Worldview of senior school students with different identity profiles

Abstract

The paper presents a study conducted in the spring of 2024, during a special military operation. It explores the worldview of senior school students with different identity profiles. The study involved 997 students (552 female, 445 male) aged 15 to 18 years (m=16.8) in grades 9–11 from schools in Kostroma and the Kostroma Region. The research employed several empirical methods, including a questionnaire assessing students’ attitudes toward the national and global situation; ‘The world in which I live... What is it like?’ tool (Odintsova, 2015); and the ‘Twenty Statements Test’ by M. Kuhn and T. McPartland modified by T. V. Rumyantseva (Rumyantseva, 2006). The latter tool was used to analyze the content of personal identity and determine the participants’ identification as citizens, patriots, and defenders of their homeland. The findings suggest that Russian senior school students, despite the emotionally charged national and global context, maintain a largely positive and resourceful outlook on Russia. Students who identify strongly with Russian society, the nation, civic duty, and patriotism, tend to hold a more constructive worldview. Identification with the homeland emerges as a foundational value that supports integrity and meaningful understanding of the world. These students display a coherent and substantive worldview, which shapes their perception of self and the future.