The Role of the Meta-Subject Approach in the Context of Distance
Learning in the Higher Education System
Nargiza Khalikberdiyeva
1
1
Tashkent University of Applied Sciences, Gavhar Str. 1, Tashkent 100149, Uzbekistan
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10449237
Keywords:
distance learning, meta-subject approach, meta-subject skills, modern education system, methodology.
Abstract:
The article substantiates the need to change the education strategy based on the meta-subject approach, and
also reveals the possibilities of the meta-subject approach for any academic subject in distance learning
conditions and examines groups of meta-skills. Meta-subject results of students include the universal learning
activities they have mastered: cognitive, regulatory and communicative, which ensure mastery of key
competencies that form the basis of the ability to learn, and interdisciplinary concepts.
INTRODUCTION
Distance learning in the educational system of
Uzbekistan began in 2020 and has become that part
of the general education system that provides the
opportunity for continuous learning and self-
development of students during the declared
quarantine period. The attitude towards this format of
education in the country is far from unambiguous [3].
The introduction of distance education, on the one
hand, revealed many problems that arose for all
participants in this process without exception, and on
the other hand, it discovered new opportunities in the
development of the education system. During the
distance learning, unfortunately, not only technical
difficulties of digital learning arose, but also
problems in organizing the educational process, new
communication
between
distance
participants,
associated, for example, with establishing feedback,
monitoring, planning activities, preparing graduates
for the final certification and protecting their final
qualification works (in bachelor's and master's
degrees).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
It is no secret that many distance participants,
having found themselves in new conditions, were
confused or not at all ready for it. In the process of
distance learning, obstacles arose in the application
and use of meta-subject skills in practice. This can
also be explained by the fact that the main efforts of
teachers in new, unusual working conditions were
still aimed primarily at achieving subject-specific
results. For this purpose, reproductive methods were
used, based on reproduction, on the organization of
individual solutions to assigned tasks. As a result, it
was discovered that students need not only
accumulated knowledge, but also the ability to freely
use the acquired knowledge, independently find and
process it, and apply it in practice. After all, the main
markers of distance education, when the format of
usual
educational
classes
changed,
became
independence and self-training of students.
During the period of transition to distance
education in Uzbek universities, it became clear:
distance learning has given an individual character to
education, in which students with different abilities
need to demonstrate independence and self-training
skills, master meta-skills based on working with text
[2]. The discrepancy between the requirements of the
time, the current situation and traditional teaching
methods has led to the need to change the teaching
strategy, using modern activity-based educational
technologies in the educational process. A new
education strategy that works with advanced
knowledge should be based on a meta-subject
approach, within which students develop meta-
subject learning skills and actions. The nature of the
teacher’s professional activity also changes. The
teacher and students today must be able to integrate
and construct new pedagogical situations, new tasks
aimed at using generalized methods of activity and
creating students’ own results in mastering
knowledge.
Thus, one of the most important tasks of a modern
Uzbek university is to update the significance of
students’ meta-subject skills. Meta-subject skills are
a necessary attribute of students’ mental
independence. It was the lack of independence and
self-training of students that was revealed by the
period of distance education in Uzbek universities.
Today, the formation of meta-subject skills should
become a priority task of university education. It is
still difficult for teachers to imagine a holistic picture
of the implementation of the new approach, so many
questions arise about the essence of the meta-subject
approach, meta-subject, meta-knowledge, meta-
methods, meta-subjects, about ways to ensure the
principle
of
meta-subject
in
school,
about
technologies and methods that contribute to the
formation of meta-subject results and ensure
successful preparation for final certification. Despite
the long history of development of the concept of
“meta-subjectivity”, there is still no single
interpretation of it; different scientific schools
interpret it differently. We adhere to the point of view
of Yu.V. Gromyko, who by meta-subject content of
education understands activities that are not related to
a specific academic subject, on the contrary, ensuring
the learning process within the framework of any
academic subject [1].
Meta-activity is a universal activity that is “supra-
subject”. Meta-activity as a universal way of life for
each person is determined by the level of his mastery
of meta-knowledge and meta-methods, the level of
personal development. By meta-methods we mean
methods by which a person discovers new ways of
solving problems, builds non-stereotypical plans and
programs that allow one to find meaningful ways to
solve problems. Meta-skills are interdisciplinary
(supra-subject) cognitive abilities and skills. These
include theoretical thinking:
✓
information processing skills,
✓
critical thinking,
✓
creative thinking,
✓
regulatory skills,
✓
thinking qualities.
Theorists from different schools are trying to
determine the range of vital skills and competencies
that can ensure not only social adaptation, but also
successful self-realization of a person based on the
formation of life values
.
These are key competencies that have universal
significance for various types of activities:
generalized ways of solving educational problems,
research, communication and information skills, the
ability to work with different sources of information.
Among them, the Standard highlights the skills
Interact in a group to achieve common goals
and evaluate the results achieved
Choose means of achieving the goal and
apply them in practice
Determine goals and objectives
THESE ARE SKILLS SUCH AS THE ABILITY
TO ORGANIZE ONE’S ACTIVITIES:
Analytical meta-subject skills
are the ability to compare
phenomena and facts
highlight the main thing,
compose a whole picture
from individual elements
formulate a general
problem; draw
philosophical, economic,
political, moral and ethical
conclusions
Educational and informational
meta-subject skills are the
ability to extract information
from various sources
to make plan and select
material on a given topic
write abstracts; excerpt;
draw up tables, diagrams,
graphs
developed in Russian language lessons: analytical,
educational and informational, communicative-
speech and regulatory. Let us briefly describe them.
CONCLUSIONS
Informational, cognitive, communicative-speech,
regulatory and analytical - we classify all these skills
as textual skills. Text and text skills are the basis of
communicative competence; all groups of meta-
subject skills are formed on a text basis. We believe
that in the modern education system, especially at a
university, it is important to ensure the general
cultural, personal and cognitive development of a
student, equipping him with important meta-skills,
i.e. the ability to learn.
The meta-subject approach in education ensures,
in our opinion, the integrity of the personal and
cognitive development and self-development of
students, the continuity of all stages of the educational
process, and underlies the organization and regulation
of any student’s activity, regardless of its specific
subject content. Students master universal principles
and general universal cognitive strategies, which
increases the effectiveness of their work. In general,
the meta-subject approach turns learning into a
process of self-development for students and expands
the horizon of their knowledge.
REFERENCES
[1]
Marinenko O. P. Intensification of teaching the
Russian language to foreign students: results of expert
assessment // Scientific notes of ZabSU. 2022. Vol. 17,
No. 4
[2]
2. Ratikova I.N. (2015). Meta-subject approach in
educational practice. Municipal education: innovation
and experiment, (1), 15-17.
[3]
3. Khutorskoy A.V. Meta-subject content of education
from the standpoint of human conformity // Bulletin of
the Institute of Human Education. – URL: http://eidos-
institute.ru/journal/2012/0302.htm.
Regulatory meta-subject skills are the
ability to formulate the goal of an
activity;
plan activities; exercise
self-control;
carry out self-assessment;
carry out self-correction
Communicative-speech meta-subject
skills are the ability to compose a
coherent statement (oral and written)
comply with language
norms; maintain style in
your own texts;
express your opinion and
give reasons for it; prepare
research papers; retell the
text; lead a discussion
