The problem of pedagogical competence in the works of A.P. Nechaev

The article examines the problem of pedagogical competence in Russian psychology. The direction of analysis of the historical sources of modern ideas about pedagogical competence is highlighted. It is noted that such historical-scientific research is devoted mainly to well-known personalities, while there are scientists of the early 20th century, whose ideas about pedagogical competence are little studied. A historical-psychological analysis of the psychological and pedagogical views of A.P. Nechaev (1870–1948) on the personality and activities of a teacher is carried out. The scientist did not study the problem of pedagogical competence itself (since it was developed later), however, in his scientific works A.P. Nechaev described the requirements for the personal and professional qualities of a teacher, on the basis of which it is possible to reconstruct his ideas about significant types of competence. The main methodological principle of the study was the provision on the possibility of using modern concepts to determine the structure of scientific ideas of individuals on a particular problem. The concept of competence of V.D. Shadrikov was used as a modern approach. The main research methods are problem analysis and historical-psychological reconstruction. It has been established that in his scientific works A.P. Nechaev considered all types of pedagogical competence: in his views, personal competence included the teacher’s focus on studying the child’s mental life, motivational competence included individualization of learning, organizational competence included the preparation of educational materials based on the age-related characteristics of the child’s mental development, informational competence included the teacher’s mastery of psychological knowledge, program competence included the construction of the educational process based on experimental and psychological data, and purpose competence included the desire to form a “morally valuable” and integral personality of the student. A.P. Nechaev attached great importance to the use of psychology in pedagogical activity. In conclusion, it is said that the scientist’s views were conditioned by the intellectual, socio-historical and moral context of that time. The conducted research allows us to say that the sources of modern ideas about pedagogical competence include, among others, the works of A.P. Nechaev, which reflect the focus of the teacher and his activities on the inner world of students, the development of their personality, taking into account the age-related characteristics of their mental development.