The Concept of Professional Reflection in Ukrainian Psycho-Pedagogical Literature: Regard or Disregard for Neurophysiological Factors?

Abstract

The article analyzes the problem of developing professional reflection in Ukrainian and foreign psycho-pedagogical literature. It shows that such definitions as “reflection”, “professional reflection” and “teacher’s professional reflection” are interconnected in the context of general, special and specific features. A detailed review of current neurocognitive approaches has made it possible to determine the main aspects of biological mechanisms of reflection. One can see that Ukrainian psycho-pedagogical discourse does not consider neurophysiological aspects of shaping and developing professional reflection. Given the views of Ukrainian researchers on the matter, teacher’s professional reflection is seen as the correlation of their capabilities with the requirements of the teaching profession; a set of internal conditions for reaching a new level of professional performance; a certain technology of objective analysis and organization of one’s experience, as well as understanding and use of others’ experience. Together, they determine a values-based attitude towards the teaching profession. However, Ukrainian methodology employs diagnostic tools which partially rely on the lateral features of the actors in the educational process and, thus, neuroscientific insights.