The study is devoted to the theoretical and empirical examination of an important problem related to the need to resolve existing contradictions in higher education between the difficulties experienced by teachers in mastering their professional activity—particularly at the initial stages (adaptation to new conditions, institutional specificity, and professional development)—and the lack of psychodiagnostic methods, psychodidactic technologies, and tools available to university psychologists that are necessary for fostering the professional self-position of teachers of socionomic professions at higher education institutions.
The dissertation analyzes the current state of research on the stated problem and demonstrates that the timely mastery of the specific features of pedagogical activity, the structural and content-related components of subject–subject interaction, the realization of the teacher’s personal resources, engagement in pedagogical interaction, and the development of personal qualities constitute essential conditions for addressing the tasks of strengthening the professional self-position of teachers of socionomic professions at higher education institutions. These include the ability to regulate one’s emotions, feelings, and behavior; to organize one’s goals, needs, and motives; to develop self-reflection, self-esteem, and self-acceptance; and to form rules, principles, and values for establishing professional relationships.
The effective functioning of the complex of components of the professional self-position of teachers contributes to more efficient planning of actions, management of personal resources, and decision-making. At the same time, other components—such as self-actualization, interpersonal sensitivity, responsibility, internal professional position, and professional initiative—require targeted intervention to ensure their timely development. At present, however, there is a lack of comprehensive studies addressing the application of a developmental training program based on the integrated use of mini-lectures, exercises, techniques, methods, and technologies of various orientations as an effective means of developing the professional self-position of teachers of socionomic professions at higher education institutions, as well as transforming this process into psychological readiness for the challenges of pedagogical activity, the formation of professionally significant qualities, and the clarification of professional motives.
Pedagogical activity is aimed not only at improving professional training but, above all, at shaping the young individual, including their value-motivational sphere and socio-political outlook, and plays a crucial role in the existence, development, and spiritual renewal of Ukrainian society. These issues have been addressed by contemporary Ukrainian scholars, including L. Dobrovolska, A. Linenko, S. Maksymenko, T. Shcherban, and Y. Yurkivsky. Based on the accumulated theoretical and empirical research on these issues, it has been established that the success of teachers’ professional activity is influenced by factors such as individual psychological characteristics, the nature of personal and professional orientation, and well-defined professional position of the teacher.
The synthesis and generalization of accumulated scientific knowledge on the studied problem have revealed ambiguity in the understanding of the professional self-position of teachers as a subject of psychological inquiry. Within both domestic and international psychological research, this phenomenon lacks a universally accepted definition and is interpreted in various ways, including pedagogical activity as a type of profession, a problem of pedagogical interaction within the educational process, features of teacher personality development, the individual’s self-concept, professional self-concept, professional position, characteristics of teacher training, the teacher’s professional and personal qualities as the basis of their professional competence, and the role of the teacher in students’ personality development.
A comprehensive analysis of the professional self-position of teachers has shown that scholars conceptualize it as a system of motivational-value, emotional-evaluative, and cognitive attitudes toward professional activity and the world. This system includes the individual’s social position, which stimulates activity in both social and professional spheres; reflects a subjective system of relationships, value orientations, theoretical and methodological knowledge, and a reflective approach to pedagogical activity, as well as the level of self-development and self-realization of the specialist, and is determined by their knowledge and skills. It integrates both individual and professional qualities and is characterized by an orientation toward continuous professional development and self-improvement.
