ISSN 0798 1015

Vol. 39 (Number 38) Year 2018. Page 14

Tolerant Consciousness of Educational and Multicultural Space Subjects

Tolerancia conciente de temas educativos y multiculturales

Elena Ermolaevna DMITRIEVA 1; Svetlana Nikolayevna KASHTANOVA 2; Elena Yurievna MEDVEDEVA 3; Elena Aleksandrovna OLKHINA 4; Vladimir Aleksandrovich KUDRYAVTSEV 5

Received: 18/04/2018 • Approved: 09/06/2018

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Purpose

3. Methods

4. Results

5. Discussion

6. Conclusion

References

1. Introduction

Tolerant consciousness is a significant feature of the contemporary personality. In theoretical studies, tolerant consciousness is a system of attitudes, value orientations that create the prerequisites for the establishment of interpersonal relationships characterized by openness, positive emotional perception of the partner in interaction, the manifestation of empathy with respect to behavioral responses and values, the worldview of other people (A.G. Asmolov, M.M. Bakhtin, Bondareva et al.).

According to researchers, tolerant consciousness is a complex psychological reality characterized by a certain structure (Aversaev 2010; Asmolov 2000; Astashova 2003; Krivtsova and Martynov 2015; Muslimova, et al. 2017; Medvedeva and Olkhina 2015).

Tolerant consciousness contains the following structural components:

• A perceptual component is expressed in a positive perception of surrounding people, representatives of the socio-cultural environment regardless of nationality, religion, education, age, views, individual difference;

• A cognitive component is a kind of information "field" that determines the level of awareness about the originality of cultural codes, traditions, individual psychological features, ethnic characteristics of people's behavior, etc.;

• An emotional component is expressed in comprehension of the emotional state of other people, in empathy, in their ability to objectively evaluate other people;

• A behavioral component means conventional behavioral attitudes towards the characteristics of different ethnic groups and cultures aimed at establishing trust and equal communication.

The Declaration of Principles on Tolerance approved by Resolution 5.61 of the UNESCO General Conference on November 16, 1995 was a proof of the world recognition of the need to study the problem. The Declaration says that "tolerance" means respect, acceptance and correct understanding of the rich diversity of cultures of our world, our forms of expression, and ways of manifestation of personal individuality". "Intolerance is the non-acceptance of another person, the unwillingness to coexist with other (different) people; intolerance is manifested through destructive, aggressive behavior".

Despite the variety of papers revealing the term of tolerant consciousness, there still remains some uncertainty of the meaning of this concept, there is a lack of research (study) of its structural components, essential characteristics. The problem of developing tolerant consciousness as new value orientations, which are most difficult to assimilate by consciousness, is one of the most complex and unexplored problems. According to the researchers, most Russians show such signs of intolerant consciousness as intolerance to dissent, intolerance towards opponents, dichotomy of thinking and bigotry. Destructiveness is the highest stage of intolerance (hostility, rejection, hatred, etc.) (Asmolov 2000, Bondareva and Kolesov 2003; Dubrovina 2013; Krivtsova and Martynov 2015; Fedorov et al.(2017).

In today's Russia, the need became evident to change the principles of constructing the sociocultural policy towards disabled people. The ideological foundation of such a policy is provided by a doctrine declaring the continuing value of any human personality. However, the practice of social life shows that the real "degree" of tolerant interaction by Russian citizens is quite low. Only a few of Russian citizens are able to convincingly confirm the idea of human self-worth in their behavior (Avdeeva 2016; Alekhina, Alekseeva and Agafonova 2011; Bakhtin 2003; Dmitrieva 2017).

2. Purpose

The paper is devoted to the study of tolerant consciousness. The study purpose is a qualitative analysis of value attitudes of tolerant consciousness of educational and multicultural space subjects.

3. Methods

We conducted the study in order to identify the value attitudes of the multicultural space subjects. A modified method version by U.A. Kukhareva "Diagnosis of tolerant behavior. Unfinished sentences", criteria and levels of the formation of tolerant behavior were applied within the study.

To evaluate tolerant attitudes towards disabled persons of respondents, we used criteria and a ball system:

• Aggressive attitude – 0 points;

• Indifferent attitude, lightweight tactless judgments – 1 point;

• Recognition of rights, readiness for coexistence – 3 points;

• Empathy, readiness for interaction and assistance – 4 points.

Levels of tolerant attitudes:

1.         The high level of intolerant attitudes (1-6 points) is a pronounced negative attitude towards disabled persons, to their differences; demonstration of hostility and contempt.

2.         The low level of intolerant attitudes (7-12 points) means that a person who takes an indifferent position on individual occasions recognizes the rights of these people in words, while at the same time they feel negative attitude towards them.

3.         The low level of tolerance (13-18 points) means that a person recognizes the rights of these people, their readiness for joint "coexistence", while a person shares some social prejudices, stereotypes about disabled people.

4.         The high level of tolerance (19-24 points) is recognition of disabled people, their differences, sympathy, and willingness to interact and provide assistance.

In order to study the features of tolerant attitudes to the possibility of joint education of children with safe health and children with disabilities, a questionnaire was developed (by E.E. Dmitrieva et al.), which made it possible to clarify the moral readiness of the educational space subjects for inclusive education, and to evaluate positive and negative moments of joint learning.

3.1. Respondents’ Sampling

The experiment acording to U.A.Kukhareva's technique was attended by 300 respondents, residents of Nizhny Novgorod and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast:

60 teachers of public schools;

60 students of high schools;

60 parents of children with HIA and disability;

60 students of the Pedagogical University.

The experimental sampling on E.E. Dmitrieva's questionnaire included 140 people: 35 teachers and 35 high school students, 35 students of the Pedagogical University, 35 residents of Nizhny Novgorod and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. The experimental group was created by random selection. The unfinished sentences offered to the respondents suggested the possibility of identifying information about persons with disabilities (HIA), the perception of these people and attitudes towards them and relationships with them.

4. Results

We conducted the study of the level of tolerant attitudes towards people with HIA and disability. The results of the study are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1
Levels of tolerant attitudes

5. Discussion

According to the results of our study, all subjects of the multicultural space have information about people with HIA and disability. However, only 44% of respondents have experience of interaction with these people.

The respondents (all groups) are dominated by the third level of development of tolerant attitudes – the acceptance of people with developmental problems, while the respondents reflect an indifferent attitude toward their problems, their unwillingness to partner interaction.

The number of people, who reflect the self-worthy attitude to people with HIA and disability and show them humane feelings, the desire for interaction and partnerships, is quite small. This level of 20% was reveled among the residents, a slightly smaller percentage of such people was recorded in the group of teachers and future teachers (14% and 11.5% respectively), and the smallest percentage of such subjects (6%) was among school students.

In our study, we also recorded the level of indifferent attitude to people with HIA and disability, their problems, in some cases, rejection of this category of people. This level of intolerant attitudes was not observed only in the group of teachers of educational institutions. Among the residents, this level was recorded in 29% of cases, among school students it was reveled in 17% of cases; and 11.5% of the University students showed this level of tolerance.

There were no people who would reject persons with HIA and disability, would demonstrate aggressive attitude towards them.

The survey did not pretend to be representative. Nevertheless, the results reflect the trends in the development of tolerant consciousness towards persons with HIA and disability: the acceptance by the multicultural space subjects of these individuals, the dominance of condescending attitude towards them, the emerging awareness of a person's self-worth, whatever he or she is.

The practice of informal social relations in society, the perception by the multicultural space subjects of people with HIA and disability is important in the promotion of social initiatives, for example, teaching children with special problems in public schools.

The introduction of inclusive education, ensuring equal access to education for children, taking into account the diversity of educational needs and opportunities, is one of the problems of the contemporary school.

As studies show, the primary and the most important stage in the preparation of the education system for the implementation of inclusive education is the stage of psychological and value changes among the educational space subjects (E.E. Dmitrieva et al.).

The study of the attitude of all subjects of the educational process to inclusive education seems to us a relevant issue in the aspect of successful implementation of inclusive practice. In addition, the attitude to this problem fully reflects the degree of the emerging tolerant consciousness of Russians.

Let us analyze the value attitudes towards the problem of inclusive education by education subjects. We believe that educational institutions are social institutions for the formation of tolerant consciousness. First of all, it can be said about the secondary school, through which all children "pass" in the corresponding age, the age of formation of knowledge and methods of cognition, social experience, value orientations, etc.

It is not by chance that one of the most important personal results of the implementation of the Federal State Educational Standard is "tolerant consciousness and behavior in a multicultural world, readiness and ability to conduct a dialogue with other people, achieve mutual understanding in it, find common goals and cooperate to achieve them. The teacher's task is to find ways to contribute to the achievement of this result.

With an abundance of studies devoted to various issues of introducing the inclusion into the educational space, only a small percentage of them are devoted to the study of subjects of the educational process. A few studies indicate a lack of methodological support and the readiness of teachers to work with students with HIA and disability. Researchers note that the policy of inclusion does not always become a component of the professional thinking of teachers, which makes it difficult to create the necessary psycho-emotional atmosphere of trust in the group of students, makes it difficult to implement the principle of partnership and cooperation. The attitude of healthy students, future teachers to persons with HIA and disability is also not optimal. It is positive only at the level of cognitive and emotional components, but the behavioral component is colored indifferently (E.E. Dmitrieva, S.V. Alyokhina, T.N. Avdeev et al.).

Here are the results of the questionnaire.

The results showed that 48% of teachers are positive about the idea of inclusive education ("it is necessary to start", "it is necessary to join the universal values"). 52% of teachers are negative about the educational integration. They talk about the irrelevance of such an idea, about the unpreparedness of Russian society to look humanely at this problem. Only 40% of teachers surveyed in public schools are ready to work with children with developmental disabilities, 60% have admitted that they are not ready to this.

Among the positive moments of inclusive education, they note the expansion of opportunities for the socialization of children with HIA and disability.

The teachers, who have little experience with problem categories of children, note the lack of the necessary knowledge in pedagogy and psychology of children with developmental disabilities, difficulties in teaching methods, lack of methodological literature, textbooks, low technical equipment of the educational process, difficulties (temporary) during individual work.

The teachers often face overstating requirements from parents of students with developmental problems to the level of teaching their children.

When they were asked which children can be educated in a public secondary school, the teachers answered that they are children with developmental delay, children with small intellectual disabilities. They are psychologically and methodically not ready to work with children who have hearing, vision, speech, musculoskeletal disorders.

The survey of schoolchildren found low awareness of children about the problems of inclusive education of various categories of children with physical and mental development disorders (40% of children are not familiarized with this problem).

Informed children only in 12% of cases advocated coeducation, 28% of children believed that children with HIA should be trained in special classes, 3% believed they should study at home. 50% of children indicated an indifferent attitude towards solving this problem, 7% opposed implementation of inclusive practice. Thus, only 43% of schoolchildren spoke in favor of different forms of coeducation; they have tolerant attitudes to the problem of inclusion. The question "How will you react to the fact that your peer will have HIA and disability?" helps to clarify the students' personal attitude toward coeducation. 35% of children expressed positive assessment to this possibility, 52.5% of teenagers indicated an indifferent attitude, and 12.5% of children expressed reluctance to study in the same class with "special" children.

50% of schoolchildren could not name the positive moments of inclusive education. Among the positive moments of joint education, another group of schoolchildren named the expansion and enrichment of the experience of communication of children with HIA and disability, the possibility of forming positive traits among peers.

Among the negative moments of joint learning, the children named the complexity of mastering the curriculum by "special" children; possible difficulties in interpersonal communication, in relations with teachers.

A survey of parents of healthy children showed that 41% of parents were positive about inclusive education, 12% were neutral, 47% were negative. Speaking about joint education, the parents are convinced that there should be special classes for children with HIA and disability.

The positive moments of joint learning: tolerant communication, expansion of opportunities to realize the activity of "special" children, development of moral qualities in healthy children.

Among the negative aspects of inclusive practice, parents noted overload of teachers, which would reduce the level of education in school, lack of the necessary "environment", artificial inhibition of the development of healthy children.

A survey of disabled children's parents showed that 80% of parents were positive about inclusive education. According to the parents, their children will learn to communicate "on an equal" with healthy children, will develop faster. At the same time, the parents are concerned that the burden can worsen the health of their children. They do not exclude the possibility of psychological harassment in the conditions of joint activity and communication in a public educational institution.

A survey of 4th and 5th year students at the psychological and pedagogical departments of the pedagogical university (students of defectological training profiles did not participate in the survey) showed that students were not sufficiently informed about the problems of inclusive education (29% of students). Only 15% of students expressed positive attitude and readiness to work in conditions of inclusive educational practice. 21% of students expressed negative attitude to inclusion, 64% of students indicated indifferent attitude to the problem. Among the positive features, the students named the possibility of realizing the individuality of children with HIA and disability. Among the negative aspects of coeducation at school, students referred to an ambiguous attitude of members of society to persons with HIA and disability, insufficient level of psychological, pedagogical and methodological preparation for working with special children, lack of knowledge about successful implementation of inclusion in various schools in the region.

6. Conclusion

Thus, the students showed insufficient level of awareness and tolerance for interaction with children with HIA in conditions of professional activity.

Despite the variability of answers to the questionnaire, the respondents showed a rather low level of development of tolerant attitudes towards the process of educational integration of persons with HIA and disability. Evaluating the inclusive education in the system of public values (one of the questions was aimed at such an evaluation), only 40% of respondents determined that this was the implementation of the state policy in the field of education, these were the humanistic attitudes of the society at the present stage. 48% of respondents believed that the transition to the inclusive education was innovation in the field of education. 12% found it difficult to identify their position on this issue.

The analysis of the questionnaire also showed that the position of those respondents who had the experience of training, raising children with HIA and disability, and the experience of interaction with them was more humane.

Our study allows concluding that there is no sharply negative attitude to persons with HIA and disability, to the problems of their education; although the personal readiness to accept and implement humanistic social values is rather low. The task remains to change the public consciousness in relation to persons with HIA and disability, their capabilities.

We believe that the main objective of public education is a formation of ideas about changing attitudes towards persons with HIA and disability as a process of important value-and-meaning changes that include all the multicultural space subjects. It is quite obvious that tolerant consciousness as a real psychological neoplasm can appear only in the practice of real experience of feelings by the subjects, the content of which should become a "tolerable" background of the subjects’ interaction.

The educational system is a main area for realizing the objectives of developing tolerance as the most important value of coexistence of people in a multicultural society. In this regard, the role and importance of the formation of special cultural and educational environment that contributes to the effective development of tolerant consciousness in students is dramatically increased:

• It is important to inform students of tolerant perceptions and attitudes towards developmental disabilities. The formation of this attitude can be facilitated by the lessons of civic education, the organization of joint activities (joint holidays, creative competitions, olympiads), volunteer movement;

• There is a need for socio-humanitarian training of teachers, the pedagogical university students on the issues of relations with persons with HIA and society;

• Active inclusion of students and schoolchildren in the volunteer movement, enriching their experience of positive perception and interaction with persons with HIA and disability, is necessary;

• It is crucial to assist parents who have healthy children to realize value-semantic social changes, positive attitudes towards people with HIA and disability, their opportunities, to show the role of experience of communication with such children for the moral development of schoolchildren, and the formation of a system of their values.

References

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1. Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University (Minin University), Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Federation. 603950, Russian Federation, Nizhny Novgorod, Uliyanova Street, 1

2. Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University (Minin University), Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Federation. 603950, Russian Federation, Nizhny Novgorod, Uliyanova Street, 1

3. Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University (Minin University), Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Federation. 603950, Russian Federation, Nizhny Novgorod, Uliyanova Street, 1. E-mail: medvedeva4278@yandex.ru

4. Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University (Minin University), Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Federation. 603950, Russian Federation, Nizhny Novgorod, Uliyanova Street, 1

5. Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University (Minin University), Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Federation. 603950, Russian Federation, Nizhny Novgorod, Uliyanova Street, 1