Abstract:

The article presents the results of a study of a dynamics of value orientations of university teachers in the changing conditions of the academic environment.

The aim of the study was to identify the actual professional values of higher education teachers (levels 5-8 according to the international standard classification of education ISCED 2011) of different age groups.

The author was faced with following research tasks: the formation of distinctive features of the professional values of higher school teachers; analysis of professional values of higher education teachers in three age groups: up to 35 years old – young people, from 36 to 55 years old – mature generation and over 56 years old generation passing on experience in time retrospective; identification of differences in the understanding of professional values of the studied age groups of teachers; identification of factors that can influence the formation of professional values of teachers.

The object of the study was the teachers of the Ural Federal University - the largest university in Russia, occupying the fourth line in the ranking among Russian universities included in the rating of the international agency QS (University Subject Rankings -2021). The identification of professional values was carried out using quantitative and qualitative research methods: a survey in 2018, 2019, 2020, expert interviews in 2019. The sample consisted of 2018 (N = 1002), 2019 (N = 1018), 2020 (N = 1249).

The result of the study was the construction of a hierarchy of professional values of teachers of different age groups and the identification of factors influencing the change in the value core of academic professionals. A hypothesis has been proved about a significant difference in the hierarchy of professional values between young teachers under 30 and teachers over 55. The hypothesis about the different influence of the same transformation factors on the structure of professional values of teachers belonging to different age groups has been confirmed. It revealed significant differences in the understanding of the profession of a teacher of higher education and the mission of the university as a social institution among different generations of teachers.

Keywords:

Academic professionals, professional values of higher education teachers, transformation of the academic environment, the formation of professional values.