Comparative study of interests and life orientations of students studying for blue-collar jobs

Aim. To identify the life-meaning orientations and interests of young people studying vocational professions.
Methodology. Participants are students of secondary vocational educational institutions of a technical profile (15–17 years old). A total of 593 people. In the 2014–2015 academic year – 292 people: 142 live and study in a metropolis, 150 – in a small town. In the 2021–2022 academic year, there are 301 people: 163 live and study in a metropolis, 138 in a small town. “Questionnaire of Life Meaning Orientations” by D. Leontyev and “Map of Interests” by A. Golomstock were used in the study.
Results. The life-meaning orientations of adolescents studying working professions in secondary vocational educational institutions of the Russian Federation correspond to the lower limits of the standards existing for the Russian sample. There was a decline in the indicators of life meaningfulness among the students in the period from 2014 to 2022, which was manifested in a decrease in interest in many subject areas. Intergroup differences were revealed: students of secondary vocational educational institutions of a small city have higher rates of life meaningfulness compared to students of a metropolis. Their interest in school subjects is more consistent with their choice of educational institution. This trend is independent of the year of the study.
Research implications. The theoretical significance lies in identifying trends in changes in semantic orientations among adolescents acquiring a working profession, which may be associated with the type of spatial (small town – metropolis) and temporary (2014–2022) environment.

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