Gradual expansion and deepening of knowledge, as well as the step-by-step formation of mental actions, create a solid foundation for the development of professional skills, allowing students to move from a basic level of mastering information to actively analyzing and applying it in professional activities.

Foundations of Professional Growth: Incremental Knowledge and Skill De

Gradual expansion and deepening of knowledge, as well as the step-by-step formation of mental actions, create a solid foundation for the development of professional skills, allowing students to move from a basic level of mastering information to actively analyzing and applying it in professional activities. On the one hand, a sequential increase in both the volume and complexity of knowledge contributes not just to mechanical memorization, but also to a constant advancement toward the high professional standards established by specialists who have already mastered this knowledge. This means that each new stage of learning becomes a step toward a deeper understanding of the subject and its creative implementation.

As noted in the source, education under this approach is characterized by a "sequential, element-by-element" transfer of knowledge, skills, and abilities, resulting in an "endless approach to the boundaries of professional knowledge and experience" (source: link txt). At the same time, the technology of step-by-step formation of mental actions, based on the general psychological theory of activity, implements the principle that knowledge and skills are acquired precisely through active engagement. This method enables not only the reproduction of acquired knowledge but also the development of practical, and over time creative, skills essential for professional growth (source: link txt).

Thus, the systematic and sequential organization of the learning process (through the gradual expansion and deepening of knowledge) combined with the step-by-step formation of mental actions provides the foundation for developing professionalism. It makes the educational process focused on the constant acquisition of new information and the refinement of existing skills, which is particularly important in an ever-changing professional world.

Supporting citation(s):
"Education is oriented toward transferring knowledge, skills, and abilities to students and monitoring the quality of outcomes at a reproductive level. This approach is characterized by the gradual, element-by-element expansion and deepening of the initial, nearly negligible amount of professional knowledge and experience. According to I. A. Kolesnikova, the result of such an approach is an endless approximation to the boundaries of professional knowledge and experience, as established and already attained by others, with success measured by the maximum approach to the limits outlined by normative programs. Therefore, this educational model provides only a few students, and only at the final stage, with the possibility of reaching a level of creativity in the professional sphere. A fundamentally different approach to constructing education has been developed on the basis of the general psychological theory of activity. Its main idea is that knowledge, skills, and abilities cannot be learned and retained outside of human activity (P. Y. Galperin, N. F. Talyzina, D. B. Elkonin). This idea has been implemented in the technology of step-by-step formation of mental actions." (source: link txt)

"In the technology of step-by-step formation of mental actions, it is possible to develop not only practical but also creative skills and abilities. Despite all the obvious advantages of this learning system, its application in practice has revealed certain shortcomings..." (source: link txt)