Nowadays the competence-building approach has become one of the leading directions of education modernization. It is connected with the fact that a modern society needs a specialist possessing activity potential.
In this way, the professional development of the future pedagogue is closely interrelated to the development of a professional competence in him in the course of studying in a HEI, as under the present-day conditions the knowledge formation is not the main target of education (knowledge for the sake of knowledge). For a student, the future teacher, it is overwhelmingly important to acquire the ability to apply general knowledge and skills to settle concrete situations and problems arising from the reality.
Besides, the professional competence based on the fundamental-scientific education, emotionally valuable attitude to the pedagogical activity, educational work technology possession is a precondition for the formation of the future teacher´s readiness for creative evolution of his personality.
In terms of the analysis of professional training efficiency criteria suggested by S.Ya. Batyshev [1, pp. 146-147] the following components of professional competence of the modern teacher have been marked out:
- independence in professional activity, which supposes an optimal choice of technologies and methods in educational work;
- the ability to diagnose pedagogical situations, make wise decisions; the ability to perform regular self-control;
- ability to adapt the training material and easily present it to students;
- ability to organize academic activity rationally, inducing students to master the subject actively;
- constant striving for self-education, searching for new forms and methods of the academic activity organization;
- knowledge of research work methodology, research skills possession and ability to organize research activity among students;
- constant reflection of one´s activity, ability to critical self-analysis and self-control;
- creative attitude to work - ability to master innovative technologies and implement them in academic activity;
- liability for professional tasks´ fulfillment.
It is worthy of note that nowadays the problem of the teacher´s professional competence definition is the subject of psychologists´, pedagogues´ and experts´ investigation. However, there is no common approach to the definition of this notion, competence classification in literature. A.A. Derkach defines professional competence as an ability of a human to solve a certain scope of professional problems [2].
But, unfortunately, in the given definition there is no attention paid to the problem of understanding of one´s professional activity objectives by the human himself, to personal professional-pedagogical qualities´ updating, i.e. the role of reflection in the professional competence structure and development is not mentioned. And this is one of the most important components of the future specialist´s (and the teacher´s in particular) professional competence.
An external reason for the inclusion of reflection in the process of professional competence formation consists in the fact that competence is acquired by the student himself in the course of academic activity, which is organized as a thinking-activity or sensationally-outlived process of realization of their activity by students.
In connection with this the training of a competent specialist educationally is a reflexive process providing creation of conditions for self-education and development of professionally meaningful personal qualities. In the consequence of which, basing on the given problem and resting upon the idea of a reflexive approach to the process of education, we suggest the following definition of "professional competence".
Professional competence is readiness and ability of a person to understand its professional activity objectives, to update its professional-pedagogical qualities creating conditions for the perfection of self-actualization, self-reflection, self-development, self-esteem, self-concept as leading mechanisms of self-fulfillment.
The definition must follow that the formation of professional competence is only possible upon the condition of purposeful formation of pedagogical reflection in the teacher´s consciousness. In this connection we consider the process of the future pedagogue´s professional competence formation in the context of students´ professional-pedagogical training.
The process of formation of professional competence represents a complex system including three main components: informative, procedural and personal ones, where the reflexive approach performs the role of a system-forming factor and universal mechanism of the process of this formation.
References:
- Batyshev S.Ya., Yakovlev M.V., Skandin V.A., Khovov O.B., Kut´ev V.O., Zamoskovnaya N.V. Professional pedagogy. M.: Professional education association, 1997 - pp. 146-147.
- Acmeology: Textbook/under the general editorship of A.A. Derkach - M.: Publishing House of RAPA, 2002 - pp. 313-314.
The work was submitted to international scientific conference «Modern education. Problems and solutions », Thailand - Cambodia, February 18-28, 2009, came to the editorial office on 11.01.2009.