Return without a guarantee: Personal development and retro-innovations

Relevance of the study: in the context of the social and cultural transformation of modern society, there is a growing interest in traditional personal-development practices, which stimulates the emergence of such phenomenon as retro-innovations. The purpose of the study is to consider the concept and phenomenon of retro-innovations and to show the limitations and risks of their use in education today. Results: the study has revealed the essence of the phenomenon, theoretical and methodological grounding for its introduction as a category of the personal-development theory and practice; the risks arising from the implementation of retro-innovations are shown. The author emphasizes the ambiguity of the term “retro-innovation” and distances from its apologetics, considering it as a journalistic rather than a scientific category. The study also presents the reasons for the introduction of retro-innovations as an independent concept and a pedagogical phenomenon. It is noted that, despite the active use of this term in scientific discussions, its necessity remains controversial, since the key aspects of retro-innovations are covered by the well-known categories of “tradition” and “innovation”. It is assumed that a return to the previous personal-development techniques and forms can be justified only if they are meaningfully transformed and adapted to modern educational conditions. Special attention is paid to the risks of formalism, loss of variability and ignoring students’ changing needs. Among possible negative consequences, the author considers potential outdated orientation of retro-innovations, which may hinder the introduction of new teaching methods and reduce the flexibility of educational systems. The study points out the possibility of idealizing educational practices of the past without taking into account their shortcomings. This may make it difficult to adequately adapt traditional practices to modern conditions. Main conclusions: the research proves that retro-innovations, which are devoid of critical expertise and methodological support, can hinder true pedagogical renewal. At the same time, it is emphasized that with proper reflection, retro-innovations can be used as a resource of educational continuity and as a tool for culturally oriented modernization. Practical significance: the results of the study allow a critical approach to introducing retro-innovations into the modern personal- development educational process which should be combined with the assessment of their productivity and risks of application.