Nataliia Tkachenko

Pedagogical sciences candidate, Associate professor

Oleksandr Dovzhenko Hlukhiv national pedagogical university, Ukraine

Qualitative characteristics of the levels of the Foreign languages teacher’s professional image

Introduction. The current socio-humanitarian scientific knowledge is characterized by active involvement in scientific discourse of new real-life categories. Image is one of them. In the post-industrial period of the society development the image is closely connected with the human life quality. Image becomes the so-called ID in the choice of goods and services in a competitive environment. A positive image is also considered to be the main criterion for the individual success. As a result, the problem of creating a positive image of the professional becomes urgent. In terms of current changes in the sphere of higher pedagogical education in Ukraine (rethinking the importance of foreign languages in modern life and the teacher’s role) the problem of Foreign Language teacher’s professional image forming needs to be investigated.

The purpose of the article. The article is aimed at presenting the author’s scientific approach to defining the Foreign Languages teacher’s professional image levels and determining their qualitative characteristics.

The results. It should be mentioned that we consider the level to be the scale of measurement of the achieved results in mastering the knowledge, skills and forming professional and personal qualities. The researcher can theoretically or empirically establish the number of levels for measuring different phenomenon, taking different criteria as a basis for distribution and filling each level with relevant content (indicators). It is known that in pedagogical researches in order to obtain probable results statistical grouping, as a rule, is carried out in such a way that 20-25% of the values of the measured phenomenon are included into each category. Thus, the optimal number of the levels should be 4-5.

Taking into account that the Foreign Languages teacher’s professional image is the multicomponent structure of interrelated and interdependent components (motivational-valuable, gnostic, practical-operational and personal-reflective) which are in constant dynamics and interaction which results in formed conglomerate of external and internal personal and professional qualities, skills and competencies [1], five levels of the Foreign languages teacher’s professional image were determined and characterized (“high”, “higher than average”, “average”, “lower than average”, “low”). Let’s consider the qualitative characteristics of the Foreign languages teacher’s professional image levels in more detail.

The “high” level of the Foreign languages teacher’s professional image testifies:

− for motivational-valuable component ‒ the teacher’s significant interest in creating positive professional image; the leading place of professional activity in the hierarchy of teacher’s personal values; the need to create and maintain his own positive professional image; strong, stable motives for creating positive professional image; lack of emotional tension in demonstrating professional image; a vivid manifestation of positive emotions and feelings for his own professional image;

− for gnostic component ‒ the teacher’s perfect knowledge in special disciplines as well as psychological and pedagogical sciences; deep understanding of the essence of the professional image as an integrative phenomenon, its components; the peculiarities of self-expression and self-realization, their forms and methods; the methodology of image creating, its main principles, mechanisms, effective methods; tools of professional image creating and correcting;

− for practical-operational component ‒ teacher’s high foreign language proficiency; perfect psychological and pedagogical, methodical, communicative skills; faultless using of basic technologies and special techniques of image-creating as well as tactics and strategies of self-presentation, self-realization, self-expression which manifests itself in the independent assessment of phenomena, facts, events, situational relevance of appearance and behaviour, accuracy of speech, creative approach to solving problems, perfect ability to identify himself with the corresponding role; responsible behaviour in maintaining his own positive professional image in everyday life;

− for personal-reflective component ‒ developed professional and personal, humanistic, business qualities; the formed reflexing ability; creativity and perfect aesthetic education.

The “higher than average” level of the Foreign languages teacher’s professional image is characterized by:

− for motivational-valuable component ‒ the place of the professional activity in the core of teacher’s vital values; the mostly expressed need to create and maintain his own positive professional image; motives for creating positive professional image that are not always characterized by strength and stability; the manifestation of mainly positive emotions and feelings as for his own professional image; the presence of emotional tension in professional image demonstrating but the ability to cope with it;

− for gnostic component ‒ the teacher’s good knowledge in special disciplines as well as psychological and pedagogical sciences; mainly clear understanding of the essence of the professional image as an integrative phenomenon, its components; the peculiarities of self-expression and self-realization, their forms and methods; but non-systemic knowledge in methodology of image creating, its main principles, mechanisms, effective methods; tools of professional image creating and correcting;

− for practical-operational component ‒ teacher’s mostly good proficiency in foreign language; predominantly formed psychological and pedagogical, methodical and communicative skills; mostly exact using of basic technologies and special techniques of image-creating as well as tactics and strategies of self-presentation, self-realization, self-expression, which manifests itself in applying acquired skills in similar situations, mainly situational appropriateness in appearance and behaviour, accuracy of speech, ability to identify himself with the corresponding role; mostly responsible behaviour in maintaining his own positive professional image in everyday life;

− for personal-reflective component ‒ mostly developed professional and

personal, humanistic, business qualities; rather good reflexing ability; creativity and aesthetic education.

The “average” level of the Foreign languages teacher’s professional image is provided by:

− for motivational-valuable component ‒ the place of the professional activity in the top three of teacher’s vital values; not always expressed need to create and maintain his own positive professional image; lack of strong and firm motives for creating positive professional image; the manifestation of mostly neutral emotions and feelings as for his own professional image; the presence of significant emotional tensions in professional image demonstrating and inadequate ability to cope with it;

− for gnostic component ‒ the teacher’s basic knowledge in special disciplines as well as psychological and pedagogical sciences; not fuzzy understanding of the essence of the professional image as an integrative phenomenon, its components; situational awareness of the peculiarities of self-expression and self-realization, their forms and methods; insufficient knowledge in methodology of image creating, its main principles, mechanisms, effective methods; tools of professional image creating and correcting;

− for practical-operational component ‒ teacher’s rather good foreign language proficiency; as a rule, developed psychological and pedagogical, methodical and communicative skills; rather exact situational using of basic technologies and special techniques of image-creating as well as tactics and strategies of self-presentation, self-realization, self-expression, which, as a rule, manifests itself in applying acquired skills in similar cases, situational appropriateness in appearance and behaviour, rather adequate accuracy of speech, part ability to identify himself with the corresponding role; not always responsible behaviour in maintaining his own positive professional image in everyday life;

− for personal-reflective component ‒ insufficient development of professional and personal, humanistic, business qualities; partially formed reflexing ability; low creativity and aesthetic education.

The “lower than average” level of the Foreign languages teacher’s professional

image is manifested in:

− for motivational-valuable component ‒ the place of the professional activity in the middle of the teacher’s hierarchical structure of value orientations; a weak awareness of need to create and maintain his own positive professional image; weak motives for creating positive professional image; the manifestation of mostly negative emotions and absence of personal feelings as for his own professional image; the presence of clear emotional tensions in professional image demonstrating and inability to cope with it;

− for gnostic component ‒ the teacher’s mosaic character of knowledge in special disciplines as well as psychological and pedagogical sciences; weak understanding of the essence of the professional image as an integrative phenomenon, its components; only partial understanding of the peculiarities of self-expression and self-realization, their forms and methods; fragmentary knowledge in methodology of image creating, its main principles, mechanisms, effective methods; tools of professional image creating and correcting;

− for practical-operational component ‒ teacher’s not enough foreign language proficiency; as a rule, partly developed psychological and pedagogical, methodical and communicative skills; situational using of separate basic technologies and special techniques of image-creating as well as tactics and strategies of self-presentation, self-realization, self-expression, which, as a rule, manifests itself in applying acquired skills only with third-party help, partly situational inappropriateness in appearance and behaviour, inaccuracies of speech, inability to identify himself with the corresponding role; often irresponsible behaviour in maintaining his own positive professional image in everyday life;

− for personal-reflective component ‒ the development of only certain of professional and personal, humanistic, business qualities; weak reflexing ability; the

lack of creativity and aesthetic disobedience.

For “low” level of the Foreign languages teacher’s professional image is typical:

− for motivational-valuable component ‒ professional activity does not occupy a high place in the hierarchy of teacher’s vital values; no need to create and maintain his own positive professional image; lack of motivation for creating positive professional image; the manifestation of exclusively negative emotions and absence of personal feelings in relation to his own professional image;

− for gnostic component ‒ the teacher’s fragmentary knowledge in special disciplines as well as psychological and pedagogical sciences; misunderstanding in the essence of the professional image as an integrative phenomenon, its components as well as the peculiarities of self-expression and self-realization, their forms and methods; only fragmentary knowledge in methodology of image creating, its basic principles, mechanisms, effective methods; tools of professional image creating and correcting;

− for practical-operational component ‒ teacher’s low foreign language proficiency; undeveloped psychological and pedagogical, methodical and communicative skills; inability in using even separate basic technologies and special techniques of image-creating as well as tactics and strategies of self-presentation, self-realization, self-expression; irresponsible behaviour in maintaining his own positive professional image in everyday life; full dependence of behavior from external circumstances;

− for personal-reflective component ‒ the absence of professional, humanistic, business qualities; reflexing inability; the absence of creativity and aesthetic disobedience.

Conclusions. Thus, the levels of the Foreign languages teacher’s professional image (high, higher than average, average, lower than average, low) reveal themselves through a number of qualitative characteristics (which are indicators) and are characterized by different degree of professional image components development.

References:

1. Tkachenko Nataliia. Foreign Language teacher’s professional image structure / Modern Science ‒ Moderní věda. ‒ Praha. ‒ Česká Republika, Nemoros. ‒ 2017. ‒ № 1 ‒ С. 77-84. – (ISSN - 2336-498X). ‒ Retrieved from http://sried.in.ua/uploads/magazine/ms_1_2017.pdf.