DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL THINKING AND REFLECTION AS COMPONENTS OF THE EMOTIONAL CULTURE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

Abstract

The article provides a theoretical analysis of the phenomenon of emotional culture among educators in the context of the philosophical and value-laden outlines of the concepts of "culture," "subculture of society," "behavior culture," "labor culture," and "teacher's behavior culture." The emotional culture of primary school teachers is defined as an integrative competence that enables educators to recognize, express, and manage their emotions, as well as to support the emotional well-being of students in the school environment. The organizational and content-specific as well as psychological and pedagogical characteristics of the emotional culture of primary school teachers are explored. The particular importance of critical thinking and reflection in the structure of the emotional culture of primary school teachers is proven. The basic skills of critical thinking and reflection that become relevant in the context of an information-rich educational environment of primary schools are clarified. Critical thinking is viewed as a process of active, purposeful thinking that includes analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information, while reflection is interpreted as the subjective activation of self-discovery, self-analysis, and self-learning processes in primary school teachers within their emotional-spiritual and individually creative development in the profession.

Practical strategies for developing critical thinking and reflection as components of the emotional culture of future primary school teachers are identified. The experience of applying technologies for the development of critical thinking and reflection as components of the emotional culture among students specializing in 013 Primary Education at Poltava National Pedagogical University named after V.G. Korolenko is presented. Attention is drawn to the pedagogical potential of effective aesthetic therapeutic technologies for developing critical thinking and reflection in the training of future primary school teachers: art therapy, bibliotherapy, music therapy, pedagogical psychodrama, and hobby therapy.