The value-semantic component of earlycareer teachers' professional thinking and its impact on competition performance

The research problem and the rationale for its relevance. The article addresses the issue of axiological integration of professional skills competitions into the psychological system of professional activity for early-career teachers. It identifies the problem that in some cases, while being a form of continuing informal professional education, these competitions can create internal conflict for teachers, thereby hindering their professional and personal development. Professional skills competitions are examined from the standpoint of activity system genesis to enhance professional effectiveness and socialization within the profession. The goal of research is to establish the relationship between the axiological components of professional thinking and the effectiveness of informal continuing professional education for early- career teachers. Methodology (Materials and Methods). The methodological foundation of the research is based on system-genetic and resource-oriented approaches. The psychological diagnostic tools included the “Terminal Values Questionnaire” (I. G. Senin) and the analysis of pedagogical problem situations (M. M. Kashapov, I. V. Serafimovich). The primary statistical method for data processing was Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results. The study found that higher valuation of creative solutions combined with spiritual satisfaction, along with high importance placed on the professional domain, are associated with increased effectiveness in professional skills competitions. Based on theoretical analysis and empirical data, it is concluded that the principles of informal continuing education implemented through competition movements are necessary but insufficient conditions for transforming early-career teachers' external motivation into internal motivational determination for professional development. It is demonstrated that the axiological components of early-career teachers' professional thinking can be considered a factor in converting external motivation for professional development into internal motivation, which in turn helps overcome internal conflict.