The Future of Education

The building an effective and innovative system of professional development for teacher is one of the biggest challenge of world-class universities. Within the framework of this direction, the international standards for the professional development of teachers (UNESCO, 2003) recommended the creation of a system for supporting professional development both inside and outside the university. Particularly discussed is the system of so-called in-service professional development of employees. The in-service system implies a network of activities to assess, develop and support the development of teachers "in the workplace" (UNESCO, 2003). As experiment, since 2015 TSU developed and implemented the professional competition so-called "Best practices in Education - TSU". The competition aims to search, develop and support the best educational practices at TSU. Any TSU employees can apply for the competition individually or in group. Practices are evaluated by Expert Committee included four group of peers: teachers, students, administrative personnel and employers. To evaluate practices, Expert Committee uses “Expert Map” developed as standardized and valid tool. Every practice ends with feedback-discussion among all participants and invited experts. The research conducts two years data (2017-2016). The research question is what is effect of the professional competition “Best practices in Education - TSU” on professional development of employees at an leading Russian university in Siberia (example of Tomsk State University)? The research design is case study. The study used phenomenological description and survey, focus-group methods. According to the Cochrane qualitative checklist, the study obtains credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability (Hannes et al., 2011). As results, the professional competition provides an unique platform and environment for open, free, out-of-status exchange of professional experience. The competition admits a setting of horizontal and interdisciplinary organizational relationship among employees and departments. The participants of the competition note (90%) its usefulness in terms of acquiring new knowledge, building interdisciplinary networks, as well as the reflection and awareness of their own professional development. Participants (60%) note the competition has a positive impact on professional and career development. Overall, professional competition is an effective tool for in-service professional development of employees of university at an leading Russian university in Siberia.

Keywords: in-service professional development, higher education, teaching, best practice, professional competition;