Analysis of the initial level of understanding the concept “Christian motive” by primary schoolchildren in Ukraine and the Republic of Poland

Abstract

Changes in our society are caused by modern globalization processes carrying a number of objective and subjective threats that destroy the worldview methodologies of understanding the world by modern youth, as well as affecting the spiritual development of an individual. In fact, all this forces to reconsider the ideological orientations and appeal to spiritual and moral values, which is reflected in school curricula of not only Ukrainian but also World Literature. Introducing works based on Christian motive to school curricula require that the national methodology should find new approaches to the study and analysis of artistic texts. Texts in World Literature, which in Ukrainian schools are mostly studied in translated forms, as well as those in Ukrainian literature, provide the development of aesthetic tastes and preferences of readers, form the culture of interpersonal relationships, promote the cultivation of humanity and tolerance, compassion and mercy all of which constitute main timeless values both for a single individual and people as a whole. This has motivated the need for research and development of educational material in order to facilitate understanding the integrity of a literary text containing Christian images, motives, and a system of universal values. The article presents the method of a diagnostic experiment for determining the initial level of understanding the concept “Christian motive” by primary schoolchildren in Ukraine and Poland. The criteria and indicators of the investigated issue have been defined. The research methods used are: surveying teachers and students, ascertaining tests, recitation, conversation, observation and analysis of World Literature lessons in 5th -7th forms of I-III grade secondary schools in Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv regions and Literature lessons in 1st - 3rd forms of secondary schools in Masovian and Subcarpathian Voivodeships in the Republic of Poland. The practical significance of the findings is to develop methodological approaches to the study of Christian motives at the lessons of World Literature and their understanding by students. We see further research perspectives in the development of an experimental model for understanding the concept “Christian motive” by students of 5th-7th forms in Ukrainian secondary schools, using Polish Literature teachers’ experience as an auxiliary factor: formation of students’ moral values through the use of artistic texts in general and Christian motives/images in particular.