PECULIARITIES OF FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS’ VALUE ORIENTATIONS

Abstract.The results of researching first-year students' value orientations from 2003 till 2013 and 2018 are presented in the article. The relevance of the work is explained by the necessity of studying transformations of the value sphere in the framework of social and political changes in the Russian society over the recent years on the example of first-year students as one of the most active representatives of society, embarking on the path of their professional development. The results of the research have demonstrated the decrease of instrumental and abstract values of first-year students and the increase of terminal and concrete ones from 2003 till 2018. It has been shown to signify indirectly the decline in self-assurance, personal immaturity and greater orientation towards external factors with a view to reaching success. Some values have been indicated to distort over time. As an example, the significance of the family value has grown, whereas at the same timesuch moral instrumental characteristics as respect, honesty, responsibility, delicacy, tolerance have become less important, which can imply that the meaning of the family value has been changed.The frequencies of mention of some values have been indicated to be fluctuating. Students mentioned health, family and parents more frequently as a result of popularizing family values and healthy lifestyle, whereas some abstract internal instrumental values, such as honesty, loyalty, kindness have become less common. It has been revealed that hard work, conscience, decency, tolerance, delicacy haven't been mentioned by students, and yet they have given way to the values, related to success, time, status, material welfare and money. This research has been indicated to be of certain use for psychologists, teachers, sociologists and students with the view to developing young peoples' value sphere.