Methodological grounds to development of students’ independent activity at vocational educational institutions

The methodological grounds of the development of the students’ independent activity at vocational educational institutions are discussed. The multidisciplinary nature of the issue required the comprehensive review of the “students’ independent activity”. The author defines the complex of complementary methodological approaches. They are activity, personality and differentiated, axiological and integrative approaches. The author substantiates the choice of each approach and determines the range of challenges solved by the methodological approaches in terms of developing the students’ independent activity at vocational educational institutions.The personality and differentiated approach is given much attention to as it is a synthesis of the personality-oriented and differentiated approaches. It presupposes that the attitude towards student’s personality shall be defined by what his/her personality representsin terms of learning capability for the chosen profession rather than the fact that the stu-dent is a central figure in the educational process. This complex of methodological approaches may be used by teachers of vocational educational institutions for defining the individual trajectory of student to learn academic disciplines as well as his/her individual education program. It can also be used as the basis for the elaboration of methodological support.