Development of an interactive cognitive training platform for the development of emotional intelligence among pedagogical university students: problem statement

The paper highlights the problem of shortage of young teachers in the system of secondary general and additional education, analyzes current requirements imposed by employers on young teachers’ soft-skills, and identifies deficiencies in emotional and communicative competence among university students. The paper also suggests that these factors might contribute to a drain of young professionals from schools. The author highlights problems young teachers face at schools, such as building relationships with other subjects of educational process, the inability to quickly navigate in a rapidly changing world, a high level of anxiety, and difficulties in controlling their own emotions. The relationship between these challenges and the level of teacher’s emotional intelligence is substantiated. The paper reviews modern studies of emotional intelligence among future teachers. Furthermore, the author presents own research design used in the study of emotional intelligence among the students of the Institute of Foreign Languages and International Cooperation at Tomsk State Pedagogical University. The results show insufficient level of emotional intelligence among future teachers. The paper hypotheses that development of emotional intelligence among today’s students of pedagogical universities might reduce their outflow from schools in future. Possible ways and challenges of emotional intelligence development among pedagogical students are examined. The author substantiates the feasibility of implementing a program for development of emotional intelligence among future teachers in the form of an interactive cognitive training platform. The paper describes the author’s model of an interactive cognitive training platform for the development of emotional intelligence among the students majoring in pedagogy (03.44.05 – Pedagogical education, with two profiles of training) and pursuing a bachelor’s degree. As well, it provides a conceptual basis of interactive cognitive training platform for the development of emotional intelligence among pedagogical university students along with the list of topics and competencies planned to be developed using the platform. The paper indicates the possibility of using the platform both in the professional training of future teachers on the basis of secondary specialized educational institutions, and advanced training courses for practicising teachers.

Emotional Intelligence, EI, students of pedagogical universities, interactive cognitive training platform, training platform for the development of EI