PROFESSIONAL IMAGE OF THE FUTURE EDUCATIONAL MANAGER: STATE, CRITERIA, AND DIAGNOSTIC METHODS

Abstract

The article presents a theoretical and methodological analysis of the problem of forming and diagnosing the professional image of a future educational manager in the context of the transformation of the modern educational space. The relevance of the study is substantiated by the growing requirements for managerial, communicative, and social effectiveness of heads of educational institutions. The essence of the concept of the “professional image of an educational manager” is revealed as an integrative construct that combines personal, professional-competence, value-motivational, and behavioral-communicative characteristics. The criteria for the formation of the professional image of a future educational manager (motivational-value, cognitive, activity-behavioral, reflective-evaluative) and the corresponding indicators of their manifestation are defined and characterized. A set of methods and diagnostic tools is presented that ensures a comprehensive assessment of the state of the professional image at various stages of professional training, including questionnaires, testing, expert assessment, self-assessment, and pedagogical observation. Levels of professional image formation (high, medium, low) are outlined, as well as the possibilities of using diagnostic results to adjust the educational process. The purpose of the study is to determine the state of formation of the professional image of future educational managers and to substantiate the criteria, indicators, and methods for its diagnosis in the process of professional training. The proposed study makes it possible to systematize approaches to diagnosing the professional image of educational managers, identify the components and criteria of image formation, and create a methodological basis for assessing the training of managers in higher education institutions. The research objectives include analyzing modern approaches to characterizing professional qualities and image characteristics of future specialists in educational management, determining criteria and indicators of the formation of the professional image of educational managers, and describing diagnostic tools for assessing the formation of the professional image of future educational managers. It is emphasized that diagnosing the professional image of future educational managers is a complex, multidimensional process that requires a systemic and scientifically grounded approach. It serves not only as a tool for assessing the state of image formation but also as an important factor in its purposeful development in the course of professional training, ensuring the improvement of the quality of managerial education and the readiness of future specialists for effective professional activity.