Socio-psychological factors of citizenship competence of future teachers: expectations and reality

Abstract

Background and purpose. The study presented in the article reflects the need of the society to identify and activate the determinants of youth citizenship competence developments. The article focuses on the results of the empirical research on socio-psychological peculiarities and factors of student citizenship competence development.

The purpose of the study was to determine the hierarchy of the competences which provide for student readiness to participate and to reach social well-being at the expense of restriction or even rejection of one’s own benefit. The study also aimed at exploring how those competences meet the criteria of competent citizenship.

Research methods. The research instrument (SD method) was developed on the basis of the author’s model of socio-psychological factors of citizenship competence development, indicators of value, attitudinal, cognitive and motivational determinants identified by the author.

Findings. The outcome of the study is a determined structure and a hierarchy of abilities which provide for youth readiness for participation (ability to reflect, to participate in a responsible manner, to interact in a society; tactical and strategic abilities; ability to analyze and evaluate a situation, to determine and keep boundaries). Youth readiness for participation is manifested in the situations where one can gain a certain benefit with a minimal risk of loss. The majority of the respondents are not ready to be engaged in the civic initiatives aiming at promoting or defending an idea. More than one third of the future teachers are ambiguous on the solidarity value as well as citizens’ freedom boundaries, motivation and practices of civic participation, and experience of obtaining and rational evaluation of information. The author of the article makes the following conclusions: a) youth citizenship competence development is determined by the discourse of citizenship and citizenship practices produced by the social environment (family, education, media, economic and political and other areas); b) practices and propositions of the youth citizenship discourse do not meet the criteria of competent citizenship.

Practical application of the results. The obtained results can be applied in the course of regulating the impact of the social environment on development of future teachers’ citizenship competences.