Features of the expression of value-semantic determination of leadership among students of different fields of training.

Shtyrev Mikhail Mikhailovich ORCID: 0000-0003-0456-1828 Postgraduate student, Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba 117198, Russia, Moscow, Moscow, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 6 mshtyrev@mail.ru

Bashkin Evgenii Bronislavovich PhD in Psychology Head of the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba 117198, Russia, Moscow, Moscow, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 6 bashkin-eb@rudn.ru

Relevance

The new realities of the foreign policy conjuncture show the need for prompt resolution of emerging issues and problems in many areas of the life of the state and society. In addition to the acute shortage of personnel, there is a need for young specialists who will be ready to rally and unite people to quickly solve national tasks. Identifying the features of certain value-semantic predictors of leadership among modern students will allow us to better understand their nature and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of approaches to education in universities. The latest results of domestic researchers signal an increase in destructive tendencies among young people, there are manifestations of negativism, disdain for elders, family values, the fate and history of their country ^[4]. It is possible to resist rampant immorality and aggressiveness in the youth environment if there is a qualified teaching staff capable of predicting and eliminating trends that can provoke the emergence of destructive leaders in student groups.

Some studies indicate that leadership is a process in which some individuals with more pronounced personal characteristics influence less motivated and driven individuals. It includes the ability of a leader to inspire, motivate and guide others to achieve common goals based on their own values, attitudes and strategies, depending on the current situation ^[12]. The relevance of our research is due to several important aspects in the context of understanding leadership among students of different fields of study. The features of value-semantic determination are manifested in the formation of a set of specific values, attitudes and strategies that determine the impact on the likelihood and ability of students to show leadership qualities and take leadership roles in the student environment or other youth contexts. For students of different fields of training, the severity of value-semantic determination may differ depending on personal prerequisites, features of mastering the educational program and perception of the future profession. At the same time, the problem of psychological support for the training of value-oriented leaders in the modern student environment has not been systematically studied and requires further research in order to improve the system of motivation, evaluation, development, adaptation and training of Russian students. The key hypothesis of this article is that there are significant differences in the severity of the value-semantic determination of leadership among students of different training areas. These differences are manifested through motivation, the level of self-esteem of leadership qualities, the ability to adapt to difficult situations, preferred values and life orientations.

Organization of empirical research

An empirical study to identify the features in the expression of value-semantic predictors that affect the manifestations of leadership among students was conducted on the basis of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. The total number of participants was 677 people. The age composition of respondents is from 18 to 24 years old, the average age is 19.3 years. The gender distribution is as follows: 307 men and 370 women. The study involved students in 5 areas of specialties. Among them: economics students - 130 respondents; political science students – 138 respondents; philology students – 142 respondents; law students – 136 respondents; journalism students – 131 respondents.

Table No. 1

Gender distribution among respondents studying in various fields of training

A bank of reliable and valid methods was used to obtain objective empirical data. To diagnose leadership and motivation for success, the rapid test "Self-assessment of leadership" and the questionnaire "Personality diagnostics for motivation for success" were used, which were developed by N. P. Fetiskin and T. Ehlers, respectively. In order to identify priority scenarios of behavior in difficult situations, the coping test "Assessment of behavior in a difficult life situation" by R. Lazarus (adaptation by T. L. Kryukova) was applied. To determine specific value-semantic predictors, the research program included the "Value Questionnaire (CO)" by Sh. Schwartz; "Test of life orientations" by D. A. Leontiev; "Questionnaire of socio-psychological attitudes of personality in the motivational and need sphere" by O. F. Potemkina.

The choice of these methods is due to the need to obtain a comprehensive analysis of the value-semantic factors affecting the manifestation of leadership among students of different specialties. They allow us to consider various psychological aspects important for understanding leadership, such as: self-esteem, motivation for success, strategies of behavior in difficult situations, values and life orientations. This multifaceted approach allows us to explore a more complete understanding of the personality of students and their relationship with leadership characteristics. Moreover, these techniques include specialized scales aimed at measuring specific psychological characteristics associated with leadership.

The study was conducted through individual online testing. The questionnaire and answer forms were provided to respondents via the Simple Forms online platform. With the help of their gadgets, participants followed a pre-prepared link to the start page of the study, where instructions were described in detail before the start of the passage and an example was given for filling out the answer form. The average time spent on the implementation of the basic techniques was estimated at 60-75 minutes. The testing consisted of 6 techniques and included 298 questions.

The study was conducted on a voluntary basis with the consent of the participants. Data collection was carried out remotely, participants were asked to follow the link and pass a full test. Moreover, the students were informed in advance about the features of online testing. Only fully completed questionnaires were accepted for consideration. If the student interrupted the filling process, the questionnaire was destroyed. At the processing stage, only 3 students were excluded from the study, who put the same values in the answers for almost all methods (680 questionnaires were initially accepted). The remaining 677 questionnaires were accepted without errors and omissions, since the electronic version of the test excluded possible vulnerabilities of the in-person survey system of respondents.

Discussion of the results

A rank analysis of the results of an empirical study showed that, according to most scales of 6 methods, students-journalists showed themselves more than others. At the same time, the results on individual scales are unique indicators of leadership. Among which should be highlighted: value orientations on conformity, kindness, universalism and achievements; life-meaning orientations on emotional saturation of life and satisfaction with self-realization; socio-psychological attitudes to the process and altruism; moderately high level of motivation; preferred strategies for resolving difficulties through taking responsibility and positive reassessment; high level of leadership.

The comparison of all 5 groups of respondents was carried out by a single-factor analysis of variance according to the criterion for several independent samples of N. Kraskal-Wallace in the IBM SPSS Statistics v.23 program. The responses of all groups of respondents were analyzed on 39 scales (6 methods). The results of the analysis are presented by indicators of rank criteria in Tables No. 2-7.

Table No. 2

Nonparametric one-factor analysis of variance according to the H-Kraskel-Wallis criterion and indicators of rank criteria for training areas (average rank).

Within the framework of the first method, we note 8 value scales out of 10, according to which there is a significant difference in responses among all groups of respondents (see Table No. 2, method No. 1). Get angry with these values: "conformity" (p<0.011), "kindness" (p<0.001), "universalism" (p<0.001), "independence" (p<0.001), "stimulation" (p<0.001), "hedonism" (p<0.001), "achievements" (p<0.001) and "power" (p<0.008).

Students-journalists scored the most points on most values (6 out of 8), among which: "conformity" (S.R. – 390); "kindness" (S.R. – 414); "universalism" (S.R. – 394); "stimulation" (S.R. – 391); "achievements" (S.R. – 391); "power" (S.R. - 369).

According to the other two scales, political science students scored more points: "independence" (S.R. – 383) and "hedonism" (S.R. - 403). These values express the interests of the individual, not the whole group, so they will not always have a positive impact on leadership potential within the student environment. On the other hand, the value of "independence" can also be associated with leadership, since leaders are often forced to make decisions based on their own beliefs and unique vision. They can act contrary to the current group opinion if it is necessary to achieve their goals. However, it is important to note that successful leaders also have the ability to listen and take into account the opinions of others, which can help them make more informed decisions ^[15]. Unusual for political science students is the highest indicator on the "hedonism" scale among all other values and among all groups of respondents. Students from this sample tend to put their personal needs above public ones. These indicators are very unusual and do not lend themselves to theoretical justification. It should be noted that the results of some researchers demonstrate that it is during the student period that young citizens are most interested in active social activity, participation in the life of the state and society ^[9].

Returning to the journalism students, we note that among the most pronounced scales, half belong to the block of values reflecting the group interests of the individual. Among them: "kindness", "conformity" and "universalism". These indicators signal that journalism students are more predisposed to work in a team than others. The developed experience of organizational activity in the student environment will allow a young person to adapt better already in a professional team ^[17]. Moreover, the prevalence of these values in the student's personality structure can become a predictor of the manifestation of leadership qualities.

Other values that have manifested themselves are "stimulation", "achievements", "power" and the highest indicator after political scientists on the "hedonism" scale. They show that these students have ambitions and aspirations that also express leadership potential to some extent. It is true to say that today the media are the "fourth power" ^[13]. It is not surprising that such trends are reflected in students who study journalism specialties. Young people are inspired by the examples of journalists who go into the political sphere and reach the levers of influence in power ^[14]. The combination of these values reflects the versatility of the personality of journalism students and can have both a positive and negative impact on their leadership potential. For example, a high level of "stimulation" value can make them more open to new ideas and risk-taking, which can be useful in developing creative solutions and initiatives. On the other hand, the high value of "hedonism" can sometimes lead to a focus on personal pleasure and comfort, which can create obstacles to achieving the status of a team leader, especially in the context of a student environment.

Table No. 3

Nonparametric one-factor analysis of variance according to the H-Kraskel-Wallis criterion and indicators of rank criteria for training areas (average rank).

Let's proceed to the analysis of the results according to the following methodology. A static difference is present in the responses on 4 out of 6 scales. At the same time, students of journalists have the highest ranking indicators on all scales of this methodology (see Table No. 3, methodology No. 2). We will highlight and analyze only those scales of the methodology that showed statistically significant differences in comparison with the responses of all groups of respondents. Among them: "emotional saturation of life" (S.R. – 379), "satisfaction with self–realization" (S.R. – 385), "locus of control – I" (S.R. – 380), "meaningfulness" (S.R. - 381).

The first two scales reflect the meaning of life orientations of modern students, the second locus of control and the fourth scale is a general indicator of the meaningfulness of life. Thus, students studying journalism more than others strive to get the maximum emotional response from all life events. At the same time, students strive to spend their time productively and find time for a variety of activities so that the accumulated positive experience serves as motivation for further achievements. Most likely, these indicators are related to the fact that these students constantly participate in various mass events within the framework of academic practice, attend forums as journalists and communicate with a large number of very different people ^[1]. In addition to the theoretical confirmation of this conclusion, the author of this study cites as an example his own experience of working with journalism students who have been focused on the practical application of their knowledge since the first year of study. The results obtained on the scales "locus of control – I" and "meaningfulness" characterize student journalists as more internalized and personally mature personalities.  They appreciate and realize universal ideals, are able to apply them in life, considering it an important part of their worldview. In addition, they do not allow other people's assessments to influence their self-esteem and respect themselves with all their pros and cons, which helps them to be more confident and successful in society ^[21].

The analysis of this situation makes it possible to identify several negative aspects related to the desire of journalism students to get the maximum emotional response from life events, especially in the context of high values of "hedonism" and "stimulation". A high level of these values and life-meaning orientations may be accompanied by a tendency to take risks and search for new thrills. This can lead to the adoption of bold, but not always deliberate decisions that increase the likelihood of failure and conflicts in the student environment. An important trait of a leader is the ability to remain cool and rational in stressful situations.

Taking into account these factors, for the development of the leadership potential of journalism students, it is important to balance their desire for emotional responses with the ability to manage their emotions, develop long-term strategies and pay attention to the needs and interests of the team. This balance will allow them to effectively act as leaders in a variety of situations and achieve sustainable results.

Table No. 4

Nonparametric one-factor analysis of variance according to the H-Kraskel-Wallis criterion and indicators of rank criteria for training areas (average rank).

Within the framework of the following methodology No. 3, only 3 out of 8 scales show statistical significance in the responses of respondents for all groups (see Table No. 4, methodology No. 3). The results of the diagnosis of socio-psychological attitudes of students showed that the most pronounced rank indicators on significant scales are among students-journalists, among which: "process" (S.R. – 374), "altruism" (S.R. – 404) and "power" (S.R. - 363).

The emerging motivational attitude of journalism students towards "process" and "power" is partly explained by the previous scales. At the same time, it should be noted that the concentration on the learning process can be explained by the need for communication. The profession of a journalist is chosen by those young people who are impressed by the opportunity to be in constant communication with society. The communicative motive partially explains the setting of the student-journalist's personality on the process of professional activity ^[6]. The orientation of the individual to altruism signals benevolence as one of the main values of life, which converges with the indicators of student journalists on the scale of "kindness" in methodology No. 1. At the same time, altruistic tendencies in the motivational attitudes of journalism students may be associated with a high level of intelligence development ^[3]. It is important to note that according to the "egoism" scale within the same methodology, journalism students have one of the lowest ranking indicators (S.R. - 312). Political science students distinguished themselves by their attitude to "egoism" (S.R. - 362).

Table No. 5

Nonparametric one-factor analysis of variance according to the H-Kraskel-Wallis criterion and indicators of rank criteria for training areas (average rank).

According to the scales of T. Ehlers' methodology (the level of motivation for success) there was no statistical difference between the respondents' responses. It is advisable to describe and analyze the rank indicators of respondents on each of the scales (see Table No. 5, methodology No. 4).

Thus, on the scale of "low motivation to success", economics students distinguished themselves (S.R. – 348). Within the framework of this methodology, an overestimated level of low motivation for success should be interpreted as the willingness of economics students to take risks. Perhaps these indicators are related to the specifics of the field of training of economists ^[11]. The average level of motivation was revealed in philology students (p. 369). It can be assumed that motivational attitudes and willingness to take risks are associated with the conditions of professional formation in the educational environment and the integral characteristics of philology students ^[2]. Journalism students showed the best indicator on the scale of "moderately high motivation" (p. 348). That is, they are ready for moderate risk in their professional activities and expect success. In our opinion, the problem of motivation to comprehend the profession of a journalist is associated with the influence of a number of objective and subjective contradictions in the process of immersing a student in the information environment ^[19]. Too high a level of motivation was revealed in law students (SR - 344), which signals a low readiness for risky actions. This indicates their tendency to a more prudent and informed approach to future professional activity, which in the context of legal practice can contribute to a more careful and reliable performance of their duties, reducing potential risks and errors. Readiness to overcome professional risks for a student is a complex personal education, which is a system of interrelated components: value orientations, motivation, ideas about professional risks, professional attitudes and expectations ^[18].

Table No. 6

Nonparametric one-factor analysis of variance according to the H-Kraskel-Wallis criterion and indicators of rank criteria for training areas (average rank).

During the analysis of the results of methodology No. 5 (coping strategies for overcoming stress), it was revealed that the respondents' responses have significant differences on 4 scales out of 8 (see Table No. 6, methodology No. 5), among which: "confrontational coping" (p<0.003), "acceptance of responsibility" (p<0.005), "escape-avoidance" (p<0.002), "positive reassessment" (p<0.002).  Let's consider and analyze the ranking indicators on the above scales among all groups of respondents.

According to the "confrantational coping" scale, the highest indicator is among journalism students (S.R. – 373). Young journalists are often ready to go "over their heads" in case of difficulties on the way to achieving professional success. The confrontational strategy of crisis resolution at the level of the student body allows young leaders to attract special attention to themselves and their successes in the field of journalism due to emotional pressure ^[7]. At the same time, confrontation as a permanent strategy, although it can be used to attract attention, is usually accompanied by conflicts and tense relations, which can negatively affect the cooperation and professional reputation of young leaders in the future. Therefore, its effectiveness and relevance remain questionable in the context of the development of professional qualities. Students-journalists also distinguished themselves on the scale of "taking responsibility" (S.R. – 365).  Based on the works of domestic researchers ^[5], it can be assumed that high rates of this coping are associated with great intellectual abilities of student journalists, which correlates with our conclusions on the scale of "altruism". According to the escape-avoidance scale, political science students have the highest ranking indicator (S.R. - 367). Such results signal possible problems in the adaptation of political science students to the student environment ^[5]. At the same time, students-journalists again distinguished themselves on the scale of "positive reassessment" (S.R. – 373). High results on this scale indicate that these students, even in the most crisis periods of their lives, find an incentive to personal growth due to a positive reassessment of the events taking place. Based on the research results of domestic researchers, it can be assumed that due to the predominance of this coping among journalism students, they have a low level of procrastination ^[20].

Table No. 7

Nonparametric one-factor analysis of variance according to the H-Kraskel-Wallis criterion and indicators of rank criteria for training areas (average rank).

Let's move on to the analysis and description of the results of the latest methodology No. 6 (self–assessment of leadership), according to which the difference in respondents' responses is observed only on one of the scales - "high level of leadership" (p<0.012). Moreover, the highest ranking indicator on this scale with a strong margin (see Table No. 7, methodology No. 6) is observed among journalism students (S.R. - 372). These results correlate with the high ranking indicators of student journalists on most testing scales. Journalism students demonstrate confidence in their skills and willingness to take risks to achieve their goals. The analysis of self-assessment of leadership, despite the lack of direct connection with the assessment of values and areas of training, can provide important insights about the readiness of students for the role of team leaders. The separation of the results of journalism students with a high level of leadership can be interpreted as an indicator of their propensity for an active role in organizing and coordinating the activities of the team. Therefore, despite the limited connection with values, leadership self-assessment analysis is an important tool for assessing students' readiness to develop leadership qualities and can serve as a starting point for additional research in this area. Nevertheless, some studies prove that students' leadership self-esteem is often mostly at an average level and needs to be developed ^[16]. As possible directions for solving the problem, the introduction of interdisciplinary subjects into the educational process, the use of technologies and methods of organizing educational activities aimed at activating the leadership potential of students are proposed.

Conclusions

Thus, after analyzing the results obtained, it should be concluded that the responses of groups of subjects who passed the same tests have significant differences. It is important to note that static significance is observed in 20 scales according to 5 methods (35 scales). According to method No. 4, there is no difference in the respondents' responses on any of the scales.

At the same time, the results on separate scales demonstrate the peculiarities of the expression of the value-semantic determination of leadership among students.Among which it should be highlighted: value orientations on conformity, kindness, universalism, stimulation, achievements and power; life-meaning orientations on emotional saturation of life and satisfaction with self-realization; socio-psychological attitudes to process and altruism; moderately high level of motivation; preferred strategies for resolving difficulties through taking responsibility and positive reassessment; high level of leadership. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account that the leadership potential of students can be multifaceted and depends on how they integrate the identified values, attitudes, strategies and motivation in their academic and professional activities. Effective development of leadership skills and qualities in students may require support and resources that contribute to the disclosure of their potential and the formation of sustainable leadership models.

Based on the results obtained, it is important to note that young people studying in the field of training "journalist" have the most pronounced set of value-semantic predictors. These indicators may indicate certain personality traits of future journalists, such as glibness, sociability, self-confidence and capabilities, which are important in their professional field. However, in the context of our research, we also interpret these indicators as potential indicators of students' readiness for the role of leader in the student collective. Thus, high values of value-semantic predictors among journalism students may indicate their ability to demonstrate leadership and coordination of group work. For students of this direction, it is recommended to actively develop and strengthen their leadership skills. It is important to be aware of your values and beliefs, as well as learn to build effective communication strategies. Constant striving for self-development, learning new skills and the ability to work in a team will help students maximize their leadership potential.

In the prism of the analysis of the results, it is necessary to refer to the works of Yu.V. Markelova, whose research actualizes the problems of the formation of leadership qualities in students. The first similarity lies in the fact that both in Markelova's research and in our article, the problem of insufficient development of leadership qualities in students is highlighted. This may indicate the broad relevance of this topic and the need for additional research in this area. In addition, both studies note a link between the development of communication and organizational skills in students ^[8]. This similarity underlines the importance of these competencies in the formation of leadership qualities. Markelova's research also raises the question of students' emotional satisfaction, which is an important aspect in the context of leadership development, which was also discussed in our article. However, it is worth noting that in her research more attention is paid to the development of leadership development strategies with the definition of mission, goals, objectives and evaluation criteria. In our article, the focus is shifted to the analysis of the value-semantic features of the manifestation of leadership and their impact on the formation of relevant strategies for the development of leadership potential of modern students in the student environment. Thus, the similarities and differences between the results of our research indicate the importance of a comprehensive approach to the study of leadership qualities in students, as well as the need for further research in this area to develop effective leadership development strategies for Russian students.

The final thought is the realization that leadership is not only a privilege, but also a responsibility. Young students with leadership qualities have the opportunity to have a positive impact on others and make a significant contribution to the development of their student body and society as a whole. They can become inspirers, initiators of changes and agents of socio-cultural transformations. Therefore, by developing their leadership potential, students can become not only successful professionals, but also irreplaceable leaders capable of creating positive changes in their environment.