Psychological Content of Facilitative Interaction

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to define the main characteristics of the facilitative interaction, to show the socio-genetic mechanism of facilitation, the mechanism of cultural transmission, to provide the principles of facilitative interaction in the process of interpersonal communication, to present facilitation as a phenomenon of interpersonal communication, which greatly enhances the productivity of education or upbringing of the subjects of the educational process due to their harmonious, democratic style of communication and tolerant, empathetic qualities of the teacher’s personality.

The following theoretical methods of the research were used to solve the tasks formulated in the article: a categorical method, structural and functional methods, the methods of the analysis, systematization, modeling, generalization.

The results of the research. We proved that facilitation is a phenomenon of interpersonal communication, which greatly enhances the productivity of education or upbringing of the subjects of the educational process due to their harmonious, democratic style of communication and tolerant, empathetic qualities of the teacher’s personality. Facilitative communication generates the most positive motives, and such learning motives, in turn, create positive preconditions not only for the student to take a certain conscious position («And I can» or «And I will do this»), but also for harmonious cognitive activity in order to acquire new knowledge, skills, abilities, due to which he/she develops a desire to learn. Facilitating teachers are supposed «to provoke» the independence and to create the conditions for responsible freedom of students. These points must be taken into account when teachers draw up curricula and programs, and when formulating learning objectives, and when evaluating the results of educational activity. All this factors will create the most favorable conditions for independent and meaningful learning of students, activating their cognitive motives, stimulating curiosity, which, above all, will actualize the manifestations of solidarity and cooperation, interaction and mutual assistance in the educational process. All this, in turn, facilitates a high level of cognitive functioning, the whole educational paradigm.

We think that the reform of the educational system should be based on the restructuring of stable personal attitudes of the teacher, which are explained in the processes of his/her interpersonal interaction with students. We identify three main guidelines of the teacher-facilitator. The first is «truth» and «openness»; the second setting is described in terms of «acceptance» and «trust»; and finally, the third attitude correlates positively with «empathic understanding».

Thus, it is possible to identify certain components of facilitation, which create a microclimate in the team that will ensure personal growth and development. The first component of facilitation is authenticity, «naturalness», sincerity of personality. Another components of facilitation are congruence and empathic understanding. Thus, facilitative interaction is a very specific, active type of transition of behavioral patterns into stable semantic structures that provide a change in the personality of both the student and the teacher.

Conclusions. The main factors of the facilitative approach are, firstly, the inner nature (or essence) of a man which is exclusively positive, constructive, moral and social, and secondly, this nature begins to explain itself every time in the relationships of the individual with another person (or other people). In such a way there is an atmosphere of unconditional positive acceptance, empathic understanding and congruent self-presentation.

Thus, the facilitative approach emphasizes that a person contains considerable resources for self-knowledge, change of self-concept, purposeful behavior, and complete mastery of these resources, which is possible only if the social group creates a positive microclimate that facilitates the formation of psychological attitudes.