Developing student independence as a basis for the professional development of future specialists

The development of independence as an important and essential personality trait for the professional development of future specialists has become increasingly important due to the increasing demands placed on graduates of secondary vocational education, who must be highly qualifi ed, competitive, proactive, and independent in their judgment. The purpose of this study is to uncover the essence and content of the concept of “independence”, determine its component components, and identify pedagogical conditions that facilitate the development of student independence. To achieve this goal, theoretical and empirical research methods were used. Based on an analysis of scientifi c literature, the concept of “independence” was clarifi ed. The author defi nes it as a student’s ability to independently acquire knowledge and master methods of action without the participation or assistance of a teacher, as well as a willingness to make independent and responsible decisions. Student independence includes a set of interrelated components (motivational, cognitive, activity-based, refl ective, and volitional), which contribute to its development through the organization of independent classroom and extracurricular work using active learning methods and educational technologies. The identifi ed pedagogical conditions are interrelated and complement each other, thereby ensuring a high probability of achieving the study’s goals — a high level of student independence.