Development of thought and reflective school activity

Abstract

The  article  represents  theoretical  revision  of the  process  of  development  of  thinking  from the  point  of  view  of  historical  and  cultural paradigm. The authors consider the aspects of intellectual   development   from   the   point   of view  of  activity  conception  in  psychology.  The objective   of   the   article   is   to   characterize thinking development as complex joint activity between  teachers  and  pupils  at  school  age. Reflection  is  understood  as  one  of  the  central features  of  intellectual  activity  at  school  age. As  essential  methodology  of organization  of school  learning,  the  authors  argue  not  only possibility,  but  also  the  necessity  of  specific work  with  the  formation  of  reflection  within teaching  process  at  school  as  institution.  The authors  propose  to  include  the  presentation  of school tasks as the process of problem solution on different levels of intellectual development, starting   from   material   level   and   passing gradually   to   verbal   level.   The   process   of problem   solution   should   be   presented   as detailed  analysis  of  the  content  with  the  help of   orientation   elaborated   by   teacher.   Such analysis  could  be  developed  on  the  basis  of consideration    of    the    components    of    the structure   of   activity.   The   authors   conclude that  such  analysis  may  provide  conditions  for gradual acquisition of reflection for intellectual  actions.  The  teaching  process  of conceptual    matters    at    school    should    be understood  as  permanent  research  and  not only as technical didactics.