ISSN 0798 1015

Vol. 40 (Number 33) Year 2019. Page 21

Research of the relationship between the social expectations and professional training of lyceum students studying in the field of shipbuilding

Investigación de la relación entre las expectativas sociales y la formación profesional de los estudiantes de la escuela profesional del campo de la construcción naval

POPOVYCH, Ihor S. 1; BLYNOVA, Olena Ye. 2; ALEKSIEIEVA, Mariia I. 3; NOSOV, Pavlo S. 4; ZAVATSKA, Nataliia Ye. 5 & SMYRNOVA, Olena O. 6

Received: 04/06/2019 • Approved: 25/09/2019 • Published 30/09/2019

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Materials and methods

3. Results

4. Discussion and conclusions

Bibliographic references

1. Introduction

The psychology of social expectations of the individual, the design of the future, the research of the image on the desired life, the substantiation of the psychological practices of modeling the future, the choice of the future profession – are the key priorities of the present. These problems do not stay behind the psychological laws of the training and training of future shipbuilders. The organization of vocational training of lyceums in the field of shipbuilding requires us to plan “tomorrow” clearly. It actualizes the need for theoretical substantiation and an empirical study of the relationship between the impact of social expectations on the professional training of shipbuilder lyceum students.

In the scientific psychological literature it has been researched and grounded that social expectations are the basic psychological mechanism of self-regulation of personality behavior (Boryshevsky, 2012). Other researchers have proposed a model for self-regulation of the behavior and suggest that when difficulties arise, favorable expectations increase people's efforts to achieve their goals, while adverse expectations reduce these efforts (Scheier et al., 1994). It is shown that through reflection, analysis and self-analysis of their qualities, actions, self-activity, self-assessment is formed as the ability of the subject to analyze his inner world and on this basis, through functions, to ensure the work of social expectations as the basic psychological mechanism of self-regulation of personality behavior (Popovych, 2014a; Popovych, 2014b). Social expectations, as the psychological state of the individual, reflect the relation between the subjective assessment of the actual situation of interaction and the perceptions of the individual about himself as a subject of behavior in this situation (Tyshkovsky, 1998).  The study of economic expectations and its impact on the choice of study at the university, studied on the subject of industrial construction cause scientific interest. The relationship between technical career, wage expectations and university reputation has been studied (Morales et al., 2017).

Social expectations are endowed with the ability to create a certain educational environment in which vectors, as well as certain limitations of possible behavioral patterns are formed. The investigation of the mechanisms of the environment influence will lead to the formation of such social expectations, which will lead to high performance of the educational process (Nechayev, 2015).

The literature review shows that the problem of the relationship of social expectations and professional training of lyceum students is relevant and not well-studied. It is important to study the psychological content parameters of the social expectations of the lyceum studies, to create and implement a program of molding experiment, to conduct a control section and a comparative analysis.

The authors suggest that the psychological content parameters of the social expectations of the lyceum students of the professional shipbuilding lyceum influence the subject control, sensory-life orientation and affect their motivational sphere, namely the expected result.

The purpose of the study is to restore the social and professional training of lyceum students; the aim of the research is to develop a set of psychological and social parameters of social studies with the help of subspecialized control, sensory organization, motivational sphere of lyceum students, optimization of development and psycho correction of those who were studied.

Students of the second and third year of study from the State Educational Institution “Kherson Shipbuilding Professional Lyceum” [KSPL] of vocational education of Ukraine took part in the research, a total of 251 individuals. Lyceum students have got specialty: electro-gas welders, electric welders, locksmith, turning, milling machine. The average age of the sample was 16.7 years (SD = 1.9, range 16-27 years). The sample was 97.7% of men and 2.3% of women.

Based on Hollingshead four factor index (Hollingshead, 1975), the participants’ families corresponded to the following categories: 8.5% low Familiar Socioeconomic-Status (FSS), 21.7% FSS low-medium, 24.4% FSS medium, 24.3% FSS medium-high, 19.1% FSS high, and the 2.0% did not provide information.

During the academic semester, psycho diagnostic instruments were used, which measured the parameters studied. The questionnaire “Level of social expectations” (“LSE”) (Popovych, 2017): the level of social expectations of personality (LSEp), the level of awareness of the expected events (LAEp), the level of the expected attitude towards the participants of interpersonal interaction (LEAp), the level of the expected performance (LEPp). The responses were evaluated by means of the bipolar semantic differential scale, its value was within the range of -3 (absolutely disagree) and +3 (absolutely agree). The reliability index obtained with the α-Cronbach statistics was α = .788. The questionnaire “Level of subjective control” (“LSC”) (Rotter, 1966): general internality (GI), internality in the area of achievements (IA), internality in the area of failures (IF), internality in relationships (IR), internality in the area of labor relations (ILR), internality concerning health and illness (ІHI). Answers were evaluated by a similar bipolar semantic differential scale. The reliability index obtained with the α-Cronbach statistics was α = .823. “Purpose in Life Test” (“PIL”) (Leontiev, 2006): life goals (LG), process (P), result (R), locus of control – Self (LCS), locus of control – life (LCL), general awareness of life (GAL). Twenty pairs of assertions were evaluated by the Steppe bipolar scale, the values of which ranged from 0 (both statements are equally equal) to 3 (absolutely agree). The reliability index obtained with the α-Cronbach statistics was α = .803. The questionnaire “The level of aspirations of personality” (“LAP”) (Herbachevskyi, 1990): internal motif (IM), cognitive motif (CM), avoidance motif (AM), the motif of competition (MC), the motif of changing activity (MCA), the motif of self-respect (MS), the significance of results (SR), task complexity (TC), volitional effort (VE), estimation of the level of the achieved results (ELAR), estimation of personal potential (EPP), the projected level of mobilizing efforts (PLME), the expected level of results (ELR), regularity of results (RR), initiative (I). Answers were evaluated by a similar bipolar semantic differential scale. The reliability score obtained with the α-Cronbach statistics was α = .849. Thus, all reliability indicators of α-Cronbach were within the limits of (.7) and high levels (.9).

The study consisted of three phases: a recording slice, a molding experiment, and a control slice. At the qualifying stage psychological content parameters were determined by the questionnaires “LSE”, “LSC”, “PIL” and “LAP”. Each lyceum filled out questionnaires and a newsletter with socio demographic characteristics. The participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous. Lyceum students reported that there were no good or bad answers, and that the answer should be chosen according to their own experience. Particular attention was paid to ensuring the confidentiality of the data received and avoiding casual responses. Two members of the research team were present at the audience to find out doubts and help if needed. At the stage of the forming experiment, a program for optimization of development and psycho correction of social expectations was created and implemented. Experimental (n = 21) and control groups (n = 23) consisted of groups of electricians and electric welder lyceum students of the second year of study. The implementation of the program was carried out during the academic semester. At the end of the semester, a control bundle was made and a comparison of the results of the experimental and control groups was carried out.

The research is conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the committee on the rights of experiments Helsinki Declaration (“WMA Declaration of Helsinki”, 2013).

Statistic processing of empirical data and graphical presentation of results were performed using statistical software “SPSS” v. 23.0 and “MS Excel”. Arithmetic mean value of parameters (M) and mean-square deviation (SD) were calculated. Evaluation of differences reliability of distinctions of average values of independent sample was carried out by parametrical methods with the help of Student’s t-test on the basis of normal Gaussian distribution of the studied quantitative characteristic. Differences between values of parameters at level р≤.05 considered statistically significant.

3.1. Recording stage of research

The purpose of the recording stage was to diagnose the characteristics of meaningful psychological parameters, to establish socio-psychological conditions for implementation, to identify factors of social expectations of the individual.  The measured parameters “LSE”, “LSC”, “PIL” and “LAP” are measured, based on the scale of the arithmetic mean value (M) and the mean-square deviation (SD) presented in Table 1.

Table 1
Average values and mean-square deviations
of scales of the studied parameters (n = 251)

Note: M – arithmetic mean; SD – mean-square deviation.

The implementation of the questionnaire “Level of social expectations” (“LSE”) (Popovych, 2017) is methodologically substantiated, the investigated parameters qualitatively reflect the essence of the subject of research of lyceum students social expectations. The analysis of the socially-psychological substance of problem situations, which are researched, update the process of mental regulation. Psychological regulation of behavior is realized through cognition, emoticon and behavioral readiness to become special before moving. Cognitive, empowering and conduct is ready to respond to special needs of the community. This ability is a peculiar mental state or condition of the expected readiness to act. Expected readiness to act is operational zed through the following structural components: the constituent of the socio-psychological peculiarities of the person’s awareness of the predicted course of events, the component of the socio-psychological peculiarities of the person’s attitude to the participants of interpersonal interaction and the component of socio-psychological peculiarities of regulation of interpersonal interaction. These structural components are basic in determining the level of social expectations of the individual, determining the expected readiness to act, predicting the probable course of events.  The results of the questionnaire determine the structure of the social expectations of the subject. Establishing the relationship of social expectation parameters with the parameters presented in “LSC”, “PIL”, “LAP” is the next step of the research.

3.2. Interdependence of the studied parameters “LSE” with parameters “LSC”, “PIL”, “LAP”

We analyze the most stable connections between the chosen parameters under research (see table 2).

Table 2
Correlation matrix of interrelations
of investigated parameters

Note: * – statistical significance of p≤.05
** – statistical significance of p≤.01.

It should be noted that all parameters of social expectations have a significant correlation relationship (p≤.05; p≤.01) with parameters such as general internality (GI), internality in the area of achievements (IA), process (P), result (R), locus of control – life (LCL), general awareness of life (GAL), internal motif (IM), the motif of changing activity (MCA), the significance of results (SR), the expected level of results (ELR) and regularity of results (RR). None of the parameters of social expectations of a meaningful relationship (p≤.05; p≤.01) with parameters such as internality in the area of failures (IF), internality in relationships (IR), internal motif (IM), cognitive motif (CM), the motif of competition (MC), the motif of self-respect (MS), task complexity (TC), initiative (I). The most significant (p≤.01) is the ratio of LSEp with SR (-.460) and RR (.385); LAEp with LСL (.386) and with SR (-348); LEAp with RR (.378) and SR (-.355); LEPp with SR (-.440) and with RR (.367);  LSEp has the largest number of meaningful bonds: 15 (p≤.01) and 4 (p≤.05), LEPp – 13 (p≤.01) and 3 (p≤.05).The level of social expectations and the expected level of results are the key parameters of our study. The most dependent parameters are: LSEp and LEPp. The established relationships are taken into account when creating a program for optimizing development and psycho-correction of social expectations.

We can show clearly in Fig. 1 the levels of the studied parameters of social expectations of the qualifying phase of the research.

Figura 1
Characteristics of the levels of
social expectations of the subjects

Note: І –designation of the margin of error;
H – high; M – medium; L – low

The characteristics of the levels of social expectations of the subjects shows a uniformly distributed curve of empirical data, similar to the Gaussian distribution curve. Expected high average grades are in the range of 69.60% to 74.95% of the subjects, low levels – 12.06% to 17.81% and with a high level of 10.11% to 16.70% of the subjects. We note that only 10.11% of the respondents formed a high level of expected attitude towards participants of interpersonal interaction, and 11.76%, respectively, have a high level of expected performance. A significant part, 17.81% of the subjects, has a low level of expected performance, and only in 14.94% of the subjects – the low level of formation of the expected ratio. The established relationships, analyzed levels of parameters of the investigated phenomenon formed the basis of creating the program of the elective “Expected result”, which is realized in the next stage.

3.3. Formation stage of research

The essence of the formation experiment was to create an elective program “Expected Result”, which was aimed at optimizing the development and psycho-correction of social expectations of lyceum-shipbuilders. The program was implemented in the experimental group, which was formed by the training group of electric welders (n = 21), the second year of training. The attendance of lyceum students was voluntary. The program was compared with the control group, which was formed by the training group of electric and gas welders (n = 23), also in the second year of training.

The methodological basis for the development of the program was the system of principles of system-genetic, personality-activity, practical approaches to optimization of development and psycho correction of social expectations, humanistic theory of self-actualization and self-realization of personality, theory of self-regulation of activity and behavior (Popovych, 2017). The program provided an optional course “Expected Result” – 2 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits that were awarded during the academic semester. The special course combines several blocks, including theoretical, practical, final and independent work. The work of the theoretical block was to familiarize with the tasks, forms of work, preparation of the researchers for optimization of development and psycho correction of social expectations. The submission of material was carried out in the form of mini-lectures, frontal, individual conversations, group discussions. In the process of lecturing, material coverage of social expectations was carried out in the form of an open system capable of permanent replenishment and re-structuring. Lyceum students are oriented on constant learning of new knowledge about their expectations, forecasting the course of events, and constantly searching for new information. The purpose of the theoretical block was the formation and assimilation of the studied cognitive-complexes, which constitute the conceptual field of the constituent part of the socio-psychological peculiarities of the personality’s awareness of the predicted course of events. The significance of the positive relationship of knowledge about the predicted course of events (LAEp) with the following factors is taken into account: GI (.177**), ILR (.213**), LG (.247**), P (.179**), R (.186**), LСL (.386**), GAL (.315**), RR (.324**) and negative with MCA (-.223**) і SR (-.348**).

The practical block of the program is the most viable in combination of techniques, methods and content features that were implemented in the experimental group. Practical unit combines the following three areas of work: preventive, molding-development and psycho-correction. Prevention was through explanatory conversations and group discussions. Forming-developmental influences were realized through socio-psychological training, post-training support, business games, brainstorming, individual creative work. The individual work “Reflections on ourselves” gave the investigator the opportunity to understand deeper and more fully in himself, in relation to others, the importance of the procedural side of self-examination, the formation of the habit of thinking about his own actions, the actions of significant others, the real and expected behavior. One of the tasks in the context of this work was to identify their three positive and negative qualities and identify prospects for the development of their personality.  On a specially prepared psycho-correction sheet students completed individual work. The most influential factors in the formation of the expected attitude towards the participants in interpersonal interaction are: ІLR (.244**), LСL (.234**), SR (-355**) and RR (.378**). Active application has received the method of organizing experimental situations. Organized experimental situations were taken from the daily life of lyceum students. Permanent psycho-correction work, correction of each other, comparison of the expected image of the lyceum and the real, which reflects the group and its individual members, contributed to optimizing the development of adequate social expectations and self-expectations of the lyceum. The most influential factors in the formation of the expected result are: LСL (.318**), GAL (.374**), MCA (-.252**), SR (-440**), RR (.367**).

The final block of the research contributed to the generalization of the achievements of the formation experiment, the consolidation of preventive, formative, developmental and psycho-correctional influences, helped to identify the gaps formed at the previous stages of work, and only on the final block, we were able to find out and work with them. The final block logically progressed to the next stage of the research – the control.

3.4. Control phase of the research

We are able to highlight the results of the research on the parameters of social expectations of lyceum students. The control phase provided an assessment of the effectiveness of the implemented measures. The comparison of the experimental and control groups before the introduction of the elective course showed a lack of significant differences in the research indicators. Experimental and control groups were similar to the studied parameters at the beginning of the experiment, which was further confirmed by almost the same gender of the two groups: in the experimental and control groups all male participants. As our observations have shown, specially organized training creates a favorable development environment – a kind of educational space that influences the level of formation of parameters of social expectations of the subjects. We give a comparison of the studied parameters “LSE” in the experimental group (EG) and the control group (KG) before and after the formation experiment (Table 3).

Table 3
Comparison of the data of the studied parameters “LSE” in the experimental group (EG)
and the control group (CG) before and after the formation experiment

Note: Difference is relevant (p≤.01**; р≤.05*);
Significant indicators are highlighted in bold

The comparison of the indicators of the social expectations of the experimental group results before and after the molding experiment with the control group (see Figure 2), confirmed the effectiveness of the elective optional course “Expected result”.

In the experimental group (EG), there were recorded the significant positive changes in all parameters: the awareness of the predicted course of events (.005**; p≤ .01), the expected attitude to participants in interpersonal interaction (.009**; p≤.01), expected the results of the activity (.021**; p≤.01) and the level of social expectations of the subjects (.001**; p≤ .01).

Figura 2
Comparison of the studied parameters
of social expectations of lyceum EG and CG

Note: H – high; M – medium; L – low

Significant positive changes were recorded in the control group (CG) only in one parameter – awareness of the predicted course of events (.049*; p≤.05). This is explained by the fact that during the academic semester, during the academic process of the KSPL lyceum, obviously, there have been such influences that have contributed to significant changes in the awareness of the predicted course of events of the investigated control group.

We should note that studies of the relationship of social expectations and vocational training of lyceum-shipbuilders are scarce. It represents scientific and methodological interest in the study of cognitive states in the process of intellectual activity of students (Prokhorov et al., 2015). The structure, variables and interdependence of the factors of mental states of expectations in the educational and professional activity of students are investigated, the psychological essence of ten mental states of expectation is revealed (Popovych & Blynova, 2019a; 2019b).

The study of social expectations required us to create an actual situation of optimization of development and psycho-correction and the need for its implementation. It is established that the organized anticipated situation in the context of realizing expectations affects the subject regulation of professional training of students. The application of psychodiagnostic tools outlined the psychological content of social expectations, and the relationship with the parameters of subjective control, the sense of life orientations and components of motivation, showed the regulatory capacity of the respondent. The obtained results of the research of the experimental group (EG) of the social expectations of the lyceum students showed a significant level of interconnection of the parameters of social expectations with the investigated factors (p≤ .01). Our results are consistent with the results of previous empirical studies that showed the regulatory role of cognitive states in the structure of personality motivational and cognitive resources (Silvia et al., 2009; Thoman et al., 2011; Prokhorov et al., 2015).

The results of the study were presented at a methodological seminar for the teachers of the Kherson School of Professional Shipbuilding Lyceum. The masters of production training and lecturers noted that it would be very useful to find more factors contributing to optimizing the development of social expectations of high school students, to make the program more focused on production training and to implement it in the educational process from the first year of training of students. Experimental confirmation of the effectiveness of the developed program indicates the possibility and necessity of introducing it as an optional item “Expected result” in the professional training of lyceum students. In the future, research is the development and implementation of a program for optimizing the development and psycho-correction of social expectations for other vocational education profiles.

Acknowledgments. The research was carried out within the framework of the fundamental scientific and practical theme of the Department of General and Social Psychology of the Kherson State University (Ukraine) under the state registration number 0119U101096.

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1. Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor Department of General and Social Psychology, Kherson State University, Kherson, Ukraine. Contact e-mail  ihorpopovych999@gmail.com

2. Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Full Professor, Department of General and Social Psychology Kherson State University, Kherson, Ukraine. Contact e-mail  elena.blynova@gmail.com

3. Ph.D, Associate Professor Department of Pedagogic, Foreign Philology and Translation Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Contact e-mail  almarig31@gmail.com

4. Ph.D, Associate Professor Navigation and Electronic Navigation Systems Department Kherson State Maritime Academy. Contact e-mail  pason@ukr.net

5. Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Full Professor, Department of Practical Psychology and Social Work, Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University, Ukraine. Contact e-mail  n.e.zavadska@gmail.com

6. Ph.D, Associate Professor Department of Practical Psychology and Social Work, Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University, Sievierodonetsk, Ukraine. Contact e-mail  Olenka.smyrnova@gmail.com