THE RESEARCH ON RELATIONS BETWEEN UNIVERSITY LECTURERS’ REFLECTION AND THEIR PROFESSIONAL SELF-CREATION

Abstract

The article formulates the concept of university lecturers’ professional self-creation based on the theoretical analysis of scientific works and determinate the importance of reflection for their professional self-creation. The results of the performed empirical study on university lecturers’ reflection and its importance for their professional self-creation are presented. The following techniques were used: A. Karpov’s method examining reflexivity, D. Leontyev’s test “The differential type of reflection”, the method examining self-development and professional pedagogical work (L. Berezhnova, modification and adaptation by L. Podkorytova), the method examining an actualized need for self-development, the short scale for self-actualization. The examined university lecturers had average reflexivity (according to A. Karpov), general reflection, quasi-reflection and introspection (according to D. Leontiev) and high systemic reflection (according to D. Leontiev). The obtained results partially confirmed our hypothesis that lecturer’s reflection is average: it was really average in the terms of reflexivity, introspection and quasi-reflection, but high in the terms of systemic reflection. The lecturer’s had an average or higher desire for self-development and quite successfully implemented it, the respondents showed mostly high self-actualization. As for the identified problems in the studied sample, lecturers underestimated their personal qualities. The correlation analysis was applied for the studied indicators. A direct (positive) correlation was determined between university lecturers’ reflection and professional self-creation. Reflection, in general, contributed to lecturers’ professional creation, especially to the fulfilled need for self-development and self-creation. Systemic reflection was especially important for self-creation and self-development. We have substantiated and presented an art therapy program to develop university lecturers’ reflection. The program consisted of 10 lessons and contained art therapeutic exercises proposed by V. Kokorenko, L. Lebedeva, L. Podkorytova. The art therapy developing university lecturers’ reflection was chosen due to its following features: deep reflexive nature, resourcefulness, richness of metaphors. Further research are seen in increased sample volume and number of used psychological examining tools to clarify links between university lecturer’s reflection and their self-esteem, self-attitude, value system; to study analogues links characteristic for other professional groups; to approbate the developed art therapy training and to conduct a forming experiment to clarify a role of reflection in university lecturer’s professional self-creation.