This work is devoted to the analysis of the relationship between professional identity and teachers’ self-realization in the context of intensified transformation of higher education, digitalization, and growing risks of professional burnout, which increase the need for psychological resilience and meaningful commitment to teaching. The purpose of the study is to identify the features of professional self-realization of teachers with different levels of professional identity (unformed and formed). The first part provides an analysis of the scientific literature on the research topic. The second part outlines the methods, sampling, procedure, and results of an empirical study. The author examines L. B. Schneider’s models of professional identity, systemic determinants to self-realization according to S. I. Kudinov, and recent research linking teachers’ professional identity with burnout, resilience, and professional development, as well as empirical differences in motivation, satisfaction with teaching activities and self-regulation of behaviour between groups of teachers with unformed and formed identity statuses. The methodology includes a comparative analysis of 318 university teachers of Moscow (median age 41 years, experience 12 years; N=172 unformed group, N=146 formed group). The following methods were used: «Methodology of Investigating Professional Identity (MIPI)» by L. B. Schneider (2007), «Judgement Test of Personality Self-realization» by S. I. Kudinov (2012), questionnaire «Teachers’ Professional identity» by A. S. Kostomarova (2024). An unformed group of teachers is characterized by an adaptive level of self-realization with an «adaptive paradox»: high activity with low motivation, satisfaction with teaching and social fulfilment. The formed group demonstrates a harmonious profile with the dominance of professional self-realization and a twofold increase in indicators. In this study, identity status is treated as a factor systematically associated with the level and structure of professional self-realization, without claiming a direct causal effect. The scientific novelty of the study lies not only in comparing mean levels of self-realization, but in describing qualitatively different structural profiles: an «adaptive paradox» profile in the unformed identity group and a professionally centered harmonious profile in the formed identity group. These findings expand the theoretical base of educational psychology and offer a basis for differentiated psychological support practices. It is advisable to take these conclusions into account in educational psychology and labour psychology when forming strategies for the professional development of teachers.
Anastasia Sergeevna Kostomarova (Sun,) studied this question.