LABORATORY OF THE PSYCHOLOGY OF STUDYING NAMED AFTER I.O.SYNYTSYA
Laboratory of the Psychology of Studying as a separate branch of the Institute of Psychology was established in 1960. However, the problem of the psychological providing of the personality development in the educational space occupied a prominent place in the research activities of the Institute of Psychology from the beginning of its foundation in 1945. The initiator of the laboratory and its first director was renowned Ukrainian psychologist Ivan Omelyanovych Synytsya. The main direction of research was the development of comprehensive general theme of Ukrainian psychological school, which was headed by then G.S. Kostyuk - the correlation of training, education and personal development. A characteristic feature of the lab research was close connection with the practice of teaching and education of the child in school and after-school educational institutions.
Since 1978 the Laboratory of the Psychology of Studying is headed by Full Member of NAPS of Ukraine, Doctor of Psychology and Professor Serg³y Dmytrovych Maksymenko.An independent scientific school of psychology of studying has developed during this time, based on the theory of genetic psychology of personality and genetic-modeling method elaborated by S.D. Maksymenko and comprehensively processed by his numerous students and scientific supporters. In 80-90 years of the twentieth century research work carried out within the activity-cultural and historical approaches, advanced study of the personality in the learning process was conducted. A genetic-modeling method of the educational process was well-grounded which enabled to develop the different types of learning patterns and to study the new mental formations depending on the content of school subjects was enabled. There were experimentally determined the psychological framework for designing of activity-based learning courses and investigated the age patterns of the formation of student personality. At the same time there were elaborated the assessment methods of pupils’ mental development and the level of their learning activity. There were proposed and thoroughly worked out the training programs and diagnostic tasks based on different kind of subject material for different age cohorts of students.
Foreground of laboratory research from the late 90th of the last century became the problems of personality development in the system of lifelong education and studying of psychological and pedagogical conditions of personal activity in educational space. Essential tasks of this research area were discovery and study the structure of educational space, its developmental potential and factors that determine mental development of personality in educational environment of a particular type. There was established the basis for scientific and practical examination of different types of educational spaces in different educational institutions, for assessment of integrated educational environment impact on the mental development of the personality.
Last year’s responding to the urgent challenges of modern times, the laboratory has launched a research of the problem of self identity in the genetic context. We studied process of development and formation of self identity in psycho-pedagogical field. On this basis we conducted a methodological analysis of the problem and developed the concept of psychological self identity through clarification of psychological patterns, factors and conditions of formation of personality. The work was carried out as a combination of activity-based and cultural-historical approach, in-depth study of the individual in the learning process was conducted.Genetic-modeling method allowed to reproduce various types learning and study not only formation patterns of particular mental tumors depending on the content of the subjects, but also explore the real changes that occur while in the formation and development of student, as a unique holistic personality. The results of the laboratory work during 2009-2013 years was published .in the collective monograph "Psychological factors of personality self determination in the educational space" (it obtained national recognition of scientific achievements in the nomination "Monograph" on 6th International Forum-presentation "Innovation in modern education" (21-23 of October, 2014, Kyiv) and in the practical work "Development of indicators and analysis of factors of personality self determination of students in the general education" (it obtained an award in the competition on scientific development in the nomination "The formation of the creative personality in educational institutions" XVI International exhibition-presentation "Modern education in Ukraine - 2013").
Results of studies in recent years have enabled to determine the direction of further research and formed the basis for the theoretical and practical guidelines of new topic: "Activity self-fulfillment of the personality in the educational space" (2014-2017), which is being successfully developed through active research findings by laboratory team.