MODERN TEACHING METHODS IN VOCATIONAL AND HIGHER EDUCATION: THE PROBLEM OF FUNCTIONAL SYSTEMATIZATION

Abstract

. The article examines the problem of the functional systematization of modern teaching methods in vocational and higher education. It is established that existing classifications are based on different criteria, including the level of learner activity, the nature of cognitive activity, the technological basis, and forms of instructional organization, which complicates the differentiation between teaching methods, educational technologies, digital tools, and organizational forms of learning. An original functional systematization of modern teaching methods is proposed on the basis of the dominant mechanism of learner activity. Four groups are distinguished: problem-analytical, simulation-and-activity-based, projectand-product-oriented, and interactive-communicative methods. Their functional characteristics and the specific features of their implementation in vocational and higher education are substantiated. Digitalization is conceptualized as a crosscutting factor that modifies the didactic potential of teaching methods, while digital technologies are regarded as tools for their implementation rather than as a separate classification group. A comparative matrix for the implementation of modern teaching methods is developed according to the dominant learning activity, the nature of professionally oriented tasks, the level of learner autonomy, digital support, and the expected learning outcome. It is established that the specific implementation of teaching methods in vocational and higher education is determined by the nature and complexity of professionally oriented tasks, the level of learner autonomy, and the expected outcomes of learner activity. It is demonstrated that functional systematization enables the organization of modern methodological tools on a unified didactic basis and provides a foundation for the evidence-based selection of teaching methods in accordance with learning objectives, content, and expected learning outcomes