Теория и методика обучения и воспитания (по областям и уровням образования) | Мир педагогики и психологии №10(15) Октябрь, 2017

Hermeneutical approaches in the modern educational process

Гребенникова Вероника Михайловна
Кандидат педагогических наук, доцент, Декан факультета педагогики, психологии и коммуникативистики, ФГБОУ ВО "Кубанский Государственный Университет"
Шер Марина Леонидовна
Кандидат экономических наук, Профессор кафедры экономики, северо-кавказский филлиал ФГБОУ ВО "Российский государственный университет правосудия"
Миронов Леонид Валерьевич
Студент первого курса факультета педагогики, психологии и коммуникативистики, ФГБОУ ВО "Кубанский Государственный Университет"

Grebennikova Veronika Mihaylovna
PhD Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Head of Department of the Psychology, Pedagogy and Communication Science Faculty FGBOU VO «Kuban State University», Krasnodar
Sher Marina Leonidovna
PhD Economics, Assistant Professor of the Economics Department FGBOU VO «Russian State University of Justice», North Caucasian branch, Krasnodar
Mironov Leonid Valerievich
First-year student of the Psychology, Pedagogy and Communication Science faculty magistracy, FGBOU VO «Kuban State University», Krasnodar

Abstract: The study of hermeneutics as a mind understanding method of humanitarian manifestations, methods and techniques of understanding texts, their meaning and their applications in educational process and approaches in modern studying.
Keywords: hermeneutical approaches, modern education, studying process, hermeneutic applications, hermeneutic

Many modern theories that claim to explain objectively existing processes are built on the basis of logical-mathematical or other artificial languages ​​that are understandable only to a narrow circle of specialists. It turns out a paradoxical situation: society is going to considerable material costs, often allocating the best human resources for studying and explaining certain phenomena, and a small group of researchers, having done the necessary work, can not explain to the general majority the rest of the results obtained.

This problem, which arose because of the large-scale penetration of theoretical knowledge into culture, necessitated the development of a mechanism for transforming formalized knowledge into forms that were convenient for perception and understanding. The most effective of these mechanisms was the method of visualization of knowledge, widely used even in ancient and medieval science and pedagogy. At the dawn of atomism Democritus, Epicurus, Lucretius Car resorted to visual images of atoms and their properties. The concepts of the center of gravity and the moment of force introduced by Archimedes were first explained to them by means of visual representations of the weights suspended on the shoulders of the lever.

It is known that the language construction is meaningful only if it is understood by the addressee. This question is dealt with by semantics, where there is a concept of denotata — an object that is expressed by means of a sign, for example, a word. Since the learning process is built more by means of language tools, the understanding, as a rule, reduces to the ability of the trainee to compare the sign with the denoter.

Since most of the scientific knowledge that modern people face is expressed in a symbolic form, one of the most important problems of modern didactics is the problem of understanding the scientific text. This is especially acute in the sphere of mastering the content of the basic sciences. And working on a draft textbook on mathematics scientist, and comprehending the basics of this science student face, in fact, with the same problem the problem of understanding. Therefore, it is not for nothing that the authority of both the schoolteacher and the university teacher is determined not only by his knowledge, but also by the ability to present them.

This is a complex process, requiring a teacher of great pedagogical skill, knowledge of not only his subject, but also the history of culture, the state of modern mass consciousness. Scientists working in the field of education know how difficult this problem is. As the French scholar A. Mohl wrote, «literary talent combines here with scientific talent, which extremely limits the number of creators in this field. In this case, creativity is manifested not in scientific discovery and not in artistic influence. It is the creation of meaningful messages on the topic of some discovery, messages that could be absorbed by any person who has some minimal culture and the ability to make an effort in the broadest sense of the word. This discovery of discovery itself is sometimes no less difficult than the discovery of the original». [5; 241,242].

Describing his teacher Rutherford, as having these qualities of a scientist and teacher, Kapitza wrote: «The history of science shows that a major scientist is not necessarily a great man, but a great teacher can not but be a great man». [4; 290].

This topic is particularly relevant when projecting its problems and results onto the education sector. The noticeable weakening of the educational spirit in contemporary culture, manifested, first of all, in the growing fading of interest in learning, especially to profound theoretical developments, requires a rethinking of all the content and tasks of education, in particular, the means, forms and methods of instruction.

This is especially true of the teaching of abstract sciences and teachings. In this regard, there is a need to develop a methodology and methodology for implementing one of the fundamental pedagogical principles of the principle of accessibility.

In the sphere of modern education, the need for a universal language of images is very palpable. Knowingly in most pedagogical work the problem of understanding is associated with the abilities of trainees to present the material in a visual-figurative form. Apparently, this is due to the adherence of modern man to the perception of a rather large amount of information through television, his inclusion in the «screen» culture. V.M. Rosin writes about the «fundamental change in the mechanisms and processes of social interaction, about the formation of a new culture.» He notes that «in this new culture, the role of the entire visual has dramatically increased». [6; 41].

In pedagogy, the need for imaginative representations of educational material was always felt. No wonder in most pedagogical works the problem of understanding is associated with the abilities of trainees to present material in a visual-figurative form. Even Diesterweg wrote that concepts without visual representations are empty and empty: «Where geography is studied without homeland, without creating visual representations through maps, drawings, etc., where history is studied without specific life forms, in the form of an abstract scheme that is imposed on memory ; where religion is taught by memorizing by heart the texts, for the most part completely alien to the child, there reigns an old, disgusting, deadening formalism. This teaching for the school, and not for life … Hence it follows that for a teacher who really has a high intellectual development of his students, there is no higher task than to base all his concepts on visual representations». [3; 366,367].

Pedagogical hermeneutics is the theory and practice, the science and art of interpretation, the interpretation of pedagogical knowledge recorded in different genre texts, aiming at their fullest and deepest understanding, taking into account socio-cultural traditions, reflexive understanding of the emotional spiritual experience of mankind and personal spiritual experience of the subject of understanding.

The hermeneutical function of visual images is particularly well seen in abstract theories. Mathematical formalism, which often has great heuristic possibilities, can not be understood without understanding its meaning. If it is not explained with the help of images of familiar objects and situations, it remains a contentless logical form. There are many examples of formal assimilation of mathematical and physical knowledge.

This is due to the fact that trainees, assimilating sign means, do not distinguish their substitute function, do not know their meaning. Meanwhile, famous scientists always paid attention to this.

 Picture 1 shows the scheme of concepts and methods of hermeneutics.

Picture 1. Scheme of concepts and methods of hermeneutics

Studying the work of Frege, Hilbert came to the conclusion that the abstract theory itself can’t be either true or false. It acquires these qualities and becomes meaningful only when its interpretation is found. Impossibility of visual representation of the results of the theory or hypothesis creates a certain discomfort, a feeling of dissatisfaction, incompleteness of work.

The reason for the desire of many scientists and educators to visualize the results of scientific research is, in our opinion, that the information contained in the visually fixed means is more easily acquired, it is more specific, clear to the person. This is because the visual sensations, from which images are built, have a very ancient history. Atamuradov F.A. writes that the age of the visual cell is 500 million years, and the appearance of the most photosensitive element of the retina — rods — dates back to the period of the pre-cellular existence of life. [1; 77,78].

In figurative representations, the experience of the existence not only of man as a biological species, but also of his distant animal ancestors is crystallized. They are more understandable and close to him, for they cover the deepest layers of his psyche.

One of the proofs of the hermeneutic role of images in science and the sphere of education is the emergence of such a form of knowledge as the scientific picture of the world. It appeared in the twentieth century, when physicists suddenly discovered that the emerging new physical theories needed a different interpretation than the preceding ones.

If the mechanics of Newton and Galileo easily found their objects in the surrounding world and did not need to create any special picture of the world that is fundamentally different from the observed reality, then in the new physics the question about the ontological basis of its theories immediately arose. Physicists for the first time really understood and felt the necessity of constructing, rather than searching in the observable world of the ontological foundation of physical knowledge. The scientific picture of the world and the observed reality do not coincide in many respects — here, perhaps, one of the world outlook conclusions made by physicists and philosophers from the present period of the development of physical theory. Physicists faced the task of inventing a scientific ontological basis for their science (they used to open it in sensual images that depict the macrocosm). In response to this need, new images are emerging that are used in modern science. All this leads to the idea that the objectification of scientific knowledge into a visual-shaped form is perhaps the main epistemological function of the scientific picture of the world.

At picture 2 we can see basic loop of hermeneutic system.

Picture 2. Hermeneutic loop

We believe that the images used in scientific research and pedagogical activity are needed to give the theoretical models an objective interpretation. And this interpretation can be characterized as a semantic interpretation. In this case, these phenomena should be considered as a necessary component of the language of science, if, of course, this language is regarded as the unity of the sign and its meaning.

In pedagogy, various ways of using imaginative representations for teaching and upbringing are known. One of the most common of these is the use of the example as a kind of carrier of scientific knowledge. The relevance of the expression of knowledge with the use of examples increases with increasing abstractness, abstractness of the material being studied. «The more abstract the initial generalization, the more specific it requires its full assimilation. The concretization itself is carried out in the process of applying the concept, when solving problems for summing up individual facts or when the students disclose general provisions on a specific material». [2; 26].

As pedagogical experience shows, the effectiveness of mastering a material is enhanced if the students ontologize conceptual schemes with their own examples. Diesterweg F.V. noted that «the creation of visual representations on the basis of all that has been thought over» indicates a greater maturity of the student. [3; 368]. We can see at picture 3 the scheme of hermeneutical circle, that pedagogics could use.

Picture 3.The hermeneutical circle

Long-term observations of the author in the field of higher education lead to the conclusion that students who use their own examples while working on the lessons achieve the best results in their studies and research activities.

A variation of the explanation of scientific knowledge with the help of an example is the use by the teacher of practical situations specially selected for studying the topic.

In this case, the learner, as it were, is placed in a situation, which, using the theoretical knowledge obtained, must evaluate and make the necessary decision. The Bashkir Agrarian University has created a number of textbooks that describe specific situations from the field of veterinary medicine, agronomy, and the economy of agricultural production. The didactic value of such benefits lies in the fact that they reflect the real situations often encountered by agricultural workers.

The meaning of using such a material is to develop a student’s ability to interpret a complex situation in detail by using the language of veterinary medicine, agronomy, economic theory, etc. From the point of view of the question under consideration, we are talking here about the ability to project a certain theoretical model into a situation given in a sensual form. After this procedure, the empirical material systematized with the help of a theoretical model acquires the property of a certain sample, which can be used to explain the corresponding topic as an example.

Identical examples of didactic properties have a parable — a short instructive story, in an allegorical form that conveys to the trainee an important message from the teacher’s point of view. In a number of religious and mystical schools, it is regarded as an important means of educating and educating the adept. So, Sufian teachers prefer a cautionary talk to the parable, which, along with specially created cognitive situations, forms an obligatory part of the apprenticeship training program.

The didactic value of the parable lies in the fact that it allows, with the help of well-known recipient images, to transmit to it a certain heuristic scheme that can be extrapolated to new areas of knowledge. In essence, we are talking about the transfer of meaning through a structural analogy.

But unlike intrascientific analogies, the parable allows us to communicate not only scientific, but general cultural knowledge. At picture 4 we can see stages of a hermeneutical analysis, broken by common criteria.

Picture 4. Hermeneutics stages

Often in order to convey the meaning of the theoretical situation to the trainees, the teacher uses metaphorical images. Thus, understanding, ultimately, is the ability to express the essence of a stranger through the familiar. If this is so, then the following problem arises, which is well known in the theory of justification: where is the limit that is familiar to all participants in a particular learning situation? It turns out that it must be sought in the ordinary-practical sphere of consciousness, where most of the knowledge is fixed in a figurative form. It is the images that are least affected by the characteristics of national or other languages ​​and experience the specific cultural, racial and ethnic qualities of its bearers. As noted by VP Zinchenko and AI Nazarov, «the image is still an unsurpassed form of knowledge representation». [7;135].

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