IMPROVEMENT OF UKRAINIAN HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE CONTEXT OF APPLICATION OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE OF ACADEMIC AND PUBLIC LEARNING

Abstract

Abstract. In the modern system of university education of the USA the educational strategy of academic and public learning is widely disseminated. According to this educational strategy students’ educational and public acti-vities are integrated aimed at proper training of future specialists, upbringing of active and conscious citizens of the nation, who are familiar with the prob-lems of society. In Ukraine universities face a similar task – training of highly qualified specialists, involving young people into social life, developing a conscious personality with an active national and public position. Thus, the identification of progressive ideas of the application of this educational strategy in the system of university education of the USA and outlining directions and prospects for improving the content of higher education of Ukraine in accor-dance with the study of American experience are relevant to the current Uk-rainian pedagogical theory and practice at the time of educational reforms and European integration processes. Having analyzed the experience of organizing academic service-lear-ning in the American Universities, we single out progressive ideas of inte-gration of students’ educational and public activities. Among them are: close cooperation between universities and public organizations; detailed elaboration of academic service-learning programs in accordance with the existing needs of society and the purpose of the content of particular discipline with the aim of forming the professional competence of future specialists and educating conscious citizens of their state. The article analyzes peculiarities of social activity of student youth of Ukrainian higher educational institutions in the ХІХ–ХХ centuries and today. It proposes the directions for improving the content of higher education of Ukraine according to the American experience. During the training of specia-lists in different fields it is appropriate to adjust the content of education ac-cording to the current challenges of society, in particular the following aspects: the transition from the theoretical level of educational services to practical, more authentic; involving future specialists into solving real problems in so-ciety; establishing partnerships between universities and public organizations; organization of students’ practice as a socially significant activity; increasing the student’s role in the learning process; establishing correspondence between the problems of local communities and curriculum of disciplines; improving the forms and methods of the educational process; organization of reflexive ac-tivities; improving professional skills of pedagogical staff through the deve-lopment of academic mobility.