Mal'tseva T.E. The Essence of the Concept of Socio-Professional Development of Future Social Workers

Abstract: The object of this research article is the concept of "socio-professional maturity of future specialists", the subject of the research is the definition of the essence of this concept. The author notes that the concept of social and professional maturity consists of particular elements that have been well studied in the academic literature before, these are the maturity and professional competence. In her research Maltseva describes the approaches to the analysis of these categories, their nature and gives the definition of "socio-professional maturity" of future specialists. The theoretical-analytical approach has allowed to determine the place of these concepts in the process of training of future specialists, to consider its supporting components such as personal maturity, professional maturity and professional competence. Development of social and professional maturity is a multi-stage process that corresponds to the level of a specialist's training at each stage of professional development throughout their career. The result of the research was the scientific definition of the investigated concepts and methodological analysis of the research. The author emphasizes that in the process of professional development there is a need to consider peculiarities of formation of social and professional maturity in accordance with the intellectual and age development of future specialist. Maltseva also views socio-professional maturity as the criterion and indicator of professional competence. 

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