Educational Alternatives, Volume 17, 2019

Abstract: Modern education requires the formation of high professional competence, an integral part of which is scientific thinking. However, universities sometimes fail to develop it. In modern Europe, the slogan of “practically oriented education” is widespread. At the same time, the “theoretically oriented education”, which should shape scientific thinking of future specialists, is underestimated. That is why it will be reduced to “practically oriented thinking”. There is underestimation of fundamental science in solving specific practical problems in non-standard situations of changing circumstances. An integral part of scientific thinking is prognostic, perspective thinking, able to see the variability, multiplicity of possible options, as well as to anticipate the consequences of certain actions. This is especially important in planning, design and management. In the modern world, the simplified interaction between scientific and practical thinking often prevails. This means that the practice is carried out in isolation from the theory or relies on the scientific analysis of only one science (e.g. economics, law). Scientific thinking can be formed when communicating with the scientific community. The closest to the student representatives of the scientific community are their teachers. Taking into account the significance of independent work of students, teachers are an important link in the formation of scientific thinking. The teacher’s scientific language is of the utmost importance. The language of science in the analysis of complex problems should not be simplified. Without of a complex scientific language it is impossible to reveal scientific ideas. The way students think is an element of their professional consciousness, a special quality of the mind, which is formed on the basis of fundamental theoretical knowledge. Scientific thinking enriches the accumulated knowledge, skills, abilities and forms the creative intellect of a specialist.