METHODS OF ASSESSMENT OF THE ADAPTATION OF A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE EXTERNAL

Abstract

Topicality. Radical reformation of education, rapidly changing conditions of higher education institutions (HEIs), new rules of market activities of institutions and ways of their state regulation, competition in the market of educational services require HEIs to improve their management system, its adaptation to current and prospective environmental changes, increasing demands of customers and consumers of educational services. Under these conditions, the problem of assessing the results of educational institutions� adaptation to environmental changes becomes more relevant. Aim and tasks. The purpose of the article is to identify the most correct and practically relevant approaches to assessing the results of educational institutions' adaptation to changing conditions of activity and to develop theoretical, methodological provisions and applied proposals, which should substantiate tools to assess the success of HEIs� adaptation to the new conditions of activity. Research results. The essence of the concept �adaptation� of a higher education institution is considered as a process of purposeful change in the parameters of teaching, research, educational activities, structure and other properties of the institution, its divisions to the current and future changes in the external environment in order to ensure effective functioning, solution of certain goals and development tasks, compliance of graduates' competences with the requirements of modern and prospective labour markets, ensuring competitiveness of the institution on the market of educational services. The content of this concept is defined as a reaction, a purposeful process of forced adaptation of an educational institution to the current and projected changes in external environment in order to effectively meet the requirements of consumers of educational services and to ensure its own competitiveness in the market. It has been substantiated that the assessment of the efficiency of HEIs� adaptation to changes in the external environment can be based on the criteria of flexibility and adaptability of educational activities. It has been established that at the current stage of higher education development ensuring high quality of knowledge, formation of graduates' competences corresponding to the requirements of modern and future economy is one of the most important directions of HEIs� adaptation to the changes in the external environment. Conclusion. It has been determined that the criterion of efficiency of HEIs� adaptation to changes in the external environment can be the improvement of the quality of educational services of the institution. The methodological approach to education quality assessment of an individual (graduate, specialist) consists in understanding the quality of her/his education as a ratio between actual and normative level of competences established as requirements to a specialist with higher education in a particular specialty, based on representation of a set of necessary competences at a given stage of economic development, formulated in regulatory documents (state standards) for a particular specialty, or as competence requirements to a specialist in a particular position. The methodology of education quality assessment is based on the methods of comparative analysis of actual and normative competences and their expert, qualimetric assessment. The prospects for further research in assessing the results of HEIs� adaptation to changes in the external environment are associated with the development of methodological foundations for qualimetric assessment of graduate education quality and the formation of a universal criterion of educational institution compliance with modern requirements of society to the quality of educational services.