Research Of Personal Values In The Structure Of Conciousness Of Student Youth

Abstract

In accordance with the theoretical model of consciousness, formulated in the Samara School of Psychology, the features of the professional consciousness of students of higher and vocational education are considered. A comparative analysis of the professional consciousness and personal values ​​of students of higher and secondary specialized educational institutions is carried out. The content and scope of ideas about goals, difficulties, and plans for self-improvement in professional activities, as well as personal values ​​of students are compared. The structural similarity of ideas is empirically confirmed with quantitative differences corresponding to the training profile. The research results indicate the differences in the system of personal values ​​in the structure of students' consciousness. The difference in indicators is due to age characteristics, the period of study, the specifics of the specialty, and the components of professionalization. Comparison of the results of the study of the educational and professional consciousness of students of higher and secondary specialized educational institutions also allows us to talk about their differences due to a variety of socio-psychological factors: the organization of the educational process, the qualifications of teachers, and the specificity of the direction of study. The insignificance of the instauration factor (creative, constructive actualization and self-realization) is stated in both surveyed samples.

Keywords: Consciousness, personal values, educational and professional consciousness, student youth

Introduction

Unstable connections between social processes, as well as constant changes in public consciousness, provoke the need for well-timed psychological diagnostics of various social groups.

Some researchers assert that the process of changing consciousness and personal values, in particular, of a modern person after various historical, economic and social changes in the country has already been completed. Other scholars believe that these processes are still taking place in society. However, both views on the situation confirm the need for modern scientific research in the field of the psychology of consciousness and personal values (Ivanov & Kasaeva, 2020).

From the point of view of developmental psychology, the most noticeable changes in the system of values ​​and the structure of consciousness occur at the stage of adolescence. This age stage includes two periods: middle adolescence (15-18 y.o.) and late adolescence (18-23 y.o.). In the period of late adolescence, a number of changes in the structure of the personality take place, which are influenced by various social factors (adulthood, criminal responsibility, romantic and family experience, an increase in the spheres of personal responsibility, independence, change or acquisition of new social roles, etc.). In other words, the period of adolescence is a transitional period from childhood to adulthood; leading activities, in most cases, educational and professional (obtaining secondary or higher professional education), i.e. transitional stage from education to profession. According to Zimnyaya (1997) studentship is the central period in the formation of personality, the time of the formation of values, attitudes, etc. The main factor in this formation is the learning process itself, in particular the personality of the teacher. Within the framework of the federal state educational standard, each educational class should carry out developmental, educational and upbringing tasks, however, these tasks are most clearly and directionally implemented in the classes of the humanities.

Problem Statement

In connection with the above, the sample of this experimental study was made by students of the pedagogical field of study. The research was carried out on the basis of the Samara State Social Pedagogical University and the Samara Musical College named after D.G. Shatalov. In the course of the study, the factors influencing the formation of students' consciousness, as well as the peculiarities of their personal attitude to the process of learning and professional development, were identified.

Research Questions

The research had the following tasks:

- to analyze the system of personal values ​​of students of the Samara State Social and Pedagogical University and students of the Samara Musical College named after D.G. Shatalov;

- to reveal differences and convergence in the system of students' personal values;

- to reveal the peculiarities in the system of personal values ​​by the method of comparison of results by age and directions of study;

- to make an assumption about the reasons for these differences;

- to indicate the state of general results, to note possible patterns in the study of the value system of modern youth;

- to formulate conclusions on the current piece of research.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose is to reveal the features in the system of personal values in the structure of educational and professional consciousness of student youth by age and areas of study;

Research Methods

The methodological apparatus is presented by the questionnaire "Students about vocational training" by Akopov (2000) and the “Test of personal values” by A.V. Kaptsov and L.V. Karpushina. In order to identify the significance of the difference in the indicators of the samples, the Fisher’s test was applied. The methodology "Test of personal values" by Kaptsov and Karpushina (2010) suggests the possibility of analyzing values in 5 areas of activity, however, at the current stage the research is focused on the areas of "Education" and "Profession".

Findings

Thus, the respondents mark the importance of a harmonious combination of theoretical information and practical skills, knowledge of general educational disciplines and special ones. In addition, the following were named as factors of successful professionalization by students:

• self-in-depth study of modern educational, methodological and scientific literature;
• analysis of the activities of experienced teachers, methodologists, researchers, depending on the specialty, artists, musicians, psychologists;
• level of professionalism of teachers and their ability to implement an individual approach;
• psychological factors (motivation for educational and professional activities, perseverance, laziness, a comfortable atmosphere in the team);
• features of the material and technical equipment of the educational institution.

The most significant differences are concentrated in the area of ​​assessing their professional skills in terms of their practical application. Students of Samara State Social and Pedagogical University feel confident in their pedagogical activity; however, they have some fears from the position of their specialty. Thus, students of the Faculty of Psychology and Special Education notice a lack of experience in participating and conducting trainings, consultations, and therefore feel uncertainty, fear of professional mistakes, and the inability to establish contact with a client. The opposite situation is observed among the students of the Samara Musical College named after D.G. Shatalov: they feel like professional musicians, vocalists, but not teachers (fear of children, inability to establish contact with students, to implement an individual approach, to teach, etc.). In addition, 52 per cent of all respondents noticed their own communicative incompetence. The general results of the research are positive: the majority of students estimates the learning process as “good”; the changes that have taken place in the attitude to their profession are related to the better (“it has become more interesting”, “the profession seems more serious”, etc.); notice the possession of the necessary professional qualities and personal values; 62 per cent of the university respondents and 81 per cent of the colleges plan to work in their specialty after graduation.

Students of Samara State Social and Pedagogical University of the Faculty of History and Philology and the Faculty of Psychology and Special Education took part in the study of personal values. The hypothesis about the difference in indicators depending on the direction of study and the course of study of students was confirmed. The lowest results in the field of "Education" were found among students of the Faculty of Psychology and Special Education. Among the influencing factors, general cultural level and experience of reading, as well as specific professional characteristics, were noted. So, future teachers of the Russian language and literature need to carry out educational tasks within the framework of class and extracurricular activities, to form moral and ethical qualities, values, the means are the ability to empathize with the heroes of works, to show empathy. For psychologists, a strong manifestation of empathy is connected with professional burnout.

The difference in indicators of the value of "material well-being" in the spheres "Education" and "Profession" is insignificant. This fact is due to the change and acquisition of new social roles, the emergence of new responsibilities and needs (leaving parental care, a common life in marital relations, children’s birth, etc.). Educational and professional activities are the main ones at the stage of adolescence, in this regard; it is quite natural to desire material reward. In addition, it is the profession that is the main means of self-sufficiency.

The personal values ​​of students of the Faculty of Psychology and Special Education are lower than those of students of the Faculty of History and Philology. The maximum gap on the scale reaches 1.39, which is a difference of 43 per cent. Differences in the values ​​of the respondents of the Faculty of Philology and History are no more than 17 per cent; in many cases, the difference tends to 0. Among the factors influencing the level of students' personal values, literary and reading experience was noted. The specificity of philological and historical education presupposes an enormous baggage of literary and historical knowledge. Classic literature teaches quite clearly to draw the line between good and evil, methods of analyzing literature, history and methods of teaching them in many respects oblige students to make attempts to search for truth, to have a clear opinion on a particular situation, personality, character. Some pedantry in such matters gives rise to a more demanding attitude towards oneself, the desire not to yield to "standards" (Chernyshova & Yarygina, 2019).

Students of the Faculty of Psychology and Special Education are largely focused on scientific literature and life situations, the specificity of their activities do not imply a moral assessment of the client. Working with the human psyche, they are obliged to maintain a sober, unbiased view of the situation. Moreover, many psychologists recommend that practicing psychologists not show strong empathy to their patients in order to avoid professional burnout. In a fictional world or a world in many ways impossible to 100 per cent proof of facts, it is easier to raise the “level”. Psychologists work with real people, with a real situation; therefore they manifest caution and try to protect themselves from radical assessments. In this regard, the value system of historians and philologists is higher.

The value of "preserving individuality" (3.927) in "Profession" is higher among students of the philological faculty.

Sobol and Plotnikova (2013) characterize individuality as the dissimilarity of one person from another, we can even talk about his uniqueness, namely, a unique set of mental qualities and personal properties, singularity in a way, which will certainly affect both his behavior and his life activity in in general, including the professional one. (p. 301)

The formation and development of individuality take place throughout life, but education has particular importance in this process. Specialists with a developed personality will be able to self-actualize, continue their self-development and self-education. In this regard, it is necessary to pay attention not only to obtaining education within the walls of an educational institution, but also to the formation of readiness for its further improvement in the course of professional activity (Pazukhina, 2007). Also, the students of the Faculty of Philology have 0.924 higher value of “creativity” than the respondents from the Faculty of History and 0.785 - from the Faculty of Psychology and Special Education. According to the researchers, creativity is a distinctive feature of the teaching profession, the development of which involves the improvement of a set of key abilities for creative self-realization of the individual.

The value of "self-development" as a process of self-building of one's own personality by a person, the acquisition, approval and actualization of qualities and characteristics that he did not have before, is manifested most of all among the students of the Faculty of History (4.808) than the respondents of the Faculty of Philology (3.976) and the Faculty of Psychology and special education (3.97). Indicators of the levels of other values ​​(achievement, relationships) do not have significant differences. Comparison of the results of testing the personal values ​​of 1st and 3rd year students in the field of "Profession" allows us to talk about the following. The value of "Preserving individuality" is practically at the same level among students of both 1st and 3rd year (0.3 per cent). However, all other values ​​are more developed among 3rd year students: “Material well-being” – by 11 per cent (0.376), which is natural. The age of 3rd year students is accompanied by important social and psychological processes, including the beginning of professional activity, the creation of a family, the development of greater responsibility for their lives and the lives of loved ones. Professional activity is the main way of the individual's material self-sufficiency; therefore the considered value has a greater indicator (Kaptsov, 2017; Kaptsov & Karpushina, 2010; Karpushina, 2003).

The value "Achievement" is 5 per cent more developed (0.204). It is to some extent interconnected with the value of "Material well-being", because professional achievements directly affect salaries, the position and social status of an individual. In addition, it’s necessary to note the stimulating nature of achievements in general. Man, as a biosocial being, needs to evaluate himself and his activities; especially in moments of psychological instability, it is important for an individual to know that he is doing everything right and is rewarded for it (Yarushkin & Bezumova, 2010). However, the lack of work experience strongly affects the opportunities to take a well-paying and / or managerial position, high social status. After graduation, it is important to preserve the skill of learning and self-study, general and specifically directed self-development, the desire for it. So, among the 3rd year students the value of “Self-development” is 12 per cent more developed (0.423). Assistance in self-development and the profession is the ability to implement activities in a creative form, which also affects the general microclimate of the team and the productivity of the activity. In this regard, the value of "Creativity" of 11 per cent prevails among 3rd year students (0.501).

It was revealed that the factor affecting the system of personal values ​​is the age period and the year / course of study. Freshmen are representatives of the period of middle adolescence, "yesterday's schoolchildren", who upon arrival at the university are at the stage of adaptation and familiarization with the profession. 3rd year students (diagnostics was carried out at the end of the academic year) are "tomorrow" graduates. For most of them, the period of formation of personal values, beliefs, and views is left behind. Surely, their development and / or changes will take place in the future, but in a different age period. At present, the most important events are the obtaining a diploma with the assigned specialty and the beginning of an independent professional activity. It is quite natural striving for self-realization, the implementation of the accumulated experience, knowledge, skills, and the desire to see the realization of all efforts to acquire professional skills for 4 years. In the field of activity "Education", according to the indicators of most scales, the levels of personal values are higher among third-year students: 32 per cent - "Prestige" (0.855), which is probably due to the importance of the prestige of education when applying for a job. Moreover, the prestige of education influences the social status of an individual.

The value of “Material well-being” is 14 per cent higher (0.51). We have already written about the factors affecting the development of this value among senior students. We will only add that the learning process is the main activity of students, so it is quite natural their aspiration to material benefits precisely in the area where the individual spends a lot of energy, time, etc. "Relationships" are valued more by senior students – by 9 per cent (0.307). By the 3rd year, a group of students becomes a full-fledged group with an established system of relations; many of them find friends within the walls of the university. Freshmen are still going through the process of adaptation, recognizing the system of relations in the university, in a new group, hence the difference in the value scales.

Thus, the results of the study indicate differences in the system of personal values ​​in the structure of students' consciousness. The difference in indicators is due to age characteristics, the period of study, the specificity of the received specialty, components of professionalization. Comparison of the results of the study of the educational and professional consciousness of students of higher and secondary specialized educational institutions also allows us to talk about their differences due to a variety of socio-psychological factors: the organization of the educational process, the qualifications of teachers, the specifics of the direction of study, etc.

Conclusion

Factors affecting the formation of educational and professional consciousness are organization of educational and upbringing work of the organization; the level of professionalism of teachers; self-development in the field of professional knowledge and skills; psychological factors of the educational environment (individual and social), etc.

The level of students' personal values depends on the direction of professional training of students, age period and year of study, change and acquisition of new social roles.

Acknowledgments

The reported study was funded by RFBR and EISR according to the research project № 21-011-31545.

References

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