The dissertation presents a systematic research of the culturological fundamentals of the content of school literary education in historical and pedagogical discourse from the second the second half of the 20th till the beginning of the 21st century. It aims at overcoming fragmentation in highlighting the problem of implementation of a culturological approach in teaching literature in the content of school literary education. The research concept is based on the thesis that the development of school literary education, drawing on the culturological approach from the second half of the 20th century till beginning of the 21st century, is predetermined by specific socio-political, ideological, socio-cultural conditions of development of school education, pedagogical thoughts and achievements in methods of teaching literature. It is justified the approaches (systemic-chronological, civilizational, paradigmatic, genetic, historiography, anthropological, axiological, acmeological, culturological, synergetic, competency-based, personal), the principles (historicism, the unity of history and logic, dialectic, systemic, objective, chronological, comprehensive, substantial analysis, continuity) and research methods (general scientific; historical-pedagogical; special-historical) on the basis of the analysis of modern studies on the methodology of historical and pedagogical sciences in accordance with the subject of the research. It is shown that during the existence of the Soviet school (1952–1991) the conceptual ideas of realization of the culturological approach in the methodology of teaching literature (Ukrainian, Russian) are to determine the role of visual teaching aids to improve literary education; develop the theory of interdisciplinary relations; determine the implementing of related kinds of art in the process of comparative analysis of a literary work; determine the realization of the idea of art unity; create the methods of studying a literary work in an artistic context; involve related kinds of art as a means of aesthetic impact on students; introducing methods of application of screen, sound and audiovisual manuals, etc. It is deduced the changes in the National Standard of Ukraine, educational programs, educational and methodical literature in the context of time period of development of school literary education on culturological basis. The tendentious character of intersubject and interdisciplinary relations of programs and textbooks on Ukrainian literature in the 1st and 2nd periods are emphasized, as well as historical and cultural knowledge in a broad art context to form students' general cultural competence presented in the program and educational materials on Ukrainian and foreign literature in the 3rd period.
