XVII Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2025

Education is a triune process of training, upbringing and development of the student’s personality, which is implemented by the functions of modern higher education: professional and economic (training a specialist and a professional in his field), social and elite (formation of a citizen, a worthy representative of a certain society) and humanistic (introduction of an individual to world culture and universal values). The main goal of modern higher education is not only to train a specialist with a certain set of competencies and capable of solving various production problems in constantly changing conditions, but also to form a harmonious personality, introduced to the traditions of world culture and traditional values.

Therefore, the transition from the classical knowledge paradigm of education to an innovative personality oriented one, taking into account the individual characteristics of the student and aimed at forming a holistic personality, is becoming more urgent. This transition is successfully carried out using a competence-based approach, which is aimed at both the formation of professional and general cultural competencies and the development of individual qualities of the individual, its self-actualization and socialization [1].

At the same time, the role of the technological approach is also increasing, allowing for the effective management of pedagogical processes and forecasting their results, generalizing existing practical experience on a scientific basis, selecting the most productive new technologies and models for a comprehensive solution to social and pedagogical problems, while exerting a favorable influence on the development of the student’s personality and optimally using the available resources [2].

The inevitable global informatization of the modern world, while having a basically positive effect, leads to a number of negative consequences both in the social sphere and at the personal level. Therefore, one of the tasks of modern higher education as the final stage in the development of personal qualities and value orientations of students is the formation of the ability to think critically. Critical thinking, being a universal supra-subject competence (according to the Federal State Educational Standard), can be formed in the process of studying various academic disciplines, but this will be most effective in the course of mastering the curricula of the humanitarian cycle, including history, philosophy, psychology, foreign languages, etc.

Knowledge of foreign languages, which allows one to turn to alternative sources or primary sources in order to develop an objective point of view, plays a special role in the formation of the ability to critically perceive information. Our research is focused on the development, implementation and testing of the technology for the cadets critical thinking formation in the process of learning a foreign language. Such technology is especially relevant in the current situation of the «mental» (A. Ilnitsky’s term) or «cognitive» (Bernard Claverie’s term) war against Russia. This war aims to destroy the spiritual and moral foundations and traditional values, destroy culture and rewrite the history of our Motherland in order to influence the social situation and government policy [3].

All of the above actualizes the problem of developing a pedagogical technology for the critical thinking formation of cadets - future defenders of the interests and sovereignty of our state - in the process of foreign language education within the framework of competence and technological approaches.

Researchers understand pedagogical technology as an area of scientific knowledge (P.I. Pidkasisty, V.V. Guzeev, S. Vedemeyer, etc.), as a system of instrumental and methodological means and components of the pedagogical process (M.V. Klarin, G.K. Selevko, P. Mitchell, etc.), as an algorithmic sequence of completing educational tasks (V.P. Bespalko, V.A. Slastenin, V.M. Monakhov, T. Sakamoto, etc.), as a means of teaching and a way of applying methodological tools (V. Palamarchuk, B.T. Likhachev, R. de Kieffer, etc.). According to the definition of G.K. Selevko, pedagogical technology is a holistic, harmoniously functioning system consisting of various components of the pedagogical process; a system that has a certain scientific basis and a clear program with predictable results [2].

The development of pedagogical technology includes a study of its components: conceptual, substantive and procedural. The conceptual component reveals the scientific basis of the technology, methodological approaches and principles. The substantive component reflects the diagnosed goal and objectives of the technology, the stages of implementation of the main program. The procedural component contains information about the essence the essence and structure, algorithm and methodological features (forms, methods and means) of the organization of this technological process.

In the context of this study, we will dwell in more detail on the substantive component, since it most fully reveals the educational potential of the technology of forming cadets’ critical thinking in the process of foreign language education. The structural and substantive side of the teacher’s pedagogical activity and the students’ activity is presented in the substantive component, which includes the goal, objectives and thematic content of the program for forming cadets’ critical thinking in the process of foreign language education.

The diagnosed goal of the technology under consideration is the formation of critical thinking of future military specialists in foreign language classes. To achieve this goal, it is supposed to solve the following tasks: firstly, it is necessary to increase the level of cadets’ internal motivation for the formation of critical thinking; secondly, it is necessary to ensure the acquisition of knowledge about the features of forming critical thinking in the process of studying foreign languages; thirdly, it is advisable to form a stable reflection of students aimed at building an individual trajectory for improving the ability to think critically in military educational and then professional activities.

The content of the developed pedagogical technology involves the formation and improvement of the following indicators of critical thinking of cadets: creativity and the need for permanent self-development, the ability to perform mental actions aimed at productive forecasting and reflection; the ability to effectively interact with representatives of various social groups based on basic psychological knowledge and the ability to effectively apply this knowledge in practice; the ability to combat negative information and propaganda influence with the help of stable spiritual and moral principles, knowledge of history and patriotic feelings [4]. Such characteristics of critical thinking as readiness for self-development, the ability to interact with representatives of different social groups and lingua-groups based on basic knowledge of psychology and the application of this knowledge to build effective and productive communication in the process of solving educational, and later professional problems, have educational potential.

Of course, the educational impact is exerted by the formation of spiritual and moral principles, familiarization with traditional values through the prism of world culture in the process of foreign language education. In addition, the study of a foreign language contributes to the comprehension of the basic laws and principles of the native language, which awakens interest in world and native history, forms patriotic feelings of a citizen of his country, and, thus, has a beneficial effect on the formation of critical thinking.

The educational potential is most fully revealed when considering the substantive characteristics of the indicators of critical thinking of cadets in the context of the pedagogical technology under study, so we will dwell on them in more detail. Readiness for self-development as an indicator of critical thinking of cadets is realized through the formation of the ability to control oneself, analyzing one's thoughts and actions; the ability to independently search, process and assimilate the necessary data; the desire to know oneself, continuous education for the purpose of personal and professional self-realization.

Flexible interaction in the process of various types of foreign-language communication with representatives of different social groups, lingua-groups is achieved by forming and applying basic psychological knowledge about personality types, types and barriers of communication. At the same time, the effectiveness of interaction is directly related to the following skills:

- the ability to adjust one's activities in the process of interaction with representatives of different communities, recognizing their psycho types and building one's communication depending on them;

- the ability to distinguish types of communicative interaction, anticipating possible communicative barriers;

- the ability to tolerate a point of view different from one's own, objectively considering it as, hypothetically, acceptable;

- the ability to manage and control one's emotions in the process of communicative interaction.

It is difficult to overestimate the role of indicators of spiritual and moral immunity as a component of critical thinking of cadets in the implementation of the educational potential of the developed pedagogical technology [4]. Resistance to negative information and propaganda influences is manifested in a critical attitude to external mental, spiritual and emotional information and in the rejection of views alien to the spiritual code. Formed spiritual and moral principles allow one to differentiate external data, accept only their positive part, include it in one’s system of values and reject that which contradicts their spiritual and moral picture of the world. Finally, the critical thinking of cadets should be based on stable historical knowledge in order to contribute to the preservation of national identity and historical memory, and true patriotic feelings in order to be ready to sacrifice personal interests for the sake of the interests of the Motherland.

Thus, the developed pedagogical technology for the cadets critical thinking formation in the process of foreign language education has great educational potential, which is revealed through the consideration of the substantive side of some of the indicators of critical thinking of cadets. These indicators include: readiness for self-development, the ability to interact with representatives of different social groups based on basic knowledge of psychology and the use of this knowledge to build effective communication, the ability to resist negative information and propaganda influence with the help of stable spiritual and moral principles, knowledge of history and patriotic feelings. Therefore, the use of this technology will contribute to the training, education and development of students and the formation of a harmonious personality of the student even in difficult modern conditions.

References:

1. Gutkovich A.D. Modern trends in the development of higher education in Russia // Young scientist. - 2023. - No. 40 (487). - P. 43-45. - URL: https://moluch.ru/archive/487/106409/ (date of access: 03.02.2025).

2. Selevko G.K. Encyclopedia of educational technologies In 2 volumes. Vol. 1 / G. K. Selevko. - M .: Public education, 2005. - 556 p.

3. Makarov E. Mental and cognitive wars: issues of definition, goals and means / E. Makarov // https://www.geopolitika.ru/article/mentalnaya-i-kognitivnaya-voyny-voprosy-opredeleniya-celi-i-sredstva (date of access: 10.02.2025).

4. Bokova M.M., Volynkina N.V. Formation of critical thinking of cadets of a military university: theoretical and methodological aspect // Professional education in Russia and abroad. - 2023. - 3 (51). - P. 36-43.