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Sobkin V.S., Andreeva A.I., Rzaeva F.R. (2017). Professional activity of the researcher in the field of education: features of planning, resources for implementation, satisfaction with the results. National Psychological Journal. 4, 5-16.

Abstract

Background. The paper examines the attitude of scientists engaged in research in the field of education to various aspects of professional activity: the features of planning, resources for implementation, and satisfaction with the results. The relevance of the study is due to a number of institutional changes in the national science. Thus, the active reform initiated in 2013 was aimed at optimizing and increasing the efficiency of various research institutes, primarily those within the structure of state academies. In this regard, it seems important to identify the scientists’ attitude to the results of the implemented initiatives within the period of the last four years.

Objective. The paper is to analyze the influence of age and social indicators of professional status (academic degree, academic title, position held, publication activity) on various aspects of the professional activity of the researches. 

Design and sample characteristics. A special questionnaire of 72 questions was developed (closed, open and scale), 721 respondents were interviewed. The sample included employees with different levels of scientific qualifications and length of professional scientific activity. Both employees of scientific research institutes and universities from different regions of the Russian Federation were interviewed. 

Results. The results show the manifestation of negative tendencies concerning the planning of scientific activity related to its authoritarian nature and formal requirements for reporting on the results of scientific activity. The peculiarities of well-being of scientific employees at the stage of completing a professional career are revealed. The features of the manifestation of the professional crisis, which is characteristic for the age cohort of forty-year scientific workers, are considered. The specifics of attracting personal funds and additional financial sources depending on various indicators of the professional status of the scientist are shown.

Received: 08/09/2017
Accepted: 09/26/2017
Pages: 5-16
DOI: 10.11621/npj.2017.0401

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Keywords: researcher; education; scientific activity; planning; work satisfactions; organizational and financial resources; questionnaire survey; social and professional status;

Available Online 01.01.2018

Table 1. Answers of researchers of different age cohorts relative to the planning features of their professional activities (per cent)

Age

Under 30 y o

31-40 y o

41-50 y o

51-60 y o

over 60 y o

I make plans independently

21.6

35.8

37.2

38.9

60.6

I make plans independently. but have to receive an approval with my executive

32.8

39.4

25.6

33.1

17.0

I make plans with the executive and colleagues

36.6

22.4

36.6

26.8

23.40

Plans "go from above" as a production assignment

20.9

6.7

11.0

6.4

7.40

Other

1.5

7.3

1.8

2.5

0.00


Fig. 1. Independence of professional activity planning depending on the degree of the employee (per cent)

Table 2. The attitude of researchers to the ratio between planning and reporting forms in organizing their scientific activities (per cent)

Option

%

Yes, but often I have to make adjustments to the plan and skip the plan

29.8

Yes, it helps to effectively organize the work in accordance with the main goals

29.7

No, the plan is a formal note

28.5

Yes, but for me it's important to fix only the final result. and not to plan the process itself

10.1

other

1.9

Table 3. Responses of researchers to the question of preparing a text for publication in a foreign language (per cent)

I write (translate) the text myself

36.8

I ask colleagues for help

28.2

In the organization where I work there are no in-house translators

2.9

I pay translator fees using my own budget

21.7

the organization where I work covers translator fees

1.8

I don’t publish works in foreign languages

24.1

other

1.7


Fig. 2. The importance of resources ensuring participation of employees in scientific conferences (per cent)


Fig. 3. Scores of researchers relative to the level of satisfaction with the results of their scientific activity (%)


Fig. 4. Average scores on the scale of «satisfaction with the results of scientific activity». depending on the availability of the academic degree and the academic title (scores)


Fig. 5. Satisfaction with the results of scientific activity» depending on the publication index (scores)

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For citing this article:

Sobkin V.S., Andreeva A.I., Rzaeva F.R. (2017). Professional activity of the researcher in the field of education: features of planning, resources for implementation, satisfaction with the results. National Psychological Journal. 4, 5-16.