The article presents a theoretical and methodological analysis of modern educational paradigms and presents axiological vectors of higher education development. The authors identify four basic educational paradigms: cognitive informational, personal (humanistic), competence based and cultural (humanitarian). It has been found that, unlike instrument-oriented learning, which provides the translation, reproduction and assimilation of knowledge, skills, technologies (cognitive informational and competence paradigms) and therefore is secondary to the processes of personality development, education should firstly be focused on development of a holistic personality, ensuring its nature and uniqueness (personal and cultural paradigms). It has been proven that at the theoretical level there has been a drastic narrowing of the semantic field of scientific and pedagogical reflection: the focus is on the production of the amount of knowledge, programmed social behaviour, technologies of activity of the future specialists. It has been shown that higher education institutions are more and more inclined to provide pragmatic education, and training professionals-functionaries. It is determined that the reform of modern education should be based on the idea of integrity, which actualises the problem of careful reflexive and methodological support of the modern higher education system and the development of specific humanitarian educational technologies.

The theoretical and methodological analysis of modern educational paradigms is made in the article and axiological vectors of higher education development are distinguished on this basis. Four basic educational paradigms have been identified: cognitive informational (traditional, cognitive), personal (humanistic), competence and cultural (humanitarian). It has been found that, unlike instrument-oriented learning, which provides the translation, reproduction and assimilation of knowledge, skills, technologies (cognitive informational and competence paradigms) and therefore is secondary to the processes of personality development, education should firstly be focused on becoming holistic personality, ensure his organic and unique (personal and cultural paradigms). It has been substantiated that at the theoretical level there is a sharp narrowing of the semantic field of scientific and pedagogical reflection: attention is paid to the production of the amount of knowledge, given social behavior, technologies of activity of the future specialist. Therefore, education in its humanitarian sense suffers first of all and the quality of education is often reduced to the level of acquisition of special knowledge and mastery of professional skills. It has been shown that higher education institutions are more and more inclined to a pragmatic education, training professionals, and functionaries. In this case, information overload blocks the affective-emotional sphere of the individual, prevents adequate, holistic perception of reality, actualization of creative potential. It is determined that the reform of modern education should be based on the idea of the integrity, which actualizes the problem of careful reflexive and methodological support of the modern higher education system and the development of specific humanitarian educational technologies.