Using the case method to develop the psychological and pedagogical competence of teachers who interact with a difficult group of learners

The relevance of the research problem is associated with the manifestations in the modern education system of the tendency to reduce the quality of education results. Among the reasons for this phenomenon is the increase in the number of low-motivated and poorly performing schoolchildren in general education organizations. A high proportion of children from socially disadvantaged families with learning difficulties, limited health opportunities, etc. tend to be low-motorized and poorly performing schoolchildren. These categories of children are difficult groups of learners. However, teachers have found it very difficult to interact with such learners. These difficulties are linked to problems in developing the psychological and pedagogical competence of teachers to interact with difficult groups of learners. The goal is to identify significant signs of psychological and pedagogical competence of teachers interacting with difficult groups of learners, and to identify effective pedagogical methods for its development. There is a review of the scientific and theoretical grounds indicating that the psychological and pedagogical competence of a teacher is an essential factor for overcoming problems in the process of schoolchildren's mastery of educational content. The methodology is based on L. S. Vygotsky's ideas about cultural ascent and personal expansion, as well as about the social situation of development. The results obtained are characterized. The concept of psychological and pedagogical competence of teachers interacting with difficult groups of learners is formulated. Such competence is a combination of knowledge, communicative, regulatory and reflexive pedagogical skills, which are interpreted in detail when describing the criteria and levels of manifestation of this competence among teachers. Dedicated components of psychological and pedagogical competence of teachers in working with difficult groups of learners make it possible to design the process of professional skills improvement. It is proposed to deploy this process using a case method as a way to enhance knowledge, communication, regulatory, and reflective pedagogical skills. Scientific novelty consists in describing the psychological and pedagogical competence of teachers interacting with these categories of schoolchildren, identifying the advantages of using the case method in the professional development of the teacher in this aspect. Practical importance is associated with the author's interpretation of the substantive and methodological aspects of the construction and application of case studies on the subject of schoolchildren showing aggressive and illegal behavior. Data are given on the use of the case method as part of an additional professional retraining program “Practical Psychology in Education”. The received results testify to the efficiency of development of psychological and pedagogical competence of teachers interacting with difficult groups of learners by means of practice-oriented case method. The results of the research, strategies for organizing additional professional education for teachers on this topic, possible difficulties and prospects of this activity are discussed.