Developmental potential of cognitive maps construction method in higher education practice

Current tendencies of developing the diagnosticfollow-up of developmental education in higher education determine the relevance of researching the new educational constructs relatedto the value-meaning re-building of the consciousness of the participants of educational process (epistemological, ontological,goal-oriented and motivational beliefs). Adaptation of diagnostic instruments to educational environments, which allow orientating inthe field of meanings and practical experience; revealing value-laden and goal oriented beliefs of students as related to the process andoutcomes of educational activity in their interrelation and transformative influence on the success of reflection and construction of cognitivemodels of educational activity, is gaining significance. Following the logic of research, educational practice of constructing cognitivemaps is considered as a prerequisite for and an integrative resource of implementation of the values of constructivist and cognitiveapproaches to education as an environment for cognitive development. Positioning cognitive map construction as a valuable resource ofcognitive development is based on the idea that this practice allows integrating epistemological, ontological, anthropological and pragmaticfoundations of educational process organization. Implementation of this method and analysis of the obtained empirical data makesit possible to contextualize and construct practice-informed and practice-oriented interpretation of the theoretical ideas presented in theforeign publications devoted to theoretical issues and applied researches on the method of cognitive map construction. During the researchprocess it has been revealed that this method in its original framework is not completely adequate to the students zone of proximaldevelopment. There are two factors which determine the necessity of adaptation of this method: the low level of students reflectionupon the means and outcomes of their educational activity; complexity of approaching the task of representation of subjective prognosticmodels of cognitive activity that implies identification of structural components, process attributes and establishment of correct interrelationsbetween them. Implementation of the method of cognitive map construction has significant potential not only in facilitating theprocess of cognitive development of participants of educational activity, in promoting changes in motivational and goal-oriented beliefsand attitudes towards this activity, but also in triggering the development of educational practice itself as a socio-cognitive practice ofsustainable human resource development.

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