THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF FORMATION OF PROFESSIONAL AND PEDAGOGICAL COMPETENCE OF MASTER'S LEVEL HIGHER EDUCATION GRADUATES IN TECHNICAL SPECIALTIES

Formulation of the problem. The Ukrainian higher education system has been undergoing a painful process of reform for over thirty years, trying to achieve international quality standards and harmonize the national educational space with the global one. Along the way, the community of domestic scholars in the field of education carefully studies the positive experience of foreign developed countries and transforms its achievements in order to improve the educational sector of Ukraine. In the context of reforming the higher professional education system, Ukraine needs to train competitive, professionally motivated teachers, starting from the master's level of higher education, in accordance with regulatory documents, in particular the National Qualification Framework and the system of standards for higher education in Ukraine. The purpose of the article is to characterize the theoretical and practical principles of the formation of professional and pedagogical competence of master's level higher education applicants (using the example of a technical higher education institution − ESI “Prydniprovska State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture”); to investigate the acquisition of primary experience in pedagogical activity by senior students who acted as teachers for junior courses in higher education; to analyze the effectiveness of such an approach in the educational process, as well as to determine its impact on the academic success and professional development of both groups of higher education applicants. It is important to emphasize that this study is carried out within the framework of the Laboratory of Pedagogical Mastery of the Department of Ukrainian Studies, Document Studies and Information Activities of the ESI “Prydniprovska State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture”, one of the tasks of which is to contribute to improving the quality of training of future scientific and pedagogical personnel, in particular, in the conditions of a master's degree. Conclusions. The study proves the importance of forming professional and pedagogical competence in master's level higher education applicants (in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine), especially during the acquisition of a technical specialty. Interaction between senior and junior courses contributes to the development of pedagogical skills, which allows master's students to gain primary experience of pedagogical activity, which is important both for their further professional career and for increasing confidence in teaching. The results of the study confirm the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating practical pedagogical elements into the educational process, which contributes to the formation of competent specialists.