Forecasting as a predictor of potential of professional thinking of teachers
The article presents the results of various researches that realize the resource-based approach while studying professional thinking. One of the aspects of increasing teaching capacity through the developing of supra-situational professional thinking is discussed in the article. There have been 505 people in the sample group, all of them are either teachers of educational institutions of different types or the students of the pedagogical university. Firstly, the authorial viewpoint to the understanding of professional thinking in the socionomic group of professions is demonstrated. It includes tetra targeting: solving professional tasks, focusing on «the Other», self-thinking (metathinking), self-development. Secondly, the practicability of analyzing of professional thinking on such levels as metasystem, system, componential-sub-system, componential-elemental, is shown. One of the constituents of componential-sub-system level - forecasting - has been considered in more detail. The generalization of the researches that have been conducted earlier, which is regarded as a metacognitive component-subsystem of professional thinking, has been carried out. The results of the testing of the techniques on determination of forecasting level in problem (conflict) situations are represented. According to the hypothesis, it has been proved that the levels of professional thinking of teachers differ in terms of the quality of prognostication. It is shown that the potential of professional thinking acts differently in every type of thinking tendency. It has been established that metacognitive characteristics of professional thinking become obvious on the condition that prognosticating qualities are present and they are joined while solving a problem situation. The received theoretical and practical generalizations can be effectively used in the practice of increasing the quality of educational services and improving educational system.