About us

The history of the Department of the Ukrainian Language, Principles of Psychology and Pedagogics began with the section of the Ukrainian language, established in October 1993 at the Department of Russian Language of KhMI and headed by T.M. Kalmykova. In August 1994 the section was reorganized by the order of the rector of KhMI and it got the status of the Department of the Ukrainian language as an independent and strong link of the educational process. From the first days of its existence until today the department is headed by the Candidate of Science (Linguistics), professor Fomina Liudmyla Volodymyrivna.
During 1993–1994, Ukrainian language courses for the teaching staff of the university functioned at the department. In September 1995, the department was renamed the Department of the Ukrainian Language, Principles of Psychology and Pedagogics. Since 1996, the Ukrainian language course has been taught to foreign students studying in Russian. In the same year, the department began teaching the course “Principles of Psychology. Principles of Pedagogics” for English-speaking students.
Since 2014, the specialty “High School Pedagogy” (license AE № 527103) has been introduced at the department. The educational program, which provides training in this specialty, was developed and implemented in the educational process in 2017 for 2017-2018 in order to provide educational space of the second (master’s) level of high education (order № 59-a of 13.02.2017). Currently, this educational program provides training for students majoring in “Educational, pedagogical sciences”. At the origins of the specialty were Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Prof. Rybalko L.S., Candidate of Philological Sciences, Prof. Fomina L.V., Ph.D., Assoc. Kuznetsova I.V., Ph.D., Assoc. Husak O.G., Ph.D., Assoc. Lebedynets T.M. and others. Later, Ph.D. Sheiko A.O. joined the teaching of specialties, Ph.D. Ridkozubova S.O., Ph.D. Nalyvayko N.A., Head of the Psychological Service of KhNMU Ph.D. Horetska A.M.
In 2018, the Department of the Ukrainian Language, Principles of Psychology and Pedagogics began conducting seminars to improve knowledge of Ukrainian-language professional competence (Order № 229 of 23.07.2018 “On the establishment of a commission to verify the level of proficiency in the state language”).
By the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated 10.09.2020 № 221-l Kharkiv National Medical University received a license for advanced training of teachers, field of knowledge 01 “Education/Pedagogy”, specialty 011 “Educational, pedagogical sciences”, which scientific and teaching staff can pass at the department of the Ukrainian Language, Principles of Psychology and Pedagogics.

Today, the Department of the Ukrainian Language, Principles of Psychology and Pedagogics works in different areas, combining philological, psychological and pedagogical components.
The priority aspect of the department’s philological activity now is the organization of foreign students’ training of Ukrainian language education, in particular: the development and improvement of methodological support for teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language, creation of appropriate e-courses on distance learning platform Moodle, popularization of the Ukrainian language among foreign students, language adaptation of foreign and English-speaking students, the Ukrainian language knowledge improvement of scientific and pedagogical workers and employees of KhNMU.
A topical psychological issue today is the psychological burnout of educators and the development of measures to combat this phenomenon. The psychological activity of the department, which is carried out jointly with the Psychological Service of KhNMU, is devoted to this.
The pedagogical activity of the department is multifaceted. First of all, it is connected with the assistance in professional development of scientific and pedagogical workers of KhNMU and other institutions of higher education (implemented jointly with the Educational and Scientific Institute for Quality of Education of the KhNMU and Educational and Scientific Institute for Postgraduate Training of KhNMU): training of specialists in “Educational, pedagogical sciences” (second higher education), organization and holding of advanced training courses, seminars of the Ukrainian-language professional competence improving. In addition, the main aspect of the department’s pedagogical activity today is the introduction of the most modern teaching methods and technologies into the educational process in accordance with the scientific theme the department “Innovative teaching technologies in medical education”.
Much attention is paid to educational work with students. In particular, university and departmental events tended to popularize the Ukrainian language are organized annually. These events are dedicated to honour the memory of prominent representatives of Ukrainian culture and significant events in the history of the state. Among the events are various poetry evenings, lessons of remembrance, creative competitions, student dedications, graduation evenings, etc.
Together with the Scientific Library, events dedicated to Ukrainian books’ anniversaries, as well as various virtual literature exhibitions, online meetings, other educational and socio-cultural events aimed at forming national identity through the Ukrainian language are organized.
Every year the department holds the first stage of the International Competition of Ukrainian Language Experts Named after Petro Jacyk and the Taras Shevchenko International Language and Literature Competition for Student Youth, the winners of which take part in the second stage of the competitions. A competition of amateur poets is held among first-year students, the winners of which take part in the All-Ukrainian Shevchenko Readings.
The head of the department prof. Fomina L.V. and the teacher of the department Samolysova O.V. publish regular articles in the newspaper “The Medical University” (in the columns “Significant dates”, “Events”, and “Literary heritage”) about the life and work of prominent Ukrainians, educational work of the department. It is planned to introduce a rubric “Learn from others and do not shy away from your own” to popularize Ukrainian medical terminology.
Teachers of the department translate medical publications into Ukrainian, review and edit educational and reference materials compiled at the Ukrainian language departments of other Ukrainian medical HEIs.

The department teaches Ukrainian (for professional purposes) for students of I-IV medical faculties and dental faculties, Ukrainian as a foreign language for English and foreign students (V, VI, VII faculties for training foreign citizens), a number of disciplines of psychological and pedagogical direction (“Principles of psychology and interpersonal communication”, “Social psychology”, “Pedagogy and the art of teaching in high school”, “Psychology of work and conflict management”, etc.), disciplines specialty “Educational, pedagogical sciences” (“Theory and practice of vocational education”, “Planning and organization of the educational process”, “Didactic systems in higher education”, “Modelling of educational and professional training”, etc.). Teachers of the department conduct classes in Ukrainian and English.
The educational process is carried out in compliance with the principles of student-centered learning, modern information and communication technologies. We widely use both traditional (story, explanation, conversation, work with a book, demonstration, observation, problem statement, partial search method, research method) and innovative teaching methods (briefing, webinar, virtual consultation, group discussion, business and role play, case method, round table, brainstorming, portfolio method) in the training of students at the department. Currently, due to quarantine restrictions, the educational process at the department has been completely transferred to distance learning.
Practical training of students majoring in “Educational, pedagogical sciences” takes place at the Department of the Ukrainian Language, Principles of Psychology and Pedagogics or (by agreement) at the department where the applicant works.
The following elective courses are taught at the department: “Ukrainian as a foreign language”, “Fundamentals of psychology”, “Principles of pedagogy”, “Theory and practice of professional language communication”, “Principles of social psychology”, “Psychology of communication”, “Pedagogical communications”, “Fundamentals of Psychology and Interpersonal Communication”, “Principles of Rhetoric”, “Stylistics of Business Speech and Editing”, “Comparative Pedagogy of Higher Education”, “System Approach in Higher Education”, “World Experience and Trends in University Education”, “Theory and Methods education”, “Pedagogical communication and rhetoric”, “Communications in professional activities”, etc.

Research interests of the department
Topics of scientific works of the department staff are various: linguistic training of students of non-philological specialties in the context of European recommendations for study, teaching and assessment; language, methodology and practice of linguistic training of foreign students, introduction of innovative learning technologies in the educational process of KhNMU, psychological and pedagogical problems in the educational process, culture of professional speech, adaptation of the first-year students.
Research topics, department research
Teachers of the department are working on the scientific topic “Innovative learning technologies in medical education” from the section “Pedagogy”. Scientific adviser is the head of department, Professor Fomina L.V. The purpose of the research is to study innovative forms and methods of teaching, pedagogical skills, public speaking. Over the last five years, the range of research in pedagogy has expanded.
Participation in research projects, including international ones
Teachers of the department regularly take part in scientific conferences in Ukraine (Kharkiv, Kyiv, Ternopil, Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky, Poltava, etc.) and abroad (Republic of Poland, Slovak Republic, Republic of Slovenia, Islamic Republic of Iran). etc.).
Scientific products of the department: patents, monographs, copyright certificates, articles and other
In recent years, about 300 scientific papers have been published in professional journals, including journals indexed by the Scopus and Web of Science scientometric databases. Prof. Fomina L.V., prof. Rybalko L.S., teacher Nalivayko N.A., teacher Nesterenko A.K., teacher Hepenko L.O. took part in writing sections of collective monographs. Teachers of the department defended their dissertations and received the academic title of Candidate of Sciences (Doctor of Philosophy): Nesterenko A.K. – 2016, Kokhan D.M. – 2021. The teacher Hepenko L.O. is preparing for defence of the thesis.
Scientific and practical conferences held by the department
Together with other departments (biophysics, informatics and medical equipment; medical biology, parasitology and genetics; bioinorganic, physical colloidal and bioorganic chemistry) the annual International Scientific Conference “Formation of a modern concept of teaching natural sciences in medical schools” is held. In 2019, the department held a scientific-practical Internet conference, which was attended by teachers of natural sciences, scientists and practitioners of Ukraine.

 Participation in international projects

In order to establish ways of academic mobility, as well as students and teachers exchange, the department cooperates with representatives of Hartwick College (USA).

Internship

Teachers of the department with the assistance of the International Relations Office constantly improve their professional skills by participating in international internships. In particular, in recent years they have taken part in the following internships:

• International advanced training (webinar) “Cloud services for online learning on the example of the Zoom platform”, Lublin, Poland (Fomina L.V., Kalinichenko O.V., Hepenko L.O., Nalyvayko N.A., Sheiko A.O., Nesterenko A.K.);
• Pedagogical internship “Assessment of the educational quality in the European Union higher education – the Polish experience” at the Higher School of International Relations and Social Communication, Republic of Poland (Hepenko L.O., Nesterenko A.K.);
• Internship “European integration and innovations in education” (Ljubljana, Slovenia) (Fomina L.V.);
• Foreign internship, Chelm, Poland, University of International Relations and Social Communication. Evaluation of the Quality of Education in Higher Education of the European Union (Fomina L.V., Nalyvayko N.A.);
• Scientific and pedagogical internship “Pedagogical education as part of the education system of Ukraine and the EU” at the University of Kuyała in Wloclawek (Poland) majoring in “Pedagogical and Psychological Sciences” (Rybalko L.S.);
• Educational trainings of the webinar series “School of quality of medical education: European aspect” with the support of the European Union under the program “House of Europe” (Fomina L.V., Nesterenko A.K.);
• Scientific and pedagogical internship “Philological education in a modern university – a project approach to the organization of work in accordance with the provisions of the European Qualifications Framework (experience of Danubius University) in “Philological Sciences”, 4 credits, Slovak Republic (Nesterenko A.K.);
• Participation in the USERN 2020 Congress, Tehran, Iran, 07.11.2020-14.11.2020. The 5th International USERN Congress and Prize Awarding Festival November 7th – 10th, 2020 Tehran, Iran (Nalyvayko N.A.).

The Department of the Ukrainian Language, Principles of Psychology and Pedagogics offers a second higher pedagogical education in the accredited specialty “Educational, Pedagogical Sciences”. The educational program (EP) is tended to educate teachers who already have higher (non-pedagogical) education.