Students’ civic engagement in Ukraine and Canada: a comparative analysis

Oksana Zabolotna; Anna Pidhaietska

doi:10.4995/muse.2021.14962

Authors

Oksana Zabolotna Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4901-1053
Anna Pidhaietska Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3647-9880

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4995/muse.2021.14962

Keywords:

civic participation, Ukraine, Canada, students, youth engagement

Abstract

In this article, the authors have carried out a comparative analysis of students’ civic engagement in Ukraine and Canada. They have surveyed the students at Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University and compared the findings with the results of a study done by the Canadian researcher Catherine Broom at British Columbia University. Based on the research findings, the authors have identified Ukrainian students’ personal political and civic experience levels and compared them with the Canadian results. The study reveals Ukrainian students’ attitudes towards political and civic participation, democracy, the government in general and in comparison with Canadian data. The research results have identified the following key factors that influence Ukrainian students’ civic activity: students’ free time activities their attitudes and beliefs. According to the survey, gender, religious involvement, personality type, and family’s political involvement do not directly influence the students’ civic engagement. The survey has not reported any influence of school social study courses on civic engagement, stressing the importance of real-life experiences that result in attitudes and intrinsic motivation. The authors have also revealed examples of motivations and barriers for youth civic involvement.

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Author Biographies

Oksana Zabolotna, Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University

Professor at Foreign Languages Department, Head of the Research Laboratory of Comparative Education

Anna Pidhaietska, Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University

Lecturer at Foraign Languages Department

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