Boris D. Kycher

Due to the rapid advancement of science and technology and the globalization of society, there is an increasing demand for high-quality science education and its popularization in secondary schools. The growing amount of information and the increasing complexity of science subjects, the updating of federal state standards, and the modernization of the educational system necessitate the clarification of the essence, structure, and functions of the process of professional competence formation among science teachers. The aim of this research is to study the process of professional competence formation among science teachers, including a comprehensive analysis of the essence, structure, and functions of this phenomenon. The research methods included theoretical methods (system analysis and generalization of accumulated pedagogical experience, normative and legal documentation on the research topic) and empirical methods (questionnaires aimed at obtaining quantitative and qualitative data, statistical methods of data analysis). The specifics of the conceptual apparatus were determined, which includes two interrelated groups of concepts: "formation" and "development" in the context of philosophical and pedagogical approaches, as well as the phenomena of "competence", "competency", and "professional competence" from the standpoint of philosophy, psychology, and pedagogy. A survey of the teaching staff was conducted, including questions in the field of formation of professional personal characteristics necessary for effective pedagogical agency in science subjects. The analysis of domestic and foreign scientific literature, normative acts in the field of education, and empirical data obtained during the research allowed us to formulate the author's original definition of the process of professional competence formation among science teachers, to reveal the essence, structure, and functions of the studied phenomenon, and to develop a conceptual model aimed at creating conditions for continuous development of the personal potential of physics, chemistry, and biology teachers, contributing to the improvement of the quality of pedagogical activity. The organizational and pedagogical conditions that ensure the unity of science teachers’ professional competence formation were formulated. The theoretical significance of the research lies in the comprehensive analysis of information devoted to the research problem. Based on the analysis, the essence, structure, and functions were determined, which formed the basis of the model of professional competence formation among science teachers. The practical significance of the research lies in the potential of applying the obtained model to update the content of methodological work in physics, chemistry, and biology, to modernize the content of professional development programs, and to clarify the normative documentation regulating the activities of teachers implementing educational programs in science subjects.