Social aspects of education integration (based on survey findings on uniform state examination and education affordability)

The Russian society keeps disputing about final USE at secondary schools. After the Russian Federation signed the Bologna Declaration 2003, USE was announced one of the points of education reform in Russia. We would like to recall that the aim of the Bologna process is convergence and harmonization of education system in European countries and creation of uniform European space of higher education [1]. Now 47 countries take part in this process, where exams similar to Russian USE exist.

There are three main positions related to USE: its full cancellation, support or improvement. Pedagogues met USE introduc- tion in Russia cautiously but took it more loyally over time. We cannot say the same about the rest of Russian people. Their idea about USE bases on media publications. After introducing USE as experiment, (2001–2008), the attitude of population to it was sharply negative, as to all new, unknown, criticised. Then the authors had an idea of annual social research in Samara region devoted to opinion of secondary school graduates and their parents about USE, its results and consequences. The research was done by the chair “Advanced Mathematics and Mathematical Modeling” of TSU and covered the school graduates who sat mathematics examination in 2009–

2016 and entered TSU by results of USE, and their parents (legal representatives).

Already 15 years had passed since experimental USE introduction in Samara region, and for over 8 years, USE results had become mandatory for admission to HEI. This period was enough to get used to new format of the exam and admission. Due to annual surveys, the authors had a possibility to see changes in opinion of secondary school graduates and their parents. The main objective of this research was the study of opinion of interested, nonprofessional segment of society regarding USE and higher education affordability, linkage between these opinions and processes going in the region. The research problem of this article touches the social aspects of mathematics education and its integration into European one, USE and higher education affordability in particular, and their connection with events happening in the region. The factors hypothetically influencing on social attitude are the following: changes in the examine process, education reform, Russian education integration with other countries, changes in economic and socio-demographic situation.

The authors developed a methodological approach to the problem of research. These methods let, in the course of literature study, theoretical preparation to research done and analysis of collected empirical materials, to establish a theory and ways of studying dynamics of public opinion regarding mathematics USE and higher education affordability on regional level. We made a theory base for probability rates describing both quantitative and qualitative features of studied processes and adopted them for this research. The factors effecting on social opinion in this range of problems were fixed. We studied and analyzed a number of research works regarding public attitude to secondary school final exams and admission to HEI. We determined theoretical background of education integration space in our region with education systems of other countries.

The authors identified opinion trends of school graduates of the region and their parents, about math USE and possibility of admission by its results to HEI. We processed the results of surveys and studied them with the help of probability rates and determined the grade of influence of many factors on social opinion. We also compared the conclusion with results of studies by other scholars. After integration process of domestic and European education systems status estimation at the regional level, we analyzed the possibilities of integration extension.

The works of such eminent mathematicians as N. Rozov [2], G. Malinetskiy [3], and others contain ideas of USE being an integration form of Russian education with education of developed western countries. As our experience shows, most of students in a regional HEI do not attach such meaning to USE. Most of them are sure that in other countries exams are easier because they have no USE. It is widely believed that to pass an exam in your own school would be easier and results would be much better. Such an attitude comes from family and school, under the influence of parents, teachers, speeches and media publications. However, most of respondents answered positively the question about fairness of their mathematics USE score and necessity of this exam nowadays; that in whole contradicts to this situation.

Actually, practice of such exams exists worldwide. Particularly in Poland, there is exam called Matura, similar exams are in other European countries. At the same time there is no exact similarity, each country has its own process for final school exams and HEI admission rules. For example, in Poland there is basic and advanced type of mathematics exam, in Russia basic and core levels of the USE relatively. In very few countries, Ministry of education so totally controls USE process as in Russia. During transfer to testing exams in Russia, the authors of test assignments were oriented on western systems and in particular at the USA experience. American prototype of USE is American College Testing. However, the experts say that Russian analogue differs significantly from ACT, and not to the better [4]. The main distinction of American predecessor from Russian equivalent is the part called “scientific thinking”. Here it needs to understand and analyze certain information and the object of research, to evaluate two or three alternative assumptions, theories or point of view on some notable phenomena1. This very part often plays a crucial role when admitting to a HEI.

In Russia very often controversial situations and problems occurred that attracted the attention of journalists to USE and have always been under wide public discussion [5]. All-Russia center of studying of public opinion and fund “Social opinion” annually publish social surveys data about USE2. By materials of these surveys, we can conclude that schoolchildren showing good results at the exams, their parents and teachers are gradually accustomed to USE estimate it positively. We cannot say the same about schoolchildren with low USE scores and people not participating in USE process but only having heard of it.