Evgeniya G. Belyakova

In a society of uncertainty, the issue of identifying the personal characteristics of university students that mediate the process of professional self-determination becomes particularly relevant. This knowledge makes it possible to predict the success of this process. The aim of the study is to identify the correlation of professional identity types among first-year students with sense of purpose in life, academic motivation, and professional experience. The theoretical basis of the study was the concept of personal potential by D.A. Leontiev, the provisions of the self-determination theory by E. Deci and R. Ryan, theories of meaning, based on which an assumption was formed about the structure of personal predictors of university students’ professional self-determination. The study resulted in identification of the connection between the status of professional identity and indicators of the sense of purpose in life, the nature of academic motivation and the professional experience among first-year students. A moderate positive relationship was found between indicators of professional identity status and the sense of purpose in life on the scales: «General sense of purpose in life», «Goals in life», «Life process», «Life outcome», «Locus of control – Self», «Locus of control – Life». A moderate positive relationship was found between indicators of professional identity status and internal motivation, as well as a moderate negative relationship between indicators of professional identity status and amotivation. Respondents with the “achieved” status of professional identity have the highest indicators of the sense of purpose in life and internal motivation, they have a plan for their own professional career and experience of professional training or activity, they are already working or are going to work in their chosen field of training and do not intend to change the area of training as compared with holders of other professional identity statuses. The theoretical significance of the study lies in clarifying ideas about the patterns and factors of professional self-determination of university students. In a practical aspect, the results of the study will make it possible to predict the results of professional self-determination and will be useful for individualizing the support of professional self-determination of first-year students at a university.

Under the conditions of multilevel pedagogical education, the relevance of students' professional self-determination significantly increases. The initial stage of professional self-determination is an orientation in the values and meanings of the teaching profession. The article reveals the approach to the problem of the development of axiological bases of pedagogical activity among students, and presents its methodological support. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the methodology for the development of humanitarian meanings of the pedagogical activity of students-teachers by means of working with texts. The methodological basis of the research is represented by the concepts of the theory of meaning, pedagogical hermeneutics, and the original concept of semantic mechanisms of professional self-determination. Research methods included experimental work, qualitative analysis of «counter texts» and reflexive essays. The research work allowed us to determine the mechanism for the development of axiological foundations of pedagogical activity among students through the understanding and interpretation of multi-genre texts with pedagogical content and the creation of «counter texts». The condition for the productive work with texts was revealed: a multi-angle dialogue, during which the meanings of the text were compared with the historical context and modern realities, the actualization and enrichment of students' personal sense experience took place. The method of development of humanitarian meanings of pedagogical activity among students-teachers is presented. The method includes successive stages of the selection of texts, understanding their content, presenting their own understanding in the context of open dialogue, reflection on changes in their own perception of values, goals, methods of the teacher, and changes in the individual experience of professional identity. The article presents the positive results of the proposed method testing in the experimental work. Based on a qualitative analysis of «counter texts» and reflexive essays, the authors revealed positive dynamics in the content of students' pedagogical meanings, their understanding of pedagogical activity and their own professional development. Quantitative processing using content analysis and ranking method confirms these data. The theoretical significance of the research lies in the development of the meaning approach to the problem of professional self-determination in the context of university training of teachers. The ways of integrating the semantic mechanisms of professional self-determination in the educational process of the university proposed. The practical significance of the study is connected with the development of recommendations for improving career guidance of university practices in teacher education, and identifying ways to implement them in educational and extracurricular work with students.