PROFESSIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL READINESS OF FUTURE POLICE OFFICERS FOR WORK IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS’ BODIES

Abstract

Currently, the entire world community is facing fundamental changes and reforms in many government structures and spheres of public life. In modern society, there is an increase in socially dangerous trends, which necessitates the need to improve education in the field of initial professional training of internal affairs officers and to search for pedagogical means and technologies for the development of personal and professional-pedagogical qualities of future police officers. The purpose of the study is to theoretically substantiate the need for the formation of psychological and pedagogical skills and qualities that form the basis of professional and psychological readiness and to identify the level of development of psychological and pedagogical skills and qualities of students of the higher school of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The authors analyzed the scientific literature, normative documents regulating the organization of activities of educational institutions in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; and the curricula for initial professional training courses at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The data from a questionnaire survey of 350 students in initial professional training courses for senior, private and junior commanding officers were compared with the results of expert assessments of teachers conducting classes. As a result, the data were obtained on the level of development of professional psychological skills, qualities and resilience of students. The authors substantiate the need to increase the number of training hours studied within the discipline “Fundamentals of Psychological Readiness”, but also to meaningfully change the discipline content to develop students’ pedagogical, technical and psychological skills, professional thinking and professional psychological readiness. This work contributes to the development of the theoretical foundations for the formation of professional and psychological readiness among future police officers. The results of the study can be used in the development of educational programs for students at departmental universities and for students of initial professional training courses.