Patriotic education at the university: measuring the level of patriotism of students based on a sociological survey

Filippov Timur Dmitrievich Graduate student; Faculty of History; M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University 677000, Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Yakutsk, ul. Belinsky, 58, office 505 tmf-22@mail.ru

Danilov Igor' Albertovich ORCID: 0000-0002-1974-3088 Junior Researcher; Institute for Humanities Research and Indigenous Studies of the North of Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Office 310, Petrovskogo str., 1, Yakutsk, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), 677027, Russia igor_danilov_2000@mail.ru

The study was conducted under the project "Patriotism of the peoples of the North-East of Russia: a big and small homeland in the narratives of the inhabitants of Yakutia and Chukotka" within the framework of the Program of scientific research on the ethnocultural diversity of Russian society and aimed at strengthening Russian identity, 2023-2025. (Instruction of the President of the Russian Federation No. Pr-71 dated 01/16/2020). The head is Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.A. Tishkov.

Introduction

Patriotic education of young people is one of the priorities of state policy and the education system in Russia. Higher education institutions play a special role in the formation of patriotism, designed not only to provide professional knowledge, but also to train socially responsible citizens capable of active participation in the life of the country. At the same time, the effectiveness of patriotic education in universities largely depends on understanding the real patriotic attitudes of students, their attitude to the Motherland, and their willingness to serve its interests. Reliable information about the level and features of students' patriotism is necessary for building adequate educational work, using effective forms and methods of patriotic education.

The analysis of scientific articles demonstrates the relevance and importance of the problem of patriotic education of students in the modern system of higher education in Russia. Researchers from various universities representing pedagogical ^[1-2], technical ^[3-6], medical ^[7-8], marine ^[9-10], legal ^[11-13] and agricultural ^[14] fields emphasize the need for an integrated approach to the formation of patriotism and citizenship among students.

Researchers Rozhkova L.V. and Salnikova O.V. ^[15], based on the analysis of the results of sociological research, assess the state of patriotic values of students and the role of higher educational institutions in their development. The authors note that universities have formed an institutional system for the formation of youth patriotism, various patriotic activities are carried out, but the system for evaluating their effectiveness requires further improvement.

In this regard, an urgent scientific and practical task is to diagnose the patriotism of students. Quantitative measurement of the level of patriotic feelings of students, identification of factors of their formation will allow to give an objective picture of the state of patriotic education in universities and to outline ways of its improvement. Therefore, the purpose of this study is diagnostic in nature and is focused on obtaining up-to-date information about the level of patriotism of students as a result of the educational activities of the university.

Literature review

The issue of measuring the level of patriotism, especially among students, is a complex and multifaceted task. Thus, a number of authors emphasize the difference between declared and real patriotism. For example, Komlev V.A. et al. ^[16] in their study on the youth of the Kirov region, introduce the concept of "pragmatic patriotism", which manifests itself in the verbal expression of patriotic attitudes, but does not always correlate with real actions. The authors propose an approach that makes it possible to distinguish between these two types of patriotism, which, in their opinion, contributes to a more reliable assessment. The study analyzes the interrelationships between various components of patriotism, such as attitudes towards the Great Patriotic War, military service and migration.

At the same time, the researchers note that an important aspect of measuring patriotism is the definition of evaluation criteria. Skvortsov I.P. and Krapivka I.A. ^[17] distinguish cognitive, ideological-value, motivational-need, and activity-behavioral criteria. The authors believe that a comprehensive consideration of these criteria allows us to obtain a more complete picture of the level of patriotism formation and use them as targets in the process of military-patriotic education.

In the work of Barabanshchikova V.V. et al. ^[18], a theoretical model of the value orientation "patriotism" is presented, which includes 8 components, and a methodology for assessing the level of its formation is developed. The authors used a variety of methods, including an expert survey, focus groups, and a sociological survey. The application of the Kruskal-Wallis univariate analysis of variance has confirmed the validity of the developed methodology.

A statistical analysis of the relationship between the level of patriotism and various components, such as cognitive abilities, values, motivation and skills, was carried out in the study by T.E. Manger and Yu.V. Vasilyeva ^[19]. The authors used correlation and regression analysis, which revealed a high degree of closeness between the studied variables.

Teryaeva O.A. and Lomova O.A. ^[20] combine literature analysis, questionnaires and analysis of student essays to study a positive value attitude to patriotism, highlighting factors such as education, family upbringing and the socio-cultural environment.

Novgorodtseva T.Yu. and others ^[21] use various methods in their study of the level of patriotism formation among future teachers, including questionnaires, the method of color choices by M. Lusher and the method of assessing attitudes towards emotionally significant objects according to the method of S.A. Druzhilov. These methods allow us to assess the associative perception of patriotic values and determine the level of patriotism formation.

Thus, existing research suggests different approaches to measuring patriotism using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Special attention is paid to the development of comprehensive assessment models and criteria that take into account various components of patriotism.

Research methods and materials

Within the framework of this study, an adapted version of the "Diagnostic methodology and criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of patriotic education of schoolchildren", developed by the staff of the Institute for Humanitarian Studies and Problems of Indigenous Peoples of the North of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences ^[22], was used as a tool for measuring the level of patriotism of university students. It is a sociological questionnaire aimed at self-diagnosis by educational institutions of the effectiveness of their patriotic education. It is based on a system of criteria reflecting both the involvement of students in the process of patriotic education and the results of their patriotic consciousness development. In the course of this study, the questionnaire was modified to take into account the specifics of the student audience. The changes made concerned the adaptation of issues to the conditions of the university and the current social context. At the same time, the modified version retained the key conceptual foundations and structure of the original methodology.

The questionnaire includes 26 closed-ended questions to assess the cognitive, emotional, evaluative, and behavioral components of students' patriotism. Most of the questions assumed a dichotomous answer format ("yes"/ "no"), some – a choice of several options. The formulation of the questions, evaluation criteria, analysis procedure, and test results can be found in the article on the methodology itself ^[23].

The material for this article is the results of a sociological survey conducted in November 2024 at the Northeastern Federal University named after M.K. Ammosov, Yakutsk (hereinafter – NEFU). The general population consists of full–time students (about 15 thousand people). A quota sample was used, taking into account the proportional representation of faculties and courses. The sample size was 2,500 respondents, which ensured its representativeness. The survey was conducted online using Google Forms.

The results of the study

Northeastern Federal University pays considerable attention to the patriotic education of students. This area is one of the priorities in the educational program implemented by the university for the period 2021-2025, approved on 08/26/2021.

According to the program, the purpose of the patriotic module of educational work is "to develop a sense of indifference to the fate of the Fatherland, to its past, present and future in order to motivate students to realize and protect the interests of the Motherland." The patriotic module is closely connected with the civil law and spiritual and moral directions of the educational activity of the university. To implement these areas, the university uses various forms and methods of work: holding thematic events dedicated to memorable dates in the history of Russia, organizing meetings with veterans, representatives of law enforcement agencies, psychological trainings, business games, discussion platforms, etc.

An important role in patriotic education is played by the involvement of students in socially significant activities: volunteering, search movement, patronage of veterans, organization of charity events, etc. This is facilitated by the university's well-developed system of student self-government and the presence of a large number of youth associations of the appropriate profile. According to our survey, about 15% of students are members of patriotic and military-patriotic clubs. This indicator shows the significant potential of student associations in fostering patriotism. As part of the student government system, these clubs act as promoters of patriotic values among the youth. The members of the associations not only engage in socially significant activities themselves, but also involve their peers in it, and organize various actions and events.

The report on the implementation of patriotic activities at NEFU in 2023 testifies to the university's systematic approach to solving the tasks of patriotic education of students. As part of the patriotic module of the Educational Work Program in 2023, a set of 37 events of various formats was implemented: lectures, meetings, promotions, contests, etc. The total enrollment of participants exceeded 15,000 people, which is almost the entire contingent of full-time education.

A significant number of events implemented at NEFU in 2023 were timed to commemorate memorable dates in the history of Russia.: lifting the siege of Leningrad, victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, Victory Day. About 2 thousand students took part in them. This corresponds to the task of fostering respect for the heroic past of the country, reflected in the Work Program of Education. In addition, such large-scale actions as "Candle of Memory", "Immortal Regiment", "St. George Ribbon", not only contribute to the preservation of historical memory, but also provide an emotional experience for young people of the events of the war years, form a sense of belonging to the feat of the people.

In 2023, special attention was paid to activities aimed at countering the falsification of history and perpetuating the memory of the tragedy of the civilian population during the Great Patriotic War. Lectures on the topic of genocide, the project "Without a statute of limitations", "Dictation of Victory" and other similar events covered more than 6 thousand students. The mass nature of these events makes it possible to count on their high effectiveness in forming among young people a rejection of attempts to revise the results of the war, distort and belittle the feat of the Soviet people.

Thus, the effectiveness of these events in shaping students' patriotic feelings is confirmed in the results of the survey: 91.28% of respondents noted that the feat of the multinational people of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War arouses patriotic feelings in them. Such a high indicator indicates that the memory of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War is a powerful factor in the patriotic education of young people. Thus, it can be argued that events dedicated to memorable dates of military history are an effective tool for updating this memory and forming an emotional bond between generations.

In addition, an important place in the NEFU calendar of events in 2023 was occupied by events related to students gaining experience in military-patriotic activities: Karbyshev training camps, interaction with law enforcement agencies, sports competitions, etc. More than 1,200 people took part in them. Of course, the involvement of students in such activities contributes to the formation of their readiness to defend their homeland, develops the necessary competencies and personal qualities. It should also be noted that the Military Training Center, established by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 3551-r dated December 11, 2021, plays an important role in the system of military-patriotic education at NEFU. The University provides full-time education to students in military training programs. Currently, more than 200 university students are studying there.

It is noteworthy that the vast majority of the students we interviewed (69.12%) associate the concept of patriotism with the willingness of men to serve in the army. This allows us to assert that the military-patriotic activities implemented at the university find a response in the minds of students, correspond to their ideas about patriotic duty. By gaining experience in military sports activities, students not only acquire practical skills, but also strengthen their willingness to serve the Fatherland. Participation in such events contributes to the formation of a positive image of the army, increases the prestige of military service among young people. In this context, the coverage of military-patriotic actions (more than 1,200 people) can be considered as an effective result of the educational work of the university.

Discussion of the research results

In general, NEFU's experience in the field of patriotic education of students can be considered successful, as evidenced by the results of a sociological survey (see Table 1). Thus, the high level of formation of patriotic feelings demonstrated by the majority of respondents (71.9%) is a natural result of the university's comprehensive work in this area.

Table 1 – Distribution of respondents by level of patriotism and involvement in patriotic activities, in numbers

At the same time, 20.8% of students have an average level of patriotic feelings, while 7.3% have a low level. These data indicate the need for further improvement of patriotic education at the university, the search for new forms and methods of work that can reach and involve more students.

One of the important aspects of patriotic education is the involvement of students in relevant activities. However, the survey results show that only 52.3% of students demonstrate average involvement in the patriotic activities of the university, 40.4% – low involvement, and only 7.3% – high involvement. These data indicate the need to step up efforts to attract students to participate in patriotic events and projects.

A comparison of data on the level of formation of patriotic feelings and the level of involvement in patriotic activities allows us to draw an interesting conclusion. Firstly, among students with a high level of patriotic feelings, the majority (1,063 out of 1,797) demonstrate only average involvement in patriotic activities. Secondly, special attention should be paid to the fact that among students with low involvement in the patriotic activities of the university, more than half (564 out of 1010) demonstrate a high level of patriotic feelings. This result may have several explanations.

The first explanation is that the formation of patriotism among students occurs not only under the influence of events held by the university, but also by other institutions – the family, the media, public organizations, etc. Students who do not actively participate in the patriotic activities of the university can be involved in relevant work outside of it, and gain the necessary knowledge and experience from other sources.

The second explanation is related to the possible lack of effectiveness of the university's events, their inability to maintain the interest and activity of students. The proposed forms of work may not fully meet the needs and interests of students, and may be perceived by them as formal and mandatory.

The third explanation suggests that some students, having formed patriotic feelings, deliberately avoid participating in relevant events due to personal attitudes, preferences or circumstances.

In addition, the presence among the respondents of students with a high level of involvement in patriotic activities with a low level of formation of patriotic feelings (2 people) may indicate the formal nature of some events, insufficient emotional involvement of students. This fact sets the university the task of improving the quality of patriotic education, searching for new, more effective forms of work that can not only involve students in events, but also have a real impact on their values and beliefs.

Conclusion

The conducted sociological research made it possible to evaluate the effectiveness of the NEFU students' patriotic education system and identify a number of important aspects that require further development. The data obtained indicate a fairly high level of formation of patriotic feelings among the majority of respondents, which confirms the success of the programs and activities implemented at the university.

However, despite the positive dynamics, the analysis of students' involvement in patriotic activities revealed the need to improve the existing system. The level of active participation of students in patriotic events remains average, which indicates the lack of effectiveness of the forms and methods of work used in this area.

To ensure the effectiveness of the university's patriotic education activities, it is necessary to introduce a system of regular monitoring and evaluation of the work carried out. This will make it possible to identify problems in a timely manner, analyze the results achieved and make the necessary adjustments to the system of patriotic education. Further improvement of this system at the university will contribute to the formation of students' stable citizenship, active lifestyle and willingness to contribute to the development of their country.