The dissertation deals with the research of the problem of formation of self-educational competence of the future students of medical colleges in the process of the natural science training. The state of research of the problem of formation of self-educational competence of the future specialists of medical sphere in domestic and foreign pedagogical theory and practice has been analyzed. It is determined that self-educational competence is formed on the basis of the experience of independent attempts and achievements, the development of the own individual learning system, the transition from copying samples of self-education to the development of the own model, the inclusion of self-education into the student’s life. The structural components of self-educational competence of students of medical schools and colleges have been identified and substantiated: motivational-value, cognitive-reflexive and organizational-activity. The motivational-value component is defined as a professional-personal characteristic, which reflects the system of value attitudes of the future medical worker to self-education and its results and provides conditions for the implementation of professional functions in the process of performing official duties. The cognitive-reflexive component involves students having knowledge of the main trends in their professional field, ideas about the conditions for success in the chosen field of activity, knowledge of natural-science disciplines, understanding of the essence of self-educational competence of the individual, the mechanisms of its manifestation, readiness for continuous self-education during the whole life. Organizational-activity component involves the ability to plan, organize and regulate self-education activity, apply the results of self-education activity in specific situations of natural-science education. The use of criteria and indicators determines the levels formedness of self-education of students: low, medium, high. The role and significance of natural-science disciplines in the preparation of highly qualified, capable to self-education, self-improvement throughout the life, socially mobile in market conditions of work specialists have been determined. The importance of natural-science disciplines in the system of training of the future medical nurses and medical assistants, contributing to the formation of the scientific worldview, which is an integral part of universal values, has been determined. They serve as the basis for the acquisition of disciplines of professional and practical training; contribute to the development of propaedeutic thinking; form the concept of scientific methodology and logic of modern research; influence the formation of the professional qualities of the future specialist, the level of his or her mobility, competitiveness and demand in the labor market; contribute to the formation of such personal qualities as the critical thinking, creativity. The pedagogical technology of formation of self-educational competence of students of medical colleges in the process of natural science training has been developed, in which the stages of its implementation (orienteering-motivational, operational-cognitive, control-evaluation) and components have been singled out: goals, forms, methods; pedagogical conditions for the formation of self-educational competence of students (the use of personality-oriented approach in order to increase interest in the future profession through the organization of independent research and research activity, the introduction of elements of the latest educational technologies (game, information-communication, project) for the formation of the necessary skills on the basis of the activity approach, step-by-step formation of self-educational competence when teaching disciplines of natural-science training on a systematic basis oh and competence approach); the principles (systematic and consistent, problem, individualization, relationship of theoretical knowledge and practical activity, professional orientation of self-education activity). The expediency of introduction of the elements of the newest educational technologies, individual self-education programs, special course «Self-Educational Competence of the Personality: the Ways of Formation» at all stages of realization of pedagogical technology for the formation of self-educational competence has been proved.
