This article addresses issues related to the need to identify and assess youth’s noncognitive skills. In our research, we focus on both adolescents and young adults in their postsecondary education. Therefore, in this article we will use the terms “youth”, “young people”, “teenagers” as synonyms. Extensive research has shown that the development of non-cognitive skills, especially effective self-esteem and perseverance, elevates the probability of high academic achievement. At the same time, self-understanding of models that are significant for adolescents, non-cognitive skills, leads to difference in experience between theory and practice. Identifying such a model will strengthen adolescent abilities associated with a conscious choice of vocation, quality of relasionships, etc. For the study, existing methods to assess the ability of adolescents to cope with problems and difficulties, manage their own development, emotional state and relationships with other people were selected. For the purposes of the study, existing psychological techniques that can help identify relevant competencies were selected. As a result of the analysis, we received six factors: self-management, perseverance, relationship management, self-organization, interest in others and in oneself, and an active life position.

The article characterizes the concept of self-organization, analyzes the views of modern scientists on the problem of self-organization of students. The idea of the relationship between the development of self-organization and will qualities of a person is substantiated. The data of an empirical study aimed at identifying the level of development of self-organization of educational and professional activities of students are given. The structure of self-organization is characterized, the identified relationships between will efforts and the general level of development of self-organization are analyzed. Conclusions are drawn about the insufficient level of development of self-organization of educational and professional activities of students, prospects for further work are outlined.

The article deals with the actual problem of domestic pedagogical education — the problem of formation of future specialists’ desire for self-organization in professional pedagogical activity. The significance of the problem chosen by the author for the study is beyond doubt. This value is determined by the modern socio-cultural realities of Russia. The article presents a deep, from a scientific point of view, valuable analysis of substantive issues within the framework of the consideration of the central concepts of the problem field. In general, the article has a strong theoretical, applied and practicalmeaning.