Student adaptation strategies in higher education institution: types and effectiveness

Dzhaneryan Svetlana Tigranovna ORCID: 0000-0002-1743-5751 Doctor of Psychology Professor; Department of Personality Psychology and Counseling Psychology; Southern Federal University Office 239, M. Nagibin ave., 13, Rostov-on-Don, Rostov region, 344038, Russia swetdjan@yandex.ru Other publications by this author     Gvozdeva Dar'ya Ivanovna ORCID: 0000-0003-3577-7760 PhD in Psychology Head of the Department; Academy of Psychology and Pedagogy; Southern Federal University Russia, Rostov region, Rostov-on-Don, Mikhail Nagibin ave., 13 gvozdeva@sfedu.ru

Kim Alina Eduardovna ORCID: 0009-0004-4899-9770 PhD in Psychology Senior Lecturer; Academy of Psychology and Pedagogy; Southern Federal University Mikhail Nagibin Ave., 13, Rostov-on-Don, Rostov region, 344038, Russia alink@sfedu.ru

Introduction

The reform of higher education that has unfolded in the Russian Federation over the past decade concerns the content and structure of curricula, levels, forms, organization and trajectories of education, educational work, and social activity against the background of excessive educational and social resources. This not only generates a public demand for monitoring the results of the reform, but also enhances the importance of psychological support at the university, aimed, among other things, at establishing and evaluating the effectiveness of student adaptation strategies. Taking into account the patterns of professional development of a specialist, student adaptation strategies at the university are deployed at the stage of professional training, contributing to the development of professional knowledge, skills, core values, the formation of professionally important properties, professional aptitude, professional self-awareness, professional identity ^[1-4]. In turn, the success of these strategies affects the effectiveness of professional training, social and professional development of a person, on the actual professional adaptation and the possibility of building a career in the relevant professional field ^[5-7].

A theoretical review of the research

The analysis of student adaptation strategies involves taking into account the specifics of the types, process, and results of student adaptation at the university. Researchers note an increase in the number of works on the problem of adaptation in the educational field ^[8], which is reflected in publications devoted to the study of various types of student adaptation: socio-psychological, socio-cultural, psychological, university, academic ^[9-11]. Socio-psychological and academic adaptations in higher education have become the undisputed leaders of research interest, analyzed in the context of their factors, effects, and personal characteristics of students engaged in self-regulation. As rightly noted ^[12], these types of adaptation reflect its most obvious aspects - socio-psychological and activity-based.

The socio-psychological side of adaptation is revealed in the peculiarities of students' adaptation to the study group and teachers, interaction with curators, administration, staff of the dean's office, heads of educational departments and various public organizations ^[13]. Students' satisfaction with relationships with different university communities, with teaching and support staff is included in the indicators of adaptation at the university ^[14]. Against the background of excessive social resources (volunteering, mentoring, guidance, participation in grants, work at boiling points, etc.), the student himself can occupy several positions with the appropriate set of requirements, norms and rules of conduct – a student, a subordinate, a member of a public organization ^[5], which turns out to be significant for the actual adaptation at the university, both for the formation of professional identity and for further professional career.

Academic adaptation of students at a university is widely understood as a construct reflecting the student's perception of various phenomena related to personality (physical and psychological well-being, learning and time management skills), relationships with colleagues and teachers, the quality of an educational institution, and career prospects ^[15]. In the research of Russian scientists, academic adaptation is interpreted as the process and result of the student's adaptation to various circumstances of the educational environment, including physical, material, social, cognitive, and environmental components ^[12]. In a narrower sense, academic adaptation is considered as one of the aspects of university adaptation along with social, personal and emotional adaptation and institutional commitment ^[16]. It characterizes the success of students' coping with the educational requirements of the university ^[16], being fixed in the results of students' solving academic tasks, academic achievements and general satisfaction with the learning environment ^[17-18]. An additional incentive for monitoring academic adaptation is not only the availability of various levels, directions, forms and methods of education, but also the preparation provided at the university for a flexible change of professions and specialties (digital departments, electives, various forms of vocational training, etc.). As a result, many students, having completed a bachelor's degree in one specialty, continue their studies in a master's degree in another specialty that has nothing to do with the first one. This cannot but affect the formation of students' professional identity, their choice of a professional career in a particular field, and even more so, the choice of a particular adaptation strategy at the university. As shown in studies ^{[13; 19]}, the specifics of adaptation and the ratio of its types depend on the course, methods, form of study, and educational conditions, which preserves the research trend of creating one's own methodological tools for studying adaptation in the form of structured interviews ^{[7; 10; 17]} and questionnaires ^[19]. And for every teacher, there are obvious differences in the specific behaviors that students deploy in the context of preparing for classes, passing exams, and writing scientific papers. In other words, the processes of socio-psychological or academic adaptation in one way or another affect not only the severity of adaptation, but also the formation of professional identity, the choice of a professional career in the relevant field. And, therefore, there is a reason to consider the results of the adaptation process, concerning not only the actual adaptation at the university, but also the potential willingness of the student to work in the specialty received at the university.

Based on these considerations, we turned to the interpretation of student adaptation, which A.V. Karpov considers as the process of a person's entry into a set of roles and forms of activity at a university, the process of meaningful and creative adaptation of an individual to the peculiarities of his chosen profession and specialty through the educational process ^[20]. In this definition, we see an emphasis on the main aspects of adaptation; on emphasizing the active role of the subject of adaptation, depending on the content of the roles being mastered and professional tasks; on the instrumentality of the educational process for future professional work.

The previously noted trend towards updating research on student adaptation is accompanied by a shift in emphasis on the need to study individual adaptation strategies ^{[11; 16]}, which students choose in the university educational environment, depending not only on personal characteristics, but also on their own assessments of the situation, attitude to learning, course, form and methods of teaching ^{[16; 18; 21; 22]}. The adaptation process itself is considered as an active and not always conscious formation of strategies and ways of mastering the situation by the subject ^[23].

In other words, the procedural content of individual adaptation at the university represents the content of strategies that students build in order to achieve acceptable entry and functioning in the university educational environment, taking into account its conditions, various forms, other subjects (university administration, teachers, support staff, students, representatives of public organizations of the university, etc.), as well as their own individual capabilities..

Based on ideas about the structure of a person's life ^[24] and career ^[25] strategy, in a broad sense, we consider the student adaptation strategy as a stable form of organization of specific behavioral attitudes and actions corresponding to the educational and professional career aspirations and capabilities of the subject, ensuring active mastery of the content of the acquired roles and professional tasks through the educational process. The structure of the academic adaptation strategy, in our opinion, includes motivational-target (learning motives and professional and career motives); cognitive-evaluative (assessment of one's capabilities); behavioral or operational (methods of action and attitudes) components.

With regard to the content of individual strategies, which is the subject of our research, this article considers only the behavioral or operational component, which is based on the aspirations of the subject and his assessment of his capabilities in the conditions and circumstances of obtaining a professional education at a university. These individual strategies are studied here as behavioral adaptation strategies.

In general, there are ideas about the predominance of individual adaptation strategies aimed at transforming the subject's environment or at self-transformation of the subject in this environment. These ideas echo the views of K. Abulkhanova-Slavskaya about the types of human life activity as ways for a person to connect external and internal tendencies of life based on the people around them, on internal possibilities, on the combination of external circumstances and internal tendencies ^[24].

Various adaptation strategies lead to different outcomes: in specific situations, their effect on adaptation can be positive, negative, or indifferent ^{[16; 26]}, turning out to be a resource in some cases, and a risk for adaptation in others ^[22].

The effectiveness of adaptation strategies is considered in the context of the effectiveness of the adaptation process, traditionally assessed by the severity of actual adaptation based on objective and subjective indicators. The first include the normative characteristics of the success of students' educational, social, and scientific activities; the second include satisfaction (with activities, situation, environment, and team), and well-being indicators ^{[5; 11; 16]}.

Taking into account the interpretations of adaptation and adaptation strategies that we have adopted, we consider it advisable to consider the actual effectiveness and potential effectiveness of these strategies. The actual effectiveness of the adaptation strategy is reflected in the student's adaptation indicators at the university, which are recorded at the current moment in accordance with the two main aspects of university adaptation - socio-psychological and activity.

Taking into account the patterns of professional development of a specialist, student adaptation strategies are deployed at the stage of university professional training, which contributes to the professional differentiation and specialization of students, and the formation of their professional identity at this stage. ^{[3; 4; 27; 28; 29]} and to achieve the main, ultimate goal of the educational process of any university - the training of highly qualified personnel in this professional field.. In this regard, the adaptation strategy has potential effectiveness, which reflects the professional identity achieved by the student and his confidence (self-esteem) to work in his specialty. Psychologically, the potential effectiveness of the adaptation strategy indicates the student's commitment to the acquired specialty when choosing a job.

Professional identity is considered by L.B. Schneider as a result of the processes of professional self-determination, personalization and self-organization, which manifests itself in the subject's awareness of himself as a representative of a certain profession and professional community, as a certain degree of identification –differentiation of himself with "Business" and "Others" ^[4]. Without excluding the possibility of forming a professional identity before receiving professional education ^[4], researchers are unanimous about the formation of professional identity precisely at the stage of obtaining professional education at a university. According to some authors, the first year is critical for the formation of professional identity: it was recorded among medical students of the 1st year, where it was higher than other people who did not master this program, and especially high among those students who already worked in healthcare ^[29]. In another work ^[30], it was shown that professional identity is formed discretely, unevenly, and individually. Its achieved level is recorded by the middle of university studies among psychology students involved in scientific and professional activities, and by the end of the training, professional identity was even associated with a specific professional specialization ^[30]. Based on the results of studying students of different specialties from 28 universities, researchers have found that the low identification with their profession, characteristic of undergraduate students, negatively affects their intention to build their career within the framework of their professional education and work in their specialty ^[28]. It is shown that those university students who were highly active in their studies, participated in the activities of scientific and practical laboratories and research, and actively "tried" themselves in various fields of activity during their junior years, not limiting themselves to studies or focusing mainly on study ^[31].

According to E.F. Zeer. The formation of professional identity and readiness for future practical activity in the specialty is the main thing for the final stage of professional education ^[3]. One of the criteria for the success of passing this stage is precisely the identification of oneself with the future profession ^[3] or the willingness of students to work in their specialty ^[5].

Based on these provisions, we have undertaken a study aimed at establishing the types and effectiveness of behavioral adaptation strategies for students.

The subject of the study is the behavioral strategies of students' adaptation to higher education: the theoretical object is the adaptation of students to higher education.

The methodological foundations of the research were the principle of unity of consciousness and activity; ideas about adaptation in higher education (A.V. Karpov) and its two sides - socio-psychological and activity (R.M. Shamionov et al.), about the process of adaptation as the formation of a strategy by the subject (L.G. Dikaya.), about the life and career strategies of the individual (K.A. Abulkhanova-Slavskaya, Author, T.N. Berlova), on the deployment of adaptation strategies for students at the stage of professional training (E.A. Klimov, A.K. Markova, E.F. Zeer), on the specifics of success rates at this stage (E.F. Zeer, L.B. Schneider).

Research methods: questionnaires; testing (methodology "Adaptation of students in higher education" (T.D. Dubovitskaya, A.V. Krylova); methodology of professional identity research - MIPI (L. Schneider); self-assessment of readiness for adequate professional activity.

The empirical object of the study was 358 university students (Rostov-on-Don, SFU) specializing in psychology, of whom 44 1st-year students, 72 2nd-year students, 33 3rd-year students and 10 4th-year students studying in the specialty: 71 1st-year students, 90 2nd year students; Master's degree students: 27 1st year students and 11 2nd year students. The average age of undergraduate students is 19.8 years, specialty students are 19 years old, and graduate students are 36.3 years old.

The coverage of students of different courses and levels of higher education is justified by the following results of previous studies at the university. Despite the predominant study of adaptation features in students of the 1st year of study, which is assessed as the most significant and difficult to master new social information ^[16], it is reported that the adaptation of students in the first year covers only a third of students ^[32] and ends by the 3rd year ^[28]. It should also be noted that undergraduate and graduate students study during the day, while graduate students study in the afternoon and work at the same time.

The questionnaire items included questions about the demographic data of the respondents, as well as a description of the behavioral manifestations of students, ensuring their adaptation to university studies, which had to be evaluated on a 10-point scale; where 1 point - absolutely disagree, and 10 points — absolutely agree. 4 teachers (more than 6 years of work experience), students of the 2nd and 3rd courses (heads of groups and student scientific societies) participated in the formulation of the questionnaire points.

The methodology "Adaptation of students in higher education", developed by T.D. Dubovitskaya and A.V. Krylova, made it possible to assess the severity of adaptation to the study group and adaptation to learning activities, i.e. to evaluate the most obvious components of adaptation. Using the MIPI methodology (L. Schneider), indicators of students' professional identity were obtained. Self-assessment of willingness to work in the acquired specialty after graduation was recorded by answering the question: "I will work in the acquired specialty after graduation." The answers were evaluated on a 10-point scale, where 1 point means absolutely disagree, and 10 points — absolutely agree. As a result, the severity of indicators of adaptability to the study group and to educational activities were considered as empirical indicators of the actual effectiveness of strategies, and indicators of professional identity and self-assessment of willingness to work in the specialty were considered as potential effectiveness of strategies. To determine the effectiveness of adaptation strategies, correlations were established between the severity of a particular type of strategy and the severity of specific performance indicators for samples of 1-2-year undergraduate and specialist students, for a sample of 1-year graduate students and the general sample of students participating in the study.

Statistical processing of the results was carried out using factor analysis, descriptive statistics, and Pearson correlation. Factor analysis, as well as verification of assumptions about the normality of distributions, were performed in the Factor Analysis, Multiple Regression, and Descriptive Statistics modules (Shapiro-Wilks' W-test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality criterion for general populations with Lilliefors probabilities adjusted for sample observations) of the Tibco statistica 13.3 program.

The results and their discussion.

Based on the results of a factorial (Varimax raw, Principal components) analysis of indicators – point estimates of responses to questionnaire questions - a 7-factor solution was obtained for the entire sample of respondents, explaining 61.8% of the variance (Table 1). The subsequent analysis of the content of the leading responses, according to the respondents' estimates, which received high weights in each of the factors [>0.6], allowed us to identify and meaningfully identify the types of behavioral adaptation strategies.

Table 1 - Results of a factor analysis of student scores on questionnaire questions (FactorLoadings (Varimaxraw), Extraction: Principalcomponents)

*Note: The table contains only answers to questions with weights > 0.6; weights > 0.6 are shown in bold.

Let's describe the content of each of the obtained factors.

Factor 1 includes the following responses with high positive weights: to join various student communities and chats on social networks where information about studies is shared (0.697), to draw on the experience of undergraduates (0.617), to join various student public organizations of the university (0.613). This factor was identified as a Strategy for finding social and informational support.

In works devoted to the links between students' activity in social networks, public organizations, contacts with other students, on the one hand, and university adaptability and academic performance. ^{[9; 13; 17; 33; 34]}, On the other hand, the positive influence of students' Internet activity on their adaptation to the educational environment is shown. university ^{[9; 13]}, on academic adaptation and socialization of foreign students ^[17]. It is noted that this influence is mediated by the course of study, the time spent on the Internet and is reflected in academic performance as one of the indicators of academic adaptation. An increase in academic performance under the influence of Internet activity was recorded only among students in the first year, and not in the senior years ^[33]. However, the duration and excessive communication in networks, which contributes to the formation of addiction, can negatively affect academic performance ^[34]. It has also been shown that direct communication with students, and especially with highly successful ones, plays a positive role for the adaptation and academic performance of foreign students ^{[32; 33]}.

In all cases, students' online activity and direct communication are integral attributes of the educational process, reflecting students' desire to actively collect and exchange information to solve the problems of interaction with the social environment that arise before them.

Factor 2 includes answers with high positive weights: skillfully use cheat sheets, ready-made test tasks, gadgets, headphones, etc. (0.852); work can be downloaded online, borrowed from undergraduates, bought, etc. (0.882). This factor has been identified as a strategy of academic deception.

Researchers discuss academic deception or fraud (cheating, guestwriting – the practice of ordering and purchasing academic papers, using cheat sheets during exams; plagiarism; submitting papers done by others; obtaining exam results before the exam, etc.) of students at a university as a generally recognized, expanding, but hushed-up phenomenon ^{[14; 35; 36]}. According to the results of the study, cheating is common in Russian universities, regardless of the type of university ^[36], about 43.6% of students are prone to cheating either at the level of attitudes or at the behavioral level ^[14] and the forms of student fraud vary in acceptability, censure and prevalence ^[35].

Factor 3 includes the following answers with high positive weights: become the head of the study group (0.63), participate in the scientific research of the department (0.692), become a laboratory assistant /staff member of the department (0.769). This factor has been identified as a Strategy for gaining a status position. The desire for a higher social status among students is assessed as a factor contributing to the correct interpretation of social information, their assimilation of group norms and values and better adaptation to the social environment ^[13]. In fact, this strategy involves building an educational and professional career while studying at a university, when a full-time student simultaneously works at the relevant department ^[25].

Factor 4 includes, with a positive weight load, the answer: "study the educational material recommended by teachers" (0.703). This factor has been identified as a Strategy of Academic Diligence.

The commitment of students to participate in educational activities and following the recommendations of the teacher as a subject with similar professional interests are regarded as factors of engagement and positive experience at the university ^{[29; 37]}, as contributing to the establishment of an adequate pace of learning and minimizing frustration ^[21]. Along with this, excessive diligence in the educational process is discussed as a sign of social maladaptation, since social anxiety and anxiety can be compensated by students due to high involvement in learning ^[38].

Factor 5 includes student responses with positive weight loads: to be friends with the headman/professional consultant (0.696); the opportunity to contact the department management (0.614). This factor reflects the students' focus on interacting with their superiors in status and was called the Strategy of using an administrative resource. This factor may reflect the student's desire to find a mentor, to obtain additional information, and protection.

Factor 6 is represented with high positive loads of responses: to be able to be "beautiful" speak (0.758); be able to demonstrate zeal (0.791). We have identified this factor as a Strategy for presenting Academic Inclusion. The results of the study are useful for discussing this strategy, indicating the presence of a significant negative relationship between the indicators of the Scale "attitude towards socially benevolent responses" and the didactic and professional components of university adaptation ^[39]. The author of the cited work evaluates the behavior of people who are perceived by them as undesirable and not conforming to social values and requirements by mimicking these social requirements. In another work, it was shown that the creation of an image of a socially necessary member of society in the process of self-presentation is typical for students with a destructive type of adaptation ^[40].

Factor 7 is represented with high positive loads of answers: responsibly and independently prepare for the exam (0.802), write all the work yourself (0.758). The factor was designated as a Strategy of academic independence. It was shown that students who are able to study independently (individual curriculum) had fewer problems with adaptation, for example, to distance learning than full-time students ^[21].

Further, based on the determination of each respondent's dominant individual factor score (as a result of the procedure of quartering standardized scores for each respondent for each of the factors), groups of students of different levels and courses of study at the university were analyzed – subjects of choosing a particular type of behavioral adaptation strategy. The percentage distribution of these students in each of the courses of the corresponding level of education made it possible to compare the distribution of their adaptation strategies (Tables 2, 3).

The distribution of undergraduate students according to the course and the prevailing type of strategy is shown in Table 2.

Table 2 - Distribution by bachelor's degree courses (in%), who predominantly chose certain types of adaptation strategies (the number of students in the corresponding course of study was taken as 100%)

It follows from Table 2 that in the 1st year of undergraduate studies, students who choose strategies for Finding social and informational support (18.8%), Status position (18.85%), and Use of administrative resources (18.8%) predominate. This is followed by the presentation strategies chosen by the students for academic inclusion (15.9%), Academic Diligence (11.36%) and Academic Independence (11.36%). Students with a choice of an Administrative deception strategy remain in the minority (6.82%).

In the 2nd year of study, students who prefer the strategy of Administrative deception (19.44%) dominate, followed by students who choose strategies for the Presentation of academic inclusion and Status position (in each case, 18.05%), the use of administrative resources (13.89%) and Academic diligence (11.1%). Students with strategies for Seeking social and informational support and Academic independence remain in the minority (9.72% in each case).

Among 3rd-year bachelors, there is a predominance of students who choose strategies of Academic deception (27.27%) and Presentation of academic inclusion (27.27%), followed by students who choose a strategy of Academic independence (15.15%), as well as the Search for social and informational support, Status position and Academic diligence (in each case, 9.09%). Students with a strategy of using Administrative Resources remain in the minority (3.03%).

The sample of 4th year bachelors is small to determine the percentage of students with a particular strategy. However, we have presented here the results indicating the predominance of social and informational support search strategies (30%) and Status position (30%). Strategies related to Academic Deception and Academic Independence are not chosen.

The dynamics of the distribution of undergraduate students who indicated a particular adaptation strategy is as follows: from the 1st year to the 3rd year, there is an increase in the number of students who prefer the strategy of Academic deception, the Presentation of academic inclusion and Academic independence. Along with this, the proportion of students choosing strategies for Finding social and informational support, Having a status position, Academic diligence, and Using administrative resources is decreasing.

The distribution of students of the specialty and master's degree programs in accordance with the course and the choice of a particular strategy is shown in Table 3.

Table 3 - Distribution of specialty and master's degree students by course (in%), who mostly chose certain types of adaptation strategies (the number of students in the corresponding course of study was taken as 100%)

It follows from Table 3 that in the 1st year of study, students who choose strategies for Finding social and informational support (18.31%) and Having a status position (18.31%) predominate in the specialty. This is followed in descending order by students with strategies of Academic deception and Presentation of academic inclusion (11.26% in each case), strategies of Academic Diligence (8.45%) and Academic Independence (7.04%). Students who choose an Administrative Resource strategy remain in the minority (2.35%).

In the 2nd year of study, the specialty is dominated by students who choose a strategy of Status position and Academic independence (20% in each case), followed by students with strategies of Administrative Resource (14.44%), Search for social and informational support (13.33%), Academic deception and Academic diligence (in each case cases of 12.2%). Students who choose a strategy for Presenting academic inclusion remain in the minority (7.77%).

In general, the dynamics of the distribution of specialty students choosing one or another adaptation strategy is as follows: from the 1st year to the 2nd year, there is an increase in the number of specialty students choosing various strategies, excluding strategies for finding social and informational support and presenting academic inclusion.

The following distribution of student choices is noted in the 1st year of the master's degree: the strategy of academic independence (29.62%) is in 1st place, followed by the strategy of academic diligence (25.93%), social and informational support (22.2%), status position (11.11%) and administrative resource (7.45%). The strategy of administrative deception is minimally presented (3.7%), and the strategy of presenting academic inclusion is practically not chosen.

The sample of 2-year masters, as well as 4-year bachelors, is small, but in this case we presented the results of the distribution of students who chose one strategy or another: the strategy of academic diligence (36.36%) is represented as much as possible, the strategy of having a status position (9.09%) and academic independence (9.09%) is minimal. Strategies for Using administrative resources and Presenting academic inclusion have not been selected.

The dynamics of the distribution of master's degree students choosing one or another adaptation strategy is as follows: from the 1st year of study to the 2nd year, there is an increase in the choice of strategies of academic deception and academic diligence. Along with this, the proportion of students choosing strategies for finding social and informational support, status positions, and academic independence is decreasing. Strategies for using administrative resources and presenting academic inclusion are not selected.

Thus, the strategies chosen by students and their dynamics vary depending on the course and the level of education they receive. The exception is the strategy of academic deception, the dynamics of the choice of which in the range from 1st to 2nd year demonstrates an increase in the number of choices of other strategies, regardless of the level of education of students. The peak of the severity of the choice of this strategy occurs among bachelors in both the 2nd and 3rd years. These results coincide with the results of sociological studies, which report a clear pattern of an increase in the frequency of fraudulent practices from the first year to the second ^[14].

To establish the effectiveness of adaptation strategies, a correlation analysis was carried out, which revealed significant relationships between the severity of a particular strategy and indicators of its actual (adaptability to the study group and to educational activities) and potential (professional identity and self-assessment of willingness to work in the acquired specialty) effectiveness. The results of the correlation analysis on a sample of undergraduate students of 1-2 courses, graduate students of 1-2 courses and graduate students of 1 year of study are presented, respectively, in Tables 4,5,6.

Table 4 - Values of correlation coefficients (r-Pearson; p<0.05) between the severity of the adaptation strategy and its effectiveness in undergraduate students of 1-2 courses

Note: "-" is not installed.

For undergraduate students of 1-2 courses, the presence of significant correlation coefficients between each of the indicators of adaptability, professional identity and self-assessment of readiness for activity and the severity of strategies of Academic deception and the Presentation of academic inclusion has not been established.

Table 5 - Values of correlation coefficients (r-Pearson; p<0.05) between the severity of the adaptation strategy and its effectiveness in students of 1-2 courses of specialization

Note: "-" is not installed.

For undergraduate students of 1-2 courses, the presence of significant correlation coefficients between each of the indicators of adaptability, professional identity and self-assessment of readiness for activity and the severity of strategies of Academic deception and the Presentation of academic inclusion has not been established.

Table 6 - Values of correlation coefficients (r-Pearson; p<0.05) between the severity of the adaptation strategy and its effectiveness in 1st year Master's degree students

Note: "-" is not installed.

For 1st-year master's degree students, significant correlations have been established only for the severity of the status position strategy and the indicator of adaptability to the study group.

The results of the correlation analysis indicate that the effectiveness of students' adaptation strategies depends on their level of education. This is indirectly consistent with the results of other studies, which have established the specifics and correlation of types of adaptation depending on the course, methods, form of education, and educational conditions ^{[13; 19]}.

Our study revealed that indicators of adaptability to the group and adaptability to study are positively associated with the choice of the strategy of Academic independence for bachelors and the strategy of Seeking social and informational support for students of the specialty. For masters, only indicators of adaptability to study are positively associated with the choice of a strategy for acquiring a status position.

Each of the indicators of readiness for professional activity (professional identity and self-assessment of readiness) is positively associated with the severity of the strategy of Having a status position among bachelors and the strategy of Academic diligence among students of a specialty. Bachelor's students' self-assessment of their willingness to work in their specialty is also positively associated with the choice of strategies for finding social and informational support, academic diligence and the use of administrative resources, while specialist students have strategies for academic independence.

In general, it can be said that at the initial stages of education and depending on its level, some student adaptation strategies are positive for university adaptation (current performance), while others are positive for professional readiness (potential performance).

To determine the effectiveness of adaptation strategies among students as a whole, a correlation analysis was performed for the sample under study, as a result of which the relationship between the severity of a particular strategy and its performance indicators was established (Table 7). Note that in this case, the presence of significant correlation coefficients has been selectively established, and no significant correlation has been established between the indicators of interest to choose a strategy for the Presentation of academic inclusion.

Table 7 - Values of correlation coefficients (r-Pearson; p<0.05) between the severity of the adaptation strategy and its effectiveness for the entire sample of students

*Note: "-" is not installed.

It follows from table 7 that the effectiveness of the strategy is determined by its type.

Among the strategies, the choice of which is positively associated with indicators of university adaptability and at the same time with indicators of readiness for activity (self-assessment of readiness), strategies for Searching for socio-informational and Academic independence have been established. In other words, the active collection and exchange of information to solve the problems facing students, and responsible independence in learning are positive predictors of students' adaptation to university and their confidence (self-esteem) to work in their specialty.

The choice of a status position strategy or an Academic diligence strategy is positively associated with each of the indicators of readiness for professional activity – professional identity and self-assessment of readiness. The results obtained in relation to the strategy of Having a status position coincide with the data of other studies, in which the desire for a higher social status among students is assessed as a factor contributing to the correct interpretation of social information, their assimilation of group norms and values ^[13] and suggests, already at the stage of university studies, an attempt by a student to build an educational and professional career during his studies ^[25]. The strategy of academic diligence involves the student following the instructions of a teacher who has professional interests that coincide with the content of professional training. In this regard, both of these strategies bring the student closer to work in his specialty due to the formed professional identity and a high assessment of his own readiness to work in accordance with his specialty.

In the case of choosing a strategy for Using an administrative resource, there is a negative relationship for the indicator of professional identity and a positive relationship for self-assessment of readiness. In other words, the students' focus on interacting with their superiors leads to an increase in confidence in working in their specialty, but does not provide a professional identity.

The choice of an Academic deception strategy is negatively related to the indicator of adaptability to academic activities (-0.125) and to the indicator of professional identity (-0.106). The practice of fraud acts as a predictor for low academic adaptation of students and hinders the formation of their professional identity.

Conclusion

So, the revealed significant relationships between the severity of a particular behavioral strategy among students receiving education in 1-2 courses, and indicators of its actual (adaptability to the study group and to educational activities) and potential (professional identity and self-assessment of willingness to work in their specialty) effectiveness, allow us to say the following. At the initial stages of education and depending on its level, some student adaptation strategies are positive for university adaptation (current performance), while others are positive for professional readiness (potential performance).

The significant correlations identified for the entire sample of students between the severity of a particular behavioral strategy and indicators of its actual (adaptability to the study group and to educational activities) and potential (professional identity and self-assessment of willingness to work in their specialty) effectiveness, allow us to conclude that a particular strategy provides different effectiveness.

The choice of strategies for acquiring a status position or Academic diligence leads to positive potential performance, manifested in the expression of professional identity and high self-esteem of students' willingness to work in their specialty.

The choice of the presentation strategy for academic inclusion turned out to be neutral in terms of actual and potential impact.

The choice of a strategy for Using an administrative resource leads to contradictory potential results, manifested in a low expression of professional identity against the background of a high self-esteem of willingness to work in a specialty.

The choice of an Academic Deception strategy leads to negative actual and potential performance, which is manifested in low adaptability to academic activities and low formation of professional identity.

Due to the representation of the behavioral strategy of Academic deception at the university as a socially undesirable practice, it is advisable to widely inform students, first of all, about its negative counterproductive effect, which prevents adaptation to academic activities and the formation of professional identity. Along with this, it is advisable to discuss the content of such strategies as the Search for social support and Academic independence, ensuring both university adaptability and commitment to work in the specialty. Obviously, this kind of information will be useful for supervisors, the teaching staff in general, the staff of the psychological service of the university, and employers.

This article presents only the types of the behavioral component of the adaptation strategy, other components of the adaptation strategy are not considered, and the samples of senior students are small. The search for answers to such questions may provide a perspective for further research.

In general, the results of the conducted research allow us to draw the following conclusions.

1. The strategy of academic adaptation is considered by us in a broad sense as corresponding to the educational and professional-career aspirations and capabilities of the subject, a stable form of organization of specific behavioral attitudes and actions, ensuring active mastery of the content of the acquired roles and professional tasks through the educational process. In a narrow sense, the behavioral adaptation strategy is a stable form of student organization of specific behavioral attitudes and actions, ensuring active mastery of the content of the acquired roles and professional tasks through the educational process.

2. The types of behavioral student adaptation strategies have been identified, the severity and dynamics of the choice of which vary depending on the course and the level of education received at the university.

3. As an effect of adaptation strategies, it is proposed to consider their actual and potential effectiveness; recorded by empirical indicators of the severity of adaptation to the group and to educational activities, as well as by the severity of professional identity and the level of self-assessment of readiness to work in the specialty.

4. It has been established that a particular behavioral adaptation strategy chosen by students is selective in terms of its actual and potential effectiveness, depending on the course of study and level of education. In the process of psychological support for students, it is necessary to take into account the content of their chosen adaptation strategies in order to predict the success of university adaptation and achieve the main goal of the educational process of any university - the training of highly qualified personnel in this professional field.