Total subject educational activities

Characterizing the subjects of pedagogical and educational activities, it is necessary first of all to note that each teacher and student, representing a social subject ( pedagogical community or apprenticeship), together are the total subject of the whole educational process. The aggregate subject, representing social values, is represented in each educational system, institution by the administration, teaching staff, student community (in an institute this is the rector’s office, department, dean’s office, study groups). The activities of these collective entities are directed and regulated by legal and program documents. Each of the specific subjects included in the aggregate subject has its own, but agreed upon, united goals. They are presented in the form of certain results, but with a distinction between functions and roles, due to which the educational process is a complex polymorphic activity. The general goal of the educational process as an activity is to preserve and further development social experience accumulated by civilization, a specific people, a community. It is carried out by two counter-directed goals of transmission and reception, organizing the development of this experience and its assimilation. In this case, we are talking about the total ideal subject of the entire educational process, the effectiveness of which is determined by the awareness on both sides of a common civilizationally significant goal.

Motivational sphere subjects educational activities

A specific feature of the subjects of the educational process is also their motivational sphere, which consists of two sides. Subject of pedagogical activity in ideal scheme works towards a common goal - “for students and then for themselves.” The subject of educational activity acts, as it were, in the opposite direction of this scheme: “for himself for the sake of achieving a common goal” as a distant and not always explicit perspective. The point common to the educational process “for the student” on the part of the teacher and “for oneself” on the part of the student defines pragmatic, “really acting”, in the terminology of A.N. Leontyev, motive. It is he who characterizes the actions of the total ideal subject represented by the teacher and the student. “Understood” motives lie, as it were, at the basis of the educational process, not always even fully realized not only by the student, but also by the teacher.

Part III. Teacher and students are subjects of the educational process

The greatest scientist and the student of the elementary school stand, although at opposite ends, but of the same ladder - personal development and improvements; one is at the top of it, the other is at the very bottom... But both of them work equally - with their own minds, learn, although each in their own way; they are workers of the same field, although at different ends of it.

P.F. Kapterev. Didactic essays. Education theory

Chapter 1. Subjects of the educational process § 1. Category of the subject

General characteristic categories subject

The category of subject, as is known, is one of the central ones in philosophy, especially in ontology (Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Hegel). Much attention it also evokes in modern psychological science (S.L. Rubinshtein, K.A. Abulkhanova-Slavskaya, A.V. Brushlinsky, V.A. Lektorsky). As noted by S.L. Rubinstein, "the main task of philosophy(ontologies)... the task of revealing subjects various forms, ways of existence, various forms of movement". This also includes the task of revealing and identifying the subjects of activity as one of the main forms of movement. The analysis of the subjects of educational activity, which includes its two interconnected forms - pedagogical and educational, lies in line with both general philosophical and specifically pedagogical tasks.

What are the characteristics of a subject from a general philosophical position? Let us present these characteristics, according to S.L. Rubinstein.

Firstly, the category of the subject is always juxtaposed with the category of the object. Because of this, in the knowledge of being, in the “opening of being to knowledge”, in relation to this “knowable being” to the cognizing person S.L. Rubinstein identifies two interrelated aspects: "1) being as objective reality, as an object of human awareness; 2) man as a subject, as a cognizer, discoverer of being, realizing its self-consciousness*.

Secondly, the knowing subject, or "subject of scientific knowledge- it is a social subject who is aware of the existence that he cognizes in socially and historically established forms.”. Here it is essential to emphasize the position of A.N. Leontyev, that in general the opposition between the subjective and the objective is not absolute. “Their opposition is generated by development, and throughout it, mutual transitions between them are preserved, destroying their “one-sidedness””.

Thirdly, a social subject can exist and be realized both in the activity and in the existence of a specific individual.

Fourthly, considering the problem of the relationship between “I” and another person, S.L. Rubinstein draws attention to the fact that “I” presupposes some activity and, conversely, “voluntary, controlled, consciously regulated activity necessarily presupposes actor, the subject of this activity- "I" of a given individual". This provision acts as one of the main characteristics not only of the subject, but also of the activity itself.

Fifthly, the subject is a consciously acting person, whose self-awareness is “awareness of oneself as a being aware of the world and changing it, as a subject, an actor in the process of his activity- practical and theoretical, including the subject of awareness activities". This definition is given in the theory by S.L. Rubinstein form of the aphorism “Man as a subject of life.”

Sixth, every specific subject is determined through one’s attitude towards another (as was noted by A. Smith and K. Marx in the theory of the mirror, according to which the man Peter, looking at Paul as in a mirror and accepting his assessments, forms self-esteem).

Seventh, each “I,” representing both the individual and the universal, is a collective subject. “Each “I,” insofar as it is the universality of the “I,” is a collective subject, a community of subjects, a “republic of subjects,” a community of individuals; this "I" is actually "we"".

The eighth characteristic of the subject is that the subject of the activity is itself formed and created in this activity, the disobjectification of which can reveal and define the subject himself. According to S.L. Rubinstein, the subject in his actions, in acts of his creative initiative, is not only revealed and manifested; it is created and determined in them. Therefore, what he does can determine what he is; the direction of his activity can determine and shape him. The possibility of pedagogy, at least pedagogy in the grand style, rests on this alone.”[cit. according to 35, p. 6].

Let us note one more, ninth, characteristic of the subject, which follows from the epistemological and actually psychological analysis of the process of reflection, the category of “subjective” image (according to A.N. Leontiev). According to A.N. Leontiev, in cognition, reflection of reality, there is always an active (“biased”) subject, modeling the object and the connections in which it is located. Based on the general psychological thesis that activity is conditioned by motives, emotions, and attitudes of the subject, A.N. Leontiev introduces the concept of “bias” of reflection as its belonging to the subject of activity.

It is important to note that, approaching the concept of the subject from other - operational - positions, J. Piaget also considered activity as one of its leading characteristics. “He rightly emphasizes that just as the object is not “given” to the subject in finished form, but is recreated by the latter in the structure of knowledge, as if “built” by him for himself, and the subject is “not given” to himself with all his internal structures; By organizing an object for itself, the subject also constructs its own operations, i.e. makes himself a reality to himself".

According to J. Piaget, the subject is in constant interaction with the environment; it is innately characterized by the functional activity of adaptation, through which it structures the environment affecting it. Activity is revealed in actions, among which various transformations, object transformations (moving, combining, deleting, etc.) and the creation of structures are leading. J. Piaget emphasizes the importance for educational psychology the idea that there is always an interaction between an object and a subject that takes place in the context of a previous interaction, a previous reaction of the subject. Analyzing this position of J. Piaget and the entire Geneva school, L.F. Obukhova notes that the formula “stimulus - reaction,” according to J. Piaget, should look like “stimulus - organizing activity of the subject - reaction.” In other words, the subject of action, activity and more in a broad sense- interaction, correlated with the object, represents an active, recreating and transforming principle. It is always the doer [see 181, ch. 5].

Subject And personality

The problem of subjectivity in recent decades has acted as an object of special study in personality psychology (K.A. Abulkhanova, A.V. Brushlinsky, V.I. Slobodchikov, V.A. Petrovsky) [see, 1; 181, ch. 9]. The idea of ​​human subjectivity, meaning “...the property of self-determination of his existence in the world” (V.A. Petrovsky), is considered as a reference for this area of ​​psychology. “To be a person... means to be a subject of activity, communication, self-awareness,” - notes V.A. Petrovsky, considering through this category the internal connection between the personal and the subjective. Let us present the arguments of V.A. Petrovsky:

“Firstly, to be a person means to be the subject of your own life, to build your vital (in a broad sense) contacts with the world.” This includes physical, psychophysical, psychological, social and other aspects of a person’s relationship with his natural and social environment.

“Secondly, be an individual- means to be a subject of objective activity,” in which a person acts as an actor.

“Thirdly, be an individual- is to be a subject of communication,” where, according to V.A. Petrovsky, something common is formed that ensures the mutual representation of the interacting parties. V.A. Petrovsky emphasizes the idea that is important for understanding the connection between these categories: “... It is impossible to be a person as a subject of communication without one degree or another of ideal representation (reflection) of a person in the lives of other people.”

Fourthly, according to V.A. Petrovsky, to be a person means to be a subject of self-awareness, which includes self-esteem, the discovery of one’s own “I” and other personal constituents. Considering subjectivity as a constitutive characteristic of personality, V.A. Petrovsky introduces concepts that are important for educational psychology: the concept of “virtual subjectivity” as a moment of formation, transition to this state, which correlates with the emergence of the personal in a person; the concept of “reflected subjectivity” - “a true subject cannot help but be a subject for himself and at the same time a subject of his being for another”.

Psychologist - pedagogical performance subject characteristics

Let us once again name the main characteristics of the subject in order to analyze all the possibilities of projecting this category onto the educational process. These characteristics (in a rather arbitrary, practically oriented form of presentation) are the following: 1) the subject presupposes the object; 2) the subject is social in the form (means, methods) of his action (cognitive or practical); 3) the social subject also has a specific, individual form of implementation; the collective subject is represented in each individual and vice versa; 4) consciously regulated activity is always subjective, in it the subject himself is formed; 5) subject of individual activity - a consciously acting person; 6) subjectivity is determined in the system of relationships with other people - this is activity, partiality; 7) subjectivity is the indivisible integrity of communication, activity, self-awareness and being; 8) subjectivity is a dynamic principle, becoming and disappearing, not existing outside the interaction itself (interpersonal, social, activity); 9) subjectivity is an interpsychic category. To these subjective characteristics of a person, it is necessary to add his characteristics as a person as a subject. It includes, according to E.A. Klimov, orientation, motives; attitude to the environment, to activity, to oneself; self-regulation, expressed in such qualities as composure, organization, patience, self-discipline; creativity, intellectual personality traits; emotionality. All these characteristics, in full or reduced form, are inherent in the subjects of the educational process.

§ 2. Specific features of subjects of the educational process

Aggregate subject educational activities

When characterizing the subjects of pedagogical and educational activities, it is necessary first of all to note that each teacher and student, representing a social subject (teaching community or apprenticeship), together are the total subject of the entire educational process. The aggregate subject, representing social values, is represented in each educational system, institution by the administration, teaching staff, student community (at the institute this is the rector's office, department, dean's office, study groups). The activities of these collective entities are directed and regulated by legal and program documents. Each of the specific subjects included in the aggregate subject has its own, but agreed upon, united goals. They are presented in the form of certain results, but with a distinction between functions and roles, due to which the educational process is a complex polymorphic activity. The general goal of the educational process as an activity is the preservation and further development of social experience accumulated by a civilization, a specific people, or a community. It is carried out by two counter-directed goals of transmission and reception, organizing the development of this experience and its assimilation. In this case, we are talking about the total ideal subject of the entire educational process, the effectiveness of which is determined by the awareness on both sides of a common civilizationally significant goal.

Motivational sphere of subjects of educational activities

A specific feature of the subjects of the educational process is also their motivational sphere, which consists of two sides. The subject of pedagogical activity in an ideal scheme works to achieve a common goal - “for students and then for themselves.” The subject of educational activity acts, as it were, in the opposite direction of this scheme: “for himself for the sake of achieving a common goal” as a distant and not always explicit perspective. The point common to the educational process “for the student” on the part of the teacher and “for oneself” on the part of the student defines pragmatic, “really acting”, in the terminology of A.N. Leontyev, motive. It is he who characterizes the actions of the total ideal subject represented by the teacher and the student. “Understood” motives lie, as it were, at the basis of the educational process, not always even fully realized not only by the student, but also by the teacher.

Subject of the subject's activity in the educational process

The subject of the educational process as the activity of a collective subject, i.e. what it is aimed at is a set of values ​​of social consciousness, a system of knowledge, methods of activity, the transfer of which on the part of the teacher meets with a certain way of mastering them by the student. If his method of mastering coincides with the method of action proposed by the teacher, then the combined activity brings satisfaction to both parties. If a divergence appears at this point, then the very commonality of the subject is violated.

Development and self-development of subjects

According to S.L. Rubinstein, an important characteristic of the subject of activity - he is both formed and developed in it - refers not only to the development of the student (as is usually believed), but also to the self-development and improvement of the teacher himself. The specificity of the educational process lies in the reciprocity (complementarity, mutual fulfillment) of these two phenomena: the development of a student presupposes the constant self-development of the teacher, which is a condition for the development of the student.

It is significant that the ideal total subject of the educational process is represented by P.F. Kapterev as if one educational field, a field of teaching and development.

“A creative teacher and student are connected by the need for self-education and development. A school teacher, however, who imagines himself to be a complete sage, who has no need to study anymore, does not belong to this field, does not occupy any step in the ladder of development, he is alien to educational work. He stands aloof from culture, from the work of assimilating it and personal improvement.”. Subjects of the educational process are “doomed” to self-development, the internal strength of which serves as the source and impetus for the development of each of them.

Subject in the system of relations

The specificity of the subject of the educational process also reflects such an important characteristic as the formation of the subject in the system of his relations with others. The educational process in any pedagogical system is represented by a variety of people, groups, teams (teaching, teaching, classroom, etc.). “Each individual subject is simultaneously included in different collective subjects. Various systems of cognitive activity, with their own standards and norms, are integrated in the individual into a certain integrity. The existence of the latter is a necessary condition for the unity of the Self.". That is why the problem of a collective subject becomes an independent educational and production problem, a problem of relationships between students (Ya.L. Kolominsky) and the teaching staff as a special case of a social community (A.V. Petrovsky, A.I. Dontsov, E.N. Emelyanov and etc.).

Subjects of the educational process are characterized by both general properties inherent in the subject of cognition, activity, life in general, and those specific to them as subjects of the educational process, in which their features are revealed.

Self-test questions

1. What does the position about the juxtaposition of object and subject in cognition and activity presuppose?

2. What characteristics of the subjects of the educational process can be considered as the main ones?

Literature

Abulkhanova K.A. About the subject of mental activity. M., 1973.

Brushlinsky A.V. Problems of subject psychology. M., 1994.

Leontyev A.N. Favorite psychological works. T. 1, 2. M., 1983.

Lektorsky V.A. Collective subject. Individual subject // Subject, object, knowledge. M., 1980.

IN modern pedagogy and educational psychology have long abandoned the traditional scheme of relationships between teachers and students, when the teacher acts as a “carrier” of knowledge and its active “conductor” into the minds of students, i.e. acts as a “subject of the educational process”, and students only “perceive” the knowledge offered, actually remaining in the passive position of “objects” pedagogical impact"by the teachers.
New scheme is based on the fact that both teachers and students are active “subjects” of the educational process. In this case, the psychology teacher acts as a “subject of organizing the educational process,” and the student acts as a “subject of educational (educational and professional) activity.” But here a very difficult and quite real problem: unfortunately, not all students are ready to be such genuine “subjects”, and many of them have to be prepared for a long time to become real students. Unfortunately, modern comprehensive school does not always prepare graduates (and future university applicants) for studying in higher education, only “stuffing” (or “stuffing”) them with all kinds of and often unsystematized knowledge. At the same time, your main task— “teaching how to learn” is often not done by schools. Even more unfortunately, entrance exams they also often do not identify the most important quality of an applicant - his readiness and ability to be a student, testing only his “knowledge” (often acquired with the help of “tutors”), which further complicates the problem.

This raises some very difficult questions:

— How best to develop students’ readiness to be “subjects of educational professional activity»?

— How to work in groups of students, among whom some are still ready to act as genuine “subjects”, while others do not want to take up a role at all active position(it’s easier for him to remain a “consumer” of knowledge, as he was taught to do at school, where he was an “excellent student” or even a “medalist”).

It is useful to understand what it means to “be a subject of learning activity” and what is the essence of “learning activity” in general. Based on the fact that each activity is subject-specific, it is necessary to consider what subject the student deals with at the beginning of his schooling. “It seems that the subject of educational activity is a generalized experience of knowledge, differentiated into individual sciences,” L.F. reflects on this problem. Obukhova. - But what objects are subject to change on the part of the child himself? The paradox of educational activity is that while acquiring knowledge, the child himself does not change anything in this knowledge. For the first time, the subject of changes in educational activities becomes the child himself, the very subject carrying out this activity. Educational activity is an activity that turns the child on himself, requires reflection, an assessment of “what I was” and “what I have become.” The process of one’s own change is highlighted for the subject himself as new item. The most important thing in educational activity is a person’s turn towards himself…” (Obukhova, 1996, p. 273). These words refer to the beginning schooling, and naturally, they assume that a graduate (and even more so a university student) has formed precisely such “subjectivity”, precisely such a readiness for “learning activity”, which is based on the “reflection” of one’s own self-change. But, unfortunately, not all students have such readiness.

Already in higher education (and university) education, the student must demonstrate his readiness for self-change and self-development in relation to mastering scientific method knowledge.

Back in the 20s. outstanding domestic teacher S.I. Gessen wrote that a university course should be aimed primarily at “mastering the method scientific research" and that this "can only be achieved by involving students in independent research work" "Highest scientific school, or university, is therefore an inseparable unity of teaching and research,” noted S.I. Hesse. - This is teaching through research carried out in front of the students... The student does not just study, but is engaged in science, he is a studiosus. Both of them... move science forward. Teaching and research coincide here, and this applies both to students who, through teaching, begin independent research at the university, and to professors, who through research continue their never-ending teaching” (Hessen, 1995, p. 310).

Thus, the most important condition introducing students to independent research is, according to the correct remark of S.I. Gessen, an example of the “never ending teaching” of the professors and teachers themselves, an example of their constant reflection on important issues his science. “Therefore, the first task of a teacher in the classroom, in the auditorium, in the laboratory is to think scientifically, to use the method as a living instrument of thought. Only the constant intensity of thought with which the teacher uses the method in practice, in living work scientific knowledge“, posing a problem to the students, resolving with its help the questions that arose before the class, encountering unexpected difficulties, shows the way to solve the perplexities that arise in one or the other - only such activity of thought is capable of introducing the student to the method of cognition,” wrote S. AND. Hesse, meaning not only university, but even secondary education (Ibid. p. 250).

The educational process at a university should not be reduced to a “retelling” of textbooks and to a “presentation” of principles known in a given science, reflected in textbooks and problem books. “It is not the textbook or the problem book that stands at the center of true teaching, but the teacher with his unflagging, vigilant thought. The textbook and problem book are only conditionally useful aids...,” writes S.I. Hesse (Ibid. pp. 250-251). The teacher’s task is to use his own reasoning “about the subject being taught” to interest students and encourage them to independently investigate the problem, using, among other things, textbooks and books in the library...

Unfortunately, in most cases, teaching at a university turns into “presentation of material” and “retelling textbooks.” This is aggravated by the fact that in the conditions of the current “market education”, many teachers, due to meager salaries, are forced to earn extra money by teaching courses and special courses in which they understand little and they simply have to turn into “shabby parrots” retelling hastily read textbooks and books and did not even have time to delve into certain problems. All that remains is to exclaim: long live the “long-awaited educational market”!

But students suffer even more in this situation. Not only do they not receive the main thing that should be given to them graduate School(introduce them to the method of scientific knowledge), they also form the conviction that the teacher is generally “obliged” to retell and chew everything for them, i.e. is obviously formed passive position“object of pedagogical influence”... Therefore, the students themselves (if possible with interested teachers) are forced to somehow break out of vicious circle and increase the degree of independence and responsibility for their educational activities.

The greatest scientist and the student of the elementary school stand, although at opposite ends, but of the same ladder - personal development and improvement; one is at the top of it, the other is at the very bottom... But both of them work equally - with their own minds, learn, although each in their own way; they are workers of the same field, although at different ends of it.

P.F. Kapterev. Didactic essays. Education theory

Chapter 1. Subjects of the educational process

§ 1. Category of subject

General characteristic categories subject

The category of subject, as is known, is one of the central ones in philosophy, especially in ontology (Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Hegel). It also attracts great attention in modern psychological science(S.L. Rubinshtein, K.A. Abulkhanova-Slavskaya, A.V. Brushlinsky, V.A. Lektorsky). As noted by S.L. Rubinstein, "the main task of philosophy(ontologies)... the task of revealing subjects of various forms, modes of existence, various forms of movement". This also includes the task of revealing and identifying the subjects of activity as one of the main forms of movement. The analysis of the subjects of educational activity, which includes its two interconnected forms - pedagogical and educational, lies in line with both general philosophical and specifically pedagogical tasks.

What are the characteristics of a subject from a general philosophical position? Let us present these characteristics, according to S.L. Rubinstein.

Firstly, the category of the subject is always juxtaposed with the category of the object. Because of this, in the knowledge of being, in the “opening of being to knowledge”, in relation to this “knowable being” to the cognizing person S.L. Rubinstein identifies two interrelated aspects: “1) existence as an objective reality, as an object of human awareness; 2) man as a subject, as a cognizer, discoverer of being, realizing its self-consciousness*.