Ethnocultural Competence of the Teacher: Theoretical and Methodological Aspect of Interdisciplinary Research

Introduction. Traditional education is focused primarily on the assimilation by a person of certain, pre-selected samples (knowledge, skills, forms of behavior, ideological attitudes). In such conditions, it is quite difficult to manifest a person’s individuality, their unique abilities, because self-realization, creativity imply going beyond the limits of given patterns, formed stereotypes. A person acts as an object, not a subject of education, “capable of developing their own strategy in changing circumstances of life” [1, p. 15‒19].

The important characteristic of modern education is not a predetermined system of values and assimilation of externally determined samples, but the ability of a person to construct their inner world, orienting themselves in the world of culture, while remaining unique, coexist with other people, be able to jointly solve a variety of problems. The developing society needs modern educated, moral, enterprising people who can independently make responsible decisions in a situation of choice, predicting their possible consequences, ways to cooperate, who are distinguished by mobility, dynamism, constructiveness.

Currently, in the civilized countries of the world there is a permanent and intense process of improving national education systems taking into account world trends, domestic educational traditions. Modernization of educational structures, processes and technologies is aimed at improving the quality of training, developing a holistic system of fundamental knowledge, independent thinking skills. In these conditions, the need for sociological understanding of the reform of education as a social institution, which affects the information image of a person [2, p. 27], which has ideological significance in the system of social relations [3, p. 1566‒1569], which “contributes to the processes of radical change... cultural and civilizational worldview” [4, p. 6], formed through social contacts, “... changes due to this in the socio-cultural sphere” [5], “in a certain structure that fixes this world... in consciousness” [6].

Thus, improving the quality of education is a priority of educational policy; improving the quality of education is a continuous process of adapting educational activities (in all its aspects) to modern requirements and challenges of the 21^st century.

Materials and methods. The priority direction of the Russian educational policy is improving the quality of education which undoubtedly puts forward the problem of finding objective criteria for determining the quality of education received. The main criteria for the quality of education content should be not only the system of knowledge, skills and abilities, but also the experience of independent activity and personal responsibility of teachers, that is, core competencies. Therefore, one of the directions of education modernization is a competence approach. Modern researchers of trends in educational processes speaking of a competence approach define it as a direction for the modernization of the Russian education, a key link in the innovative and professional culture of a specialist, a strategic direction for the development and modernization of domestic education, an approach that is personality-oriented in nature.

Analysis of works devoted to the problem of competence allows us to conditionally distinguish three stages of an approach formation in education. The first stage (1960‒1970) is characterized by the introduction of the category of competence into the scientific apparatus, the creation of prerequisites for distinguishing the concepts of competence. Since that time, in line with the transformational grammar and theory of language learning, the study of different types of linguistic competence, the introduction of the concept of communicative competence have begun.

The second stage (1970‒1990) is characterized by the use of the category of competence in the theory and practice of teaching a language (especially not native), professionalism in management, leadership, management, in teaching communication, the content of the concept of social competence is developed. The basis of the competent behavior model is the assumption that behavior can be best understood by identifying a person, their moral circumstances, their ideas, as well as those components that they are inclined to show striving for goals that are significant for themselves.

The third stage of the study of competence as a scientific category in relation to education, after 1990, is characterized by the appearance of a whole series of works devoted to competence topics. Professional competence is considered as a teacher’s awareness, as a property of their personality. In professional activities of the teacher, two substructures of competence are distinguished: activity and communication. Social competence is formed in the process of social work.

Results. Thus, it can be stated that, as it often happened in science in relation to other categories, interest in competence topics either disappeared or appeared with renewed vigor. The intensification of researchers’ attention to the issues of theoretical justification of competencies and their practical formation usually coincided with crisis situations in economics, education and culture. During these periods, research thought focused on identifying special formations in the structure of the individual that could allow it to more comfortably adapt to social changes, find internal resources to enrich its knowledge potential, modernize professional skills and worldview orientations.

Understanding the competence of a specialist of the 21^st century should be based on the development of integrative and analytical abilities of a person. The growing gap between the pace of change in the world around us and the increase in human competence required to cope with or adapt to these changes defines the main threat of our days — the crisis of human competence. The dynamism of social development assumes that a person’s professional activity is not predetermined for the entire period of their professional career and provides for the need for continuing education, the process of continuing professional development.

Analysis of approaches to the definition of the concept of competence and expertise allows us to determine the research position according to which competence is considered as a set of knowledge, skills, abilities, motives that determine the study of a range of issues related to a particular activity.

Expertise is understood as an integrative dynamic intellectually and personally determined characteristic of a subject of socialized activity with deep thorough knowledge of the essence of the work performed, the availability of appropriate skills and abilities, methods of activity, as well as a set of personal qualities that allow you to act responsibly and independently. Expertise is a measure of updating competencies in the process of their development, connected with selfactualization and self-realization of the personality in the relevant types of activities.

Discussion and conclusion. The theoretical analysis of studies relating to competence issues allows us to conclude that competence is manifested in activity and differs not only in its content and purpose (communicative, methodological, organizational), but also in the role that it plays in the development of the personality.

Analysis of studies devoted to competencies reveals different approaches to the classification of competencies. Most often in scientific works one can find such opposition: simple/basic competencies are easily fixed, manifested in certain types of activities, fixed on the basis of knowledge, skills, abilities, and core competencies are extremely difficult to take into account and measure, manifested in all types of activities, in all possible relationships of a personality with the world, reflecting the spiritual world of the personality and the meanings of their activities.

When classifying competencies, standard, core and leading ones are distinguished. Moreover, standard competencies are those without which the normal functioning of a person or organization is impossible, core competencies ensure their competitiveness in the socio-economic market, favorably differ from similar ideas, and leading competencies are the formation of the future, manifested in innovation, creativity, dynamicity and dialogueness.

There are also basic competencies that reflect the specifics of a certain professional activity (pedagogical, medical, engineering), special competencies that reflect the specifics of a particular subject or super subject activity and core competencies necessary for any activity.

The study of the classification of types and components of competence allows us to state that in each classification the authors identify core competencies that in the modern socio-cultural situation acquire special relevance. Based on this, five core competencies can be distinguished which characterize the following areas:

– political and social: the ability to take responsibility, participate in decision-making, resolve conflicts non-violently, participate in the functioning and improvement of democratic institutions;

– life in a multicultural society. Control over the manifestation of racism, xenophobia, climate of non-tolerance. Education is designed to develop such intercultural competencies among students as understanding differences, respecting each other, and promoting living with people of other cultures, languages, religions [7; 8, p. 39‒44];

– being proficient in oral and written communication. Proficiency in more than one language. These competencies are important in work and public life to such an extent that those who do not possess them face exclusion from society. This group of competencies in modern conditions includes knowledge of several languages which is becoming increasingly important;

– information literacy, mastery of information technologies, understanding the essence of their application, strengths and weaknesses of using information technologies. Ability to be critical in relation to media and advertising;

– ability to learn throughout the active life as the basis of continuous training in professional terms, as well as in personal and social life.

Core competencies are manifested primarily in the ability to solve professional problems based on the use of information, communication, including in a foreign language, the socio-legal foundations of the individual in civil society.

The debate on core competencies arose as part of a discussion of the profound transformation that the entire modern society is undergoing. Core competencies are characterized by the fact that they allow you to solve complex problems. They are: multifunctional (allow you to solve different problems from one field); portable to different social fields (to different areas of activity); complex and require a whole set of skills for implementation (skills of cooperation, understanding, argumentation, planning); implemented at different levels (from elementary to deep); they require complex mental organization (inclusion of intellectual, emotional qualities).

The formation of competence is not a process occurring in any abstract society. This process takes place in specific situations typical of the differentiated environment in which the socialization of the individual takes place, which is formed “... by an activity imitating reality...” [9, p. 62‒66].

Core competencies are multifunctional. Competencies are core if mastering them allows you to solve various problems in everyday professional activity or social life. They must be mastered for various important purposes and solving various complex problems in different situations.

Core competencies are super subject and interdisciplinary, they are applicable in various situations, not only in educational institutions, but also at work, in the family, in the political sphere. Core competencies require significant intellectual development: abstract thinking, self-reflection, its definition of one’s own position, self-esteem, critical thinking. Core competencies are multidimensional, that is, they include various mental processes and intellectual skills (analytical, critical), as well as common sense.

The structure of core competencies should include: competence in the field of civil and public activities (playing the roles of a citizen, voter, consumer); competence in the field of social and labor activity (including the ability to analyze the situation on the labor market, evaluate their own professional capabilities, navigate the norms and ethics of labor relations, skills, self-organization); competence in the domestic sphere (including aspects of one’s own health, family life); competence in the field of cultural and leisure activities, including the choice of ways and methods of using free time, culturally and spiritually enriching the personality, carrying out “the formation and interaction of ethnocultural traditions...” [10, p. 47; 11].

In conclusion, we note that all types of competencies are interconnected, they develop simultaneously forming an individual style of activity, including pedagogical, and ultimately ensure the formation of professional competence as a certain competence, as an integrative personal characteristic of a specialist.