I. Introduction

The concept of developmental learning ("DL"), as we know, is based on two basic ideas. Firstly, the concept of "learning activity" as a specific cultural and psychological way of organizing an individual's cognitive activity, which guarantees the emergence of new structural and functional psychological formations, which is, in fact, interpreted as "psychological development".

It is important that these new formations are systemic:

- In the motivational sphere, it consists in the emergence of cognitive study interests;

- In the intellectual sphere, it is the ability to use and construct different cognitive means of analysis, generalization, and problematization in tasks and problem situations;

- In the activity sphere, it is the emergence of systemic functional connections between the basic components of the psychological "infrastructure" of an action, namely, task definition (goal setting), control of the performative part of the action, awareness, and evaluation of the result obtained, reflection on the overall effectiveness of the action (and its parts);

- In the personal sphere, it is the experience and affirmation of oneself as a full subject of study activity, i.e., as an individual capable of defining and solving one's own cognitive study tasks;

- In the social and communicative sphere, it is the ability to organize and participate in shared and collectively distributed forms of activity to solve cognitive tasks.

The theory of study activity was developed by V.V. Repkin (^{REPKIN; REPNINA, 2019}) and tested in numerous experimental and empirical studies conducted by, among others, Dorokhina (REPKIN; DOROKHINA, 1973), Dusavitskii (2002), Repkina (REPKIN; ^{REPKINA, 1997}), ^{Mashbits (1987}) and ^{Shvalb (1997}), in which its reliability and validity were proven.

Secondly, this is the idea, going back to L. S. Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory, that the educational material itself, organized in a certain type of study task and in a hidden (or, more precisely, "superseded") form, contains a certain type of thinking and, consequently, determines its reproduction (formation) in schoolchildren. Convincingly demonstrating the efficacy of empirical evidence, ^{Davidov (1986}) has revealed that, within the context of conventional schooling, elementary school students predominantly engage in empirical generalization and thinking. Conversely, experiential learning has been shown to facilitate the development of theoretical generalization and thinking in children.

A crucial point to note is that in both scenarios, the formal study content, encompassing the fundamental principles of mathematics and the native language, remains consistent. However, the objective of students' academic endeavors differs significantly. In conventional teaching methods, the focus is on mastering and reproducing the abstract norms and rules established by the academic discipline. Conversely, in developmental learning, the emphasis shifts to the processes of acquiring and transforming knowledge. These processes, when generalized, shape the student's cognitive approach. This finding indicates that a student's thinking is predominantly influenced not by the formal content of the knowledge, but rather by the manner in which they engage with that knowledge through study actions.

It can be stated that these two concepts coalesce to establish a particular integrity, wherein three fundamental elements serve as the foundational components of the system:

(a) - A task-based approach to organizing students' academic endeavors;

(b) - An educator's capacity to problematize the educational process; and

(c) - A reflective practice for documenting academic outcomes.

IV. Model approval

The professional training of social workers represents a relatively recent and progressive domain of activity for higher education institutions. The absence of established methodologies for social workers and corresponding postgraduate models engenders challenges and creativity in the training process. A salient challenge confronting the training of social workers, particularly within conventional academic settings, pertains to the practical and applied nature of their professional endeavors.

Historically and culturally, social work emerged as a specialized form of assistance for demographic groups encountering challenges in adapting to the demands of independent socio-economic life. Throughout history, social work has manifested in diverse forms, addressing distinct challenges and encompassing various demographic groups. However, it has consistently played a pivotal role within the social fabric. In contemporary democratic societies, the provision of social support and protection is distributed among government agencies, religious institutions, and various public organizations.

However, in the national history of the latter half of the 20th century, a divergent situation emerged. The entirety of social work was concentrated in government bodies and became an integral part of the state's social policy. In the 1980s, as the economic crisis intensified, social work degenerated into just a few forms of social security, and by the mid-1990s, it had almost disappeared. This decline was further exacerbated by the rapid socio-economic transformations occurring within the state, leading to a marked branching and stratification of society. This resulted in a significant segment of the population, comprising various social groups and entire strata, being deemed socially bankrupt and incapable of effectively adapting to the new conditions. Notwithstanding, the public's perception of the state's exclusive role in providing social assistance and protection persisted, remaining predominant in the public consciousness. The aforementioned factors have precipitated the genesis and propagation of a series of deleterious socio-psychological phenomena among specific demographic groups. These phenomena encompass social apathy and passivity, unjustified social expectations, excessive social demands, and an orientation toward social dependency.

In essence, such attitudes are inherent in nearly all social groups. However, they manifested most clearly, for instance, in the form of the "victim syndrome" among the population that suffered from the Chernobyl disaster.⁸It has become evident that the development of social work must become a priority area of state social policy. However, it is imperative to avoid the reproduction of the Soviet model, which has been demonstrated to be both historically and functionally inadequate, as evidenced by the post-Chernobyl context. Consequently, we contend that public policy should prioritize the establishment of state bodies (services) for social support and population protection. Moreover, we assert that policy should also foster the development of the entire social assistance sphere through a diversity of means and methods.

Addressing these challenges necessitates the targeted training of a new generation of social workers who are not only competent in their duties, but also capable of becoming active contributors to the development of society as a whole.

We can identify at least three significant areas of social work in modern Ukrainian society.

Firstly, this is classic social assistance to those sections and groups of the population who are unable to independently provide the necessary socio-economic resources. This demographic includes large families, orphans, disabled individuals, and single pensioners, among others.

Secondly, the provision of socio-psychological support to individuals encountering challenges in adapting to social transformations due to various circumstances constitutes a pivotal aspect of social work. This group encompasses the unemployed, children exhibiting deviant social behavior, and individuals grappling with substance use disorders, such as drug addiction and alcoholism. All of these individuals require assistance with rehabilitation, adaptation, or readaptation according to social values and living conditions.

Thirdly, consider social development. It is widely acknowledged that, over the past 15-20 years, the social sphere, and, more broadly, the socio-cultural sphere of society has undergone significant and destructive changes. Socio-cultural institutions have nearly reached a state of collapse, and as a result, this domain of public life remains precarious. Concurrently, it is evident that the restoration of the Soviet system is impractical. The contemporary context necessitates the implementation of public education initiatives that can effectively address the emerging challenges. These initiatives must be designed to foster leadership and social responsibility among diverse groups within the population, particularly among the youth. Additionally, there is a pressing need to promote a healthy lifestyle and well-being. Achieving these objectives necessitates the integration of contemporary social technologies.

The three aforementioned domains constitute the state order level for the training and direction of social workers. In psychological terms, this signifies that the training of social workers must be multidisciplinary. At the very least, professional training at the university level should aim to develop specialists who can work effectively in any of the areas of government order. The situation in the development of social work and the task of training relevant specialists leads to the emergence of a number of new and atypical problems. Research findings indicate that a multitude of challenges related to professional training can be categorized into five levels of problem stratification. The initial and most prevalent layer of psychological difficulties stems from the undertaking of multidisciplinary vocational training, a task that is often arduous due to the prevalence of universities implementing a system of training specialists with a singular profile. This challenge is further compounded by the imminent and substantial demand for social workers in the near future (at least five to ten years), a demand that is driven by the rapid expansion of the social welfare system. Consequently, graduates of the national university are subject to additional requirements. They are expected to be multidisciplinary specialists in the field of social work and to possess the ability to organize and manage new social services. Furthermore, they are expected to train new cadres of social workers at a high level.

Indeed, it is the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv's mission to produce graduates who will assume responsibility for developing the social work field in Ukraine. The effectiveness of implementing state social policy and the rate of social work proliferation are contingent on their capacity to address social problems. Consequently, the emphasis is not on the mere formation of professional knowledge, skills, and abilities, but rather on the cultivation of students' personalities, their abilities, and personal qualities.

It is imperative to underscore the distinct characteristics of social work itself. At present, the scientific foundations of this field of activity are in the process of being established. While social work is recognized as a branch of scientific and applied activity in some countries, it has not yet been recognized as such in our country. A notable analogy can be drawn between social work and engineering, which, as a practical and applied field of physics, shares many similarities with social work. In this analogy, social work could be termed "social engineering." This analogy enables the discernment of a salient feature of social work: its capacity to function as a "translation" of social values, ideals, and theories into the "language" of technologies for human services.

The technological nature of social work constitutes the third layer of psychological problems in the training of social workers. Social technologies are arguably the most intricate and underdeveloped domain within the realm of social knowledge. Moreover, these technologies are frequently implemented and serve as an integral component of the practical activities of various professionals, including sociologists, social workers, political scientists, psychologists, consultants, and specialists. The integration of technology into the learning process poses significant challenges. The technologies themselves are very difficult to present in the usual form of textbooks or teaching materials, and it is almost impossible to convey them to students in the usual form of lectures or seminars. While a lecture may allow for discussion of the technology, it is not feasible to demonstrate it, let alone effectively teach it to students.

We believe that social, psychological, pedagogical, managerial, and other technologies should constitute the primary content in the training of social workers. The key challenge lies in the necessity for specialists in the field of social work to possess not only established and proven technologies, but also the capacity to develop novel technologies that align with the unique characteristics of their work environment and target population.

To illustrate this point, we will examine several examples.

For instance, there is a well-developed body of research on social work with disabled children in the field. However, in certain cities and towns in the Kiev or Zhytomyr regions, a catastrophic situation has emerged in the 19 years following the Chernobyl incident. The number of disabled children, whose disability is associated with illness because of the Chernobyl accident, has surpassed the number of healthy children. This phenomenon is particularly striking given the absence of global precedent in addressing such communities. Consequently, social workers must devise autonomous approaches and methodologies to assist both these children and the population of the entire city, which is grappling with a "disability complex."

The second example is as follows: because of the Chernobyl incident, health rehabilitation centers have been established and are currently operational for children residing in contaminated areas. These children are referred to these centers once or even twice annually for stays ranging from 25 to 30 days. However, in the context of the rehabilitation centers' documented positive health impacts, a number of social and psychological problems have emerged. These children often experience a sense of chronic illness, social isolation, and a lack of social integration, leading to social maladjustment. Consequently, there is an absence of empirically validated technologies to facilitate the social rehabilitation of children in care. Furthermore, it is crucial to acknowledge that children in such circumstances frequently exhibit significant delays in their academic progress, yet there is a paucity of pedagogical methodologies that can effectively address these needs.

The number of examples in this category is considerable. Consequently, it is imperative to discuss the issue of social support for the unemployed, a problem that has emerged in our society for the first time in many decades. Additionally, there is a pressing need for the social readaptation of military personnel who, due to the reduction of the armed forces, must transition back to civilian life. Furthermore, social rehabilitation programs are crucial for individuals who have served their sentences in prison.

The fourth layer of psychological problems is associated with the peculiarities of the social worker's self-awareness and professional reflection. It is imperative for social workers to recognize that their role transcends the mere fulfillment of state-mandated assistance or support for specific demographics. Instead, their function encompasses the fulfillment of individuals' and communities' genuine social requirements, including but not limited to social protection, self-actualization, respect and sensitivity, and personal growth. Consequently, the social worker is expected to embody multiple roles, functioning not only as a civil servant but also as a sociologist, psychologist, teacher, and manager. In essence, the social worker serves as a multifaceted specialist, capable of assisting individuals in resolving life challenges and navigating crisis.

The fifth layer of psychological problems stems from the fact that one of the specificities of the work of the social worker (as well as of specialists in the professions in the field of Socionomy⁹ in general) is the need to solve one's own professional problems in close and direct contact with representatives of other professions. Consequently, a social worker may find himself or herself working in collaboration with individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, including administrators at various levels, legal professionals, psychologists, and educators, among others. This interaction frequently becomes the sole means of addressing the challenges that emerge.

The point of this discussion is that the content and forms of this interaction can vary within very broad limits. To illustrate this point, consider the following example. In the case of working with a troubled teenager, a social worker may interact with the parents or the teacher, or a youth affairs inspector. However, the student has yet to be taught these forms of interaction.

Consequently, social workers often elect to abstain from such situations, opting instead to engage in activities that permit a purely individual form of interaction. This practice, however, engenders two principal consequences. Firstly, it results in a marked constriction of the range of tasks that can be addressed. Secondly, it gives rise to a distinct form of isolation that hinders the development of the professional sphere as a whole.

The aforementioned circumstances underscore an acute and urgent need to develop educational tools that foster the personal and professional aptitude to establish effective forms of interaction between a future social work specialist and representatives of other professions.

A thorough examination of the problem areas in the training of social workers reveals that their resolution is contingent upon the enhancement of the content of professional training. It is evident that components of professional training, such as social and psychological technologies, communicative competence, and the capacity for personal reflection, among others, cannot be effectively imparted through conventional teaching methodologies at the higher education level.

Over the past five years, the Department of Social Work has been engaged in active research and methodological work with the objective of identifying novel forms and methods of professional training for social workers. Consequently, the department is currently developing a unique training system for prospective social work specialists. This training system is being developed in a phased manner, with students gradually being integrated into the process of solving academic and professional tasks.

In the initial phase, students undergo training aimed at cultivating fundamental communication and interpersonal interaction skills. Concurrently, this initial stage is designed to mitigate any trepidation surrounding the novel nature of the training modality, fostering an overall positive disposition towards it as a pedagogical tool.

In the subsequent stage, a series of personal training sessions are conducted. During this stage, two problems are addressed in a concurrent manner. On the one hand, students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in the fundamental types of person-oriented training technologies within the domains of counseling, correction, and therapy. Concurrently, students are tasked with addressing their challenges, which might hinder effective future professional practice. This requirement is a universal practice in the training of counselors, irrespective of the theoretical or practical orientation of their future work. Moreover, research findings indicate that a significant proportion of students in their third to fifth year of study encounter unresolved personal challenges. These training programs present a valuable opportunity to provide substantial assistance in addressing these issues and fostering personal growth.

The third stage is aimed at the resolution of three study tasks. Firstly, it is about mastering complex types of social and socio-psychological technologies, which are only transmitted in the form of training. These technologies include conflict mediation, negotiations, community development programs, and team building. Secondly, independent training is undertaken, albeit with compulsory supervision, in collaboration with diverse population groups. Consequently, students engage in training activities with adolescents aimed at preventing and overcoming deviant and addictive behaviors, as well as training for the development of communicative or intellectual skills with children with physical disabilities and special needs. Thirdly, it is about mastering the methodology of developmental learning and the means of organizing and conducting it. In this regard, students assume the role of training system designers and process organizers.

For instance, to address the study task of enhancing a social worker's capacity for interprofessional interaction, we implement a specialized "positional" training approach. The fundamental premise of this approach entails the meticulous recreation of the characteristics inherent in specific roles during the initial stages of interaction, thereby preserving their purest form. The objective of this training is to cultivate effective professional attitudes, fostering the recognition of differences in one's own activities and those of a potential partner in professionally meaningful situations.

Upon completion of this training, students will have gained the following experiential competencies: the ability to actualize their position and the position of another subject of interaction relative to a specific professional situation, with a reflective articulation of the main characteristics of these positions; the ability to objectify their means of action and the actions of another subject in specific situations, with the consistent employment of the means of action of the personality of the subject carrying out these actions; and the ability to organize personal and professional reflection on values and methods of action, with subsequent mastery of professional competences.

The primary characteristic of this approach is its emphasis on addressing specific tasks that emerge from the intersection of positions from disparate yet interconnected activities. A substantial body of research has demonstrated that this methodology is particularly effective in fostering awareness of the goals and objectives of the activity, the development of a personal stance toward problems and their resolution, the cultivation of professional reflection, and the capacity to comprehend and embrace divergent perspectives.

A foundational element of the student-training program developed in the department is the adherence to the same substantive principles, irrespective of the internship or the specific type of training. The development of the training system is founded on the following four principles:

1. The first principle is the implementation of multidisciplinary professional training for students, which reflects the necessity of simultaneously attaining the knowledge and skills required to work in the various areas of social work. Additionally, it emphasizes the ability to take on the roles of psychologist, teacher, mentor, researcher, and other roles as necessary.

2. The principle of multi-level training for students, which reflects the necessity to progress through all levels of social work during their training: from volunteer to managerial.

3. The principle of technological effectiveness of learning, which demonstrates that social technologies should become the primary subject of learning and the ability to independently develop the latest social technologies, should become the primary learning outcome.

4. The principle of personal growth states that only a person capable of self-realization and self-development can professionally help other people overcome their problems and crises.

A brief review of the role and functions of the training system in the process of professional development of social workers reveals that it allows us to make a significant step towards solving one of the most pressing problems of modern higher education, namely, the problem of combining a high level of scientific and theoretical training and the training of postgraduates with the personal and professional aptitude to work in specific conditions of need to assist people. However, it should be noted that training does not fully resolve all issues. Consequently, the subsequent step may involve the development and integration of training models associated with contemporary social technologies, such as social design and organizational gaming activities (^{SHCHEDROVITSKY, 1995}).

A substantial proportion of professional activities, encompassing the entire domain of Socionomy professions, is predicated on a system of fundamental theoretical models (concepts). These models must be assimilated by students to establish the foundation for cultivating suitable practices. However, the implementation of theoretical concepts in practical activities is not direct. Consequently, there is a necessity to update the intermediary and mediating link-a professional orientation study task. Conventional higher education pedagogy has addressed this challenge by integrating practical and laboratory classes into the educational process. However, this approach has been shown to impede the development of competencies, as the curriculum remains anchored in the transmission of academic knowledge through conventional methods.

An analysis of the psychological content of the competency concept and a comparison with the content and methods of vocational training in universities show their significant incompatibility. That is to say, the implementation of the ideas and principles of the competency-based approach requires a significant transformation of the pedagogical means of organizing and implementing student training. It can be posited that the implementation of the competency-based approach necessitates the development of a novel psychological and pedagogical learning technology centered on the cultivation of the individual's competencies as the objective of vocational training, rather than on the transmission of professional knowledge. This does not imply the complete elimination of the task of imparting knowledge; rather, it signifies a shift in the priority of tasks to be solved during the learning process.

Now, it is pertinent to delve into our experience in the cultivation of professional competencies, particularly in the context of Socionomics training. This initiative, spanning a decade, has been meticulously developed within the Department of Social Work at the Faculty of Psychology at Kiev National University.

In developing psychological and pedagogical technology for the formation of professional competencies, we initiated the process with a series of assumptions. Primarily, this process should be carried out in stages and ensure the continuity of the transition from the study activity that the student already possesses to a certain extent, to professional study activity, as the main type of activity in the process of professional training, and from this to professional activities, as a general result of the education process. Secondly, we developed the technology with the assumption that the concept of "task" is a second key component of competence. In developing the technology, we relied on the theory of the study task developed by V. V. Repkin within the framework of V. V. Davidov and D. B. Elkonin's theory of developmental learning.

Generalizing our experience allows us to present the process of developing skills through eight stages.

1. The sphere of life experience in which this class of problems exists is to be updated with the definition and solution of a single specific practical problem (practical task);

2. The variety of possible ways of solving a practical problem are to be demonstrated, with the definition and solution of a problem to identify differences in modes of action (practical study task);

3. The possible modes of action are to be compared with the definition and solution of a generalization and classification problem (study task);

4. The subject of action is to be analyzed as an independent phenomenon, with the definition and solution of the problem of constructing a theory of the subject (theoretical task);

5. The first category is the updating of social and professional practices, wherein the same class of problems is solved. This involves the setting and solving of a problem for the professional certainty and specificity of a practical task, which is also referred to as a professional study task.

6. Demonstration of examples of professional methods of solving a practical task, which involves the setting and solving of a task to master professional methods of solving a practical task. This is also referred to as a practical-professional task.

7. Analysis of the reasons for the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of one's own professional actions - formulation and resolution of a task to identify one's own resources and limitations (professional-reflective task); 8. Updating the experience of developing professional competences - defining and solving the task of drawing up one's own professional development program (professional genesis task).

This sequence facilitates the implementation of the competence development process in each academic subject and even in each educational module. From a psychological standpoint, it is imperative that this approach enables each student to perceive themselves as the subject of professional training and their own professional development.

V. Conclusion

It has been demonstrated that the proposed method for constructing the educational process in the competency-based approach is not the sole possibility. However, it is believed that the future development of the higher education system is contingent upon the development and implementation of the most recent psychological and pedagogical learning technologies.