MOTIVATION AS A DETERMINANT OF TRAINING ACTIVITIES OF HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS STUDENTS

The article analyzes the concept of motivation, its characteristics and alternative approaches of scientists to explanation of the motivational sphere of personality. It is specified that motivation is a major psychological and physiological condition for activities implementation, including training. Features of dominant motivation which occur in the learning process of students at university are presented. It is noted that the condition of optimizing the student's potential is its focus on educational activity which is both the motive and purpose. The paper presents the data of empirical research, which prove that role of the dominant motivation within the years of study is changing. It was found that the first years leading motive of learning activities is a professional one, in the second year - personal prestige, the third both, in the fourth year here the pragmatic motive is added. There was also found the priorityof professional and educational motives in the motivational spectrum of students of all courses. It is revealed that students, starting from the third year, have changes related to educational activities toward increasing importance of motives of cognitive achievement and competitiveness. The success of studies largely affects professional and cognitive motives. The results of the study show that within studying at high school students' priorities are shifting from external to internal motivation, and overall direction is towards educational and professional components of competitiveness using the aquired deep knowledge.