Professions of scientist and high school lecturer in the assessments and representations of gifted youth
In the introduction, it is substantiated the necessity to study the problems of professional self-realization of gifted youth in Belarus. The aim of the research is to analyze the factors of decision-making by gifted young people about the choice in favor of the professions of a scientist, high school lecturer. In the main part, it is presented the results of a survey of analysis of the gifted youth cohort biographies, whose representatives were recognized as gifted during their studies at the university and finished this training in the period 2006-2010. The analysis of the ideas about the relevance of the scientific degree of the candidate of sciences in different professional fields is carried out, the attitude of gifted youth to the profession of a scientist and a university lecturer is considered. It is determined that the gifted youth shows high interest in employment in the sphere of science and higher education, but the potential for its attraction and consolidation in these areas is not fully realized. It is established that one of the main reasons for refusal from these professions is the negative image of science and higher education in representations of gifted youth. The influence of the choice of the profession of scientist or lecturer of the university made by gifted youth on their biography is analyzed. It is determined that the longer educational path necessary for building a career in these areas, on the one hand leads to later ages of marriage and birth of children, and on the other, provides better employment opportunities according to obtained diploma. It is suggested that insufficient information about the possibilities of postgraduate education obtaining and building a career in science and higher education plays an important role of the refusal from the profession of a scientist or university lecturer. In the conclusion, key features and consequences of the adoption of a decision by gifted youth about the choice of the profession of a scientist and/or a university lecturer are presented in a concise form. The obtained results can be used to develop measures of state policy in the sphere of training highly qualified scientific personnel.