The Social Competences of High School Students from a Contextual Approach

Introduction. The formation of social competences of schoolchildren is an important area of modern science and pedagogical practice. Despite the large number of publications on this issue, there is virtually no research on the analysis of social context, which largely determines the practical implementation of social competences. The aim of this article is to analyse the high schoolʼs activities on social competence development using a contextual approach. The novelty of the approach lies in the identification of social competencies that characterize the effectiveness of the educational impact of the high school, taking into account the subjective context. Materials and Methods. The empirical base of the study includes data collected from sociological surveys conducted in Togliatti schools in 2010, 2014 and 2019 in the monitoring mode (in 2010, n = 1 183, in 2014, n = 945, in 2016, n = 1 745; in 2019, n = 976). The collection of data in the monitoring mode made it possible to identify the dynamics of results over a ten-year period and to determine how well the high school is doing in terms of developing social competences. Results. Among the social competencies that the high school forms, high school students note the ability to work with information, understand people, determine the propensity for science, independence, as well as a tolerant attitude to representatives of other cultures. There are contradictions in the formation of social competencies, and this is especially evident in the assessment of civic qualities. Over the past decade, the number of students who believe that school has prepared them for life has significantly decreased. Discussion and Conclusion. The results contribute to the development of scientific concepts of social competences. The materials of the article will be useful for the study of problems and contradictions of value self-determination of the younger generation. The practical significance of applying the proposed contextual approach is to increase the effectiveness of the school in the formation of studentsʼ social qualities necessary for life in modern society.