Research competence of students in history: a comparative analysis of domestic and foreign approaches to its essence and development

Abstract

The article presents a comparative analysis of domestic and foreign approaches to defining the essence and methods of developing students’ research competence in history education. The relevance of the study is determined by the shift toward a competence-based educational paradigm and the growing importance of critical thinking in the modern information environment. The aim of the study is to identify common trends and differences in scientific approaches and to substantiate the possibilities of their integration into Ukrainian educational practice.
The research is theoretical in nature and is based on a comparative analysis of academic sources. The methods include analysis, synthesis, systematization, and comparison.
The findings indicate that domestic approaches interpret research competence as an integrative personal quality, whereas foreign approaches consider it as a process and a mode of historical thinking associated with evidence-based reasoning and knowledge construction. Common trends (activity-based learning, staged development, the role of reflection) and key differences in methodology, instructional design, and assessment have been identified.
The study substantiates the need to combine structured learning organization with student autonomy, implement formative assessment, strengthen metacognitive components, and apply inquiry based learning models.