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On March 28, the Faculty of History and Social Studies hosted a group of teachers - graduates of the University of different years.
The meeting aimed to identify and discuss with specialists of different schools in Armenia the existing problems in education and humanitarian sphere, particularly problems of history teaching.
Edgar Hovhannisyan, Dean of the Faculty of History and Social Studies, says student-university relationships are very active in comparison with university-teacher relationships.
He hopes that such meetings will help activate dialogue and provide an opportunity for the creation and implementation of joint thoughts, programs, new and meaningful ideas.
Edgar Hovhannisyan says in the last decade radical changes have been underway at ASPU; the quality of education, problems and challenges are no longer the same.
He says the professors of the Faculty are ready to deliver public lectures in schools on various issues, and to arm teachers with innovations regarding history teaching and historiography. “Nowadays, teachers’ workload does not allow them to update their knowledge of the subject. They [specialists of the Faculty] are ready to fill the gap regarding the sources and directions of historiography."
The Dean of the Faculty of History and Social Sciences added that they have a number of ideas, and their implementation largely depends on the fact whether those present at the meeting are ready to support and integrate into these processes.
Khachatur Stepanyan, Head of the Chair of World History and its Teaching Methodology, who works both at ASPU and at school, said like many of his colleagues, he is also well aware of the problems in public education.
The goal of the initiative is to expand the circle of schools and to implement their mission based on the diverse opinions of teachers.
Khachatur Stepanyan regrets to say that unlike the Diaspora where 90 percent of people know the history, the picture is different in Armenia. Here, mainly those who are preparing for entrance exams are interested in history although the subject is quite interesting. "There is a need to activate the history teaching thought and review the teaching philosophy. I hope that our ideas will go beyond the academic walls and serve the national school,” the professor said and expressed hope that the international conference on current issues in history teaching, digital education, national and civic education will also contribute to it.
Professor Khachatryan added that in the near future they plan to establish a research center and publish a scientific journal covering the problems of teaching history and advised teachers to contribute to the synthesis of science and education.
Specialists think it is time to give priority to the methodology, apart from the scientific component that has been the focus of the Faculty for years; that is what the University’s mission demands.
The speeches were followed by an active discussion, with attending focusing on scientific and methodical issues, opportunities and formats of further cooperation.
