METHODOLOGICAL CULTURE OF A TEACHER OF LAW DISCIPLINES: RESEARCH OF THE PHENOMENON

Purpose. To study the relevance of the problem related to the methodological culture of a future teacher of law disciplines; to define the essence of the concepts “culture”, “methodological culture” in the scientific literature; to provide the author's definition of the concept “methodological culture of a future teacher of law disciplines”. Methods. The methods of theoretical analysis of actual, scientific research, normative legal documents and legislative acts have been used, in particular: to clarify the content of the concepts being studied - systematization and generalization; to summarize the theoretical and methodological problems of the study - analysis and synthesis; the essential content of the category “methodological culture of a teacher of law disciplines” - generalization and simultaneous specification. Results. The relevance of the problem under research is substantiated at the present stage of modernization and transformation of education in the context of the implementation of educational standards of vocational education. It is emphasized that there has been a significant expansion of the content field of the teacher's professional activity related to the educational and methodological support of the educational process: development of educational program documentation, control methods, methodological support of the educational process, design of educational content according to the requirements of the state educational standard. Above mentioned imposes increased requirements on the methodological activities of a teacher, his/her methodological culture, and requires a new understanding of the essence characterizing the teacher's methodological culture. It has been analyzed that in the modern scientific literature there are different approaches to the study of the concept of teacher's methodological culture. It has been found that methodological culture implies a high level of development of the teacher's personality and his/her professional skills in organizing and implementing the educational process. The methodological culture formed at a high level enables the teacher to navigate modern scientific and methodological approaches to pedagogical activity, to effectively use innovative and new information technologies in education. The developed high level of methodological culture will not only help to use and adapt ready-made methodological solutions, but also to independently search for new pedagogical ideas; to mobilize and creatively implement new achievements in pedagogy, psychology and subject methods in the educational process. Different approaches to the definition of “culture”, “pedagogical culture”, “pedagogical culture of a teacher” have been analyzed and the variety of definitions has been systematized, highlighting the essential features of this category. The analysis of different points of view shows that scientists consider the definition of “methodological culture” in different ways. Some researchers define methodological culture as a certain structure in the methodological training of a teacher that has structural components; while others define it as a necessary set of methodological knowledge, skills, abilities and personal characteristics, and some define it as a complex of methodological knowledge, methodological thinking, personal traits, where the leading role is given to moral and psychological qualities, etc. It has been determined that the methodological culture of the teacher as a component of the professional and pedagogical culture is a specific projection of general and pedagogical culture into the field of methodological activity. It is a set of the teacher's personal achievements related to the development of these cultural values through professional interaction with the professional and pedagogical community. The methodological culture of a teacher of law disciplines includes an understanding of the essence of the educational process in higher education, the use of various methods and forms of teaching and training, as well as the ability to adapt their methods to different groups of students and the choice of the vector of professional and personal self-development. Conclusions. On the basis of generalization and simultaneous specification of scientific approaches and viewpoints, the methodological culture of teachers of law disciplines is defined as a complex personal development representing a set of personal characteristics and professional actions, such as: the ability to creatively organize the pedagogical process; the use of various means, forms, methods and techniques in solving methodological problems; the possibility to construct pedagogical interaction with students considering cooperation; the ability to reflect and self-development for successful implementation of the methodological culture. The author outlines the prospects for further research on the methodological culture of teachers of law disciplines, in particular, the importance of distinguishing the levels of methodological culture, defining their criteria, groups of pedagogical conditions and specific features of its formation.