Secondary Education Profiling: Problems and Prospects

Introduction. The results of our research of the issue of profession-oriented education in secondary schools of Ukraine have revealed that the first Concept of Profession-oriented Education in High School (2003) underwent changes over the next ten years since its launch in 2003. Moreover, its new editions were twice approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in 2009 and 2013, respectively. The given Concepts specified methodology, organizational and pedagogical pre-requisites of profession-oriented education as well as outlined the mechanisms for its implementation. However, not a single model has been fully realized so far, which is closely related to and is explained by certain difficulties and problems of organizing profession-oriented education. The timeliness of recent secondary education (grades 10-12) profiling is reinforced by the start of the third phase of the subject oriented educational reform. Purpose. The article aims to identify and scrutinize modern psychology-pedagogical pre-requisites of secondary education profiling through the perspective of the New Ukrainian School development. Methods. Reviewing studies on Methods for Foreign Language Teaching and Learning, Psychology, Pedagogy, Linguistics; analysis of the current national legislation on the issue, curricula, syllabi, textbooks, study guides; scientifically rigorous observation of the educational process; summarizing the positive work experience of university and school teachers. Results. The article provides a retrospective analysis of the subject oriented education at the third level of comprehensive secondary education during the period of Ukraine’s independence. More specifically, coverage of the national state documents, regulating its implementation, as well as full-value analysis of current researches and publications, creating its theoretical and methodological basis, are supported by the gained experience in the given domain. The article writer links the effectiveness of secondary education profiling being implemented according to the 2024 State Standard with the need to consider not only previous experience, but also modern psychological and pedagogical conditions for its implementation. Hence, the thorough examination of social, methodological, and technological factors determining the peculiarities of secondary education profiling at the current stage. Conclusion. Overall, a retrospective study of scientific literature, legislative and regulatory documents, and summary of the author’s own experience on the implementation of subject oriented secondary education during the period of independence of Ukraine were carried out. An attempt has been made to characterize the factors that caused difficulties and made it impossible to fully solve the tasks of subject oriented education defined by the Concept of Profile Education in High School (2003, 2009, 2013). Based on the results of the study and analysis of modern psychological and pedagogical conditions for secondary education profiling, the emphasis should be made on preparation and further implementation of subject oriented training in accordance with the State Standard (2024). Extensive examination of the specifics of foreign languages oriented teaching in academic and professional fields seem to be perspective for further research.