Historical stages of engineering thinking formation

Engineers need to create new technologies for their country, to manufacture commodities, to develop economy, and to provide national security. This requires the development of scientific knowledge and the training of graduate engineers able to create such technologies. The system of higher education performs an important task that is educating future professionals using problem-solving approach. One of the ways to realize this goal may be the development of professional engineering thinking, which includes professional consciousness, readiness for future professional activities and innovations. The article analyzes the historically perspective ways, methods, and technologies of Russian and foreign engineering education. Such examples can help in creating new pedagogical techniques and technologies to create the model of the future engineer and the formation of a new, innovative, engineering thinking. To achieve this goal the analytical review of the historical stages of formation of engineering thinking was made. The review allowed us to assess the relationship of engineering thinking, engineering activity and engineering education. In addition, we developed a classification, which includes the historical periods of the formation of engineering thinking.