Methodology of historical and pedagogical research of the development of pedagogical knowledge

Among the priority tasks of the methodology of the history of pedagogy is also called the need to solve the accumulated problems related to the essence, structure and specifics of historical and pedagogical knowledge, to its internal logic and principles; to the formation of a holistic methodological research program, harmonizing the entire set of approaches, techniques and procedures; to the rules for studying the highest forms of theoretical knowledge -pedagogical theory and concept; to clarify the concepts and categories of the history of pedagogy as an independent area of scientific knowledge, etc.

As part of the formulation of any historical and pedagogical research, the solution of these problems is directly associated with the solution of a number of methodological problems, including:

• •    search for approaches to identifying problem nodes and system connections in the subject field of research, its value-semantic parameters;

• •    determination of the system of research attitudes and principles on the basis of which will be carried out: comprehension, explanation and assessment of historical and pedagogical facts and events;

• •    the formation of a system of research tools that are adequate to the conceptual theoretical basis adopted by the researcher and the specifics of the disclosed historical and pedagogical problems.

An analysis of research practice shows that the solution of the abovementioned tasks is impossible without overcoming the shortcomings and difficulties of a general methodological nature associated with the scientific understanding of the history of pedagogy as a systemic object. Overcoming these shortcomings and difficulties is objectively the most urgent direction of improving the methodological foundations of studying the history of pedagogy.

The objectivity and integrity of the historical and pedagogical study of the development of pedagogical knowledge, its productivity in modern conditions are determined by a number of circumstances and will be achieved if:

• -    a set of methodological approaches and means of historical and pedagogical research meaningfully reflects and coordinates various levels of methodological reflection of the object under study;

• -    the study of the development of scientific pedagogical knowledge involves an appeal to its object and subjective plans;

• a.    periodization of the development of pedagogical knowledge acts as a methodological means of studying it;

• b.    in the systematization and spatio-temporal localization of many factors of the event outline of the historical and pedagogical process, which determine the formation and development of pedagogical knowledge, a diversification approach is used;

• c.    the pedagogical concept and pedagogical theory will be studied as genetically interconnected scientific phenomena, will act as an instrumental basis for the knowledge of pedagogical reality in various historical realities.

The scientific novelty of the research is as follows:

• a.    a holistic concept of the methodological foundations of the historical and pedagogical research of the development of pedagogical knowledge is presented;

• b.    substantiated the range and content of research attitudes in relation to the study of the historical and pedagogical process, which form the basis for the formation of a system of methodological approaches, determined the logic and stages of the formation of this system;

• c.    the classification of methodological approaches in historical and pedagogical research has been substantiated, the specifics and functionalpurposeful purpose of these approaches in the study of the development of pedagogical knowledge have been argued.

The national historical and pedagogical science traditionally paid serious attention to the formation and modernization of theoretical and methodological content in accordance with the changing demands of the time. The development of pedagogical practice gave rise to a natural desire not only to understand what was happening in the field of educational and upbringing reality, but also to comprehend this practice in the context of certain historical and pedagogical phenomena and circumstances, to build an integral historical and pedagogical perspective of its development.

Analysis of the general situation in the modern methodology of the history of pedagogy has highlighted the following methodological contradictions that determine the known difficulties and shortcomings in research:

• a.    between the expansion and deepening of the problems of historical and pedagogical work and the insufficient development of the theoretical and methodological foundations of the very history of pedagogy;

• b.    between a high level of development of general and special methodological knowledge in the philosophy of science, general scientific research approaches, as well as means of researching scientific phenomena and the lack of their proper use in the practice of historical and pedagogical research;

• c.    between the wide representation in historical and pedagogical research of various methodological approaches and means of studying historical and pedagogical reality, the availability of possibilities for their variable and complex use and the lack of development of the proper semantic and logical coordination of approaches and means both with each other and with individual areas of problems in the history of pedagogy, their unsystematic fragmentary mosaic use in real practice of performing scientific works on the history of pedagogy;

• d.    between the general high level of development of the categorical-conceptual continuum of the philosophy of science and science of pedagogy and the theoretical uncertainty, semantic ambiguity of some basic concepts for science, actively used by pedagogy and the history of pedagogy, in particular, the concepts of “concept” and “theory”;

• e.    between the general use of the provision on the growth and development of pedagogical knowledge in the historical and pedagogical continuum and the lack of understanding and elaboration of logic, stages, patterns of this development, in particular, the evolution of ordinary knowledge into scientific, as well as the consistent transformation of one form of scientific knowledge into another;

• f.    between the significance of the space of historical and pedagogical knowledge, the desire for its objective description and interpretation and the analysis that is not always scientifically correct, sometimes subjectively executed due to the continuing effectiveness of a number of ideological attitudes in the field of human studies, limiting research searches, in general, the tools of historical and pedagogical research.