Diagnostics and Factor Analysis of the Development of Systems Thinking of Students in the Direction of “Special (defectological) Education”

The article presents the results of a study aimed at determining the level of development of systemic thinking among students of the specialty “Special (defectological) education”. The study involved students of 2–3 courses studying in the fields of “Oligophrenopedagogy” and “Preschool defectology”. The purpose of the article is to present the results of a study of the level and structural organization of systemic thinking among students of the specialty “Special (defectological) education”, as well as to carry out a meaningful interpretation of the identified relationships. The methodological basis of the study was the psychological and pedagogical works of domestic and foreign scientists (V. V. Rubtsova, V. A. Spivak, D. M. Fisher, U. Ormanci, S. Cepni, P. Senge). B. F. Lomov’s systematic approach was used as the basis for the diagnostic study. In the process of qualitative and quantitative analysis of the results obtained, certain deficits of systemic thinking were identified and described; correlations between the components of systemic thinking were established; data were obtained that can be used in the development of educational programs aimed at developing systemic thinking among students. According to the results of the study, 67% of the sample have an average level of development of systems thinking, which is characterized by the ability to accurately analyze individual components of the system and the presence of persistent difficulties in synthesizing a holistic picture. Students successfully operate systems in familiar or simplified environments, but their thinking lacks the flexibility and depth to independently analyze and design complex, dynamic, and multilevel systems. In conclusion, the need to develop and implement educational tools such as a massive open online course and a set of online classes in the training of future speech pathologists is substantiated. Their purpose is to form and develop the structural components of systems thinking (including a person’s ability to analyze the system as a whole, establish cause–and-effect relationships between elements within the system, create new systems based on identified patterns, predict, assess risks and opportunities).