Ecoprofessional Consciousness as an Innovative Component in the

Educational Standards of the Future for the Sustainable Development

of Society

Natalia V. Solovova

, Victoria Levchenko

and Elena I. Cherdymova

Samara National Research University (SSAU), Samara, Russia

Keywords: Ecoprofessional Consciousness, Students, Education, Sustainable Development.

Abstract: This article studies the ecoprofessional consciousness of specialists. In the era of scientific and technological

progress the negative impact of some technologies on the environment and individual is significant; in that

case aspiring specialists should cultivate ecoprofessional consciousness, which helps to solve problems

connected to the co-evolution “a Man and Nature” concepts. This article explains the term ecoprofessional

consciousness and discusses the structure of consciousness development. The structure of the specialists’

ecoprofessional consciousness consists of four parts: the cognitive component, value-motivation component,

orientation component, conative component. The given study shows all the components’ content as

professional oriented skills. The authors argue that the ecoprofessional consciousness development of

specialists exerts a considerable impact on society.

1 INTRODUCTION

In order to ensure the sustainable development of

society and the co-evolution of “a Man and Nature”,

the authors discuss the idea of the individual

consciousness (Bakharov, 1999; Los, 2000;

Solovova, 2018; Biryukov, 2004; Ursul, 1993;

Efimova, 2019).

Consciousness is the functional unit of the mind

that makes the decision to understand and execute

that very decision (Vundt, 1976; Solomkina, 2000;

Sorokoumova, 2014).

The concept of ecoprofessional consciousness is

complex, encompassing a number of characteristics

that have been studied separately in Russian

pedagogical psychology, but not considered in a

single context. People act on the basis of needs,

motives, interests, goals and ideas. In other words,

they are acting consciously (Andreeva, 2005; Spirkin,

1960). Human consciousness includes the totality of

knowledge about the surrounding world. The

structure of consciousness includes the most

important cognitive processes by which people

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constantly enrich their knowledge (Bekhterev, 1999;

Bueva, 1968; Myasishev, 1966).

The ecoprofessional consciousness is based on

ecoprofessional knowledge, self-awareness as part of

Nature. The understanding of the surrounding world

through the lens of ecoprofessional relations lies in

the field of positive attitudes towards the rational use

of natural and human resources, intentions that ensure

environmentally and professionally sound activities

for sustainable development and co-evolution of “a

Man and Nature” are the guiding principles.

The cognitive component of ecoprofessional

consciousness is the cognitive and accumulative

function of the personality of students. That

component includes scientific knowledge of nature,

human interactions with nature; the balance between

the prevailing environmental situation and

professional activity; and the environmental

regularities of the situation in the technosphere. The

value-motivation component of ecoprofessional

consciousness reflects reflexively-generating

functions that include values and ideals based on

Solovova, N., Levchenko, V. and Cherdymova, E.

Ecoprofessional Consciousness as an Innovative Component in the Educational Standards of the Future for the Sustainable Development of Society.

DOI: 10.5220/0010596907430748

In Proceedings of the International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference on Sustainable Development of Regional Infrastructure (ISSDRI 2021), pages 743-748

ISBN: 978-989-758-519-7

743

ecoprofessional attitudes, social norms and rules that

regulate daily life and work.

The orientation component of ecoprofessional

consciousness is the ecoprofessional orientation and

the instructions to predict the impact of professional

activity on the environmental situation. Instructions

for obtaining, searching and development reduce the

negative impact of the techno sphere and to use it

creatively in their practical professional activities.

The most important component of

ecoprofessional consciousness of students is

conative. The intentions to conduct practical research

and draw conclusions on the man-made burden are

professional activities. The students` intention is to

pursue a professional activity in accordance with the

environmental imperative by using special

ecoprofessional knowledge in specific professional

conditions.

The criteria for development are defined for each

component of ecoprofessional consciousness. High

cognitive levels are characterized by: systemic

ecoprofessional knowledge; in-depth scientific

knowledge of nature; understanding of the

relationship of human professional activity to nature;

advanced ability to see other than straight, but also

backward ecological linkages, not only immediate but

also remote effects on nature, of professional actions;

development of ecological thinking, the ability to

apply ecoprofessional knowledge in the analysis of

the environmental situation and professional activity.

The high level of the value-motivational

component development is characterised by the

existence of: interest in animals, plants and

phenomena of nature; positively oriented emotions

from communication with nature and negative

perception of damage caused by professional activity.

The high level of the orientation component

development is characterised by the presence of: a

stable motivation, beliefs, needs, interests, attitudes

towards knowledge and conservation of nature

through professional activities; a sustainable need for

self-realization to solve ecoprofessional problems.

The high level of the conative component

development is characterized by: a willingness to

engage in professional environmental and worthwhile

activities; an active, autonomous, responsible and

proactive attitude to environmental activities;

promoting the environmental awareness in

professional activities. The average level of cognitive

component development is characterised by: lack of

systemic ecoprofessional knowledge; insufficient

ability to see not only forward but backward

environmental connections; not only the immediate

but also the long-term effects on the nature of the

professional activity: a lack of in-depth and complete

knowledge of the norms and rules of environmental

behavior and environmentally oriented professional

activities. The average level of development of the

value-motivation component is characterized by the

presence of: expression of not systematic interest in

animals, plants, natural phenomena; positively

oriented emotions from communication with nature;

negative perception of the harm done to the Nature by

the professional activity.

The average level of the orientation component

development is characterised by: insufficient need for

ecoprofessional knowledge and skills; unsustainable

situational need for self-realization to solve

ecoprofessional problems. The average level of the

conative component development is characterised by

a lack of readiness to engage in professional

environmental and worthwhile activities; a lack of

activity, autonomy, responsibility and initiative in

ecoprofessionala ctivities; promoting environmental

awareness in professional activities. The low level of

the cognitive component development is

characterised by: lack of exhaustiveness and depth of

ecoprofessional knowledge; limited theoretical

ecoprofessional knowledge to characterize the

relationship between professional activity and

ecology. The low level of the value-motivational

component development is characterised by: lack of

interest in animals, plants, natural phenomena; lack of

positive emotions from communication with the

Nature; lack of interest in professional environmental

activities. The low level of the orientation component

development is characterised by a lack of knowledge

of the environmental professional behaviour norms

and rules; criteria for assessing the natural

environment state; poor environmental management

skills. The low level of the conative component

development is characterised by: lack of desire to be

ecologically oriented in professional activities;

carrying out an ecoprofessional task, but without

desire.

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

The “Unfinished Sentences” questionnaire was used

to conduct the ecoprofessional consciousness

research. This questionnaire measures the level of

ecoprofessional consciousness structural components

indicators` development such as: knowledge, attitude,

instructions and intention. The questionnaire consists

of thirty-three unfinished sentences. The analysis of

the results of the questionnaire can be carried out in

terms of qualitative and quantitative methodology,

ISSDRI 2021 - International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference on Sustainable Development of Regional Infrastructure

744

where the taking the number of positive and negative

responses were taken into account. Here the examples

of the “Unfinished Sentences” questionnaire:

1. I feel that the environmental impact of

professional duty is now …

2. In order for specialists to consider the

environmental consequences in their

professional activities, it is necessary to....

3. When I receive information about environmental

impacts from someone else's professional

activities, I…

4. I think that studying environmental

consequences in my professional activity…

5. I am concerned with environmental standards in

my professional activity....

6. If the specialist knew the environmental norms it

would be necessary to

7. If they announce a beautifucation day at work, I

would…

8. I would participate in environmental activities at

work if…

9. I consider myself to be a specialist in Nature….

10. I believe that the specialist towards Nature

objects is….

11. If, in the process of achieving a professional goal,

I have to harm the environment I would…

12. When I see the consequences of professional

activities on our environment I….

13. Compared to my colleagues` attitude toward

nature I….

14. The features of the interaction of my professional

activity with the objects of nature are as

follows…

15. When I have some trash at my workplace I

16. Combining professional management practices

with environmental control....

17. I feel that performing my professional duties with

environmental implications…

18. I believe that professional and environmental

knowledge….

19. If I were asked to participate in environmental

actions I would

20. If there is a subject in the curriculum that reveals

the relationship between environmental and

professional intent in professional activity

21. My ecological consciousness compared to the

ecological consciousness of others

22. As a professional I could help our

environment….

23. My contribution as a specialist is …

24. I would take part in the protection of our

environment, if....

25. My desire to take environmental impacts into

account in my professional work....

26. In my professional activity, environmental

awareness takes the form of…

27. For a better organization of environmental

awareness in my professional activity, I could …

28. I might be able to better express myself in

relation to Nature if…

29. Environmental components in my professional

activity include …

30. My attitude to the environment as a specialist in

the next six months can…

31. The main obstacles on my way to environmental

awareness are…

32. If I had the opportunity to participate in an

environmental event at work, I would…

33. If I see that my colleagues ' professional actions

is harming nature, I will …

34. The first-year, third-year and fifth-year students

took part in the research. They were divided into

4 groups by their studying interests:

humanitarian, natural-sciences, technical and

economics.

3 RESULTS

The results of the “Unfinished Sentences”

questionnaire included: low level of cognitive

component development among fifth-year students

from humanitarian group is 48%, from natural-

sciences group 74,4%, from economics 21,6% and

from technical group is 4% respectively compared to

the first-year students of each group (44,5%, 62, 5,

26,3%, 11%) and third-year students of each group

(43,3%, 56,6%; 30%; 13,4%). A comparative study

of cognitive component development among first-

and third-year students was conducted using the

statistical criterion by K.Pearson (χ2). The cognitive

component valid differences were found reliably

(р≤0,05). A comparative study of cognitive

component development among first- and fifth-year

students was conducted using the statistical criterion

by K.Pearson (χ2). The cognitive component valid

differences were found (р≤0,05). The mentioned

above data may mean that first- and fifth-year

students show a low level of ability to offer

constructive options for solving environmental

problems through professional activities. Third-year

students have a high rate of negative responses.

However, among the first-, third- and fifth-year

students regardless of their major, the number of

positive responses is 64.5 per cent; negative 25.9 per

cent; and non-response 9.6 per cent in order of

cognitive component development. The overall

percentages for the cognitive component among all

Ecoprofessional Consciousness as an Innovative Component in the Educational Standards of the Future for the Sustainable Development of

Society

745

students show the following results: positive - 64.5

per cent; negative - 25.9 per cent; non-response - 9.6

per cent. Consequently, it can be argued that students

are generally able to demonstrate ecoprofessional

knowledge and offering constructive solutions to

environmental problems, however, most of the

students believe that increasing the number of

garbage cans and fines for littering is the only

effective measure to fight for a clean environment. A

comparative study of the value-motivation

component development among students of the

technical group and economics was conducted using

the statistical criterion by K.Pearson (χ2).The valid

differences were found (р≤0,05). A comparative

study of the value-motivation component

development among students of the humanitarian and

natural-sciences groups was conducted using the

statistical criterion by K.Pearson (χ2). The valid

differences were found (р≤0,05). The low-level of

value-motivation component among fifth-year

students of humanitarian group is 47,6%; of technical

group is 77%; of economics is 18,3% and of natural-

sciences group is 14,7%.

The assessment of the surrounding (natural)

world, the evaluation of other people (their peers) and

the self-esteem of the ecoprofessional activities

among first- and fifth-year students are more positive

than among third-year students. We can prove it by

showing that the third-year students answers high

percentage of negative, as well as a reduced rate of

positive. The average response rate among the first-,

third- and fifth-year students, regardless of their

major, show the following results: positive - 64.8 per

cent; negative - 23.8 per cent; non-response 11.4 per

cent according to the value-motivation component. A

comparative study of the value-motivation

component development among students of the

humanitarian and natural-sciences groups was

conducted using the statistical criterion by K.Pearson

(χ2). The valid differences were found (р≤0,05). A

comparative study of the value-motivation

component development among students of the

technical group and economics was conducted using

the statistical criterion by K.Pearson (χ2). The valid

differences were found (р≤0,05). The following

results have been obtained about the orientation

component development. The fifth-year students

gave 76.6 per cent of positive responses; 16 per cent

negative; and only 7.4 per cent did not respond at all.

While the responses of the first- year students were:

71%; 22.6%; 6.4% respectively, and the third-year

students were: 66%; 23%; 11%, respectively. There

is a slight quantitative advantage (in percentage) but

despite this, the first- and third-year students` answers

correspond to the average level of the orientation

component development. The above data may mean

that the first- and fifth-year students have a higher

percentage of positive emotions towards plants,

animals, nature in general than third-year students.

The average response rate among the first-, third- and

fifth-year students, regardless of their major, show the

following results: positive – 71.2 per cent; negative –

20.5 per cent; non-response 8.3 per cent according to

the orientation component. A comparative study of

the orientation component development among

students of the humanitarian and natural-sciences

groups was conducted using the statistical criterion by

K.Pearson (χ2). The valid differences were found

(р≤0,05). A comparative study of the orientation

component development among students of the

technical group and economics was conducted using

the statistical criterion by K.Pearson (χ2). The valid

differences were found (р≤0,05). According to the

conative component development the responses of

fifth-year students are 78 per cent are positive; 17.3

per cent are negative; and 4.7 per cent respond

refusals. Compared to the responses of first-year

students (76.6 per cent; 18.6 per cent; 4.8 per cent,

respectively) and those of third-year students (76 per

cent; 16.6 per cent; 7.4 per cent, respectively). There

is a slight quantitative advantage (percentage). The

above data may mean that first-, third- and fifth-year

students assume that they may show great readiness

to take positive practical professional action with

regard to the environment. The average response rate

for first-, third- and fifth-year students, regardless of

their major, show the following results: positive

responses 76.8 per cent; negative - 17.5 per cent; non-

response - 5.7 per cent according to the conative

component. A comparative study of the conative

component development among third- and fifth-year

students was conducted using the statistical criterion

by K.Pearson (χ2). The valid differences were found

(р≤0,05). A comparative study of the conative

component development among fifth- and first-year

students was conducted using the statistical criterion

by K.Pearson (χ2). The valid differences were found

(р≤0,05).

4 DISCUSSIONS

The participated in survey students are generally able

to offer different solutions to environmental

problems, they also have a positive assessment of the

environment, other people and self-esteem, and are

very positive towards nature and its representatives;

they are ready to take part in environmental volunteer

ISSDRI 2021 - International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference on Sustainable Development of Regional Infrastructure

746

actions. We could observe among first-, third- and

fifth-year students trend of decreasing

ecoprofessional indicators level and its structural

components, however, these parameters are slightly

higher among the first- and the fifth-year students

respectively. Describing the third-year students, the

decreasing level of all the above indicators may be

due to an increasing amount of studying and training

activities or other factors The fifth-year students have

higher level of developed component indicators it can

be explained in a way that they have a higher level of

environmental issues awareness. The above data may

mean that students of the humanitarian and natural

sciences groups, regardless of their studying year, are

generally more responsible towards the environment

in all its aspects. Most the third- and fifth-year

students of group of economics are less responsible

towards the environment in many aspects and

therefore have the lowest level of ecoprofessional

intent. However, the first-year student of group of

economics show the results with high ratings for the

overall level of ecoprofessional intention

development, which may mean that they are more

responsible towards nature, compared to the third-

and fifth-year students of group of economics.

Students of technical group can offer as effective

ideas for solving environmental problems as students

of natural science group can. However, the third-year

students of technical group have the lowest level of

ecoprofessional intent, due to external and internal

barriers to professional, environmental action; and a

negative assessment of the environmental situation in

the city, an underestimation of the importance of

one’s own efforts and strong negative emotions

associated with the perception of litter in the Nature.

The third-year students do not focus on obstacles

to professional, environmentally-oriented activities,

but they focus on ways to overcome these obstacles,

and at the same time on means of motivation, we can

prove with the help of their answers: “laziness” or “no

time”. Those answers show a clear or implicit lack of

motivation and interest. Students of science and

economics groups want to help Nature through

professional activities, while students of technical

group are not interested in that. The third- and fifth-

year students from the technical group have a low

level of motivation for a professional environmental

activity. It can be proved by their attitude to the

Nature, where one positive attitude is not enough to

seek practical, useful action with respect to the

Nature. An exception is made for the first-year

students who, in addition to being positive towards

Nature, are willing to take part in conservation

activities.

5 CONCLUSION

Thus, the following conclusions can be drawn from

the results of the pilot study: students of humanitarian

and natural science groups, regardless of their

studying year, are more responsible towards the

environment than technical and economics groups’

students. The cognitive component of the

ecoprofessional consciousness is better developed

among the first-year students compare to different

year of studying, where the level of cognitive

component development is decreasing. It can be

proved by the decreasing of scientific knowledge of

nature, human interaction with nature, the balance

between the prevailing environmental situation and

professional activity, and the environmental

regularity of the situation in the techno sphere.

In our opinion, during the students' studying at

higher educational institutions, more attention should

be paid to the students` ecoprofessional

consciousness of students as an innovative

component in the educational standards of the future

for sustainable society development. For this purpose,

active forms of education such as: case-stage,

business and role-playing games, ecoprofessional

discussions, simulation of ecoprofessional situations

can be used.

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