THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES AS ONE OF THE WAYS TO THE CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL GROWTH OF TEACHERS

It is analyzed in the article the essence of such categories as «competence approach», «competence», «professional competence» in academic literature as a content component of the paradigm of continuous education. It is determined the relevance of the competence approach as one of the conditions for the continuous professional growth of the teacher in the process of modernization of the educational system.

The relevance of the competence approach we explain by the requirements to resolve the contradictions that arise between the conservative principles of the traditional system for the professional development and the necessity to continuously update the knowledge and skills of the teachers` competences. Its significant advantage is the stimulation of the growth of humanistic and democratic principles in the educational process. Nowadays, the competence approach underpins the process of teacher training, aimed at acquiring new and improving existing competences (knowledge, skills). One of the fundamental characteristics of a teacher's professionalism is his/her professional competence.

The purpose of the article is to analyze the categories «competence approach», «competence», and «professional competence» in the academic literature; the clarification of the substantive component in the professional competence as one of the ways of continuous teachers` professional growth.

The methodological bases of the article are philosophical, psychological, pedagogical theories and propositions that reveal the conceptual approaches to the researched problems.

Academic novelty is to reveal the essence of the process of professional competence development as a component of continuous teachers` professional growth.

Conclusion. Nowadays, the competence approach becomes the basis for the ideas of continuous pedagogical education. Integrity and dynamics describe the process of teachers` professional competence development. For each particular teacher, the components of professional competence evolve unequally throughout a professional activity.