Motivation and target components of expert activity in education

Context and relevance. In the past decade, the concept of expertise (lessons, innovative projects, programs, etc.) has spread widely in educational practice, which led to the creation of multi-level systems of expert services. Expert activity has become a professional function for many specialists (psychologists, methodologists, etc.), which allows us to consider it as an independent professional activity with special tasks, technologies and requirements for professionalism. Purpose. The study is aimed at studying the motivational-targeted components of professional expert activity in education, in particular, studying the motives of the activities of experts and the parameters of "expert knowledge" as the main result of this activity. Hypothesis. Expert activity in education can be considered as an independent professional activity. Professional motivation of experts has a constructive orientation and is based on awareness of the mission of expertise in education. Methods and materials. Theoretical analysis of the literature and the use of the model of the functional psychological system of activity of V. D. Shadrikov and the concept of professionalism of A. K. Markova. A survey of 80 experts (permanent members of the scientific and methodological expert council and employees of the Nizhny Novgorod Institute for the Development of Education), in which they ranked 10 possible motives for expert activity. The procedure of numerical scaling on the principle of the semantic differential method with the participation of 16 experienced experts (work experience of more than 6 years) to evaluate the parameters of the concept of "expert knowledge" on ten bipolar scales. Results. The motivational sphere of experts is dominated by the motives associated with the awareness of the special mission of expertise in education, as well as the motives for the implementation of the expert activity itself. The motives of professional communication and personality manifestations are lower, and non-constructive motives are the least significant. The main characteristics of expert knowledge are defined practicality, scientific and awareness, which allows us to interpret expertise in education as a scientifically based reflection of educational practice. Additional significant parameters of expert knowledge are humanitarian, subjectivity, prognosticity and interdisciplinary. The least significant, but presented parameters are the quality, inductance and probabilistic nature of knowledge. Conclusion. The results of the study allow us to consider expert activity in education as an independent type of professional activity. The identified constructive profile of professional motivation and the specificity of expert knowledge (synthesis of science, practicality and reflection) can serve as the basis for the development of the concept of professional training of experts.