MODERN APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING THE CONTENT AND ESSENCE OF THE CONCEPT OF «EDUCATIONAL AUTONOMY»

Abstract

For successful self-realisation in today's globalised society, graduates of general secondary educational institutions should be able not only to set goals and achieve them, but also to be ready to learn throughout life, to acquire and deepen their knowledge, skills and abilities, to strive to learn about the world on their own, to independently control the level of obtained educational results, and to reflect on their own educational activities. This can be fulfilled under the conditions of purposeful formation and development of educational autonomy among students of general secondary educational institutions. The purpose of the article is to clarify the content and essence of the concept of "educational autonomy" in the scientific pedagogical literature. Achieving this goal involves the use of the following scientific research methods, namely: theoretical analysis of scientific pedagogical literature, conceptual and categorical analysis, and the method of discursive reflection. Summarising the results of the theoretical analysis of scientific pedagogical literature, it should be noted that such a key competence as a learning to learn competence is a structural component of educational autonomy. The purposeful formation of students' educational autonomy in general secondary educational institutions enables them to be more adapted to the rapidly changing conditions of life in today's globalised society, to be aware of the importance of acquiring new knowledge, skills and abilities, and to be ready for lifelong learning. The purposeful formation of educational autonomy also contributes to the development of critical thinking and creativity skills. The approaches, technologies, methods and techniques that teachers use to develop educational autonomy among students of general secondary schools also provide favourable conditions for students to acquire critical thinking and creativity skills. Students learn how to select and analyse information, compare facts, draw reasonable conclusions, and make informed decisions. Moreover, students learn to generate new ideas and find new ways to solve standard and non-standard problems. Educational autonomy is inextricably linked to learning motivation. Students with a high level of learning motivation are able and willing to take responsibility for their own educational activities, cope with difficulties, and overcome obstacles to achieving their goals. It should be also noted that one of the central structural components of educational autonomy is the ability to self-control and self-regulation. We believe that students with a high level of educational autonomy are able to control their emotions, actions, and behaviour.