Integration processes in teacher education: Attitude of academic staff and students

Introduction. The article examines the problem of strengthening the personal aspects of integration processes at the university and overcoming their formal nature. The purpose of the study is to identify the attitude of academics and education students to integration processes at the university. Materials and Methods. The methodological basis of the study is an integrative approach, which substantiates the need to form a unified educational environment that ensures the unification of disparate elements of the teacher education system into a single whole, as well as the main provisions of the concepts of seamless, network and professionally integrated learning. The authors used theoretical (analysis, comparison, juxtaposition and synthesis) and empirical (questionnaire) methods to achieve this goal. Results. The authors revealed a generally positive attitude of academics and students to the integration processes at the university and a positive self-identification of the majority of respondents in the professional community of teachers. The authors found that integration leads to a unified approach to the methodological, psychological and educational preparation of future teachers, to strengthen the practical orientation of the educational process, and to ensure the participation of students of different levels in various formats of joint socially significant, creative, research and cultural-leisure activities. The conditions for successful integration are taking into account the professional and personal interests, time resources and preferences of education stakeholders, as well as the opportunity of their free choice of various types of joint activities. Conclusions. The authors made a general conclusion that the positive attitude of academic staff and students towards intra-university integration indicates that the formal nature of integration processes at the university has been overcome and their personal aspects have been strengthened, which allows for the continuity of various levels of teacher education.