Psychological Background of the Connection between Learner’s Autonomy and Motivation

Abstract

The aim of this research is to show the connection between learner’s autonomy and motivation, to provide the research of the substructures of the motivational component of professional competence of students.

Methods of the research. As for general scientific methods, in particular the method of induction, deduction, analysis and synthesis, comparative and descriptive methods and explanatory ones were used in the research. Also we used experimental method: the ascertaining research. The following psycho-diagnostic questionnaires were used: the questionnaire «Who am I?» (M. Kuhn and T. McPartland), the questionnaires «My way to the profession» and the technique «A pyramid of professional growth», the questionnaire of H. Heckhausen «Motivational tendencies of the person».

The results of the research. It should be noted that the vast majority of students in experimental and control groups considered it necessary to appreciate the professional motives of educational activities, although in fact few of them seriously considered the capabilities of a highly qualified specialist with foreign language and skills. Since the professional motives of educational activities contribute to the achievement of the ultimate goals of learning, motivation will greatly facilitate the formation of persons’ professional orientation.

The educational and cognitive motives are more important for students: to study successfully, to receive good and high grades in academic subjects, to be constantly ready for classes. In this case, it should be noted that for students with good language skills, these motives are less significant than for students with low levels of language skills. This can be explained by the fact that the student feels more confident in terms of success in learning a foreign language. Others try to correct their situation and close the gaps in knowledge that are appeared for one reason or another one during the study of a foreign language at school.

Conclusions. The professional development of a future specialist is a complex integrative process that involves the use of various forms, tools and methods of facilitative influence on a student’s personality. In order to select and justify the feasibility of using such forms, tools and methods, etc., we describe a conceptual model of the professional development of a future specialist. This model, in turn, requires special development, description and analysis of its constituents due, first of all, to its integrity, multicomponent and polyfunctionality.

The sense of the category «professional development» can be found in the paradigm of its comparison with the fundamental scientific categories «the development» and «the formation». The development is defined as the objective process of internal consistent quantitative personal change. Professional development involves the inclusion of a person into the functioning of a new social environment, which is characterized by certain norms of communication, behavior, values, moral and ethical norms and some others. Interpersonal relationships that are developed in the professional team, largely determine the course of the professional adaptation of a man, the formation of his / her social status. Therefore, the components of the professional development should include socio-psychological features that determine a person’s place in a professional group, his / her social status.