Specificity of learning motives and professional success in the postgraduate education period

Abstract

Introduction. In modern pedagogy and psychology, there are practically no studies on the productivity and unproductivity of various motives for learning in adult ages, including the receipt of a second higher education. This creates obstacles to the construction of effective trajectories in preparation for professional activities at the university. Materials and methods. The survey applied survey methods: questioning and conversation. Using the method of conversation, biographical facts were revealed from the life of respondents, confirming the presence and dominance of a certain motivation when receiving a second higher education, the data obtained during the survey were clarified. The survey involved 200 people who received a second higher education at different times. They were conditionally divided into two groups: “successful” and “unsuccessful” in professional activity. Research result. As a result of the study, productive and unproductive teaching motives that dominated the second higher education were identified. Among the productive motives were present: cognitive, motive for obtaining a quality education, an increase in personal capital, self-realization. The unproductive included: perfectionist, motive for improving material well-being, motive for career growth. Moreover, the motives for improving material well-being and career growth are recognized as unproductive only if they dominate the total set of motives that stimulate learning activities. Discussion and conclusions. The obtained data confirmed the hypothesis that the success or failure in the profession and satisfaction with the profession and work are due to the initial motivation for obtaining a second higher education. It has been established that the hierarchy of motives can be reformatted by the personality itself, but most often with the dominance of unproductive motives, special psychological assistance is needed.