PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL ASPECTS OF MOTIVATIONAL ORIENTATION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE SELF-ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AMONG STUDENTS OF PROFESSIONAL PRE-HIGHER EDUCATION

Introduction. In the context of modern educational transformations, health is becoming an increasingly important resource for personal and professional development. This highlights the need for a deeper analysis of the psychological factors influencing students' motivation to engage in physical culture and sports. Particular attention is paid to motivational orientation, which determines not only the attitude toward physical activity but also the level of self-assessment of physical fitness. Purpose. To study the relationship between motivational orientation and the self-assessment of physical fitness among students of professional pre-higher education, taking into account the professional profile of their training. Methods. Theoretical analysis of scientific sources; psychodiagnostic tools: the adapted Physical Self- Description Questionnaire; the psychological technique «Motivation for Success and Fear of Failure»; methods of mathematical statistics. Results. A relationship was established between motivational orientation and the self-assessment of physical fitness among students of pre-higher vocational education. Differences in achievement motivation were identified based on gender and educational profile: overall, male students demonstrated a higher orientation toward success, although this tendency varied depending on the educational environment. Among male students, achievement motivation was associated with the evaluation of the physical self – specifically health, strength, athletic abilities, and coordination. A connection was revealed between the global physical self and the aspiration for success, emphasizing the significance of physical fitness selfassessment within the structure of motivation. In female students, direct correlations were found between achievement motivation and the self-assessment of physical activity, strength, athletic abilities, and endurance, the latter serving as an important internal motivational resource. Conclusions. The generalization of the research findings suggests that the motivational orientation of students in pre-tertiary professional education is closely related to their self-assessment of physical fitness, with these relationships showing both gender-based and educational-profile differences. In male students, achievement motivation correlates with the integral image of the physical self, whereas in female students, it is associated with the evaluation of specific physical qualities, particularly endurance. The obtained data emphasize the importance of bodily self-perception within the motivational structure and can be used to improve approaches to developing an adequate self-assessment of physical fitness among students of various professional specializations in pre-tertiary education.