Formation of Students’ Citizenship as a Condition for Sustainable
Development in the Process of Learning German
Farida H. Sakhapova
a
, Olga G. Evgrafova
b
and Milyausha N. Kemalova
c
Naberezhnye Chelny Institute, Kazan (Volga region) Federal University, Mira prospect, Naberezhnye Chelny, Russia
Keywords: Formation, Actualization, Citizenship, Awareness, Behavior, State, Need.
Abstract: This research is devoted to the study of the problem of civic education of students; the definition of a
pedagogical condition, the development of technology for the formation of civic qualities of a person by
means of a foreign language. The aim of the scientific work is the theoretical substantiation and monitoring
of the pedagogical conditions, providing effective civic education of students by means of a foreign language
in modern conditions. The research is based on a hypothesis: the effectiveness of civic education as an
integrative quality of the personality of students by means of a foreign language will largely depend on the
actualization of the axiological core of the content of a foreign language course. The purpose of the study puts
forward the following tasks: to clarify and supplement the concept of "citizenship"; revise, fill, update the
value aspects of the content of a foreign language course; experimentally check the effectiveness of updating
the axiological core of the content of a foreign language course.
1 INTRODUCTION
Currently, in conditions of economic instability,
stratification of society, falling living standards of
most of the population, there is a social and spiritual
crisis in society, which negatively affects the psycho-
emotional state of all segments of the population,
especially young people. Young people, having
received an education, often cannot find a job and
understand that they are not in demand in the labor
market as a young specialist, as a result,
disappointment and loss of faith in the future comes,
which reduces the will to search for the ideal of life.
All this forms cynicism, mistrust, cruelty, selfishness,
drunkenness, aggression, drug addiction, worship of
the cult of violence in our youth. Сivic patriotism of
young people lacks civic constructiveness due to the
fact that the youth perceive civic consciousness as a
duty of a young citizen to society and the state, and it
is devoid of social activity, responsibility and
practical approach (Kolesnikova and Lubsky, 2018).
The existing problems reflect the acuteness of
pressing problems, the seriousness of the whole
situation. And the future of our country directly
a
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4272-4977
b
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9682-7747
c
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3711-2511
depends on how young people will be able to
skillfully govern the country, form or change power
through elections, control and influence the processes
of making important decisions, develop all spheres of
activity at an appropriate high level, and not be
passive and incompetent in these issues. Therefore, it
is relevant to involve young citizens in management
and training to observe and apply the principles of
democracy in everyday life. According to Khudik
V.A. and Loginova N.V. "Preparing young people for
an independent life is unthinkable without the
formation of adequate feelings of citizenship and
patriotism for their homeland." (Khudik and
Loginova, 2010). This causes the need for the
development and improvement of civic education and
civic education of the younger generation in the spirit
of the principles of democracy.
2 METHODOLOGY
The theoretical foundations of civic education of the
younger generation were covered in the scientific
works of psychologists, teachers, lawyers,
690
Sakhapova, F., Evgrafova, O. and Kemalova, M.
Formation of Students’ Citizenship as a Condition for Sustainable Development in the Process of Learning German.
DOI: 10.5220/0010596006900695
In Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference on Sustainable Development of Regional Infrastructure (ISSDRI 2021), pages 690-695
ISBN: 978-989-758-519-7
Copyright
c
 2021 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

philosophers and sociologists of different eras.
Important are works devoted to the development in
domestic pedagogy of the theory of civic education in
certain historical periods (L.V. Kuznetsova, N.P.
Kuzin), the content of education of civic maturity
(M.P. Chumakov), pedagogical conditions for the
formation of civic consciousness and activity (G.V.
Koroleva, T.N. Osmankina, Yu.A. Tanyukhin, D.S.
Yakovleva), criteria of civic education (E.I.Kokorina,
Yu.P. Marinkina, N.I. Monakhov).
The peculiarities of civic education of students in
the course of the educational process are investigated:
by means of social (G.Ya. Grevtseva) and
humanitarian disciplines (A.M. Yuzlikaeva); in
extracurricular activities (I.M. Duranov, A.V.
Podgornov). The analysis of the results of these
studies indicates that pedagogical science has
obtained certain data that reveal the tasks, content and
methods of civic education. However, the realities of
today force us to reconsider these foundations.
The object of the research is the process of civic
education of students.
Subject of research: the pedagogical condition of
civic education of students by means of the academic
discipline "foreign language".
Purpose of the research: to theoretically
substantiate and experimentally test the pedagogical
conditions that ensure effective civic education of
students by means of a foreign language.
The research is based on the hypothesis: effective
education of citizenship as an integrative quality of
students' personality by means of a foreign language
will be possible subject to the pedagogical condition:
actualization of the axiological core of the content of
a foreign language course. This will allow for
personal choice and value assignment by students.
The goal and hypothesis determine the following
tasks:
1. Clarify and supplement the concept of
"citizenship".
2. To revise, fill, update the value aspects of the
content of a foreign language course.
3. Experimentally check the effectiveness of
updating the axiological core of the content of a
foreign language course
Research methodology.
The theoretical and methodological basis of the
study is the patterns of dialectics, based on a historical
and logical systematic approach to the consideration
of the problems of civic education; the transition from
quantity to quality, cause and effect. The following
methods were used for the study:
 theoretical: study and analysis of
psychological, pedagogical and
methodological literature on the problem of
research, comparison, analysis;
 empirical methods: observation, study of the
results of activity, conversation, survey,
pedagogical experiment in its various forms,
followed by statistical processing and analysis
of the results obtained.
3 RESEARCH RESULTS
3.1 Attention of the State to Issues of
Civic Education
Taking into account the current needs of society and
the state, while maintaining continuity, it is necessary
to revise the rich experience of our society, and
education in particular, in the field of civic education
of young people and fill it with new content. A system
of continuous social and pedagogical process of civic
education is needed. The state has developed the
necessary state programs, such as the "Concept of the
socio-economic development of the Russian
Federation for the period up to 2020", the Federal
Law "On education in the Russian Federation", which
focuses on the upbringing of not only a literate, but
also a cultural member of society who cares heritage,
natural wealth and community values (Federal Law
"On Education in the Russian Federation" N 273-FZ,
2012) In the "Strategy for the development of
education in the Russian Federation for the period up
to 2025", the priority task of the Russian Federation
in the field of raising children is the development of a
highly moral person who shares Russian traditional
spiritual values, has relevant knowledge and skills, is
able to realize his potential in a modern society, ready
for the peaceful creation and protection of the
Motherland. The development of upbringing in the
education system involves: updating the content of
upbringing, the introduction of forms and methods
based on the best pedagogical experience in the field
of upbringing (Khudik and Loginova, 2010).
According to the new approach, the focus is on civic
education and upbringing.
3.2 Approaches to the Definition of
"Citizenship"
The upbringing of a young citizen of a country is a
complex pedagogical process designed to educate a
citizen worthy of his country, who will actively
participate in governing the state, revive it, working
and living for the good of his state, selflessly fight and
Formation of Students’ Citizenship as a Condition for Sustainable Development in the Process of Learning German
691

defend its freedom, wealth, multiply the greatness of
his country, be proud of your Fatherland. The result
of civic education, we believe, is citizenship
(Sakhapova, 2004). We have studied various
approaches to the concept of "citizenship". Nikolina
V.V., Vinokurova N.F., Zulkharnaeva believe that the
problem of the formation of citizenship, the
development of a sense of national identity and
patriotism is even more significant today in
connection with the demand for moral and spiritual
improvement of Russian society as the basis for
sustainable development of Russia, since the best the
ideas of social and political reforms can remain
fruitless if they do not have support on the
corresponding civil-patriotic attitudes and values
(Nikolina, Vinokurova and Zulharnaeva, 2016). In
particular, we share the opinion of L.V. Kuznetsova
that citizenship at the present stage of society's
development can be defined as the competence and
interest in participating in the management of society,
in specific socially valuable affairs, in the political,
social, economic life of the state, the revival of
production, the preservation and development of
culture, maintaining the country's defense, readiness
for independent proactive actions in the interests of
the country, the ability to be both an organizer and
organized, and a subject of management and its
object, including a subject of management of oneself,
one's own life and activities (Kuznetsova, 2007).
One of the most important means of civic
education in foreign language lessons is the use of the
technology of the dialogue of cultures, which creates
the necessary conditions for improving and
strengthening civic position, including participants in
the learning process, for understanding the moral
values of society and their acceptance, prepares
students for the perception of systemic moral and
legal knowledge (Sargsyan, 2017).
Having studied various approaches to this issue,
we defined our vision of citizenship as “an integrative
unity of personality qualities and properties that
determine its social orientation, readiness to achieve
private socially significant interests, goals in
accordance with the existing conditions in society, the
state, personal needs and opportunities, accepted in
the society moral and moral norms ” (Sakhapova,
2004). In modern conditions, taking into account the
state's need for highly educated, responsible, civic
educated young people, the educational potential of
educational disciplines, in particular a foreign
language, should be fully used in educational
programs (Sakhapova, Koroleva and Valeeva, 2015).
It is important to revise, fill, actualize the value
aspects of the content of a foreign language course
and present significant knowledge that has a certain
value, aimed at the formation of value consciousness,
value attitude, value behavior of the student's
personality (Sakhapova, Evgrafova and Salimzanova,
2020).
3.3 Formation of Value Consciousness
by Means of a Foreign Language
Value consciousness is a form of reflection of
objective reality, while the subject will be able to
define the space of his life activity as moral and
spiritual; the unity of mental processes actively
participating in the understanding of the objective
world by a person and his own being based on the
reflection of reality as the world of spiritual values. In
the process of teaching a foreign language, the student
has the opportunity to study and compare the rights of
a citizen of his country and the country of the studied
language, make an analysis, express his opinion on
solving problems and tasks, which creates conditions
for developing an active civic position. At the
beginning of the experiment, the students were asked
the question: "What civil rights do you use in life?"
30% of the respondents answered that they actively
use, 50% use it partially because they do not know
them enough, 20% could not specifically answer, and
maybe they use it, but unconsciously. To develop and
form a value consciousness, we invited students to
read and translate the text about human rights in
Russia and then, using a diagram, tell a foreign friend
about the rights of a citizen of Russia.
Text: Ich bin Bürger von Russland.
Ich lebe in Russland. Ich wurde hier geboren und
aufgewachsen. Ich fühle mich hier zu Hause. Das ist
mein Land und ich bin stolz darauf, dass ich hier lebe.
Russland ist eine Föderation mit mehreren
autonomen Republiken. Mein Land ist ein
demokratischer Staat, der den Willen und die
Interessen des ganzen Volkes ausdrückt. Alle Bürger
unseres Landes haben gleiche Rechte und gleiche
Pflichten. Sie haben gleiches Recht auf den Schutz
von der Seite des Staates. Unsere Verfassung, das
Grundgesetz des Landes, garantiert die
Gleichberechtigung aller Bürger auf allen Gebieten
des politischen, ökonomischen, sozialen und
kulturellen Lebens. Die Völker unseres Staates haben
Rechte auf den Schutz, auf das Verlassen des
Territoriums des Landes und die Rückkehr in das
Land, auf Eigentum, auf die Erholung und die
Bildung, auf die Arbeit. Jeder Mensch hat Recht seine
Nationalität zu bestimmen, seine Muttersprache zu
benutzen. Die Bürger haben Recht zu wählen und in
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Verwaltungsorgane gewählt zu sein. Jeder Bürger hat
Recht auf Gesundschutz und auf medizinische Hilfe.
Alle Bürger sollen die Verfassung, die Rechte des
Staates beachten. Sie sollen ihre Rechte und Pflichten
gut kennen, um die Wirtschaft, die Landwirtschaft,
das Lebensniveau zu erhöhen.
Ich bin noch Student. Ich studiere fleissig und
tüchtig alle Fächer, um meine Kenntnisse nutzbar für
die weitere Entwicklung meines Landes verwenden
zu können. Die Zukunft unserer Heimat hängt von
uns, der Jugentlichen ab. Wir sollen klug, kreativ,
flexibel, verantwortungsvoll sein.
Figure 1: What civil rights do you have?
The results of the work showed that 65% of
students enriched their knowledge of rights and are
aware of how and where to apply them, 30% are
partially aware, 5% are vaguely aware of their rights.
Value attitude - the internal position of a person,
which reflects the relationship between personal and
social values. A value attitude arises when objects are
involved in one or another type of human activity,
where striving, purpose, and activity should be
manifested. The more active an individual is, the
more his desire for activity is manifested, the more
vividly his attitude is expressed. For example, in
foreign language classes, it is formed in the process
of involving a student in a variety of activities, such
as business games, disputes, conferences, where he
focuses on the values of other students, learns to take
into account and respect the opinions of others,
correlate his actions with the actions of others and do
findings (Sakhapova, Koroleva and Valeeva, 2015).
Thus, a value attitude is formed under the
influence of real life practice in the presence of a
person's inner activity, which allows one to consider
culture as a world of ideals, models and as a world of
practical and spiritual interaction, the subject of
which is he himself. To develop a value relationship,
work with vocabulary on the topic was provided:
Translate and learn the following words:
verantwortlich; geizig; gebildet; ehrlich; kompetent;
organisiert; verschlossen; sicher; verlässlich;
wissbegierig; gesetzbeachtend; willensstark; listig;
lügnerisch; selbstbeherrscht; konzentriert; energisch;
flexibel; tolerant, civic behavior, civic consciousness,
civic position, tolerance into Russian and,
accordingly, into German, and make sentences with
these words. Then the students discussed the
question: Which of these qualities do you possess?
Confirm this with examples from your own life. Start
like this: Ich bin sicher, das ich ... .... bin.
This work showed: 70% of students easily coped
with the task, using the maximum of vocabulary, 27%
were able to apply more than half of the vocabulary,
when 3% used little vocabulary and could not connect
with their examples from life. Value attitudes, civic
qualities, awareness of purpose, motivation are
internal regulators of human behavior, which lead to
the value behavior of the student's personality, to the
civil socialization of the student's personality. For this
purpose, in foreign language classes, we pay special
attention to topics such as "Acquaintance at an
international conference", "Profession", "Rights,
duties and benefits of a student", "Studying at a
university", "My future job", " The civil qualities of
the modern student ". Further, in order to identify
students' ideas about value behavior, we offered
students a test in German. The students were
presented with a list of words that they had to write
down in three columns. In the first, the most
significant qualities of behavior for a student, in the
second, those that may be inherent in him, in the third,
which may be absent.
We took the following table as the criteria for the
correct answers.
Table 1: Behavioral quality indicators.
Most significant
qualities
Qualities that can be
inheren
t
Qualities that can
b
e absen
t
Patriotism / der
Patriotismus
Composure / die
Selbstbeherrschung
Sloth / die
Unordentlichkei
t
Tolerance /die
Toleranz
Hard work / der
Fleiss
Coarseness / die
Grobhei
t
Compassion /
das Mitleid
Patience / die
Gedul
d
Arrogance / der
Hochmu
t
Honour/ die
Ehre
Sincerity /die
Aufrichtigkeit
Laziness / die
Faulhei
t
Justice / die
Gerechtigkeit
Responsiveness / die
Anteilnahme
Greed / die
Habsucht
Citizenship /das
Staatsbewusstse
in
Determination / die
Entschiedenheit
Duplicity / die
Heuchelei
Conscience /
das Gewissen
Persistence / die
Hartnackigkei
t
Deceit /die
Verlogenhei
t
Courage// der
Mu
t
Passion / die
Begeisterung
Irresponsibility /
die Sanftmut
Political literacy
/ die politische
Schulung
Moderation /die
Ausdauer
Flattering / das
Schmeicheln
Principledness
/die
Prinzipienfestig
kei
t
Hospitality /die
Freundlichkeit
Imbalance / die
Unausgeglichenhe
it
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We rated each quality from the first column at 5
points, from the second - 4 points, from the third - 3
points. Then the scores and rank of each quality were
calculated.
The test results showed that 60% of students
placed the qualities correctly in the table, 35% made
minor mistakes, and 5% of students ranked the
qualities incorrectly or found it difficult to answer.
The study confirmed our hypothesis and proved that,
subject to the pedagogical condition: actualization of
the axiological core of the content of a foreign
language course, the education of students' civic
qualities is more effective and that a foreign language
has a huge educational potential for the formation of
citizenship among young people.
4 DISCUSSION
At the beginning of the 21st century, Western society
is experiencing an acute negative experience of
"democratic" transformations, as a result of which the
elementary spirit of citizenship was undermined. As
a result, a significant part of the growing generation
considers love for the homeland, patriotism and a
sense of civic duty optional. This trend cannot but
influence the new generation, therefore, in the field of
education, the European urban decay and the fall of
the younger generation. The leading teachers see the
main goal of youth policy in the field of education in
the development of civic education and the formation
of citizenship. In recent decades, there has been a high
activity of states in the field of education of
generations.
In most European countries, members of the
European Union and the Council of Europe, civic
education programs have been developed, which are
introduced into the content of school education either
in the form of a compulsory school subject, or an
elective course and elective. For example, in English
schools it is "leadership course", in German
gymnasiums - "politics", in French lyceums -
"civics", in Japanese schools - "special activity" and
"civics". The basis of these programs includes
knowledge about society and a person, which is
necessary to prepare for the future life of a student in
modern society and the formation of citizenship
(Shehovskaya and Kosenkova, 2016).
5 CONCLUSIONS
The study of the problem of the formation of
citizenship among students is due to its relevance in
connection with the increasing need of society in the
preparation of active, independent and initiative
people who are able to navigate in modern life
conditions. The new level of development of personal
and social relations of the individual with the state
revealed the need to improve the process of forming
and educating a new citizen who knows his rights and
obligations, respects the laws of the state; a citizen
who is characterized by the ability to various and
productive activities for the benefit of society, the
state, and himself as an individual.
The achieved result can be attributed: an increase
in students' awareness of their civil rights from 30%
to 65%. When determining the value attitude, 70% of
students easily completed the task and only 5%
partially coped. The results of the value behavior test
showed that 60% of students placed the qualities
correctly in the table, 35% made minor mistakes, and
only 5% of students incorrectly ranked the qualities
and found it difficult to answer.
The work performed confirmed the hypothesis put
forward and made it possible to draw the following
conclusions:
1. The necessity of improving the process of
forming students' citizenship by means of a foreign
language has been determined.
2. Revealed and experimentally tested a
pedagogical condition that contributes to the effective
formation of students' citizenship by means of a
foreign language: actualization of the axiological core
of the content of a foreign language course.
3. Based on the study of scientific literature, we
supplemented the concept of "citizenship" as an
integrative unity of the qualities and properties of a
person that determine its social orientation, readiness
to achieve private socially significant interests, goals
in accordance with the conditions existing in society,
the state, personal needs and opportunities, accepted
in society by moral and moral standards.
4. In the course of the experimental work, the
forms of civic education were tested - work with a
text, with a dictionary, with a diagram, with a table,
testing, discussion to check the pedagogical condition
that ensure effective civic education of students by
means of a foreign language.
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694

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank all the students and staff of
Department of Philology of Kazan Federal
University, Naberezhnye Chelny Institute for their
help leading to the conceptualization of the project.
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