ASSESSMENT CENTER METHODOLOGY AS A TOOL FOR SELECTING STUDENTS FOR RESEARCH WORK

Abstract

The article examines the use of assessment centers in the process of selecting students for organizing and conducting research work for secondary school students, in particular in mathematics at the senior level. We note that with the growing desire to identify and measure the key qualities of educational leadership and the importance of mastering the skills of independent research, the idea arose of using assessment through the methodology using assessment centers. The assessment center's tools have been developed to measure the competencies necessary for the successful organization and writing of scientific work by a student. The assessment center was based on a combination of different methods: situational task modeling, individual assignments, and project protection. The approbation was carried out with the participation of methodologists from the Department of Education and researchers in the field. The uniqueness of the proposed methodology lies in its high performance: students who passed the assessment center at a high level actually showed significantly higher results in research competitions compared to students who were selected based on the recommendations of subject teachers and the student's academic performance. Thus, the assessment center acts as an effective tool for selecting and developing students' research competencies, allowing students to purposefully develop the skills of independent scientific activity, critical thinking and leadership skills. The article includes a description of all the stages of the experiment, as well as concluding considerations regarding the possibilities of using the assessment center in various fields of higher education.