Teaching philosophy in schools: international experience, problems and prospects in Ukraine

Abstract

Relevance. The problem of teaching philosophy at school as a condition for the formation of autonomous thinking in the context of the transformation of the modern educational space, which is characterized by the strengthening of the role of competency models, the standardization of education and the growing complexity of the socio-cultural environment, is analyzed. In this context, a contradiction emerges between the declared goals of developing critical thinking, the ability for reasoned judgment, and responsible participation in public life, and the limited possibilities for their realization in educational practice. The purpose of the article is to provide a philosophical and educational analysis of the possibilities and limitations of integrating philosophy into school education through the examination of international experience and the identification of structural and methodological constraints of its implementation in the Ukrainian context. The research methodology is based on a combination of hermeneutic, comparative, and conceptual approaches, which makes it possible to interpret the philosophical foundations of education, analyze international educational practices, and identify the specific features of their adaptation within the Ukrainian educational system. The scientific novelty lies in substantiating the teaching of philosophy not merely as an academic discipline, but as a principle of organizing the educational process in which thinking becomes the central outcome of education, as well as in identifying the contradiction between the goals of developing critical thinking and the lack of appropriate institutional and pedagogical conditions for their realization. Conclusion. In the Ukrainian educational context there is a gap between the goals of developing thinking and the institutional conditions for their implementation, which limits the formation of the ability for judgment as a key educational outcome. The prospects for the development of philosophy in school education are associated with the establishment of dialogical forms of learning, the implementation of inquiry-based approaches, the strengthening of the role of the humanities, and the reconsideration of education as a space for forming the capacity for judgment, responsibility, and participation in the shared world.