Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Context and relevance. Factors facilitating and hindering the development of professional identity are examined, including sociocultural contexts, institutional support, and digital socialization. Recent international research demonstrates a growing tendency to conceptualize professional identity as a dynamic, context-dependent, and socially mediated process. Within this framework, professional identity is understood as the result of continuous interactions among individual, educational, and sociocultural factors reflecting personal adaptation to changing professional and digital environments. The hybrid educational environment — combining traditional face-to-face instruction with digital tools and online platforms — plays a particularly important role in professional identity development. At the same time, the key foundations of sustainable professional identity formation remain a supportive academic environment, structured career guidance systems, and a sense of social inclusion within professional communities. The article presents a review of contemporary international studies on the development of professional identity among university students published between 2022 and 2025. Based on the analysis of sources available in major scientific databases (ResearchGate, Sci-Hub, Scopus, Web of Science, Academia.edu, Google Scholar, and other academic resources), two key research directions are identified: the influence of the educational environment on professional identity formation and the role of digital technologies and social media in this process. Objective. To analyze contemporary international research (2022–2025) on professional identity development, identifying key research directions, influencing factors, and conceptual approaches to professional identity formation. Methods and materials. The review was conducted using systematic analysis and synthesis of scientific literature and empirical studies. The analysis was based on international publications from 2022–2025 indexed in major academic databases. Inclusion criteria were: English-language articles published in peer-reviewed journals; empirical and review studies focused on professional identity formation among higher education students. Results. As a result of a systematic analysis of international and Russian-language sources indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, Academia.edu, and other scholarly book and electronic databases, 51 publications were identified as the most relevant, including 33 empirical studies and 18 theoretical and review papers. The analysis revealed two key research directions: 1) the influence of the educational environment and career counseling, and 2) the role of digital technologies and social media in the process of professional identity formation. Conclusions. The review demonstrates that professional identity development among university students is shaped by the interaction of educational, sociocultural, and digital factors. Supportive educational environments, career counseling programs, and mentoring practices contribute to conscious professional choice and the strengthening of professional self-concept. At the same time, digital technologies — while expanding opportunities for self-presentation and professional expression — also generate risks related to social pressure, unrealistic expectations, and digital vulnerability. The negative effects of digital environments are predominantly examined in relation to general self-perception and psychological well-being, whereas their impact on professional self-determination remains insufficiently explored. Therefore, a promising direction for future research is the comparative analysis of professional identity formation mechanisms in digital and traditional educational environments, which may help to more precisely identify conditions, risks, and mediating factors influencing the integrity and sustainability of professional identity among future specialists. The findings of this review may be applied in student career counseling programs, the development of soft skills courses, and the design of educational strategies aimed at fostering professional identity.
Author: M.A. Voronina
Institution: Moscow State University of Psychology & Education
Language: Russian
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7208769566