FORMATION OF THE FUTURE TEACHERS’ KEY COMPETENCES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES: THE THEORETICAL ASPECT

Abstract

The article reveals the theoretical aspect of the future teachers’ key competences formation in the countries of the European Union. The European Union countries’ application of the concept of «key competencies» is explored. The peculiarities of the interpretation of this concept on the level of normative documents of the European Union are determined. The main directions of the educational policy of the European Union countries concerning the implementation of the idea of key competences in higher education are described. It is proved that the competence approach is one of the important tendencies of the higher education development in the European educational space. It is argued that at the present stage the competence approach represents the innovative principles of the development of higher education and corresponds to progressive world standards, as well as provides for the training of an educated, spiritually rich, intellectually mature, responsible personality of a specialist capable of revealing his own personality in the process of professional activity. The important factors of the competence approach’s application in the system of higher education of the European countries are identified: the transition to the information society, introduction of high educational standards, and integration of educational systems in the world educational space. It is revealed that in the process of future specialists training the preference of the European Union is given to subjects that develop their intellectual abilities, give them the opportunity to acquire and develop initiative, adaptability, and also enable them to work in the modern production environment more confidently. It is noted that the introduction of the competence approach to the education of the European Union countries implies that the knowledge of the practical direction corresponds to four components: to know what - it’s the actual codified amount of knowledge that can be broadcasted; know why - the knowledge of the world scientific understanding and the influence of science on the mankind development; know how - the ability to perform the tasks; who knows - an understanding which particular people «know what», «know why» and «know how». The general European principles concerning the teacher’s profession are described. It is noted that the essence of a competent approach in EU countries places not the students’ knowledge at the first place, but their mastering of knowledge, the ability to operate and manage information, to act actively, to make quick decisions, to solve problems of a professional nature.