Experimental Verification of the Effectiveness of Pedagogical Conditions and a Structural-Functional Model Based on a Learner-Centered Approach

Abstract

Abstract: The article presents the results of an experimental study on the formation of communication abilities among students of professional medical colleges within an authorial structural-functional model grounded in a learner-centered approach. The content, structure, and functions of communication abilities in future nurses are specified; components (motivational-value, cognitive-content, operational-activity, reflective-evaluative), as well as criteria and indicators of formation levels, are defined. The methodological basis comprises principles of subject-to-subject interaction, the contextualization of professional training, and the integration of classroom and clinical-simulation practices. The design of the pedagogical experiment (2022–2025) is described: a sample of 142 students from three medical colleges, assignment to control and experimental groups, stages (ascertaining, formative, summarizing), diagnostic tools (questionnaires, tests, surveys, expert assessments), and statistical procedures. The model’s pedagogical conditions combine individualized learning trajectories, communication and empathy trainings, role-playing and business games, reflective-evaluative practices, and targeted use of ICT to model professional situations. The results indicate positive dynamics across all components in the experimental groups: the share of students with high and sufficient levels increases, while the share with medium and low levels decreases; gains are observed in linguistic clarity, communicative self-regulation, interprofessional interaction skills, and clinical-ethical sensitivity. The effectiveness of the model in integrating soft skills into professional training, aligned with current medical practice requirements, is demonstrated. Scientific novelty lies in the holistic linkage of the model’s structural-functional logic with criterion-level assessment and verification across varied educational contexts. Practical significance involves the possibility of scaling the model within the network of professional medical colleges, adapting it to curricula, and swiftly configuring it to an institution’s resource conditions. Study limitations are linked to sample unevenness and external factors of wartime; directions for further research include long-term tracking of the model’s impact on clinical practice outcomes. Keywords: communication abilities; soft skills; learner-centered approach; professional medical colleges; pedagogical experiment.