Abstract

Background. In the present situation, which certain studies describe as a crisis in the system of research staff training and which is characterized by low number of postgraduate students filling up the staff of scientific institutions, it is extremely important to study the specifics of motivation and value sphere of postgraduate students’ personality. 

Objective. Analysis of the socio-psychological characteristics that postgraduate students' values have.

Design. The study is based on a monitoring questionnaire survey of graduate students conducted in 2019 by employees of the RAO Information and the analytical center. The empirical data were processed using methods of mathematical statistics (statistical software packages SPSS and StatSoft Statistica).

The study involved students of postgraduate research bodies that train postgraduate students in the field of education sciences, as well as postgraduates of pedagogical universities situated in Moscow, St. Petersburg and in other regions of the Russian Federation. A total of 803 respondents were interviewed. 

The study was aimed at assessing the hierarchy of life values in graduate students and the influence of socio-demographic factors, social stratification, and socio-psychological factors on the relevance of postgraduate students’ life values.

Results. The results of the study indicate that the leading positions in the structure of postgraduate students’ life values are occupied by basic values (“family”, “good health” and “material well-being”) and by the most relevant values associated with self-actualization. It is shown that the value orientations of postgraduate students are determined by the influence of a number of socio-demographic factors (gender, age, presence and composition of the family), social stratification (financial status, educational status of parents) and socio-psychological factors (having or not clear-cut future plans, emotional assessment of one’s prospects, having or not emigration plans) factors. The comparison of the opinions of postgraduates and research staff showed that postgraduates are more focused on values related to self-actualization, as well as on traditionalist values.

Conclusions. The core of postgraduate students’ life values structure if formed by the basic values and, in addition, the values related to self-actualization of individual. The value orientations of postgraduate students are determined by a number of socio-demographic factors, social stratification and socio-psychological factors. It was found out that at a certain age the structure of life values in postgraduate students changes significantly, in accordance with the aims of age development. It is shown that changes in graduate students’ family status make them reconsider the structure of life values. It is also noted that the restructuring of life values in graduate students, when if it proceeds in accordance with the values of natives in “Western” countries, contributes to the formation of emigration attitudes.