WILL STUDENTS BE ABLE TO MANAGE THEIR LIVES?

Abstract

This research article aims at observing the results of studying Russian students’ life priorities, social sustainability, their readiness to manage their life and professional activities, and at developing on this basis a set of educational technologies supposed to improve the graduates of Russian universities’ competitiveness. There are analyzed the works of Russian and foreign authors (I. B. Tselyugina, E. A. Sokolova, V. P. Podvoisky, A. A. Laskin, Yu. O. Kustikova, S. Е. Metelev, E. V. Kudryashov, V. D. Panachev, O. N. Knyazkova, Zh. V. Puzanova, A. G. Tertyshnikova, V. A. Tishkov, R. E. Barash, V. V. Stepanov, Zee Marjolein, Peter F. de Jong, M. Y. Helma, I. Cunningham, C. Longobardi, N. O. Iotti, T. Jungert, M. Settanni, R. S. Adams, H. Bradbury), devoted to the problems of students. Within the study, the methods of questionnaire, expert survey, comparison, decomposition, and grouping have been used. The research referred to students from Russian regional universities. The sample included more than 400 students from 13 state universities located in 5 federal districts of the Russian Federation, and involved 36 experts. There are analyzed Russian students’ life guidelines and prospects for increasing their readiness to manage their own lives. Changes in the organization of education are shown to be affecting the students’ livelihood. According to the results of the survey, it is the understanding of the importance of personal and professional development for successful future employment and professional career that has the priority influence over the applicants’ desire to study at the university. The motives for getting higher education are its necessity for the chosen profession, demand for it at the labor market, prospects for improving their material well-being. The main factor that influences the choice of profession is considered to be the students’ abilities. The research is original, as it studies the important problem of students’ social sustainability, their readiness to manage their own lives. This problem has not been previously considered by domestic and foreign authors. The results of the monitoring indicate the necessity and possibility of purposeful work within our universities on more active involving students in the processes of educational, scientific and social activities, on preparing them for future professional activities and independent life. The article presents the experience of working out and using special educational technologies, which should increase students’ social sustainability when solving problems identified within the research. The results of the research should show to the Russian students the ways to increase their social sustainability and to accelerate their readiness for independent life and activities.