Possibilities of the academic discipline «Pedagogy» in the development of critical thinking of students – future teachers

The article provides the author’s definition of the concept of «teacher critical thinking.» The potential of the academic discipline «Pedagogy» is revealed in the formation of critical thinking of students – future teachers. The possibilities of lectures and seminars in the development of critical thinking of students at a pedagogical university are outlined. Lectures allow you to demonstrate manifestations of critical thinking in the professional activities of a teacher: mechanisms for choosing methods, techniques, means of teaching and education, ways of constructing lessons and extracurricular activities. Seminar classes contribute to the development of students’ ability to detect the supra-situational problematic nature of a pedagogical situation, the formation of intellectual and personal qualities necessary for making pedagogical decisions. The logic of how students solve pedagogical situations is proposed, which contributes to the formation of critical thinking of future teachers: 1) orientation of students in the situation (analytical process), which becomes the starting point for determining the pedagogical task (constructive process); 2) obtaining information about the teenager (analytical process), on the basis of which the process of interaction with the teenager is organized (constructive process); 3) analysis of the achieved results (analytical process), leading to the determination of directions for further activities (constructive process). Examples are given of the formation of critical thinking of students – future teachers at lectures and seminars in the academic discipline «Pedagogy».