Pedagogical support as a tool for training technical university students in the field of housing and communal infrastructure

Abstract

Against the backdrop of large-scale transformation in Russia's housing and utilities sector (HUS), there is an acute shortage of a new generation of engineers with interdisciplinary skills. The traditional system of higher technical education does not always succeed in bridging the gap between academic knowledge and the real demands of the industry. This study examines the effectiveness of a pedagogical support model as a tool aimed at developing in students the professional competencies required for successful activity in the HUS field. The purpose of the work is to provide experimental evidence that the purposeful implementation of project-based learning, mentoring, and interdisciplinary seminars contributes to significant growth in the professional readiness of future engineers. The research was carried out in the form of a pedagogical experiment over two years at a technical university, involving 120 students in the "Heat and Gas Supply and Ventilation" program. Participants were divided into a control group (CG, n=60) and an experimental group (EG, n=60). The control group studied under the traditional program, while for the experimental group the pedagogical support model was implemented. This model included work on real cases from HUS enterprises, a mentoring system involving practicing engineers, and business games dedicated to the economic and managerial aspects of the industry. To assess results, a complex of methods was used: surveys and testing to measure levels of competencies and motivation, as well as expert evaluation of term projects. The results of the experiment showed statistically significant differences between the groups. In the experimental group, the proportion of students with a high level of professional competence grew from 8.34% to 40.00%, while in the control group this indicator changed slightly (from 6.66% to 8.33%). A marked positive dynamic was recorded in the motivational component of EG students: the average score for the indicator "Interest in the profession" rose from 5.21 to 8.74 on a 10-point scale, whereas in the CG the growth was minimal. The quality of final term projects in the EG (average final score 83.18) was significantly higher than in the CG (59.47), especially in the criteria of economic justification and innovativeness. The obtained data compellingly demonstrate that the developed pedagogical support model is a highly effective tool for modernizing engineering education to meet the needs of the HUS sector. The introduction of practice- oriented and interdisciplinary approaches directly influences the formation of systemic thinking, economic literacy, and intrinsic motivation for professional development in students. The study confirms that overcoming the gap between theory and practice requires the active involvement of students in solving real industry problems, which is impossible within the framework of the traditional educational paradigm. The results provide a basis for recommending the broad application of elements of this model in the curricula of technical universities.