The role of pedagogical disciplines in the spiritual self-actualization of student youth

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Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University

The role of pedagogical disciplines in the spiritual self-actualization of student youth

Hruts H.M., Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor

Plavutska O.P., Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Lecturer

Zakordonets N.I., Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences,

Abstract

The authors have endeavored to analyze pedagogical (organizational-pedagogical, psychological-pedagogical, cultural) conditions that ensure spiritual self-actualization of student youth. An alternative method of teaching humanities, especially pedagogical disciplines, is offered.

The article describes interactive methods, techniques and means of training that develop creative abilities of student youth, make them active participants in the educational process, and promote their spiritual self-actualization.

It is indicated that project methodology is the most effective tool for the spiritual growth of students given the fact that it involves students in active transformational activities, building a creative atmosphere during classes.

It is emphasized that students' participation in the spiritually oriented educational process is a joyful and life-asserting event that harmonizes everyday affairs while actively implementing a personal program of spiritual self-actualization.

Authors have shown the necessity of spiritual self-actualization, which comprises development of self-knowledge, confident self-image, awareness of spiritual values and their role during student youth development process while achieving the goals and maximizing the potential.

It has been stated that the basis of psychological and pedagogical training of the student youth ought to be competence for conscious spiritual and professional growth, responsibility for accomplishments in the development of students' worldview and behavioral guidance taking into consideration universal human values, improving the requirement for spirituality, mindfulness and creative self-realization. humanitarian student creative spiritual

It has been outlined that the tertiary education is characterized by the tendency of transition from the instructive and disciplinary to the individual pattern of educational activities concentrated on the improvement of the student youth being spiritual and decent, providing personal and professional self-development, which will enable to create the optimal circumstances for the spiritual and moral development of future professionals.

Key words: spirituality, spiritual self-actualization, spiritual needs, spiritual values, spiritual abilities.

Анотація

Роль педагогічних дисциплін у духовній реалізації студентської молоді

Авторами зазначено, що важливим аспектом розвитку духовності є волевиявлення або прагнення людини працювати над собою, долати труднощі, підійматися до висот власних можливостей, творячи особисту духовність.

Названо прізвища вітчизняних і зарубіжних учених, які досліджували проблему духовного розвитку особистості в різних аспектах.

Проаналізовано розвиток духовної самореалізації студентів засобами гуманітарних дисциплін, визначено педагогічні умови (організаційно-педагогічні, психолого-педагогічні, культурологічні), розкрито їх зміст та спрямованість. Зазначено, що ці умови забезпечують духовну самореалізацію студентської молоді.

Відзначено, що головним суб'єктом духовної самореалізації виступає студент, який, навчаючись у вищій школі, повинен сформуватись як творча особистість, здатна до самореалізації, самопізнання, самовдосконалення, самодії. Уточнено поняття духовної самореалізації, сутність якої полягає в певному вольовому зусиллі, що здійснюється усвідомлено задля пробудження внутрішнього духовного потенціалу, розвитку духовних здібностей для творчого осягнення дійсності, гармонізації взаємин із собою та зовнішнім світом.

Визначено критерії духовної самореалізації, такі як ставлення до людини як до найвищої цінності, як до вінця Божого творіння; здатність до вияву емпатії, милосердя, жертовності; благоговійне ставлення до усього живого, як до земної спільноти; соціокультурний учинок особистості; наявність досвіду духовної діяльності; творча реалізація духовних потреб. Запропоновано альтернативну методику викладання гуманітарних, зокрема педагогічних, дисциплін. Освітній процес, який здійснюється за цією методикою, передбачає особисте залучення студентів у творчість і самореалізацію. Описано інтерактивні методи, прийоми і засоби навчання, які розвивають творчі можливості студентської молоді, роблять їх активними учасниками освітнього процесу, сприяють їх духовній самореалізації. Зазначено, що найбільш дієвим засобом духовного зростання студентів є проєктна методика, оскільки вона залучає студентів до активної перетворювальної діяльності, створення творчої атмосфери на заняттях. Наголошено на тому, що участь студентів у навчальному процесі духовного спрямування - це радісна і життєствердна подія, яка гармонізує усі буденні справи, активно здійснюючи особисту програму духовної самореалізації.

Ключові слова: духовність, духовна самореалізац/я, духовні потреби, духовні цінності, духовні здібності.

Introduction

Formulation of the problem in general. The word spirituality has recently become almost universally used in the Ukrainian scientific and journalistic vocabulary. The issues of spirituality are debated by scientists, theologians, politicians. Government officials call for the creation of a spiritual Ukrainian state; teachers advocate the formation of a spiritual personality. Spirituality cannot be considered an innate quality, since a person only has predispositions and inclinations that can be formed under the influence of various factors. An important aspect of the development of spirituality is the expression of a person's willingness or desire to self-improve, to overcome difficulties, to climb to the heights of his or her own abilities, creating personal spirituality.

Real contradiction exists between the society's need in spiritually developed people capable of creatively transforming the reality based on the principles of Truth, Good, and Beauty, on the one hand, and the lack of socio-cultural conditions to meet this need, on the other. The solution to this contradiction lies in the development of theoretical and methodological foundations of spiritual self-actualization of an individual.

The main agents of spiritual self-actualization are students who, during their studies at college, must shape themselves as creative persons capable of self-actualization, self-knowledge, self-improvement, self-acting. Such people seek to master the system of universal and national spiritual, moral and aesthetic values; they possess the qualities of a noble, intelligent, educated, cultural person, conditioned by the society's needs in creating a new intellectual generation of youth with a high level of spirituality. Strictly speaking, this is about cultivating the spiritual elite, which, as noted by S. Rusova, “is what the Ukrainian people are in need of given the difficult conditions of their life” [3, p. 111].

An analysis of the existing practice of higher education shows that teachers are aware of the need to grow the students' spiritual potential, their spiritual self-actualization. However, certain pedagogical conditions are necessary for this purpose. When studying pedagogical disciplines whose content and orientation ensure the effectiveness of students' spiritual self-actualization, we take into account the following conditions:

- organizational-pedagogical (making the educational process spirit-filled, spiritual, humane, divine; creating empathic moral and psychological climate in the student's community; pedagogical support and protection of each student, aesthetization of the educational environment);

- psychological-pedagogical (understanding of educational process as personally oriented; developing students' professional abilities and talents; forming a positive self-concept for self-actualization; pedagogical assistance to students in acquiring personal and professional abilities and skills in order to comprehend the art of being and living, being present here and now);

- cultural (creating cultural and emotional field in class; developing universal and national values; forming general, spiritual, communication culture; inculcating in students the skills of correct life choices, value orientations, positive ideal).

Psychological-pedagogical analysis of various approaches to defining the concept of spiritual selfactualization made it possible to clarify the definition. In our opinion, the essence of a person's spiritual selfactualization lies in a certain volitional effort, which is implemented consciously in order to awaken the inner spiritual potential, the development of spiritual abilities for the creative comprehension of reality, harmonization of relationship with oneself and the outside world.

Additionally, we have identified the criteria for spiritual self-actualization: treating man as the highest value, as the pinnacle of God's creation; the ability to manifest empathy, mercy, and sacrifice; a reverential attitude to all living things as elements of the earth's community; sociocultural act of personality; availability of spiritual activity experience; creative realization of spiritual needs.

E. Pomytkin notes that “spiritual self-actualization can occur in every moment of everyday life, transforming it from triviality into an exciting journey in space and time” [2, p. 145]. That is why young people's desire for spiritual self-actualization can be realized, especially in classes of pedagogical and humanitarian cycle disciplines, by filling them with highly spiritual ideas, ideals, and values.

We have developed an alternative method of teaching pedagogical disciplines, which is being successfully implemented in classes. The educational process carried out by means of this method envisages students' personal involvement in creativity and self-actualization.

When it comes to pedagogy classes, this means the following:

1) use of interactive technologies at seminars and laboratory classes, educational and pedagogical business simulation games, training, project tasks, solving complex psychological and pedagogical tasks and situations;

2) holding classes in the formats of round table, brainstorming, debate, jig-saw, multidimensional matrix, webbing, action labyrinth, dynamic pairs, presentations, project defense;

3) creating conditions for the emergence of spiritual states and feelings, the use of multimedia, music, painting, poetry, feature films and documentaries, texts of literary and journalistic works, etc.

At the same time, students are offered tasks of problem-solving, partial exploration and research character. In order to stimulate educational and cognitive activity, we introduce them to new hypotheses and paradoxes. For example, we suggest conducting research on the phenomena of Indigo children, Crystal children; finding out why autistic children and children with Down syndrome are born, analyzing the influence of media on stereotyping young people's behavior, getting acquainted with alternative didactic systems, analyzing the relevance of inclusive education, etc.

In addition, during pedagogy classes, we introduce students to Christian, mythological, and esoteric views on the upbringing of children. Along with scientific methods, we practice the elements of theo- sophical, anthroposophical, and religious teaching technologies, using the works of genius thinkers like H. Skovoroda, R. Tagore, R. Steiner, N. Roerich, O. Roerich, O. Blavatska, V. Vernadskyi, H. Zhy- bran, M. Montessori, Thomas a Kempis, Mother Teresa, Francis of Assisi, Padre Pio, Anthony of Sourozh, A. Men, texts of the Holy Scriptures, etc. as didactic material.

Each class begins with an intriguing five-minute briefing. Every time it is prepared by a duty student acting as teacher. What are his/her functions? They are to quickly and energetically build a creative emotional-sensual atmosphere, to demonstrate communicative skills, readiness for pedagogical activity, while presenting a short message regarding the topic of the class. Thus, while studying the theme “Development, formation, socialization and education of an individual” students delivered presentations of stories of children raised by animals. Stories about modern Mowglis were particularly touching. Students listened with amazement and excitement to stories about children who, in modern conditions, received love and warmth from their animals while neglected by their own parents. The topic “Purpose of education. Educational ideal” was accompanied by presentations about the ideals to be followed by students: Mother Teresa, Virgin Mary, writers, poets, artists, teachers, saints, athletes, as well as “Jesus's Letter to Man”, reading poems by Rudyard Kipling and Fazu Aliyeva written in the form of advice to the son, the content of which laid the foundations of spiritual and moral life.

These five-minute briefings differ from each other in terms of content and form, taking into account the specific character of professional activities of students who are future foreign language teachers. Sometimes they are conducted by a teacher using his or her maximum effort and skill in order to get the students' professional interest, to intensify creative efforts, aspiration for spiritual perfection. The teacher uses multimedia, illustrations, fragments of feature films and documentaries (“August Rush”, “Water Molecules”, “Pollyanna”, “Pay It Forward”, “Mother Teresa”, “Les Misйrables”, etc.), visual aids, handouts, questionnaires - all that teachers have in their personal arsenal.

A peculiar kind of five-minute briefings is the “Circle of unity”, which, too, is used to start pedagogy classes. Holding hands, students and teacher create a circle of love and unity, “immerse themselves” in a special spiritual state; entertain over the value of being, reflect on life's problems. The purpose of these techniques is to develop empathy among students, to form altruistic behavior, to create an atmosphere of mutual trust and sincerity among participants of the educational process.

Seminars and classes on “Introduction to the Teaching Profession”, “General Fundamentals of Pedagogy”, “Education Theory”, “Didactics” are carried out according to certain algorithms. Each class usually ends with a joint analysis. It should be noted that the quality of such classes is rather high as they deeply affect the students in terms of their emotions and motivation, stimulate creative forces, develop spiritual abilities. Since an individual's spiritual selfactualization is possible only in the process of spiritual and practical discovery of the world, the teacher provides individual research tasks in the form of projects. Such activities encourage students to change, improve the educational space, improve its quality, and not to adapt to the prevailing conditions.

Thus, students are offered educational projects of various genres: album, film, exhibition, demonstration stand, poster presentation, booklet, produce, script, poster, multimedia presentation, etc. A characteristic feature of the project activity is independent search for the necessary information, its creative transformation into a material product. Themes of the projects are proposed by the teacher, taking into account each student's individual qualities and talents. Additionally, students familiarize themselves with the criteria for external evaluation of the project, a sample passport of the project activity, a sample of the project structure, etc. We should emphasize that the students' need in self-actualization is most clearly manifested through project activity. After all, the fulfillment of such a task requires concentration on the main dominants, promoting students' spiritual self-actualization: spiritual (intellectual, aesthetic, moral) needs, spiritual values, and personal spiritual qualities, creative and transformational activity.

Research has shown project methodology to be beneficial in the lives of student youth, promoting various positive outcomes. Persistent study in the role of spirituality in the lives of student youth is correspondingly reasonable due to the significance of religiousness in predicting positive outcomes in this inquiry. The mental percentage of empathy comprises perspective taking, which allows student youth to realize and feel a situation from another person point of view. The explicit portion of responsiveness might also support critical consciousness development and is significant to contemplate in the future.

Conclusions

Consequently, students' participation in the spiritually oriented educational-pedagogical process is an attractive, pleasant, joyful and life- asserting event. Having once believed in themselves, the young people will not only better prepare for classes, but will also introduce elements of creativity, beauty, harmony in everyday affairs, actively implementing a personal program of spiritual self-actualization. When competently balanced with interactive methods, techniques and means of training might help students raise self-esteem, develop university spirit and associate with the adults in a positive manner creating respectable conditions for all categories of individuals. Thus, by transforming our language through an organic learning process founded in efforts to translate spiritual concepts into action in our daily lives and social environment, we will in time gradually transform our self-conceptions and conceptions of human nature that shape our actions giving rise to diverse and previously unimagined processes and strategies for creating a unified and advancing society reflective of the inherent oneness of humanity. Thus, by transforming organizational-pedagogical, psychological-pedagogical, cultural conditions through an organic learning process founded in efforts to translate spiritual concepts into action in our daily lives and social environment, we will steadily renovate our selfconceptions and notions of human nature that shape our actions giving intensification to diverse and earlier unimagined processes and strategies for generating a cohesive and advancing society reflective of the inherent coherence of humankind.

Bibliography

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