Forming teenagers’ responsibilities through civic education

The legal culture of modern Russian society has actualized the problem of personal responsibility forming. Modern life in Russia is characterized by the fact that the education system is in line with the public needs as today the country needs knowledgeable, competent people who are able to make autonomous decisions and bear responsibility. Civic education can be defined as a specific form of socialization to develop skills, abilities, ideals and knowledge. It is aimed to train an ethical, responsible, critically thinking person. By analysis and synthesis of the literature this study describes the existing approaches to this problem, defines the essence of the concepts “responsibility”, “responsibility forming of a teenager”, with the content and structure of responsibility being specified. The author refers to the first-hand experience of Jan Amos Komensky, A.S. Makarenko, V.A. Sukhomlinsky and to the works of contemporary educators dedicated to the forming of personal responsibility. Certain approaches to the “responsibility” concept were proved to be highly important. The peculiarities of responsibility as a teenager personal quality in changing socio-economic conditions were revealed. The materials of this study can be used to develop programs to educate teenagers.