Results of the 2022 “Active Learning Strategies” professional development programme

30 november 2022

"Active Learning Strategies" is the professional development course created in 2022 by the experts of MGIMO's Interfaculty Department of Educational Systems and Educational Technologies for practicing teachers within the teacher professional development track of the Russian Schools Abroad (University's Strategic Project of the Priority 2030 state programme)

The participants of the 2022 course were both teachers from MGIMO's structural units - the College and the Gorchakov Lyceum, as well as teachers from RSA partner schools and teachers from the state programme "Russian Teacher Abroad" working in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Mongolia, Vietnam and Serbia. A total of 227 people have been trained.

The authors/leaders of the course are recognized Russian experts in competency-based approach in education: candidate of pedagogical sciences, scientific supervisor of Master's programme "Modern Pedagogy and Educational Design", academic advisor of the "Russian Schools Abroad" project, associate professor Marina Pinskaya; teacher of Master's programme "Modern Pedagogy and Educational Design", methodologist of educational programmes of the "Contribution to the Future" Foundation Alexei Stekhov and senior lecturer of the Department of educational systems and educational technologies of MGIMO, Alexandra Mikhailova.

The course includes four thematic blocks:

  1. Designing a lesson with the 4K model
  2. Pedagogical strategies for active learning
  3. Designing current diagnostics of the educational process
  4. Basics of blended learning

The training was organised in a hybrid format and included both face-to-face and distance sessions.

Classes of Marina Pinskaya, Alexei Stehov, and Alexandra Mikhailova are an example of congruent teaching - as they say, practice what you preach!

How to structure a lesson so that tasks are fun, challenging enough (present a cognitive challenge to students), can have several solutions, stimulate discussion and inspire cooperation? These questions have not gone unanswered, as feedback from participants, who completed the Active Learning Strategies course in 2022, shows.

“«Ticket to Exit» is a very original way of giving feedback! I will definitely use it during my classes. It is useful to remind ourselves from time to time that co-designing a lesson - it’s discussing it, and using diagnostic assessment materials by all those involved in the educational relationship. It is also important to remember how we, as adults, do not like and are afraid of being evaluated. The course is very motivating to keep on developing, rethinking, without overestimating your own experience".

Anastasia V. Kuzmina,,
Deputy director of Gorchakov lyceum,
Social studies teacher,
RSA expert

"In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about the professional burnout syndrome, when a teacher loses interest in his or her work and feels useless and meaningless. Indeed, when you have been explaining the same topics for many years, it makes you sad... You start to wonder: what's next? If I am tired of endless repetition, can I bring the children into my subject? In my opinion, the course helps you break out of that trap. It forces you to look at the teaching process in a new way. Listening to the lectures, I found out how many new and interesting forms and methods of work can be used in the classroom.

Marina A. Pinskaya managed to convince me that a teacher has to constantly develop, expand her horizons, and not stand still. She told important and clever things without being important or clever at the same time.

After her classes one wants to create, to think up something new, fascinating".

Ella Gordyushkina,
Russian language and literature teacher at Gorchakov Lyceum

"Thanks to the topics of this course! I have learned how to combine interactive methods of teaching with traditional ones, which should help increase the cognitive level of the pupils and teach them the ability to clearly and reasonably express their point of view. A very important point I think is that, using interactive methods of teaching, each pupil becomes a participant in joint research or problem-solving, analyzing a particular situation, and having a group discussion'.

Elena G. Koreneva,
History and Social studies teacher

"I love children very much and do not divide them into gifted and non-gifted. But the ability to work independently in the classroom and at home is not for everyone. In this course I learned how to improve my students' performance and get them interested in mathematics.

Tatiana A. Lyan,
Mathematics teacher

"I will start emphasizing the development of problem solving skills in my classes. In addition, I plan to emphasize productive teacher beliefs in the implementation of my activities, as well as use a type of thinking such as growth mindset, try to maintain autonomy, give non-supervisory feedback, and use less supervisory language in my lessons. "

Ksenia S. Biryukova,
Law lecturer, MGIMO College


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