DIDACTIC OPPORTUNITIES OF THE AXIOLOGICAL (VALUES-BASED) APPROACH IN DEVELOPING ETHNOCULTURAL COMPETENCE

Abstract

The axiological approach positions values as the core regulator of educational goals, content selection, pedagogical interaction, and assessment. In the context of ethnocultural competence, this approach is especially productive because competent ethnocultural interaction depends not only on cultural knowledge and communication skills but also on ethically grounded orientations such as respect for human dignity, recognition of cultural plurality, and responsibility in representing others. This thesis provides a conceptual analysis of the didactic opportunities of a values-based approach for higher education. It argues that axiological design makes ethnocultural competence teachable and assessable by linking students’ identity reflection and moral reasoning with observable dialogic behavior in culturally sensitive situations. The paper proposes a coherent instructional logic in which value internalization is supported by meaning-making tasks, dialogic learning, case-based moral dilemmas, and reflective assessment practices. The analysis shows that the axiological approach can prevent two typical distortions in ethnocultural education: reducing competence to folklore knowledge and reducing tolerance to declarative slogans. Didactic implications include curriculum mapping of value outcomes, creating psychologically safe learning environments for identity exploration, and building formative assessment systems that evaluate not only correctness but ethical justification and communicative appropriateness.