PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDES OF HIGH-SCHOOLERS: GENDER-ROLE FEATURES

Abstract

The article considers professional attitudes of tenth-, eleventh-form pupils. The concept of professional at­titudes in psychological research was defined. Professional attitudes are a person’s perceptions of professional activity, formed in the process of gaining experience, but not necessarily aware at the time of the decision. The present study analyzes the types of high-schoolers professional attitudes: indecision of professional choice, ra­tionalism of professional choice, optimism in the relation of professional future, high self-esteem of professional choice and dependence of professional choice. The aim of this study was to identify the features of professional attitudes of boys and girls in high school. Theoretical and empirical methods, corresponding to the content of the problem and the purpose of the research, were applied. The complex consisted of the following methods: theo­retical and methodological analysis of scientific sources, systematization and generalization of psychological data on the research problem; questionnaires; method of mathematical statistics (t-criterion of Student). Mathematical processing of data was carried out with the help of a package of mathematical and statistical program Statistica 7.0. examined the difference in the indicators of professional guidance, motivation to achieve success and the professional orientation of groups of young people and girls by the results of the study. Girls are more reside in uncertainty of the professional choice, dependency and social immaturity. Both girls and boys characterize by belief in their strengths and abilities, resilience and willingness to overcome difficulties. Girls are more likely to acquire knowledge and skills; they are able to work in an organized way and make efforts to achieve the desired result. The investigators understand the difficulties and problems that may arise on the way to achieving the goals. Along with this, for a group of girls and boys there is a certain idealization, a feeling that problems and difficul­ties can be solved through efforts. Among the girls and boys of high school, the average level of motivation for success is prevalent. It is concluded that the two study groups have a weakly expressed but similar orientation towards different types of professional activity, girls are more motivated to succeed in the case of a specific lack of professional choice than boys. The prospects for further investigations in this area are determined.