In the context of the achievements of modern pedagogical science and educational challenges, the author substantiates the theoretical and methodological foundations of social activity of students – future specialists of socionomic professions. These foundations are expressed in the concept, in the author’s pedagogical system and its model.
The research is based on three concepts (theoretical, methodological and technological). It involves optimization of the social activity development for students who specialize in socionomic professions and it includes its systematization according to the modern changes in the functioning of the social sphere and according to society’s demands.
The system of social activity development of future socionomy specialists is considered as follows: it is purposefully organized, managed, multifunctional and open pedagogical construction, a set of channels of direct and indirect interaction between teachers and students in order to realize certain attitudes to social activity; it is a set of socio-cultural, psychological, pedagogical, organizational and other conditions created in the higher education institution and which provide positive changes in students’ preparation for socially significant activities.
The basic components of the author’s model of the pedagogical system of students’ social activity include: theoretical and methodological component (based on the principles of systematic, connection between theory and social practice, objectivity and integrity, as well as personal, activity, communicative, competence-based, axiological, synergetic and subjective methodological approaches); semantic component (knowledge, competencies provided by the content of the educational program; skills and social experience gained during educational and extracurricular practices); organizational and technological component (forms, methods, means, technologies of development of students’ social activity); criteria and results blocks (focused on the final result – increasing the level of social activity development). The components of the model reflect the integrity and systematic character of the requirements for socionomy specialists, the content of the students’ social activity development, the conformity of the process and technological means to goal setting and result orientation – increasing the level of students’ social activity.
The model of the system of social activity development of future socionomy specialists in the process of professional training in higher education institutions is realized on the basis of choice and application of pedagogical technologies (the universal ones which mean personality-oriented, interactive, project-like, multimedia, training, problem-based learning, etc. and which are components of macro-technology; information and communication, social and educational ones), the introduction of organizational and pedagogical conditions, the selection of effective forms, methods, techniques and means to organize the development of social activity.
The dissertation develops the definition of social activity of future socionomy specialists which is interpreted as a category (a general concept) that reflects the most significant contradictions and interaction of social norms and individual needs of the student. At the same time it is a characteristic of the student’s personality. Social activity of the future specialist is considered a state and integrative property of personality which is manifested in the process of vocational education while initiating and implementing acts of social interaction for constructive self-development, environmental transformation, achieving personal and social goals mediated by the nature of students’ future professional activity.
The author determines structural-functional and factor-integrative characteristics of the social activity development of future socionomy specialists in the context of the pedagogical influence of the educational environment at a higher education institution. The research study defines objective and subjective criteria of socionomic activity for the development of social activity, namely: the presence of a common goal, the subordination of individual motives to action and their implementation through self-actualization which reflects a set of certain views, guidelines, needs, goals and values of the individual, and performs regulatory functions within a particular socionomic profession.
