Criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of thinking assessment methods used by psychological, medical, and pedagogical commissions

Statement of the problem. This article analyzes the effectiveness of methodologies aimed at studying thinking, comparing groups of children who are not mastering the educational program and children referred to the commission in connection with undergoing an initial medical and social expertise for somatic health disorders. The results of an empirical study of the characteristics of thinking based on the experience of the psychological, medical, and pedagogical commission are presented. The relevance of studying this problem is due to the selection of evidencebased methods for identifying the characteristics of thinking in primary school children with learning difficulties. The purpose of the article is to identify and determine the criteria for the effectiveness of methodologies aimed at studying the thinking of primary school children with learning difficulties and used in a comprehensive psychological, medical, and pedagogical examination. Methodology (materials and methods). The research methodology includes analysis of regulatory legal documents of psychological and pedagogical support in the education system, research works of international and Russian scientists, and the experience of psychological, medical, and pedagogical commissions (Ananyev B.G., 1968; Arcia E., 1991; Berry J. W., 2011; Dubrovina N.V., 2021; Rubtsov V.V., 2021; Holmes J., 2021; Belousova A.K., 2023). The main research methods include the following techniques from the register recommended for use in psychological, medical, and pedagogical commissions: Exclusion of Objects (4th Item Out); Selection of Simple Analogies; Understanding the Hidden Meaning of Proverbs and Sayings. Research results. The results regarding the degree of influence of the methodologies on the overall assessment of intellectual development indicate a differentiated contribution of each methodology to the formation of the overall conclusion. The Exclusion of Objects (4th Item Out) methodology, which demonstrated a high dependence on the level of general knowledge, requires not only the ability to abstract from a child but also a certain stock of knowledge about the world around them. The Selection of Simple Analogies methodology proved to be the most significant, which emphasizes the importance of the ability to establish connections and relationships between concepts as a key component of intelligence. Conclusion. The data obtained indicate the validity and discriminant ability of these methods in the context of the differential diagnosis of the characteristics of thinking in primary school children. Conclusions were made about the effectiveness of the methodologies used in the examination by psychological, medical, and pedagogical commissions, taking into account the identified criteria, and significant differences were identified between the groups of primary school children under consideration in the processes of generalization, establishing logical connections and relationships between concepts, and the formation of prerequisites for logical thinking.