Civic education of the individual as an urgent need of modern Ukrainian society

author: Olexandr Prytula

Urgency of the research. The cultivation of worldview, national-patriotic feelings, and beliefs emerges as a leading task of the entire educational process, where the younger generation forms evaluation views, principles that determine their perception of the surrounding world, the place of an individual in it, and their value orientations. In today’s context, civic education is inseparable from patriotic education. This term is often viewed as the process of forming national self-awareness among citizens, developing a conscious citizen, patriot, and professional, fostering patriotism as an integrative quality that enables a person to feel capable in moral, social, political, and legal dimensions, and ready to defend their country and people from from the enemy, to the prejudice of any threats.

Target setting. The urgent need for civic education of the individual is driven by the events of Ukraine’s recent history – the struggle for independence, freedom, and dignity of the Ukrainian people, which began on the eve of Ukraine's declaration of independence and gained large-scale momentum through the two Maidans of 2004 and 2014, the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine starting with the occupation and illegal annexation of Crimea, the armed conflict on Ukraine's eastern borders, that took thousands of Ukrainian lives, and, after eight years, escalated into a full-scale Russo-Ukrainian war from February 24, 2022, resulting in significant human losses, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and impacting the fate of every Ukrainian. These events and the global resonance, they generate, clearly demonstrate that Ukraine’s state independence requires constant and reliable protection.

Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. Although the ideas of civic education were raised in the works of ancient thinkers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, they acquired substantial understanding starting from the 17th century in the works of T. Hobbes, J. Locke, C. Montesquieu, J.-J. Rousseau, G. Hegel, A de Tocqueville, S. Huntington, R. Putnam, K. Popper, and others. These ideas were also developed in the works of Ukrainian thinkers and educators – H. Skovoroda, M. Drahomanov, I. Franko, M. Hrushevsky, A. Makarenko, H. Vashchenko, V. Sukhomlynsky, and others, as well as many researchers in independent Ukraine. Special attention should be given to the works of I. Bekh, P. Verbytska, V. Voloshyna, O. Sukhomlynsky, K. Chorna, and others.

The research objective. To clarify the philosophical significance of civic education of the individual in the strategy of preparing a warrior-defender in modern Ukrainian society.

The statement of basic materials. Patriotism, as the result of civic-patriotic education, is an urgent need for Ukrainian society, where the self-development of an individual and the formation of their patriotic self-awareness on a moral foundation are undeniable priorities. Within this study, we will consider the theoretical and methodological foundations of civic education, its components in the context of contemporary challenges, and the latest approaches to its formation.

Conclusions. The urgent need for civic education of the individual – defender of the homeland –  was caused by the struggle for independence, freedom, and dignity of the Ukrainian people, initially during the two Maidans and later during the Russo-Ukrainian war. Under these conditions, civic education as the process of forming national self-awareness among citizens, developing a conscious citizen, patriot, and professional is closely linked with fostering patriotism as an integrative quality of the individual, enabling them to feel morally, socially, politically, and legally capable, ready to defend their country and people from any threats.

Keywords. civic education, individual, patriotism, national self-awareness, worldview, value orientations

References:

  1. Atamanchuk, P & Nikolaiev, O 2015, ‘Tekhnolohichni osnovy formuvannia svitohliadu uchniv maibutnimy vchyteliamy fizyko-tekhnichnoho profiliu (Technological foundations of the formation of students' worldview by future teachers of the physical and technical profile)’, Naukovi zapysky. Seriia: Problemy metodyky fizyko-matematychnoi i tekhnolohichnoi osvity, Kirovohrad : RVV KDPU im. Vynnychenka, Vyp.7 (2), c. 107-113.
  2. Bekh, ID & Chorna, KI 2015, ‘Prohrama ukrainskoho patriotychnoho vykhovannia ditei ta uchnivskoi molodi (Program of Ukrainian patriotic education of children and student youth)’, Hirska shkola Ukrainskykh Karpat, № 12-13, c. 26-37.
  3. Bekh, I 2019, ‘Patriotychne i hromadianske vykhovannia u vlasnykh mezhakh (Patriotic and civic education within one's own borders)’, Osvita dlia myru : zb. nauk. pr.: u 2 t., redkol.: Kremen, VH, Kyiv: Vyd-vo TOV “Iurka Liubchenka”, T.1, s. 607-618.
  4. Bekh, I 2016, ‘Patriotychne i hromadianske vykhovannia: linii zitknennia ta rozmezhuvannia (Patriotic and civic education: lines of conflict and demarcation)’, Ridna shkola, № 8/9, c. 8–10.
  5. Bekh, ID 2018, Osobystist na shliakhu do dukhovnykh tsinnostei. Monohrafiia (Personality on the way to spiritual values. Monograph), Kyiv – Chernivtsi : “Bukrek”, 320 s.
  6. Vasylieva, DV 2015, ‘Patriotychne vykhovannia uchniv na urokakh matematyky v osnovnii shkoli (Patriotic education of students in mathematics lessons in primary school)’, Naukovyi chasopys NPU imeni M. P. Drahomanova. Seriia 3. Fizyka i matematyka u vyshchii i serednii shkoli, 15, c. 21-27.
  7. Verbytska, PV 2010, Teoretyko-metodolohichni osnovy hromadianskoho vykhovannia uchnivskoi molodi u zahalnoosvitnikh navchalnykh zakladakh (Theoretical and methodological foundations of civic education of students in general educational institutions). Avtoreferat doktora nauk, Kyiv, 19 s.
  8. Voloshyn, VP 2003, ‘V. O. Sukhomlynskyi i vykhovannia hromadianyna nezalezhnoi Ukrainy (V. O. Sukhomlynskyi and education of a citizen of independent Ukraine)’, Psykholoho-pedahohichni problemy silskoi shkoly : nauk. zbirnyk, pid red. N. S. Pobirchenko (hol. red.), I. D. Bekh, N. M. Bibik [ta in.]; UDPU imeni Pavla Tychyny, Kyiv : Nauk, svit, Vyp. 4, s. 213-218.
  9. Voloshyn, PM 2010, Vykhovannia hromadianskosti molodshykh shkoliariv u protsesi vyvchennia predmetiv humanitarnoho tsyklu (Education of citizenship of junior high school students in the process of studying subjects of the humanitarian cycle). Avtoreferat kandydata nauk, Kyiv, 21 s.
  10. Zahorodnia, A 2013, ‘Suchasne rozuminnia patriotychnoho vykhovannia molodi (Modern understanding of patriotic education of youth)’, Teoriia ta metodyka upravlinnia osvitoiu, № 10, Dostupno: <http://nbuv.gov.ua/UJRN/ttmuo_2013_10_11>. [20 Cherven 2024].
  11. Koliada, N 2016, ‘Hromadianske vykhovannia: spadshchyna Vasylia Sukhomlynskoho u dialozi z suchasnistiu (Civic education: Vasyl Sukhomlynsky's legacy in dialogue with modernity)’, Studia Zaradzania i Finansow Wyzszej Bankowej w Poznaniu, № 11, c. 167-174.
  12. Kontseptsiia hromadianskoho vykhovannia v umovakh rozvytku ukrainskoi derzhavnosti (The concept of civic education in the context of the development of Ukrainian statehood) 2000, Proekt. Hromadianska Osvita, № 21. Dostupno: <https://osvita.khpg.org/index.php?id=976002302>. [20 Cherven 2024].
  13. Kontseptsiia natsionalno-patriotychnoho vykhovannia v systemi osvity Ukrainy (Concept of national-patriotic education in the education system of Ukraine) 2022, Zatverdzheno Nakazom Ministerstva osvity Ukrainy vid 6 chervnia 2022. Dostupno: <https://nus.org.ua/news/mon-zatverdylo-novu-kontseptsiyu-patriotychnogo-vyhovannya/>. [20 Cherven 2024].
  14. Kontseptsiia realizatsii derzhavnoi polityky u sferi reformuvannia zahalnoi serednoi osvity “Nova ukrainska shkola” na period do 2029 roku (Concept of implementation of state policy in the field of general secondary education reform "New Ukrainian School" for the period until 2029) 2016, Rozporiadzhennia Kabinetu Ministriv Ukrainy vid 14 hrudnia 2016 r. № 988.  Ofitsiinyi visnyk Ukrainy, № 1, st. 22.
  15. Kontseptsiia rozvytku hromadianskoi osvity v Ukraini (Concept of the development of civic education in Ukraine) 2022, Skhvaleno rozporiadzhenniam KM Ukrainy vid 3 zhovtnia 2018 r. № 710-r (v redaktsii rozporiadzhennia KMU vid 8 zhovtnia 2022 r. № 893-r). Dostupno: <https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/710-2018-%D1%80#Text>. [20 Cherven 2024].
  16. Korkishko, OH 2004, Vykhovannia patriotyzmu molodshykh shkoliariv u pozaurochnii vykhovnii roboti (Education of patriotism of younger schoolchildren in extracurricular educational work). Avtoreferat kandydata nauk, Skhidnoukr. nats. un-t im. V. Dalia, Luhansk, 20 s.
  17. Okushko, TK 2016, ‘Osobystisno-oriientovani tekhnolohii patriotychnoho vykhovannia uchnivskoi molodi v hromadskykh obiednanniakh: teoretychni zasady (Personally-oriented technologies of patriotic education of student youth in public associations: theoretical foundations)’, Teoretyko-metodychni problemy vykhovannia ditei ta uchnivskoi molodi, Vyp. 20 (2), c. 68-78.
  18. Riabov, SH 2004, ‘Osoblyvosti hromadianskoi osvity u formuvanni politychnoi kultury perekhidnoho suspilstva (Peculiarities of civic education in the formation of the political culture of a transitional society)’, Naukovi zapysky NaUKMA, T. 31: Politychni nauky, c. 54-64.
  19. Sukhomlynska, O 2005, ‘Hromadianske vykhovannia: spadshchyna i suchasnist (Civic education: heritage and modernity)’, Doba istorychnoi ta hromadianskoi osvity: naukovo-metodychnyi chasopys, № 2, c. 3-5.
  20. Sukhomlynskyi, VO 1970, Narodzhennia hromadianyna (The birth of a citizen). Vybrani tvory: V 5-ty tomakh, T.3.
  21. Fedorenko, OM 2026, ‘Natsionalno-patriotychna vykhovanist uchniv zahalnoosvitnikh shkil : psykholohichnyi aspekt (National-patriotic upbringing of students of secondary schools: psychological aspect)’, Pedahohika formuvannia tvorchoi osobystosti u vyshchii i zahalnoosvitnii shkolakh, Vyp. 51 (104), c. 400-409.