Recently, the concept of "social competence" is used more and more often in educational literature. It is interpreted by the authors in different ways. In addition, this concept may include many elements.
Terminology issues
Social competence is considered by some authors as a combination of such human qualities:
- Empathy.
- Social sensitivity.
- Tolerance.
- Openness.
- Independence.
- Immediacy.
- Ability to be creative.
Other authors single out only two aspects - cooperation and autonomy. There is currently no universally accepted definition of social competence. The problem is that in various scientific disciplines the term "competency" has a different meaning.
In addition, it should be borne in mind that the content of the concept depends on the specifics of the situation in which the subject is. Equally important are the features of the requirements for the individual.
If in everyday conditions a certain model of behavior is recognized as successful, then in the labor activity its use can lead to collapse. Therefore, it is important to develop various types of competencies ( including social and professional ones). Expectations in relation to one subject will vary greatly depending on its role in society. For example, others have different requirements for colleagues, subordinates, managers.
Important point
Social competence cannot be considered as personal motivation or individual qualifications. It can develop exclusively in favorable and open conditions. A simplified interpretation of social competence can only be used to explain serious, frequent, obvious deviations in the behavior of an individual.
Content Elements
It is determined using the categories of general competence. In the socio-communicative model of human behavior D. Euler identified 6 categories:
- Non-verbal or verbal expression of opinion at the level of emotions, intentions, relationships and at the business level.
- Interpretation of opinion.
- Metacommunication.
- Sensitivity to communication interference (overt or covert).
- Analysis of communication conditions (personal or situational).
- Use of analysis results.
Structural elements
The components of social competence are:
- Knowledge of the behavior of others. The subject must understand the essence of the statements, the problems of other individuals, know the methods of information retrieval, conflict resolution methods.
- Ability to communicate with specific actors (targeted communication), offer their help, attract the attention of interlocutors, show interest in them, make contact, navigate in the environment, argue opinions, resolve and prevent conflicts, be responsible for their behavior, be tolerant of others to people.
- Individual characteristics. The presence of socio-personal competence is evidenced by such individual traits of the subject as organization, perseverance, creativity, activity, determination, desire for self-improvement, curiosity, sociability, observation, integrity, willingness to cooperate, honesty and decency, independence, determination, self-confidence .
- Abilities to interact constructively with different people, maintain communication, empathize, understand and accept the point of view of the interlocutor, determine the psychological state of the communication partner, evaluate the conditions of communication and be able to build their speech in accordance with them, be attentive to the interlocutor, control their behavior, communicate what they have begun things to the end, correctly formulate thoughts and express their opinions.
From the foregoing it follows that social competence is a system of:
- Knowledge of oneself and social reality.
- Complicated skills.
- Models of behavior in standard (typical) conditions, thanks to which the subject can quickly adapt to circumstances and quickly make the right decision.
Formation of social competence
Social and economic changes in modern Russia determine new requirements for the personal qualities of subjects. Education of an individual, investing in him of key social competencies is carried out from a very early age. An important condition for education is a favorable psychological climate in the family, among peers. At an emotional level, relationships are reflected in a preschool institution, in a school. Social competencies in children appear and develop under the supervision of adults.
The task of teachers and parents is to create a favorable psychological climate for the child. It is necessary to provide children with the opportunity to talk about themselves, to study themselves, to communicate with other children and adults, to hear them.
The necessary conditions
The development of social competencies will be effective only if the following conditions are met:
- The teacher or parents should reorient themselves to work with the personal elements of the child’s consciousness, provide support for their ability to make responsible choices, reflection, self-organization, and creativity.
- Leisure programs should be filled with social and emotional components.
- The pedagogical technologies used in education should be built taking into account the specifics of the relationship between an adult and a child.
- Psychological education, correctional development work, and counseling should be conducted.
The pedagogical conditions for the formation and improvement of social competencies in an educational institution include:
- The presence of a specially created system of socio-pedagogical assistance, organized taking into account negatively influencing factors, based on the implementation of various options for leisure programs.
- The presence in children of the opportunity to experience in different spheres of life and activity for the results of successful behavior.
- Ensuring a coordinated pedagogical impact on students.
Tasks
Social competence is formed and developed for such purposes:
- Creating a favorable psychological climate in the children's team, which is characterized by the organization of productive interaction of children with each other and with adults.
- The formation of a tolerant attitude towards peers, the development of communication skills.
- Formation of a base for emotional self-regulation, awareness of one’s experiences and feelings in the current conditions.
Expected results
A well-constructed work on the formation of social competencies should lead to understanding by children of the essence of the concepts of “training”, “friend”, “friendship”, “emotions”, “feelings”, “feelings”, “values”, and “team”.
The skills and abilities of each child should be developed:
- In the field of self-knowledge - understanding and acceptance of one’s feelings, feelings, assessing one’s state and the state of the interlocutor by external signs, using non-verbal and verbal communication tools.
- In the field of interpersonal interaction - the ability to overcome barriers and stereotypes in communication.
One of the key conditions for effective self-development and self-realization of all participants in the educational process is psychological comfort in an educational institution.
Teacher role
Social competence (according to many experts) should be considered as a state of balance between the environment in which the subject is located, the requirements that society presents to him, and his capabilities. In case of imbalance, crisis phenomena occur. Preventing them is the most important task of a teacher.
To prevent crisis phenomena, the teacher must be able to see the child, recognize problems in a timely manner, observe his behavior, fix difficulties, analyze them and develop correction methods.
Competency-based approach
Currently, the educational process is in the process of reform. To implement the concept of modernization of the domestic pedagogical system, educational institutions need to solve a number of problems. One of them is the formation of competencies that determine the quality of the educational process.
For the effective use of the competency-based approach, teachers need to clearly determine which key (universal) and qualification (special) personal qualities graduates of the school will need in their life and work. The solution to this problem involves the ability of educators to form an indicative basis for their activities. It is a complex of information about educational work, a description of its subject, goals, means and results. The teacher should form and develop in children those knowledge and skills that will be useful to him in his future life.
The competency-based approach does not involve children learning separate skills, but mastering their complex. In accordance with this provision, a system of training and education methods is being formed. The process of their design and selection is based on the specifics of competencies and educational tasks.
Conclusion
Today, many scientists are involved in the effective use of the competency-based approach. Scientists are looking for ways to narrow the gap between theory and its practical application in educational institutions. This is due to the fact that the features of the competency-based approach are more studied in the framework of professional education. Therefore, not all school teachers have an idea of how to implement it.
Social competence is important wherever people interact: in the family, in the educational institution, in society. Modern education poses a difficult task for educators to form in children not only educational, but also social competencies. The result of its solution should be to educate students in the ability to establish contact with other people, show patience, respect for others, understand the condition of other people, and behave adequately in society. All these qualities are laid in childhood. To form these skills, teachers must work together with parents, develop approaches that take into account the individual characteristics of children. Only in this case can we count on the fact that school graduates will become worthy citizens of their country.