CHANGES OF RUSSIAN STUDENTS' VALUE ORIENTATIONS DURING EDUCATIONAL REFORMS IN RUSSIA

This article examines how a student's value structure changed during the last 8 years after the reforms in education in Russia began. In recent years the educational system has undergone significant changes almost in every field. The high school graduation and preliminary examinations in universities were transformed into the Unified State Exam. New learning standards define specific methods of training and aims of education. In our survey we measured 10 value types with Schwartz Portrait Value Questionnaire (translated into Russian and adapted by Karandashev V.N.) among students in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2016. Students in 2008 were trained at school according to the previous learning standards. They were not affected by educational reforms. Students in 2010 were the first obliged to take the Unified State Exam. Students in 2012 were trained to meet the requirements of the Unified State Exam. Students in 2016 were studying according to new learning standards in high school. In order to evaluate differences between samples a KruskalWallis H-test and a Mann-Whitney U-test were performed. Results indicate that values Power and Tradition differ from one year to another. The highest results in Tradition value type were observed in 2012. It lost its importance significantly among students in 2016. Power value type was more important for students in 2010. Though there is a trend of its increasing significance in 2016. Groups of Students in 2008 and in 2016 had similar value orientation profiles. The greatest number of differences was observed between students in 2010 and 2012. The last were more focused on Conformity, Tradition and Security and less focused on Achievement and Power. The most intriguing fact was that there were no significant changes detected among females. Among males we observed differences in Conformity, Tradition and Conservation. The highest results were among male students interviewed in 2012. We can conclude that motivational orientation toward Self-Enhancement increased in 2010 and than declined. Motivational orientation toward Conservation orientation had its highest rating among students in 2012. As for orientations toward Openness to change and Self-Transcendence, they did not change through these years. The obtained data showed that the personal value system changed through the reform period. The changes were quantitative rather than qualitative.