Spiritual and Intellectual Development of Young Researchers in the Process of Their Scientific Formation in Institutions of Higher Education

On the basis of the analysis of scientific and pedagogical literature and the practice of research activity, the peculiarities of the spiritual and intellectual development of young researchers in the process of their scientific formation were revealed. It has been proven that the level of their methodological culture is the basis of the spiritual and intellectual development of education seekers as a systematic factor that ensures the systematization of cognitive and value-oriented strategies, relevant knowledge and skills, and becomes the core of the personal, professional and scientific development of a teacher-researcher. In this context, spiritual-intellectual development should be built on the basis of systemic, integral, narrative, activity, person-oriented, axiological humanistic, competence-based, cultural, adaptive and other approaches. The functions of methodological culture are singled out, such as worldview, cognitive, prognostic, semiotic, critical-reflexive, creative, and the function of professional self-development of the future teacher, which are directed by the worldview function. In the direction of spiritual and intellectual development, the stages of scientific formation of young researchers are highlighted: 1) entry into scientific and pedagogical activity (comprehension of the basic provisions of scientific and pedagogical activity, acquaintance with the research process); 2) scientific and professional formation (mastery of basic categories, methods of scientific and pedagogical knowledge, motivational and value orientation to scientific research); 3) conscious scientific search (spiritual and intellectual enrichment, mastering the basics of methodological culture, implementation of a research program); 4) scientific maturity (deep awareness of the specifics of pedagogical knowledge, personal growth, mastering cognitive processes and ways of thinking, methodological reflection, obtaining objective research results). The conducted research and taking into account the principles of academic integrity testify to the spiritual and intellectual growth of young researchers, which appears as an effective characteristic of methodological culture, which actualizes scientific and pedagogical thinking and acquires a proactive orientation and predicts their scientific activity.