PhD, Associate Professor L.N. Belonogova¹
A.Yu. Zelenikin^1
1Ulyanovsk State University of Education

Keywords: mentoring, research activities, future physical education teachers.

Introduction. Currently, the mentoring system is becoming increasingly important, and its improvement is necessary for the personal and professional growth of future teachers, as well as for ensuring Russia's intellectual and moral sovereignty, which begins at school. This is particularly relevant for future physical education teachers, as they will be both educators and mentors with developed leadership and organizational skills in their professional careers.
The purpose of this study is to identify the specifics of organizing a scientific mentorship system for students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports at a pedagogical university.
Research methodology and organization. A survey was conducted among 57 students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports at the I. N. Ulyanov Ulyanov State Pedagogical University (University) to determine the motives, difficulties, and goals of their research activities, as well as to assess their research work. The main motivations for research among the respondents are the desire for scientific knowledge that meets their personal interests and abilities, the desire to become a highly qualified specialist, and the desire to make a significant contribution to solving applied scientific problems in the field of physical culture and sports theory and methodology. Among the main difficulties faced by students in their research activities, there was a lack of research skills and abilities, as well as a lack of self-motivation and experience in organizing research activities. The main goal of participating in scientific events is self-improvement and testing of opportunities in public presentations.
The results of the study and their discussion. Based on the requests and shortcomings identified during the survey, a system of scientific mentoring for students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports was developed and implemented, which included:
– the project “Scientific School of a Young Enlightener” (mentoring of 3rd–4th year students by high school students at the University Lyceum), which results in students gaining pedagogical experience and high school students’ personal and professional self-determination through joint project activities with future teachers;
– The Most Intelligent First-Year Student project and competition (mentoring by senior students of first-year students), where more experienced students introduce first-year students to priority areas of science and immerse them in the academic and socio-cultural environment, which generally promotes interpersonal communication with peers, secondary career guidance, and the identification of promising first-year students for scientific activities;
– The Young Scientist School project (teachers mentoring students), in which University professors from the University’s research schools test diagnostic methods and develop their own methods together with students, which helps to create a system for training and professional growth of scientific and academic personnel [1].
Conclusion. The organization and implementation of the above-mentioned projects constitute the specifics of the system of scientific mentoring of students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports at the Pedagogical University, which is characterized by the creation of conditions for the implementation of vertical and horizontal mentoring, the development of research competencies, the formation of a scientifically based approach to their future teaching and coaching activities, and continuous self-improvement in the professional field.
The article was written as part of the Additional Agreement No. 073-03-2025-066/1 dated 19.03.2025 to the Agreement on the provision of a subsidy from the federal budget for financial support of the implementation of the state task for the provision of public services (performance of works) No. 073-03-2025-066 dated 16.01.2025, concluded between the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Ulyanovsk State Pedagogical University" and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

References

1. Belonogova L.N., Kasatkina N.M., Subbotina E.S., Edyshev D.V., Katenkov A.N., Zelenikin A.Yu., Povrozuk E.S. "School of a Young Scientist": Regulatory and Methodological Materials (Based on the Example of the Ulyanov State Pedagogical University). Database Registration Certificate RU 2025620546, 31.01.2025. Application No. 2024626303 dated 12.12.2024.