Features of Adaptation of Indigenous Students of the Russian North, Siberia and the Far East to the College Educational Environment

Abstract

Objective. Empirical study of the criteria for assessing the adaptation of students – representatives of the indigenous and minorities of the North, Siberia and Far East to the educational environment of colleges and the study of the features of their adaptation.
Background. The relevance of studying the features of adaptation of students – representatives of the indigenous and minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation to the educational environment of colleges is due to the high importance of secondary vocational education for the preservation and development of the culture of these peoples.
Study design. Factor analysis made it possible to identify indicators of students' adaptation to the educational environment of the college (adaptation criteria). To clarify the features of the adaptability of students-representatives of the SIM and Far East and the role of environmental factors mediating adaptation, correlation, variance analysis, as well as analysis of the significance of differences were used.
Participants. Students-representatives of the of the indigenous and minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation – 304 people (179 girls, 125 boys). Students of the comparison group – 416 people (195 girls, 221 boys).
Measurements. Russian-language version of the Scale of Sociocultural Adaptation J. Wilson', K. Ward', et al. The author's scale of self-assessment of the degree of satisfaction with the main aspects of life. Author's questionnaire for assessing the degree of adaptation to an educational organization.
Results. Three groups of indicators of students' adaptability to the educational environment of the college are identified: academic adaptation (23% of the variance), sociocultural adaptation (13%) and psychological adaptation (13%). Indigenous and minority students and comparison groups do not differ in terms of socio-cultural and psychological adaptation, while indicators of academic adaptation of students – representatives of the indigenous and minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation are higher than in the comparison group in the conditions of the homogeneity of the socio-cultural environment of the college and lower in the conditions of its heterogeneity.
Conclusions. The indicators for assessing the adaptability of students are independent of each other and allow assessing the features of adaptation to an educational organization, educational activities and group; features of adaptation to a new socio-cultural environment, as well as the degree of emotional well-being of the individual.