This article is devoted to the results of research conducted during an empirical study of the dynamics of social and psychological characteristics of groups of Chinese and Russian students in the first year of study at Russian universities. The objects of the study were students from Moscow universities: 132 Chinese students from 24 groups and 183 Russian students from 9 study groups. Based on the results of the study, it was found that the dynamics of the social and psychological characteristics of these groups in the first year of study differ. Based on this, it can be assumed that the results obtained are a consequence of three aspects: social and psychological, culture-specific, as well as processes of sociocultural adaptation.

The article presents the results of an interregional comparison of the factor structure of students’ professional pedagogical orientation. The necessity of considering macrosocial context in the study of professional pedagogical orientation is explained. The results of professional pedagogical orientation research among students from Transnistria, Chisinau municipality and Orekhovo-Zuevo municipality were subjected to factor analysis. It has been shown that main components of factor model of professional pedagogical orientation among students from Transnistria and Orekhovo-Zuevo municipality are similar: components characterizing normative and individual values, motivation and personal orientation were identified. At the same time, the differences in the content of values components of this structure allow us to assert that the value components of students teachers’ professional orientation structure reflect the social challenges of the region where they reside.