Psychological parameters of professional pedagogical thinking and the problem of diagnostics

this article is devoted to the conceptual analysis of the problem of professional pedagogical thinking (PPT) from the perspective of pedagogical psychology. The aim of the study is to overcome the fundamental gap between the theoretical understanding of this phenomenon and the acute deficit of valid psychodiagnostic tools for its assessment. The methodological basis was a critical analysis of scientific literature, which revealed the ambiguity of existing definitions of PPT and their psychological insufficiency. As a key result, the author's definition of professional pedagogical thinking is proposed as a specialized form of mental activity aimed at constructing and operating a dynamic cognitive representation of another subject's educational process. The article examines in detail the main psychological parameters of PPT: flexibility, criticality, creativity, and reflexivity. The central thesis is argued that standard general psychological methods used for their diagnosis are inadequate because they measure general abilities and do not take into account the specifics of their manifestation in the context of real pedagogical tasks and interpersonal interaction. In conclusion, it is inferred that the creation of specialized, context-oriented methods of psychodiagnostics is a necessary condition for further fundamental research and the development of scientifically-based professional development programs for teachers.

professional pedagogical thinking, pedagogical psychology, psychological characteristics of thinking, flexibility, criticality, creativity, reflexivity, psychodiagnostics