Abstract

Teaching philosophy at schools appears problematic, because there is noticeable discrepancy between philosophy as a discipline and reflexive awareness of its specificity. Implementation of philosophy as a discipline involves consistent solution of issues on both theoretical-methodological and methodological-practical levels. Achieving these goals requires methodological support, which is adequate to peculiarities of perception and thinking style of modern students. Therefore, a need to improve the ways and means of visualization of scientific concepts acquires extra relevance. One of these new pedagogical techniques is the use of "mental maps". Creating a mental map is a didactic technique that, on the one hand, leaves room for self-realization and free thinking of a student, but on the other hand, it directs them to the right direction and gives them some guidance. Mental map for any philosophical theme can be a special kind of individual work that requires processing and interpreting of large amount of information with specific training and educational purposes, as it involves regulation of information through charts, symbols, tables ; development of creative abilities of students ; creative, imaginative informing the audience about main ideas, issues of a stated philosophical topic. Use of mental maps as a didactic technique in teaching philosophy is a part of the problem approach, which highlights psychological and didactic aspects. The positive side of a mental map as a form of learning is not only the development of the students' ability to choose the desired material and its competent presentation, but in the future, this is students ability to formulate their own vision of the issue, its understanding, so the conditions are formed not only for informative content disclosure of a philosophical issue, but for assigning it with a personal, humanistic sense.