Features of the formation of ecological culture and consciousness of students in the higher school system (on the example of students of the P. Lumumba RUDN)

MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND HIGHER EDUCATION 
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION 
 
 
 
V.V. GLEBOV 
P.S. LYSOVA 
 
FEATURES OF THE FORMATION 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OF ECOLOGICAL CULTURE AND 
CONSCIOUSNESS OF STUDENTS 
IN THE HIGHER SCHOOL SYSTEM
 
 
ON THE EXAMPLE OF STUDENTS 
OF THE P. LUMUMBA RUDN 
 
 
MONOGRAPH
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Moscow 
INFRA-M 
2024

Издание не подлежит 
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маркировке в соответствии 
№ 436-ФЗ 
 
УДК 504.75+378(075.4) 
ББК 20.1:74.48 
с п. 1 ч. 2 ст. 1 
Г53 
 
 
R e v i e w e r s: 
Kazarenkov V.I., Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Professor of the 
Department of Psychology and Pedagogy of the Philological Faculty of the 
P. Lumumba RUDN 
Rusyaeva E.Yu., Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Senior Researcher, 
V.A. Trapeznikov Institute of Management Problems of the Russian Academy of 
Sciences, Laboratory № 67 (Moscow) 
 
 
 Glebov V.V. 
Г53 
Features of the formation of ecological culture and consciousness of students in the 
higher school system (on the example of students of the P. Lumumba RUDN): 
monograph / V.V. Glebov, P.S. Lysova. — Moscow : INFRA-M, 2024. — 185 p. 
 
ISBN 978-5-16-113450-4 (online) 
 
The monograph is devoted to the formation of ecological culture and consciousness of students 
in the higher school system. The paper reveals the phenomenon and concept of ecological 
consciousness, examines various approaches to the study of this issue. In the aspect of environmental 
culture and consciousness of students, the relationship with the basics of environmental education, 
which is developing in the system of preschool, secondary and higher education, is shown in detail. 
In addition to the theoretical analysis of the formation of ecological culture and individual 
consciousness, the authors present their own empirical results of a study conducted on a sample of 
students of different specialties and courses of the P. Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of 
Russia. The work used proven and adapted methods that allowed for a comparative analysis of the 
formation of environmental culture and consciousness of students in the higher education system of 
Russia. Such monitoring research work allows us to consider in a systematic approach the degree 
of impact of the biosocial environment on the formation of environmental culture and consciousness 
of students in the university education system, to study the features of environmental consciousness 
and education of young people, depending on the level of environmental knowledge and specialty. 
The practical output of this work can be considered the use of the proposed recommendations, which 
can be effective for the formation of an ecocentric worldview of future specialists in the higher 
education system of Russia. 
The publication is addressed to specialists studying environmental consciousness and youth 
education, teachers, psychologists, and students. 
 
УДК 504.75+378(075.4) 
ББК 20.1:74.48 
 
 
 
ISBN 978-5-16-113450-4 (online)  
 
                                © Glebov V.V., 2025 

CONTENTS 
 
INTRODUCTION 
................................................................................................... 4 
CHAPTER 1. ECOLOGICAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF PERSONALITY: 
STAGES OF FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN 
THINKING IN SOCIETY  .................................................................................. 10 
1.1. ECOLOGICAL THINKING IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND  
......................................... 
10 
1.2. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS: CONCEPT AND CLASSIFICATION ................. 
14 
1.3. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AS THE BASIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL 
CONSCIOUSNESS ......................................................................................................................... 
47 
CHAPTER 2. THE SPECIFICS OF THE FORMATION OF AN 
ECOLOGICAL WORLDVIEW AND EDUCATION AMONG YOUNG 
PEOPLE ................................................................................................................. 63 
2.1. THE PROBLEM OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND ITS ROLE IN THE 
FORMATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE ................. 
63 
2.2. FEATURES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND YOUTH EDUCATION........ 
65 
2.3. METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE ASSESSMENT OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S 
ECOLOGICAL CONSCIOUSNESS ................................................................................................. 
85 
CHAPTER 3. ORGANIZATION AND METHODS OF RESEARCH  
.......... 94 
3.1. ORGANIZATION OF THE RESEARCH ............................................................................ 
94 
3.2. THE OBJECT OF THE STUDY 
.......................................................................................... 
95 
3.3. RESEARCH METHODS .................................................................................................... 
96 
 CHAPTER 4. DYNAMICS OF FORMATION OF ECOLOGICAL 
CONSCIOUSNESS AMONG STUDENTS OF DIFFERENT    
SPECIALTIES .................................................................................................... 101 
4.1. ASSESSMENT OF THE FORMATION OF ECOLOGICAL CONSCIOUSNESS AMONG 
STUDENTS OF THE STUDIED SAMPLE 
..................................................................................... 
101 
4.2. ASSESSMENT OF THE FORMATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS 
AMONG STUDENTS STUDYING IN VARIOUS SPECIALTIES .................................................. 
105 
4.3. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE FORMATION OF ECOLOGICAL CONSCIOUSNESS 
AMONG ECOLOGY STUDENTS OF DIFFERENT COURSES...................................................... 
114 
SUMMARY 
.......................................................................................................... 120 
CONCLUSIONS 
.................................................................................................. 123 
RECOMMENDATIONS....................................................................................124 
REFERENCES....................................................................................................125 
APPENDIX .......................................................................................................... 145 
 
3 
 

INTRODUCTION 
 
The deepening of the global environmental crisis actualizes the need for the 
development of ecological culture and ecological consciousness in every 
person. This requires the introduction of an environmental education system 
that combines social experience and knowledge necessary to transfer to all 
inhabitants of the planet.  
However, the existing requirements for the ecological culture of school 
students and students of higher educational institutions do not correspond to 
the achieved results in pedagogical practice. For the development of 
ecological culture and ecological consciousness of students of higher 
educational institutions, it is necessary to continue the process of greening 
education, which includes the integration of Federal State Educational 
Standards (FSES) of various specialties.  
This requires the development of programs aimed at mastering the 
methods and methodology of organizing the educational process in the 
conditions of Russian higher education. In this regard, several 
inconsistencies can be identified in the system of training future specialists 
in the field of environmental education and upbringing, as well as the 
greening of higher education: 
- there is a gap between society's expectations of the training of future 
professionals focused on environmental culture and environmental behavior, 
and the real level of their environmental literacy and responsibility in higher 
education institutions;  
-there is a discrepancy between the supposed effectiveness of 
environmental education for university students and the lack of clarity in real 
teaching practice when applying educational methods aimed at developing 
students' ecological, environmental and nature-saving thinking;  
-it was found that the teaching staff of the higher educational institution 
is experiencing a misunderstanding about the mandatory inclusion of their 
4 
 

subjects in an environmentally oriented educational context that requires the 
use of advanced methods and technologies in teaching. 
Within the framework of the FSES for Higher Education, curricula often 
do not adequately reflect the ideological elements of environmental 
education in the practical activities of students. To overcome this obstacle, it 
is proposed to integrate comprehensive environmental education into the 
organizational structure of a higher educational institution. 
The presented monograph analyzes both the theoretical and 
methodological foundations of the development of environmental education 
in Russia and the practical aspects of its implementation and cultural content 
in the higher school system. 
The foundations of the formation of ecological culture among students 
are based on the ideas of modern thinkers and specialists in the field of 
interdisciplinary study of the problem (V.I. Vernadsky, V.A. Anuchin, N.B. 
Ignatovskaya, M.S. Kagan, V.I. Panov, D.S. Likhachev, V.A. Los, N.N. 
Moiseev, V.B. Sochava, Yu.P. Trusov, A.D. Ursul, A. Schweitzer, J.J.Gibson, 
R. Gifford, G. Hardin, W. H. Ittelson, S. Kaplan, I. Levin, I. L. McHarg, D. 
Seamon, D. Stokols, S. Misra, M. G.Runnerstrom, J. A. Hipp, etc.). In them, 
researchers in a systematic approach consider the issues of equal 
interaction and mutual influence in the complex system "man-naturesociety", as well as the importance of culture and education of the individual 
in this aspect of the phenomenon. 
The theoretical foundations for studying the specifics of the 
development of ecological culture among students can be found in the works 
of psychologists who describe the patterns of upbringing and personal 
growth (A.A. Bodalev, L.I. Bozhovich, L.S. Vygotsky, V.P. Zinchenko, I.S. 
Kon, A.N. Leontiev, A.V. Petrovsky, N.F. Talyzina, G.A. Zuckerman, D.B. 
Elkonin, etc.).  
Fundamental to identify the patterns of formation of environmental 
values among students are the works of psychologists devoted to the 
5 
 

formation of values in the human personality (A.G. Asmolov, V.N. 
Myasishchev, S.L. Rubinstein, etc.). The issues of environmental 
responsibility and prudent and environmental relations are touched upon in 
the works of K. Muzdybaev, A.I. Orekhovsky, V.M. Pryadein, N.A. Ptitsynoy, 
R. Falkner, M. Freeden, R.Guha, Ann. Hironaka, J. McCormick, R. F.Nash, 
D. Worster, et al. 
S. V. Alekseev, N. M. Ven. F. Vinokurova, Ya. I. Gabeev, N. V. 
Gruzdeva, A. I. Zhirov, A. N. Zakhlebny, I. D. Zverev, V. S. Ivanova, V. A. 
Ignatova, B. G. Ioganzen, G. S. Kamerilova made a significant contribution 
to the formation of modern concepts of environmental education and 
upbringing, G. N. Karopa V. M. Korsunskaya, E. S. Slastenina, V. P. 
Solomin, I. T. Suravegina, A. E. Tikhonova, D. I. Traitak, N. M. Chernova, E. 
Yu., P.J. Gray, B. Levy, R. Marans, H. Barghi, M. Najafi, M. Rajabi, and 
others. 
Recently, a lot of scientific research has been created on various 
aspects of environmental education. Among them, special attention is paid 
to the development of environmental culture among school students, for 
example, many scientific studies have recently been created on various 
aspects of environmental education.  
Among them there are works that address the development of 
ecological culture among school students, for example, S. V. Dubovitskaya, 
I. L. Becker (2011) analyze various approaches to raising children in a socionatural environment (village) V. N. Dikiy (1967) considers the basics of moral 
education of adolescents in the process of communicating with nature, etc. 
as an effective factor in personal development. 
However, it is worth noting that the issue of the formation of the 
ecological culture of students of higher educational institutions in the integral 
context of learning and education remains insufficiently studied. 
6 
 

 A study of the literature devoted to the issue of combining 
environmental education and student education within the educational 
process of higher education institutions leads to several key conclusions. 
1. It is established that the process of developing the basic elements of 
environmental culture among students is more successful and effective 
when the integration of disciplines based on environmental knowledge 
becomes an integral part of the system of continuous environmental 
education and continues in the further process of greening in higher 
education.  
2. In the system of student education implemented within the framework 
of summer field training and educational and industrial practices, it is 
important to include practical tasks of problematic environmental situations 
that could better form the foundations of environmental culture, including an 
ecological worldview, thinking and responsibility for environmental activities.  
3. Within the framework of integrated environmental education of a 
higher educational institution, it is important to take into account the specifics 
of the region and the socio-ecological situation, it is necessary to focus on 
practical activities, efficiency of knowledge transfer, environmental 
forecasting and others.  
4. Positive results of the student's pedagogical support will be 
successful in increasing the level of mastering the basic elements of an 
individual's ecological culture, strengthening his responsibility for the 
environment, strengthening social activity in civil life, patriotism, attachment 
to the nature of his region and developing skills for independent research 
and nature conservation. 
  In the presented monograph, the researchers present the key 
conclusions of their analysis. 1. The main methods, rules and criteria for 
structuring educational activities (education and upbringing) are defined.  
7 
 

2. It was found that a significant part (55%) of students have an 
intermediate level of environmental consciousness, which is characterized 
by a transition from anthropocentrism to ecocentrism.  
3. Most students studying in various fields demonstrate an "aesthetic" 
perception of nature, considering it as a source of beauty.  
4. The students who took part in the study studied various motives for 
interacting with natural objects. During the study, the following types of 
motivation were identified among the respondents:  
— "Aesthetic" motivation was characteristic of first-year ecology 
students and third-year psychology and economics students.  
— "Cognitive" motivation was characteristic of veterinary students and 
third-year engineering students.  
— "Practical" motivation was typical for third-year ecology students.  
— The "pragmatic" motivation was inherent in the engineering students 
of the third year  
5. The majority of students studying in various specialties showed an 
"aesthetic" attitude to nature, perceiving it as something beautiful.  
6. A comparison of the level of environmental knowledge among first- 
and third-year ecology students revealed qualitative changes: ecology 
students began to perceive nature not only as an object of admiration, but 
also as an object of research and conducting a complex of environmental 
and protective measures.  
7. In the process of adaptation of students in modern Russian society, 
their environmental literacy is being formed. However, existing educational 
programs do not provide systematic assimilation of knowledge about 
environmental consciousness, and this knowledge remains superficial.  
An analysis of the curricula on the content of environmental knowledge 
for students of various specialties has shown that the environmental 
component in the educational programs of Russian universities, including 
the RUDN, is insufficient for modern challenges and the rapidly changing 
8 
 

environmental situation in the world or is practically absent in the humanities, 
with the exception of natural sciences.  
During the empirical study and collection of research data on the 
specifics of the formation of environmental culture and consciousness of 
students, it was revealed that a properly compiled educational program of 
the Federal State Educational Standard integrating subjects with ecology 
(greening processes) can be one of the factors influencing the achievement 
of adequate results of environmental culture of students of different 
specialties.  
Presenting this monograph to professionals in the field of education and 
upbringing, teachers, psychologists, environmentalists, the authors also 
hope that it will attract the attention of school education leaders, regardless 
of their specialty, employees of the field of additional education, as well as 
interested university leaders and all those who plan to engage in activities 
related to the education of students and graduate students. 
 
 
 
9 
 

Chapter 1. ECOLOGICAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF PERSONALITY: 
STAGES OF FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN THINKING 
IN SOCIETY 
1.1. Ecological thinking in the history of Mankind 
 
1.1.1. 
The formation of human ecological thinking in historical retrospect 
 
In the process of evolution, Humanity has passed through a number of 
stages during which ecological consciousness was formed.    
The Initial Stage. At the beginning of its development, at the very 
beginning, when ecological consciousness was just emerging, man already 
paid attention to natural phenomena and objects, how they change and 
interact with each other. At that time, man perceived himself as a part of 
nature, but at the same time endowed it with qualities that man himself did 
not have. 
At the same time, the community of people felt their complete 
dependence on the world around them, changing conditions, which were for 
them a source of satisfaction of various vital needs and physiological needs 
(quenching hunger and thirst, procreation, etc.). However, the surrounding 
world carried a deadly danger due to weak physical strength and 
imperfections when compared with predatory one’s animals (tigers, 
mammoths, bears, etc.). 
As a result of these circumstances, the concepts of two natural forces 
have been formed: beneficial ones that bring well-being and peace to people, 
and harmful ones that harm them and pose a mortal threat. This led to the 
appearance of deities personifying natural forces. 
Such concepts became the basis for the emergence of primitive 
ecological consciousness of ancient man in a mythological and religious 
form. 
Over time, as the human brain develops, associated with the growth of 
size and complexity of nervous structures, people have learned to interpret 
10