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DOI: 10.12731/2218-7405-2013-8-47
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SELF-FULFILLMENT OF
STUDENTS IN COLLEGE AND THEIR MOTIVATIONAL AND ADJUSTMENT CHARACTERISTICS
Shutenko E.N.
A productive college education must ensure the process of self-fulfillment of an individual's personality in the educational system and encourage an increase in the basic abilities of a student as a subject of their learning and professional activities.
The article states that the research results on the personal organization of students is connected to the performance of their self-fulfillment in the process of the academic studies. The innovation of the research is associated with the fact that self-fulfillment during the learning period is developed as a sociological category that reflects the process of socializing and depends on the structure and essence of the educational and social environment.
The aim of the research is to discover, through empirical method, the features under consideration in the process of the students' fulfillment through their personal characteristics: needs and motivations, purposes, features of self-attitude and orientations in connection with the purpose of life.
The research methods: piloting questionnaires, observation, interviews, focus groups, sociological surveys (questionnaires), and complex sociological and psychological tests (use of battery of tests and questionnaires). Statistical methods: analysis of the authenticity of differences and correlational analysis.
The research results show that the connection presence was established between the students' self-fulfillment in college, their ambition to learn, their sense of wholeness, consistency of their attitude and a purpose-oriented way of life.
The area for use of the results: the modernization of college studies based on the principle of the self-fulfillment by the young students in the learning process.
Keywords: self-fulfillment, young students, learning process in the higher education system, personal features, motivationally meaningful entities.
СВЯЗЬ САМОРЕАЛИЗАЦИИ СТУДЕНТОВ В ВУЗОВСКОМ ОБУЧЕНИИ С ИХ МОТИВАЦИОННО-УСТАНОВОЧНЫМИ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКАМИ
Шутенко Е.Н.
Продуктивное вузовское образование должно обеспечивать процесс самореализации личности в образовательной системе, способствовать росту сущностных сил обучаемого как субъекта учебной и профессиональной деятельности.
В статье излагаются результаты исследования особенностей личностного склада студентов, сопряженных с результативностью их самореализации в процессе вузовской подготовки. Новизна исследования заключается в том, что самореализация в обучении разрабатывается как социологическая категория, отражающая процесс социализации личности, и зависящая от построения и содержания образовательно-социальной среды.
Цель исследования: эмпирическим путем выявить особенности отражения процесса самореализации студентов в их личностных характеристиках: потребностно-мотивационных, смысловых, особенностях самоотношения и смысложизненных ориентациях.
Методы исследования: пилотажный опрос, наблюдение, интервьюирование, метод фокус- групп, социологический опрос (анкетирование), комплексное социально-психологическое тестирование
(применение батареи тестов и опросников). Статистические методы: анализ достоверности различий, корреляционный анализ.
Результаты исследования: установлено наличие связи успешной самореализации студентов в вузовском обучении с их стремлением к познанию, с целостностью, непротиворечивостью их самоотношения и смысловой согласованностью жизни.
Область применения результатов: результаты исследования могут найти применение в целях модернизации вузовской подготовки с опорой на принцип самореализации студенческой молодежи в образовательном процессе.
Ключевые слова: самореализация, студенческая молодежь, образовательный процесс в высшей школе, личностные особенности, мотивационно- смысловые образования.
We based this research on the general perception on self-fulfillment of the young students as a productive socialization phenomenon, which is brought by the ontological motivation for self-actualization [2]. Acting as the major life intention during college years, the motivation for self-actualization activates the operation of the internal resources and abilities of a person to gain particular experience in order to express and establish themselves in their studies, occupation, society, and culture. When observing the process of the students' self-actualization, we believe that, on one hand, it is the fundamental course of their successful establishment as future professionals and, on the other hand, it is an internal criterion of academic studies in general. Thus, the process of the students' self-actualization is associated with the orientation of academic practice towards the complete development of personality as the fundamental purpose and mission of higher education.
Within the research of the modern young students, we considered self-actualization as the process of the establishment of a unique experience of being an individual; and a process of self-development and utilization of their personal
abilities and personally significant attitudes towards the world and themselves in time and space [8].
The main aim of the research was the recognition of the specific personal characteristics and details of the motivationally meaningful aspects of the students connected with the level of their self-actualization in their academic studies.
The hypothesis of the research is that the process of self-actualization during studies (other than the capacity to study and beneficial learning conditions) is inevitably connected with the motivationally meaningful features of a person, who concisely form their trajectory of life and attitudes towards the world.
The organization of the research. For the purposes of supporting the above hypothesis, research was conducted, which consisted of two stages.
At the first stage, the main components of the students' self-actualization were recognized and the main categories of students were established based on the level of self-actualization in their academic studies (according to the three criteria mentioned above).
At the second stage, the motivationally meaningful features of the students of the above categories were analyzed by means of social and psychological methods.
One hundred students from both a humanities and a technological university, two hundred students in total, participated in this research.
In the course of the research, students involved in the research were in their 4th and 5th years of studies. The students of the humanities university majored in Psychology, Roman and Germanic Philology, Sociology and Theology, Municipal Management and Entrepreneurship, and Medicine (28 men and 72 women).
The students of the technological university were in their 4th and 5th years of studies and majored in Industrial Automation, Information Technologies, Transport, Ecological Engineering, and Engineering and Construction Materials (71 men and 29 women).
The content and the results of the first stage of the research
The first stage of the research was filled with sociological work. A study was piloted for the purposes of establishing the most significant areas of self-actualization of the students at college as well as a purpose-oriented questionnaire to define the levels of self-actualization of the young students in the process of their academic studies.
During piloting through trial questionnaires, observations, interviews, and focus groups, the fundamental elements of the students' self-actualization were defined.
As a result, the three main elements of self-actualization of the students were highlighted, which are as follows:
1. Personal involvement of the students in the learning process (interest in learning, desire to study in the chosen university, satisfaction with the studies, value of the studies, involvement in the learning process, identification with the teachers and professionals, drive to express themselves entirely in the studies, etc.);
2. Use of abilities in the learning process (development of students' potential, opportunity for a better self-understanding in the learning process, the usefulness of the studies, learning as an instrument for the fulfillment of a dream, development of abilities and talents, academic studies as the road to success and professional growth, diverse self-manifestation and complete self-expression in the learning process, encouragement of the efforts towards the studies, etc.); and
3. Social integration in the process of academic studies (attention to a student's personality, college assistance in resolving personal matters, organization of the students' leisure time activities, common spirit, team spirit and support in the academic environment, friendship values and strength, atmosphere of trust and respect, etc.).
Based on these criteria, we developed and tested a questionnaire on self-actualization during the academic studies [8].
According to the results of the questionnaires from all the students of both universities (humanities and technological), it was established that the majority of students study with obvious interest and evaluate the academic studies as the main activity of the current point in their life. The students are convinced that they made the right choice in regards to their major subject, so they are not encumbered by a feeling of pointlessness to attending classes. Thus, the collected data on the scale of personal involvement in the learning process has mid to higher-than-mid indicators.
In regards to the scale of the use of the abilities in the studies, it was learnt that a significant number of students consider themselves as advanced and capable; and they underline the benefits of academic studies. At the same time, for many of them, personal capabilities and potential are not fully used in the process of their academic studies.
From the point of view of social integration in the learning process, the majority of the students feel the support of the university and the value of their personality in the learning process. However, they tend to believe that their activities relating to the internal and external life are not intensive enough.
As the general results of the sociological survey showed, the learning process at the university ensures adequate opportunities for self-actualization for the majority of the students.
It should be noted that in regards to the gender principle, the students we canvassed were divided into almost two equal halves. 101 women and 99 men participated in the survey. The results showed that the process of self-actualization of the young men was of a less problematic nature. They experience less frustration and disappointment in their studies. The research data in regards to women showed that they have a tendency for questioning and an emotional involvement in the learning process, they are more involved in the activities of the class and the university, while both genders showed the same positive indicators of social integration in the learning process.
It was also established that the students of the technological university are more responsible towards their academic duties and extra-curricular tasks, which they consider as elements of their professional growth. At the same time, the humanities students are more involved in the learning process and participate more enthusiastically in the activities of the university.
As a result of the data clustering, three groups of students with different levels of self-actualization were formed:
- 1st group: students of unexpressed self-actualization (46 people);
- 2nd group: students of medium self-actualization (76 people); and
rd
- 3 group: students of articulate self-actualization (73 people).
It must be noted that the first group was the lowest in number, which indicates that in general there is a positive tendency to self-actualization of the students in the process of their academic studies. According to the reconciliation of the answers given, the students of the higher level of self-actualization tend to be more convinced that they made the right choice of university and are able to use their potential to bring significant benefits. They study with a greater interest and consider the studies as an independent and valuable activity, but not as a formal requirement or a place to meet with friends. The students with the higher self-actualization are more intensively involved in the learning process and see their studies as their most valuable activity, which brings closer the fulfillment of their dreams and acts as a source of inspiration and an inner boost. They recognize in their studies more opportunities for diverse and entire expression as a person.
The content and the results of the second stage of the research
This stage was about conducting sociological and psychological work oriented towards learning about the different personal characteristics of the students connected with their level of self-actualization in the studies. The differences in the psychological features of the students' high and low levels of self-actualization were
analyzed in regards to the following aspects: (1) needs and motivations; (2) disposition and position; (3) self-attitude; and (4) resolution.
The analysis of the aspects of needs and motivations. This aspect was studied by means of the Maslow's hierarchy of needs through the pair group method [4] and the Motive and Purpose method by Sosnovsky [6]. During the use of these methods, the indicators were recognized in regard to the following forms of motivation: material needs; needs for security; needs for recognition; social needs; needs for self-expression (self-actualization); and motivation to achieve, learn, affiliate, dominate and study.
The next step was associated with the benchmark analysis in regards to the data on each indicator among the groups of the students with unexpressed and articulate self-actualization in their academic studies.
As the main statistical method, we use the procedure of statistical significance analysis, which allows us to determine the level of significance of differences (or similarities) between the students in regard to the indicators being studied. The main statistical indicator was the t-value, evaluating the difference between the two groups of students. The following interpretation of the data is conducted only using t-values from the ones received, i.e. those that have a more significant (t-value) under the sufficient level of the p-value that allows us to determine the insignificant number of possible errors. The p-value, as is customary to psychological surveys, must be less than 0.05 (p < 0.005).
The results of the analysis of the acquired data showed that above all the students of unexpressed self-actualization are different in terms of their low indicators on the "attitude towards their studies" scale (t= -7.156 and p< 0,001, whereas t is the value of the received student's criterion and p is the level of significance, determined for the comparison of the two groups of data).
It was also determined that this group of students is less interested in the subjects they study, they are not prepared for independent systematic work for the sake of the knowledge, they show low indicators on the scales of: "satisfaction by
achievements" (t=-5.34, p< 0,001) and "satisfaction by knowledge" (t=2.294, p=0.024). At the same time, they tend to have a greater need for security (t=2.262, p=0.026), which may act as a serious internal obstacle in relation to the development of other needs of a higher level of hierarchy (Maslow's hierarchy) [4].
In contrast to the above, the successfully actualizing students showed higher indicators of the need for self-expression (t=3.084, p=0.003), satisfaction by dominance (t=2.990, p=0.003), and the need for achievements (t=2.564, p=0.012).
According to the data, generally, successful self-actualization of the students is associated with their needs for personal self-determination in life.
The analysis of dispositional and positional characteristics. This area of differences was assessed under the results of the self-actualization questionnaires by Shostrom, E. [1]. It analyzed the initial perceptions of the students of the opportunities for self-actualization in life based on their self-understanding, awareness of their personal qualities, advantages and disadvantages, orientations in life, etc.
The results of this method showed that the indicators of self-respect of students with articulate self-actualization in the studies are high (t=2.767, p=0.007) and the indicators of time management (t=2.319, p=0.022) and the need for self-actualization in life (t=2.180, p=0.031) are higher as well. According to the data, the successful students tend to go through personality formation in the past, present and future; but at the same time, they live more in the present and are less caught up in the past. They tend to have more characteristics of a self-established personality which means they can organize life in accordance with their beliefs and views. The acquired data showed a more positive plan of life goals among students with the high level of self-actualization in the learning process.
The analysis of the personal attitudes. This area was studied by means of a personal attitudes questionnaire (Pantileev, S.R.) [5]. In this area, a subjective sign of emotional activity towards "I" was recognized, resulting in some general feeling "for" or "against" themselves. This aspect was considered an emotional component of the self-awareness of the students and perceived as significant in the context of
their self-actualization in the studies.
The benchmark study on the acquired data showed that more positive attitudes towards "I" were held by the students with articulate self-actualization in the studies. They believe that they (qualities and features of their personalities) are able to generate respect, affection and approval by others.
Students with unexpressed self-actualization in the studies tend to be more private in their attitudes (t=2.932, p=0.0004), indicate lower levels of self-esteem (t=-2.617, p=0.010) and higher levels of inner contradiction (t=1.987, p=0.049). This analysis allowed us to affirm the presence among the students of this group of particular emotional barriers of self-awareness, which stand in the way of their full and rich fulfillment in the studies and postpone personal growth causing teenage struggle [7].
The students with articulate self-actualization in the studies have much greater indicators on the scale of self-management (t=4.335, p<0.001) and of reflected self-attitude (t=3.183, p=0.002) and self-esteem (t=2.956, p=0.0041).
The analysis of the resolution. For research in this area, a life resolutions test was used (Leontyev, D.A.), which assesses the top characteristics of a personality, specifically, self-perception of the course of life in terms of its purpose-oriented state
[3].
Upon conduction of the method and the further analysis of the data, the students of successful self-actualization achieve higher indicators of performance in life (t=3.838, p<0,001), internal locus of control (t=4.502, p<0,001), emotional intensity in life (t=3.799, p<0,001) and life management (t=4.074, p<0,001).
The analysis showed that the differences in the indicators of the resolution component of the students at different levels of self-actualization are well established in regard to all the characteristics. Especially highlighted are the indicator of the locus of control and life resolutions pointing out certain features of the successful students, who tend to consider themselves as the masters of their lives able to make independent plans according to a specific purpose.
It was established that, in general, the resolution component of the personality features of the students (in contrast to other phenomena in question) is closer associated with the course and results of self-actualization in the academic studies.
The analysis of the connection between the personality characteristics of the students and the level of self-actualization in the studies. As the statistical method for the establishment of this connection, we used the Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient (Spearman's Rho) [9]. Under this method, the most obvious connection is between the attitude towards the studies indicator with the desire to attend classes at the university (r = 0.51), with the understanding of their value and usefulness (r = 0.50), with the absence of the disappointment in the chosen university (r = 0.48), with informal attitude towards classes (r = 0.48), and with psychological involvement in the learning process (r = 0,46). There is also a visible connection between the indicators of the satisfaction generated by studies with such aspects of self-actualization in the learning process as: achievement of a better self-understanding (r = 0.50) and fulfillment of the inner potential (r = 0.50).
In regards to self-attitudes, we can distinguish the connection between the indicators on the scale of self-management with the achievement of a better self-understanding (r = 0.47) and fulfillment of inner potential (r = 0.46); and between the scale of self-esteem and self-understanding (r = 0.41).
In the resolution area, the indicators of the internal and external locus of control positively affect the awareness of the university choice (r = 0.43 and r = 0.44 accordingly), the absence of disappointment in the studies at the chosen university (r= 0.41), achievement of a better self-understanding (r = 0.41) and personal involvement in the activities of the university (r=0.40). Moreover, it is important to emphasize the fact of the presence of a positive connection between the indicators of life performance and the ability of the students to express themselves in the learning process (r=0.43).
Conclusions: the acquired results generally allow us to affirm the presence of the connection between the articulate self-actualization of the students and the positive motivational attitude towards studying and learning, and the completeness and consistency of their inner concepts at the expense of the greater agreement with the standard requirements towards the studies. This connection is shown especially clearly by the life resolutions area, self-perception of a person capable of making decisions, taking on responsibilities, productively and actively organizing their lives, effectively studying the world and interacting with others
The benchmark analysis showed that the students of a higher self-actualization experience a greater need for achievements, have better self-respect, positive attitudes, remarkable self-management, a sense of good outcomes and an emotional intensity of life. The students with the low self-actualization experience a greater need for security, they tend to be closed to new ideas, possess inner contradictions and emotional barriers to self-perception.
References
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DATA ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shutenko Elena Nikolaevna, associate professor of human resource management chair, Ph.D. in Psychological Science
National research university «Belgorod State University» 85, Pobeda street, Belgorod, 308015, Russia shutenko@bsu. edu. ru
ДАННЫЕ ОБ АВТОРЕ
Шутенко Елена Николаевна, доцент кафедры управления персоналом, кандидат психологических наук
Национальный исследовательский университет «Белгородский
государственный университет»
ул. Победы, д. 85, г. Белгород, 308015, Россия
shutenko@bsu. edu. ru
