THE INNOVATIVE TRACK OF MANAGING THE RESEARCH WORK OF FUTURE TEACHERS

Abstract

The article examines the transformation of the traditional approach to managing the research activities of students at pedagogical universities. As an alternative to formal administration, the concept of an “innovative track” is proposed, synthesizing the principles of research specialization, digital monitoring, and professional autonomy. The study was of a mixed-methods nature and was conducted over two academic semesters within a pedagogical bachelor’s degree program. The experimental group (n=47) carried out their research work following the logic of the innovative track, while the control group (n=51) followed the traditional departmental scheme with stage-by-stage reporting. A digital toolkit was employed. The paper substantiates that the implementation of flexible tracks contributes not only to academic performance but also to the formation of the professional identity of a teacher-researcher. It is noted that the management of future teachers’ research work requires a revision of its very philosophy – from administrative pressure toward creating conditions for research autonomy. It was established that the traditional model of research management (“unified curriculum – standard term paper – defense”) creates a field of student alienation from science. The innovative track, in contrast, is based on the principle of “problem-based navigation”: management begins not with the transmission of instructions, but with the coordination of an individual research trajectory that resonates with the professional deficits and interests of the future teacher. The use of LEED-like systems allows monitoring to be shifted from a punitive plane to a developmental one, whereby data on the research process (timelines, depth of source processing, consistency of methods) become accessible primarily to the student themselves, forming a “cognitive mirror” and academic self-management skills. The developed innovative track introduces an imperative of evidence: each methodological step taken by the student (selection of criteria, experimental design) must be recorded and rationally justified in the tracker. This provision transforms academic supervision from a process of “text editing” into a dialogue about the logic of the research. The study indicates that management is considered ineffective if only a “text in a folder” is produced at the output. The core tenet of the model is that the track’s endpoint is the conversion of the research into a specific educational artifact (a methodology, a digital tool, a program) ready for implementation in the school reality.