Keyword: «symbolic and graphic skills»

The problem of the formation and development of symbolic and graphic skills as the important skills of educational (and scientific) activity is becoming especially relevant in the light of the modern education system requirements and the training of high-level specialists. The secondary school standard provides for the development of the ability to "create, apply and transform signs and symbols, models and schemes for solving educational and cognitive tasks." Many professional competences of a future specialist include the ability to work with information presented in various forms. The content of the academic subject "chemistry" is extremely rich in visual series. These are chemical signs, formulas, reaction equations, photographs of chemical objects, drawings and diagrams, tables, diagrams, graphs, etc. Working with them can develop not only chemical, but also logical, spatial thinking, which are in demand among modern specialists in various fields. Continuity in the development of symbolic and graphic skills is important for the successful completion of university chemistry courses and studying other specialized disciplines by students of many departments at higher education institutions. The aim of the study is to examine issues related to the continuous development of symbolic and graphic skills in teaching chemistry at the "school – university" stage. The methodological basis of the research was a systems approach, according to which the issue of the development of sign-symbolic and graphic skills was considered in the interrelationship of its components. The essence and content of the didactic principle of succession, the directions of university training, types of graphic images, the structure of skills, and methodological tools for skill development were studied and analyzed. The systematization of higher education training areas was carried out, taking into account the presence or absence of chemical disciplines in them and their contribution to mastering future professional activity. The theoretical significance of the research lies in identification of the key symbolic and graphic competences developed within the framework of the school chemistry course, which are the fundamental basis for the successful study of chemical and other specialized disciplines at subsequent stages of training. These competences were structured and highlighted as critically important for the professional training of future specialists. The scientific novelty of the work consists in highlighting and revealing the lines of development of symbolic and graphic skills. The paper also highlights the fundamental role of methodological tools designed to ensure the development of appropriate skills. It is noted that the development of symbolic and graphic skills is significantly influenced not only by the availability of the necessary visual forms, but also by the organization of techniques for working with them. The practical significance of the study consists in presenting methodological tools and showing their specific examples.