Developing agency in pedagogy students through participation in a Student Scientific Society

This article analyzes pathways for fostering agency in pedagogy students, positing that engaging students in research through a Student Scientific Society can be a key facilitating condition. It examines the mechanism of self-determination in student activities aimed at developing a sense of agency in their future professional field, arguing that participation in a Student Scientific Society acts as a primary catalyst for this activity. Despite the stated priority of the Russian educational system to develop a proactive, agentic stance in future educators, current theoretical and experimental literature on organizing Student Scientific Societies reveals a significant lack of methodological frameworks specifically designed to stimulate self-determination in students' scientific, communicative, professional, and other related activities. Fundamental to this research was the analysis of survey results, which uncovered the attitudes of contemporary Russian students regarding their scientific and professional futures. The survey also assessed their readiness to expand the scope of their transformative activities in work, communication, and self-awareness. The theoretical and empirical findings form the basis for proposing improvements to the structure and function of Student Scientific Societies. These proposed enhancements are designed to establish regulatory mechanisms for developing students' research culture. The approaches outlined in this study are intended to promote the process of the development of agency, with positive effects manifesting not only in scientific pursuits but also in other cultural subsystems, such as professional and social spheres.