The study of the role of online educational communities in promoting the ideas of citizenship among students in the post-pandemic period

Abstract

The post-pandemic period has become a catalyst for the transformation of educational practices, especially in the context of the formation of students' civic competencies. This study is aimed at a comprehensive analysis of the impact of online educational communities on the development of citizenship among students of higher education institutions after the COVID-19 pandemic. The methodological framework of the research includes a combined approach using qualitative and quantitative methods: content analysis of activity in online educational communities (n=42), large-scale student surveys (n=1287), semi-structured interviews with teachers (n=48) and experts in the field of civic education (n=15), as well as pedagogical experiment with control and experimental groups. Empirical material was collected from January to December 2023 in 14 higher educational institutions. The results of the study demonstrate that the integration of civic initiatives into online educational communities increases the level of social responsibility of students by 27.8%, civic participation – by 32,4%, and critical understanding of socio-political processes – by 41,6%. A three-factor model of the effectiveness of online educational communities in the formation of citizenship has been identified, including interactivity (β=0.62), problem orientation (β=0.58) and social relevance (β=0.51). It is proved that the post-pandemic period is characterized by a significant increase in the influence of online educational communities on the formation of civic identity (p<0.001). The research results have theoretical significance for the development of digital pedagogy and practical value for the development of educational programs.