EMPATHY AND REFLECTION AS COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE OF FUTURE SPECIALISTS IN PHYSICAL CULTURE AND SPORTS

Abstract

The article is devoted to examining the psychological mechanisms underlying the formation of communicative competence in future professionals in the field of physical education and sports. It highlights that the effectiveness of a coach’s and a physical education teacher’s professional activity is directly linked to their ability to establish rapport, motivate athletes, resolve conflicts, and create a positive team climate.

The paper analyzes theoretical approaches of Ukrainian and international scholars regarding the essence of empathy and reflection as fundamental components of professional expertise. A review of relevant literature made it possible to define empathy as a multidimensional construct that includes cognitive and affective components, and reflection as a mechanism of self-regulation and professional self-improvement. The author emphasizes that the specific nature of the sports environment – characterized by high dynamics and frequent stressful situations – requires specialists to possess well-developed perspective-taking abilities and the capacity for deep self-analysis. The article presents an empirical study aimed at determining the levels of empathy and reflection development among students majoring in “Physical Education and Sports” and “Secondary Education (Physical Education),” as well as establishing their correlation with indicators of communicative competence. The sample consisted of higher education students at the bachelor’s and master’s levels. For assessment, validated psychometric instruments were used, including the Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale (ICCS), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS).

The results of the study indicate that most respondents demonstrate an average level of the investigated traits: communicative competence – 70%, empathy – 65%, and reflection – 60%. A high level was observed in only one-fifth of the students. The article substantiates the statistical relationships among the variables under study. Spearman’s correlation analysis confirmed the research hypothesis, revealing a strong positive relationship between empathy and communicative competence (+0.65), as well as a significant relationship between reflection and communicative competence (+0.52). Of particular importance was the cognitive component of empathy (“perspective-taking”), which proved to be a strong predictor of the ability to interact effectively. It was also found that although students are inclined toward self-reflection, this does not always lead to insight (a deep understanding of underlying causes).

Based on the obtained data, the article proposes several ways to improve the professional training of future specialists. The necessity of integrating specialized empathy-development trainings (particularly focused on perspective-taking skills), implementing reflective practices (such as journals and supervision), and applying active socio-psychological learning methods in the educational process is emphasized. The practical significance of the study lies in formulating recommendations aimed at strengthening the psychological component of educational programs to enhance the quality of future coaching and teaching activities