Fedyk A. Conditions for the Professional Thinking Development of the Future Border Guard Officers

The dissertation is devoted to the psychological conditions of the professional thinking development of the future border guard officers in the professional training system of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGSU). The theoretical and methodological analysis results of the Ukrainian and foreign scientists’ points of view on professional thinking development problems of the modern specialists’ have been presented. The psychological aspects of the professional border guard officers activities, taking into consideration the peculiarities of their professional problem-solving within the frame of nowadays reality have been investigated. The concepts meaning of the «professional thinking» and «professional border guard officers thinking» have been determined. The main groups of the typical professional tasks of the border guard officers and thinking strategies characteristics for the problem-solving solution have been defined. The professional tasks classification in the problem-based teaching conditions has been worked out on the basis of the psychological learning mechanisms by academician Yu. I. Mashbyts. The tasks classification usage makes a great impact on the professional thinking development of the future border guard officers while training process. The psychological conditions for the professional thinking development of the future border guard officers at the higher military educational establishment (HMEE) have been identified and substantiated. The essential professional thinking level formation of the future border guard officers at the HMEE conditions has been determined. The necessary professional thinking level guarantees the productive professional problem-solving in the future professional activity and with the different analysis methods using of the professional tasks in order to make the effective state border defense and protection decisions. It has been outlined the components for each stage formation of the essential professional thinking level development of the future border guards at the HMEE conditions. These stages are the following: the initial – cognitive, the main – operational and the final – personal ones. In order to verificate the effectiveness of the proposed influences on the professional thinking development of the future border guard officers by the expert evaluation method, the criteria (cognitive, need-motivational and operational ones) and levels (high, medium and low ones) of its development have been determined. The methodology, organization and results of the experimental research of the professional thinking development of the future border guard officers have been revealed. The first phase of the experiment has testified about the insufficient level of the cadets’ professional thinking formation, which, in its turn, necessitated the development, justification and experimental verification of the author’s program for the professional thinking development of the future border guard officers in the professional training system at the HMEE conditions. The program consists of three parts: theoretical, practical-developmental and emotional-reflexive ones. It is the purposeful influence complex of the teacher on the cognitive, needs-motivational, emotional and the operational spheres of the future border guard officers. It includes the model which consists of the diagnostic, developmental and effective stages. The teacher’s and cadets’ roles are taken into consideration while realizing the «subject-subject» interaction in the professional thinking development process. The program usage is aimed at the mental teaching subjects actions developing while the problem-solving, attention, operational memory and thinking speed in order to acquire the mental operations skills and habits of the professional problem-solving abilities; the neuro-psychological endurance developing and professional vigilance; the expectation state, optimal working and transition psychological states, as well as the other special skills and habits. The experimental verification program results have testified about the rise іn the future border guard officers’ knowledge level, their skills and habits of the professional thinking and mental fulfillment operations in the significant psychological stress conditions. The investigation has resulted in the author’s practical recommendations to the NASBGS teachers on the program usage for the professional thinking development of the future border guard officers. The requirements, criteria and principles for the border guard officers training have been taken into consideration while working out the program. The practical significance of the dissertation is that the empirical results can be used in the HMEE educational process of the Ukrainian law enforcement and defense structures.