Abstract: This article discusses the problematic of pedagogical competencies. The author underlines a current demand for studying the key pedagogical competencies due to the transformation of education system and requirements imposed on the pedagogues. The domestic psychological traditions of studying pedagogical competencies are well-known (B. M. Teplov, F. N. Gonobolin, V. A. Krutetsky, N. V. Kuzmina, A. K. Markova, L. M. Mitina, etc.), but currently the Russian and foreign scientific approaches, as well as educational systems converge and its successful implementation requires universal pedagogical activity, skills, and competencies. The focus of foreign research include consideration of the main requirements to a pedagogue and basic pedagogical competencies, with emphasis on such qualities and competencies that pertain not to implementation of pedagogical activity, but rather maintenance and stimulation of effectiveness of the process and performance. Such competencies include pedagogical creativity, reflection, and metacognitive skills. The author also covers the question of the development of own skills by the pedagogue. The conclusion is made that the modern pedagogical reality not substantive competencies and skills, but rather systemic that would control and manage the pedagogical process itself.

Abstract: The authors refer to the history of prerevolutionary psychology in Russia. The national prerevolutionary philosophical psychology is viewed as a special discipline of psychological science at the turn of the XIX – XX centuries. The article underlines the existence of problem of terminological designation, as well as substantive understanding of psychological ideas of this direction in history of Russian psychology. The authors define philosophical psychology as a broad independent discipline within the national psychological science of the late XIX – early XX centuries, in the context of which develop the ideas of substantiality of soul, irreducible only to the matter and manifesting in various aspects (spiritual, emotional, material, physiological), possessing the qualities of free will and self-comprehension. This theoretical research sets a goal to determine and analyze the concept of Russian philosophical psychology at the turn of the XIX – XX centuries. Leaning on the ideas of S. S. Gogotsky, V. A. Snegirev, S. N. Trubetskoy, S. L. Frank, G. I. Chelpanov, G. G. Shpet and P. D. Yurkevich, the authors highlight the key provisions of the national prerevolutionary philosophical psychology as an integral approach towards studying human soul: 1) it views soul as a substance, a special dimension of being that cannot be reduced only to the content of consciousness, processes, functions or particular emotional phenomena; 2) it explains the “vitality” of soul, its living flow and constant transformation; 3) it differentiates emotional phenomena from physical, and describes their special characteristics; 4) it defines awareness and rationality as the leading qualities of emotional phenomena; 5) it considers human personality and human “Self” as subject of soul; 6) it is a comprehensive study of soul that includes examination of its different sides (spiritual dimension, emotional dimension (consciousness), physiological responses); it determines self-observation (introspection) as the leading psychological method. The conducted research underlines the relevance of referring to the heritage of philosophical psychology for the history and methodology of psychology, as well as solution of the current scientific, spiritual and practical problems of psychology.