The Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology

I. General information

Rusu Elena

PhD, Associate Professor
Head

The Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology is one of the first departments created within the State University of Tiraspol (founded in 1930), expressing an example of promoting excellence and innovation in education and research, being designated as an independent university structure.

II. Short history

The establishment of the Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology was derived from the need for competent teachers, with the primary purpose of ensuring optimal conditions for psychological and pedagogical training of teachers and meeting the needs of the education system in the Republic of Moldova.

With the accumulation of scientific-didactic potential, the expansion of the number of faculties and the increase of the number of students, this department was divided into two: the Department of General Pedagogy and the Department of General Psychology, departments that contributed in the most active way in training several generations of school teachers for pre-university education in the country. Starting with 1992, with the evacuation of the State University of Tiraspol to Chisinau, both departments were merged, returning to the original name of the department.

The Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology has always been a basic structural unit in the university, being in continuous development, complying with all instructive-methodical and educational needs, diligently carrying out the process of professional training and research in all three cycles: I – bachelor’s degree, II – master’s degree, III – doctor’s degree, thus contributing essentially to the training of high quality specialists and ensuring the scientific-didactic base of the university. The teaching staff of the Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology constantly opts for the maximum harmonization of the educational offer with the labor market requirements, expressing the desideratum and perseverance in the active and effective implementation of modern educational technologies, but also of the informational ones, developing and promoting knowledge and general human and professional values, so that university graduates face all the challenges of the time, being competitive on the labor market. A guarantee of the fact that the Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology can honorably fulfill its multiple attributions is the quality of the team, represented by 11 teachers, out of which 2 habilitated doctors, university professors (N. Silistraru, M. Borozan) 6 doctors, associate professors (E. Rusu, V. Bocancea, N. Ovcerenco, E. Bîrsan, L. Balțat, A. Glavan) 1 university lecturer (T.Scripa) and 2 university assistants (E. Macovei, D. Levițchi).

Надпись: Membrii catedrei Pedagogie şi Psihologie generală, 2020
Members of the Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology, 2020

Consensing to the imperative and actuality of the reforms in the educational system, but also the need for managerial professionalization of the teachers in the conditions of increasing complexity of management at the level of educational institutions and changes in school management, since 2011, in addition to the Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology, were started master’s degree in the specialties “Educational Management” and “Management and Institutional Communication”. The consideration and justification of the organization of studies in these two specialties is based on the decentralization of education and the increase of the importance of management, both as a science and as a management activity.

Since 2017, within the Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology started the functioning of the Psychological Counseling Office, which aims to provide psychological support and assistance to students of the State University of Tiraspol.

Participants of the methodical workshop “Education Sciences”, 2019

In order to continuously modernize the curricular contents, experience exchange, efficient implementation of methodical and research activity, the department systematically organizes seminars, methodological workshops, round tables for students, masters, doctoral students, teachers and school managers.

An important role in the activity and development of the department has the cooperative relationships with a series of higher education institutions from the country and from abroad. Currently, the Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology has cooperation and partnership agreements with departments of several universities in Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Poland and Israel.

The Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology carries out a prolific scientific activity. A considerable contribution in this regard is made by researchers Nicolae Silistraru, habilitated doctor, university professor, Maia Borozan, habilitated doctor, university professor, Elena Rusu, doctor, associate professor, Viorel Bocancea, doctor, associate professor, Nadejda Ovcerenco, doctor, associate professor, Aurelia Glavan, doctor, associate professor, who are qualified to conduct doctoral studies in scientific specialties: 531.01. General theory of education, 531.02. Educational management, 533.01. University pedagogy, 511.02. Developmental psychology and educational psychology, 511.03. Social psychology for the researchers from the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Israel.

The workers of the department have elaborated and published in the last 5 years over 32 university textbooks, monographs, specialized guides, course materials and about 500 scientific-methodical studies.

In recent years, for special merits in the didactic-scientific activity, research and promotion of the values of national culture, the workers of the department were appreciated with high decorations of the Republic of Moldova (M. Borozan, order of Labour Glory), of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Moldova (N. Silistraru, medal of Nicolae Milescu Spătaru), of the Government of the Republic of Moldova and of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research (E. Rusu, V. Bocancea, N. Ovcerenco).

Primarily in the activity of the department in recent years has been ensuring the fundamental psychological-pedagogical training of future teachers and school managers, such as modernization and accreditation of professional training programs at the bachelor and master level in the disciplines: psychology, pedagogy, communication techniques, inclusive education, personality psychology, educational technologies, professional ethics, educational management, pedagogical research methodology, social pedagogy, educational psychology, higher education pedagogy, health psychology, psychopedagogical counseling, psychodiagnostics, social psychology, research, intercultural education, ethnopedagogy, management, etc. These are reflected in the formation of the skills necessary to exercise the didactic and managerial activity.

The Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology certifies its existence through its formative orientations, contributing consistently in the most active way to the training of teachers, corresponding to the national and international trends in the field of social evolution, able to meet the demands of time and ensure the development of the educational system, but also of our whole society.

In the period 1992 – 2020, as heads of the Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology were active:

  • Ilie Șchiopu, hab. dr., assoc. prof., (1992-1995);
  • Grigore Capcelea, dr., assoc. prof., (1995-1998);
  • Maria Vasiliev, dr., assoc. prof., (1998-2006);
  • Nadejda Ovcerenco, dr., assoc. prof., (2006-2008);
  • Lora Moșanu-Șupac, dr., assoc. prof., (2008-2009);
  • Nicolae Silistraru, hab. dr., univ. prof., (2009-2017);
  • Elena Rusu, dr., assoc. prof., (2017- present).

Currently, the department’s activity mainly focuses on several desideratums: ensuring the fundamental psychological-pedagogical training of the future teachers and school managers, such as the modernization and accreditation of the professional training programs at the bachelor and master levels; implementation of a modern curriculum, focused on the formation of the student’s skills and personality; the unity of pedagogical science and pedagogical practice; the unity of research and self-training; the prospective nature of training and inter and transdisciplinary integration.

III. Teaching staff

Elena Rusu, head of the department, doctor, associate professor.

She was born on June 3, 1967 in the village of Taraclia, Căuşeni district, Republic of Moldova. In 1990 she graduated with honors from the Faculty of Pedagogy of the State University of Tiraspol, being employed at the Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology, where she works as a university lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor. She did her master’s studies at the State Pedagogical University „I. Creangă ”, in the specialty “Pedagogical Psychology”, and she completes her doctoral studies obtaining the scientific title of doctor in Pedagogical Sciences. During the activity within State University of Tiraspol she supported several research and professional training internships at the University of Bucharest, the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, the State University of Kiev, the Global Partnership for Education project, etc. She has been involved in several national and institutional scientific projects.

Elena Rusu holds the university courses at the cycle I and cycle II: General Psychology, Social Psychology, Educational Psychology, Psychosocial Counseling, Psychodiagnostics, Basics of Communication, etc.

She is the author of 106 scientific and methodological-didactic works, including 1 monograph, 7 methodological guides. She has participated in numerous symposiums and international conferences (Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Romania). For special merits and results in the development of research, she was mentioned with the diploma of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research of the Republic of Moldova (2019).

Elena Rusu is a doctorate supervisor in scientific specialties: 531.01. General theory of education; 531.02. Educational management, guiding doctoral students from the Republic of Moldova and Romania.

Since 2016, she has been the chairman of the Commission for Ethics of the State University of Tiraspol.

Nicolae Silistraru, habilitated doctor, university professor.

He was born on November 11, 1946 in the village of Ulmu, Ialoveni district, Republic of Moldova. After graduating from the school in his native village, he continued his studies at the Pedagogical School in Călărași, specializing in primary education. Completing them, he worked as a teacher in primary schools in Călărași and Strășeni districts and as a school teacher of Moldovan language and literature in Dubăsari district (1965-1969).

In the 1969-1973 he studied at the Faculty of Philology of SPU “Ion Creanga” in Chișinău, after graduating from which, he held several teaching and managerial positions: 1973-1979 deputy director of the school in Ustia village, Dubasari district; 1974-1976 chairman of the executive committee of Ustia village; 1979-1986 senior methodist at MÎP; 1986-1993 senior lecturer at the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology at SPU “Ion Creanga”; 1993-1996 head of the Department of Mother Tongues at UCCM; 1996-1997 head of the Department of Pedagogy of SUM; 1997-2005 associate professor, university professor at the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology of the SUM; 2005-2009 head of the “University Education” sector at IŞE; 2009-2017 head of the Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology of SUT.

In 1991 he became a doctor in pedagogy and in 1995 he obtained the title of associate professor. In 1997 he defended his doctorate in pedagogy and in 1999 he was awarded the title of university professor. During his activity he manifested himself as a formidable researcher, managing to publish over 400 scientific studies, including 6 monographs, 8 collective works, 3 textbooks, 7 methodological guides.

Professor N. Silistraru trained one habilitated doctor and 34 doctors in pedagogical sciences from the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Israel. For special merits in scientific activity, the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Moldova awarded him the medal “Nicolae Milescu Spătaru” (2019).

Maia Borozan, habilitated doctor, university professor

She was born on November 30, 1963, in the city of Drochia, Republic of Moldova. She graduated from the State Pedagogical University „I. Creangă”, Faculty of Romanian Philology and Psychopedagogy.

For 35 years she has been teaching in higher education institutions, where she has held the positions of the head of the department (8 years) and the director of the Doctoral School “Education Sciences” (4 years).

She is the author of 120 scientific publications: collective monographs (7), university textbooks (1), textbooks (5), course materials (12), methodological guides (3), brochures (4), articles – 50, theses/conferences – 18, author/co-author of bachelor’s/master’s degree plans and programs, etc. The fields of scientific activity aim at: university pedagogy, philosophy and sociology of education, pedagogy and psychology of communication, pedagogy of emotional culture. Professor Maia Borozan established a new research direction in the Republic of Moldova – Pedagogy of emotional culture, for which she was awarded the diploma of the innovative pedagogue (Ukraine, Odessa).

As a doctoral supervisor since 2006, she has trained 12 doctors in pedagogical sciences and ensured the scientific coordination of 11 individual and collective monographs. The scientific interest for the targeted topic is also developed by coordinating national and international research and innovation projects in education in which she promotes the new science of education – Pedagogy of emotional culture, creating premises for setting up a science school.

The highest appreciations for the relevant professional activity in the field include the Medal „Dm. Cantemir”, awarded in 2015 by the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Moldova and the state distinction Labour Glory order (2019).

Nadejda Ovcerenco, doctor, associate professor

She was born on December 22, 1957, in the village of Copanca, Căuşeni district, Republic of Moldova. In 1981 she graduated from the State Pedagogical University “Alecu Russo” in Bălți, after which she worked as an educator, methodist, director of kindergarten. She studied for a master’s degree at the State University of Tiraspol, specializing in Psychopedagogy, and a doctorate at the Academy of Educational Sciences of the Russian Federation, Institute of Scientific Research in the field of Educational Theory.

Over the years, she has worked in various teaching and managerial positions in several higher education institutions in the country: associate professor (SUT, SPUC); head of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Control Department (Academy of Public Administration attached to the President of the Republic of Moldova); head of the department (SUT), dean of the Faculty of Humanities, vice-rector for International Relationships (Slavonic University), etc.

She is a doctoral supervisor in the scientific specialty: 531.01. General theory of education, guiding doctoral students from the Republic of Moldova, Turkey and Romania. She has published over 90 scientific papers (textbooks, course materials, methodological guides), participated in numerous international (Russia, Ukraine, Japan, USA, Romania, Hungary, etc.) and national scientific forums.

Viorel Bocancea, doctor, associate professor.

He was born on April 21, 1966, in the village of Sălcuța, Căuşeni district, Republic of Moldova. In 1990 he graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the State University of Tiraspol, after which he was employed as a professor of physics and mathematics in his native village. Since 1991 he has been working at the State University of Tiraspol. In 1995 he defended his doctoral thesis in pedagogy at the State Pedagogical Institute in Chelyabinsk (Russian Federation), and in 2001 he was awarded the scientific-didactic title of associate professor.

Viorel Bocancea is a doctoral supervisor in the scientific specialty: 532.02. School didactics (by levels and educational disciplines), and the scientific preoccupations are related to the methodology of teaching-learning physics, the theory of instruction, the evaluation of the school curriculum, etc.

He is the coordinator (2019) of the working group for the development of the physics curriculum for the gymnasium and high school. Co-author of the textbooks and guides for the implementation of the physics curriculum for middle and high school. He is the chairman of the Republican Commission for Attestation of Physics Teachers, member of the Organizing Committee of the Republican Physics Olympiad, coordinator of several institutional projects.

He is the author of about 100 scientific publications, including 12 textbooks, 7 methodological guides, 3 collections of tests.

Elena Bîrsan, doctor, conferențiar universitar

S-a născut la 8 octombrie 1980, în satul Chiştelniţa, raionul Telenești, Republica Moldova. Studiile de licență le-a făcut la Academia de Muzică, Teatru şi Arte Plastice (2005) și Universitatea Liberă Internaţională din Moldova, Facultatea de Jurnalism şi ştiinţe ale comunicării (2009), apoi a continuat studiile de masterat la Universitatea Pedagogigică de Stat „I. Creangă”, specialitatea „Pedagogia culturii emoţionale” (2014).

În 2017 devine doctor în Științe pedagogice, iar în 2020 – conferențiar universitar. Activitatea didactică a început-o în calitate de profesoară de canto, profesoară de educație muzicală, apoi lector universitar, conferențiar universitar. Domeniul de interes științific îl constitue: Comunicarea asertivă, Asertivitatea pedagogică, Tehnici de comunicare, Managementul conflictelor. Este autor a 25 de studii științifice publicate în țară și peste hotare.

Lilia Balțan, doctor, associate professor

She was born on January 5, 1986, in the village of Scorțeni, Telenești district, Republic of Moldova. She graduated from the State Pedagogical University “Ion Creanga”, specializing in Romanian Language and Literature. She did her master’s degree in “Education for university career” and her doctorate at the same university. In 2014 she was awarded the First Degree Diploma and the “Young Researcher of the Year” Award.

In 2015 she obtained the scientific title of doctor in Pedagogical Sciences and in 2020 the scientific-didactic title of associate professor.

The field of scientific research aims at: Pedagogy of tolerance, Education for tolerance, Education for personal development.

She is the author of 30 national and international publications, including: monographs (1), collective monographs (3), co-author dictionary (1), methodological guides (2), course notes (1), national and international articles (20), scientific articles rated BDI (2).

Aurelia Glavan, doctor, associate professor

She was born on January 14, 1965, in the village of Verejeni, Ocnița district, Republic of Moldova. She graduated from the State University of Medicine and Pharmacy “N. Testemiţanu”, after which she worked as a neurologist in the Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Emergency Medicine.

In 2015 she defended her doctoral thesis in psychology, and in 2018 she was awarded the scientific-didactic title of associate professor.

Aurelia Glavan is a doctorate supervisor in scientific specialties: 511.02. Developmental psychology, 511.03. Social psychology.

She is the author of 64 national and international scientific publications, out of which 2 monographs and 5 guides. She has also participated in numerous international scientific forums (Chile, Slovakia, Japan, Brazil, Morocco, Romania).

Elena Macovei, university assistant, senior analyst

She was born on December 12, 1989, in the village of Cuşmirca, Șoldănești district. In 2011 she graduated from the State University of Tiraspol, the Faculty of Philology, specializing in Romanian Language and Literature. She studied for a master’s degree in “Contemporary Romanian Language and Literature and Educational Technologies” (2013) and in “Management and Institutional Communication” (2015) at Tiraspol State University.

Since 2012 she has been employed as a senior analyst at the Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology and since 2013 she has been working as a university assistant at the same department.

In 2019 she is enrolled in doctorate school, at the specialty 531.01 General theory of education. She is the author of 5 scientific publications.

Daria Levițchi, university assistant

She was born on March 1, 1957, in the city of Tighina, Republic of Moldova. In 1980 she graduated from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports of the State Pedagogical University “Ion Creangă”.

Since 1991 she has been employed at ASEM, as a specialist in the field of “Physical education and sports”. Since 2018 she works at the State University of Tiraspol as a university assistant in the discipline “Physical education”.

Daria Levițchi is a master in Athletics sports, multiple champion of the Republic of Moldova and a member of the national team of the Republic of Moldova in athletics. For many years she coached the women’s athletics and swimming teams. Represents SUT sports teams at the Moldovan Federation of Student Sports and at the Sports Veterans of the Republic of Moldova. She is the author of numerous scientific papers, participating in national and international conferences (Russia, Ukraine and Romania).

Tatiana Scripa, university lecturer

She was born on March 13, 1963, in the city of Herţa, Cernăuţi region, Ukraine. After graduating in 1982 from the medical school “L.A. Tarasevici” in the city of Tiraspol, she was employed as a felcer at the Sanatorium “Codru” in Călăraşi district.

In 1985 she was enrolled in studies at the State Pedagogical University „Ion Creanga”, Faculty of Defectology. Between the years 1990 – 1997 she works as a teacher at the Auxiliary School No. 9 from the city of Chișinău and between the years 1998 – 2002 she studied for her doctorate at the Institute of Educational Sciences. She studied for a master’s degree at the State University of Tiraspol, specializing in Psychopedagogy.

From 1997 until now she is a university lecturer at the Department of General Pedagogy and Psychology of the State University of Tiraspol. She has developed and published 20 scientific papers. She is the author of 8 works of verses for adults and children, 10 groups of lyrics, published in the Republic of Moldova and Romania.

Tatiana Scripa is the coordinator of the volunteer activities of the students of the State University of Tiraspol.

IV. List of disciplines

V. Laboratories

VI. Didactic activity

VII. The work plan of the Department