, with the studies crowned by a PhD dissertation and exams. One of the fundamental provisions of this model is that magistracy trains teachers for the higher education system, with the students expected to developed interests in and competences and skills for the relevant research projects viewed as an essential component of their academic service at universities.

A few recent decisions made by the relevant governmental agencies have changed the mission and role of magistracy in the research/ teaching specialist training system, including the physical education and sport specialist training one. In addition to its bachelor and research specialist training responsibilities, magistracy now provides a professional retraining service, with the trainees, upon two years of studies, certified for the professional service that may totally differ from their bachelor background.

Objective of the study was to analyze the modern magistracy progress trends in the academic physical education and sport specialist training service system.

Results and discussion. Reforms of magistracy in the national educational system are largely dictated by the labor market development trends with the growing social demand for the professional physical education and sport specialists. The efforts to meet the social demand for the physical education and sport specialists of different formal qualifications have to take into account a variety of special issues and regulatory mechanisms for the labor markets, educational services and employment system on the whole with the employment and progress opportunities for the physical education and sport specialists on the modern Russian markets. It should be emphasized that the reforms are intended to establish a new system to efficiently balance the supply and demand in the labor markets and in the educational service system [3]. Given in Table 1 herein are the background educations of the master course entrants reported by the Lesgaft National State University.

Table 1. Background educations of the master course entrants (n=1319) in Lesgaft National State University in 2016-2019: 49.04.01 Physical Education and 49.04.03 Sports disciplines

Note that the above entrants’ inflow data are indicative of the growing demand for the academic physical education and sport specialist training service. Given in Table 2 hereunder is the age grouping of the entrants to the master course for 2016-19: they were 20 to 57 years old.

Table 2. Age groups and numbers of the master course entrants in Lesgaft National State University in 2016-2019: 49.04.01 Physical Education and 49.04.03 Sports disciplines

The high demand for the physical education and sport professionals, determinations of the students interested in new specialty for their professional progress agendas in the age of discretion, when the individual resource is fully realized - all these and other factors are undoubtedly positive as they contribute to the social and academic mobility, life quality and social health improvement agenda. To put it in other words, the new progress trends in the physical education and sport specialist training master course may be viewed as highly beneficial in many humanitarian contexts including the opportunities for the national sport elite to have a vocational training service upon retirement from active sports.

One more positive trend is that the magistracy, if it fully retains its researcher/ teacher training capacity, will secure a growing inflow of the trained human resource to the sector with the specialists having widely varied backgrounds. The integrative and interdisciplinary physical education and sport theoretical and practically backgrounds are known to facilitate modern research in the physical education and sport service sector. It may be pertinent to mention in this context that presently a special priority is given to many issues of the elite sport axiology in the context of modern health culture and issues of medical service in sports, and the relevant research needs to be supported by the theoretical studies in anthropology, philosophy, law and many other interdisciplinary research fields.

It is clear that the above research challenges need to be addressed by the highly professional specialists having different backgrounds – in medicine, law, mathematics, philosophy, sociology etc. – and particularly those having practical physical education and sport experiences and motivations for the professional physical education and sport specialist service. Generally the design concept of the national academic physical education and sport specialist training system with its university structure and departments give the means to fulfill the mission. The existing magistracy could be upgraded to offer the specialist training service for research in the priority theoretical and practical subjects of the national physical education and sport system. Such specialist training service giving the competencies for progress in the modern sport science and physical education and sport theory and practice implies that the academic community should reconsider the logics and contents of the existing vocational education system. 

The key problem that needs to be solved in this context is the background and master education harmonizing one. As things now stand, a bachelor of economics may qualify for a master's degree program in teacher education; a bachelor of law may master in sociology; a bachelor of engineering may opt for an economics master course etc. It should be noted that the master’s degrees are the same for the specialists having different backgrounds – and this situation cannot but cast doubts on the specialist training quality and actual values of the diplomas.

When an entrant to the Physical Education / Sports magistracy has a different background, it could be beneficial to offer the training module taking full benefits of the actual prior background/ formal profile. Presently the law allows an individual mastering in any field other than his/her background education. In this situation, academic 49.04.01 Physical Education and 49.04.03 Sports disciplines need to offer special education curricula/ modules to bridge the gaps in the biomedical and/or theoretical background education to successfully train the students for multiple interdisciplinary subjects in the modern physical education and sport theory and practice.

Conclusion. The fast growing academic mobility urges the academic community to give a special priority to the background (ideally fundamental) education as a basis for a grounded choice of a master course to meet an actual demand for the physical education and sport specialist training service in the current socio-economic situation. It should be emphasized that the social demand for professional physical education and sport specialists remains high and steady. New market trends need to be responded by the specialists’ academic and professional mobility facilitation initiatives. A special priority to the formal physical education and sport specialist background and/or physical education and sport specialist retraining certificate will be given when the graduate opts for a professional coaching career (49.04.03 Sports discipline) that requires, among other sensitive things, special competences in the trainees’ health safety domain.

References

1. Resolution of the State Committee for Higher Education of the Russian Federation dated 10.08.1993 No. 42 “On Approval of the Regulations on Master's Degree (Master's Degree) in the Multilevel Higher Education System of the Russian Federation 1993 Available at: http://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_15818/ (date of access: 20.04.2020).
2. Resolution of the Ministry of Science of the Russian Federation of March 13, 1992 No. 13 "On the introduction of a multilevel structure of higher education in the Russian Federation". Available at: http://www.consultant.ru/cons/cgi/online.cgi?req=doc&base=EXP&n=401487#0... (date of access: 20.04.2020).
3. Rusina A.N., Karpycheva O.V. Modeling of scenario conditions for forecasting personnel needs of regional economy. Ekonomika truda. 2017. v. 4, no. 4. pp. 309-322.

Corresponding author: e.mikhailova@lesgaft.spb.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to identify trends in the development of the Master’s degree program within the structure of vocational education in the physical education and sport sector.

Results and conclusions. The authors note that the change in the role of the Master’s degree in the educational process structure is due to the labor market which ensures an increasing social demand for specialist training in the physical culture and sports sector.

There is a positive trend towards an increase in the demand for masters in physical education and sports in mature age, which is driven by the conscious desire of students to acquire a new profession, have the choice and opportunity to realize their potential. This testifies to the social and academic mobility of the population.

The fast growing academic mobility urges the academic community to give a special priority to the background (ideally fundamental) education as a basis for a grounded choice of a master course to meet an actual demand for the physical education and sport specialist training service in the current socio-economic situation. It should be emphasized that the social demand for professional physical education and sport specialists remains high and steady. New market trends need to be responded by the specialists’ academic and professional mobility facilitation initiatives. A special priority to the formal physical education and sport specialist background and/or physical education and sport specialist retraining certificate will be given when the graduate opts for a professional coaching career (49.04.03 Sports discipline) that requires, among other sensitive things, special competences in the trainees’ health safety domain.