Value-meaningful attitudes towards work and labour education of education stakeholders in contemporary secondary schools

Introduction. The authors investigate the problem of labour education in secondary schools in the context of value-meaningful attitudes toward work among contemporary schoolchildren, their parents, and educators. The aim of the study is to identify the value-meaningful attitudes of the education stakeholders regarding work and labour education, and to substantiate recommendations for implementing labour education practices in secondary schools. Materials and Methods. The scholarly and methodological foundation of the study is the axiological approach developed by T. K. Akhayan’s Leningrad school of teacher education. The research methods included psychological assessment methods, specifically a mirror-questionnaire survey of the stakeholders, a projective method, and a structured associative experiment. For data analysis, a mixed qualitative-quantitative approach was used, along with descriptive statistical methods (mean values, frequency analysis, and ranking) and the calculation of a comfort coefficient. The study involved 948 participants from different regions of Russia: 544 students (aged 11–17), 225 parents, and 179 teachers. Results. It was revealed that contemporary schoolchildren perceive work as an important life value, associating it with volitional qualities, agency, and the pursuit of success, as well as a source of happiness and independence. It was established that parents assign great importance to labor education both at home and at school, associating work with personality development, respect, and creative inspiration. It was demonstrated that educators consider labor education as a means of fostering responsibility, perseverance, and time management skills, while noting the emotional difficulties children experience in relation to work. Emotional fatigue and negative associations toward work were identified among some children, indicating the need to create conditions to reduce overload and increase motivation. An insufficient orientation among schoolchildren towards craftsmanship and quality of work was identified in comparison to educators, highlighting the necessity to strengthen the focus on professional self-determination. In summary, a high level of interest in and respect for work among adults contributes to the effective support of children in labor education. Conclusions. The identified value-meaningful attitudes of education stakeholders create a resource base for effective labor education and require targeted work to resolve the detected contradictions through modern pedagogical practices.