Scholarly record

EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE OF PROFESSIONAL ETHOS FORMATION OF THE MODERN ENGINEER: DIAGNOSIS AND TECHNOLOGY OPTIMIZATION

Lyudmila Bannikova, Lyudmila Boronina

Abstract

The focus of this research is to develop techniques for optimizing the learning environment, identifying factors that facilitate and impede the formation of an educational space model which produces a coherent and socially desirable system of socio-moral and socio-cultural attitudes of the current generation of engineers.1 This makes it possible to build specific models of abilitation of would-be engineers, providing comprehensive education and training and ensuring ones professional fulfillment. It could be argued that the implementation of this approach is the most productive way of maintaining and enhancing the continuity of the profession, thus bridging the engineering generation gap that exists today. The issues of engineering ethics and the development of codes of ethics of engineers receive far more attention in the international academic community than those of lifestyle and professional identity, something we refer to as the В«ethosВ» of modern engineers. [8;11] Many countries have well-established codes of ethics and numerous unions of engineers and research associations. The Society for Philosophy and Technology, that has been operating in the USA since 1975 and is in fact an international organization, convenes regular conferences on engineering ethics and publishes conference proceedings. [6; 9] Among other hotly debated issues is the teaching of ethics in specific engineering disciplines and the provision of creative learning resources to introduce ethics into the culture of engineering education. We believe that the issue of building the professional ethos of an engineer should not be limited to the development and enforcement of codes of ethics only. [1; 7] Research work into the processes of forming the professional ethos of todays generation of engineers, its complexity and challenges of its reform involves the creation of a public image of the engineering profession as a certain subjective picture of the world, the tracking of its structural and content dynamics in the course of professional training, as well as a study of the professional academic community and the transformation of its mission and strategy.

Publication details

Back to publication list