The Competence-Based Approach in Legal Education of the Russian Federation: Problems and Perspectives

About the author:

Andrey N. Glebov, Cand. Sci. (Jur.), Cand. Sci. (Hist.), Associate Professor, Department of State and Criminal Law, Kurgan State University; gleban78@mail.ru

Abstract:

Legal education faces complex tasks in the field of legal personnel training. Graduates of law faculties must have fundamental legal knowledge, practical skills, developed innovative thinking, and research approach when performing their professional functions. The competence-based approach is a tool for solving of these problems.

This article aims to study the experience of implementing the competence-based approach in legal education; to identify defects and problems of application; to assess the degree of its implementation in the educational process; and to find ways to improve this educational technology.

The methods include a comparative analysis of Federal State Educational Standards for “jurisprudence”, as well as curriculum, educational and methodical documentation, and the experience of the educational process at law faculties.

The results show no correlation between academic disciplines and competences in the Federal State Educational Standards in “jurisprudence”. They do not contain indicators and standards of the level of baseline competences. This complicates the development of educational documentation, preventing the design of a national educational standard. Midterm and final assessment of students are directed to test of knowledge, skills and experiences extent. Traditional tickets and tests are a control tool. This does not go with the content of the competence-based approach. Teachers of law universities do not have sufficient knowledge of teaching methods in competence-based paradigm. There is a low teacher’s motivation to use active teaching methods directed to the form of competence. Teachers’ rationing arrangements and remuneration plan do not take into account the increased labor contributions due to a transfer to the competence-based paradigm.

As a result, the universities have made a formal transfer to the competence-based paradigm. There were external minimal changes in the organization of the educational process which did not affect its essential meaningful levels.

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