Abstract
<jats:p>In this article, the process of physical education is considered as a pedagogical environment for the formation of students’ volitional qualities in the context of implementing a competence-based approach in higher education. Modern society is developing at an extremely rapid pace — technological innovations, globalization processes, and economic and social challenges are changing the conditions of life and professional activity. Today, a person’s success in learning and future professional activity largely depends not only on the level of knowledge or natural abilities, but also on well-formed volitional qualities. The paper contains an analysis of scientific and methodological materials concerning the formation of the volitional sphere of student youth, as well as regulatory documents that ensure the implementation of the competence-based approach in the educational environment. The conducted study of the level of students’ volitional regulation provides an understanding of the use of appropriate methodological techniques for the development of volitional qualities. It is shown that physical education acts as an important resource for the development of personal and social competencies related to self-control, initiative, and the ability to achieve set goals. The role of volitional regulation as a psychological mechanism for ensuring the stability of learning outcomes and effective overcoming of physical and psycho-emotional stress is determined. It is substantiated that the purposeful organization of the educational process creates conditions for the development of resilience, perseverance, self-control, responsibility, and the ability for voluntary regulation of activity, which correspond to generally accepted professional competencies such as the ability to learn throughout life, the ability to work for results, and having a sufficient level of stress resistance. The integration of physical education into the competence-based model of training modern specialists contributes to a harmonious combination of physical, personal, and social development of students. The obtained conclusions can be used in the practice of higher education institutions in order to effectively form volitional qualities that determine readiness for life and the chosen profession.</jats:p>