SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS TO THE REALIZATION OF ENTREPRENEURIAL POTENTIAL OF PEDAGOGICAL SPECIALTIES STUDENTS IN THE CONDITIONS OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

The article presents the results of a theoretical and empirical study of the socio-psychological barriers that hinder the realization of the entrepreneurial potential of students of pedagogical specialties in the context of the digital transformation of society. The empirical base, which serves as the foundation for analyzing the structure and dynamics of barriers, includes data from a study conducted at the A.I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University among 2nd-4th year students (N = 362, 2025/2026 academic year) using the author's questionnaire and standardized psychodiagnostic methods (tolerance to uncertainty, achievement motivation, and digital competencies). The main groups of socio-psychological barriers that prevent future teachers from engaging in entrepreneurial activities have been identified: cognitive, motivational and value-based, emotional-volitional, and socio-perceptual. The article examines for the first time the impact of digitalization on the transformation of these barriers and the emergence of new ones related to the digital divide, fear of technology, and changes in employment patterns (technophobia, fear of cyber fraud, and fear of social media exposure). The article identifies the mismatch between the necessary specialized competencies possessed by students in the field of education and their readiness to commercialize these skills in a digital environment, and argues that the key obstacles are of a deep socio-psychological rather than organizational nature. The article is generally devoted to the formation of the professional identity of a future teacher, taking into account entrepreneurial values. To overcome barriers, a level-by-level classification of methods is proposed at the institutional, group, and individual-psychological levels, taking into account the possibilities of the digital educational environment. The results of the study provide a rationale for revising the traditional view of the teacher's image and incorporating an entrepreneurial component into the standards of teacher education.