The dissertation is devoted to the study of the formation of the “professional self-image” in students of aviation specialities. The research includes a scientific and theoretical analysis as well as an empirical investigation of the formation of the
“professional self-image” in students of aviation specialities and the psychological factors that determine its development.
The organizational and methodological principles of conducting the empirical research are presented; the results of the ascertaining and formative experiments are described; psychological factors influencing the level of formation of the “professional self-image” in future aviation specialists are identified; and a programme for the formation of the “professional self-image” in students of aviation specialities is substantiated and tested.
The key concepts of the dissertation research are examined, including “self-image”, “professional self-image”, “competence”, “professional development”, “professional training”, “professional responsibility”, and others.
The concept of the “professional self-image” is defined as a complex reflection of an individual’s personal attitude toward oneself as a professional in the field of aviation, which is relatively dynamic within human consciousness over a prolonged period of time and determines behavioural strategies and self-realization in the professional sphere.
A psychological analysis of the professional activities of aviation specialists (pilots, aviation engineers, air traffic controllers, etc.) was conducted. It has been theoretically established that these activities are highly responsible, risky, and technologically complex, requiring well-developed self-regulation, emotional stability, awareness of one’s professional competencies, adaptability in challenging conditions, and decision-making readiness.
A theoretical analysis of scientific literature and the specifics of the aviation industry allowed us to outline the structural components of the “professional self” image: cognitive, emotional-evaluative, and behavioural, and to identify relevant criteria and indicators:
The cognitive component criterion is self-awareness and personal reflectivity, with indicators including professional self-identification, the “active self,” “reflective self,” “social self,” “communicative self,” general reflectivity, retrospective, situational, and prospective reflection on activities, as well as reflection on communication.
The criterion of the emotional-evaluative component is self-esteem and the level of aspirations, self-attitude, and emotional stability, with indicators including overall level of self-esteem, level of aspirations, the discrepancy between self-esteem and aspirations, self-respect, self-sympathy, self-deprecation, and the degree of emotional balance.
The criterion of the behavioural component is self-regulation and readiness for action, with indicators including overall level of self-regulation, planning, modeling, programming, evaluation of outcomes, flexibility, independence, risk readiness, and rationality of actions.
Using a set of psychodiagnostic methods, the features of the development of the structural components of the “professional self” image in students of aviation specialties were empirically investigated, and their dynamics were identified. It was established that this phenomenon is at the stage of active formation and is generally characterized by a moderate level of manifestation of its structural components. The cognitive component was found to be unevenly developed, with limited expression of professional self-identification in a portion of respondents. Students’ understanding of their professional role gradually becomes more complex throughout their studies; however, for undergraduate students, this understanding remains insufficiently concretized. Additionally, an insufficient level of personal reflectivity was observed.
The emotional-evaluative component of the “professional self” image was analyzed, revealing contradictory trends in its development. A positive dynamic in self-respect and a favorable attitude toward oneself was observed; however, manifestations of inflated self-esteem, unrealistic aspirations, and emotional instability increased in students at advanced stages of their studies. Such characteristics may complicate the process of professional formation under the conditions of heightened psycho-emotional stress in aviation activities.
The behavioural component of the “professional self” image was characterized as generally corresponding to a moderate level of development and demonstrated positive changes in the formation of self-regulation. At the same time, risk readiness and the rationality of behavioural decisions remained predominantly moderate.
