?
Проявления агентности школьников и их участие в инициативном бюджетировании
Introduction. The article is devoted to the study of the manifestation of agency by schoolchildren in connection with participation in the practices of school participatory budgeting, which contributes to the development of democracy in schools, the formation of a civic position of students and their preparation for making responsible decisions. The aim of the study is to investigate the agency of schoolchildren involved in school participatory budgeting, with an emphasis on identifying the motives and effects of this activity.
Materials and methods. The empirical base includes the results of a survey of 670 schoolchildren in grades 7-11 enrolled in schools with significant experience in participatory budgeting, which was conducted from May to October 2023 in 32 regions of the Russian Federation. The questionnaire contained questions about specific practices of students' participation in the development of the educational organization's infrastructure, in holding events, competitions, the degree of involvement in school participatory budgeting, motives and results of this activity. The level of agency was determined using a specially developed methodology that allows us to assess its manifestations in various spheres, such as family, educational process, school life, interaction with peers and finance.
Results. The higher the level of agency, the higher the degree of involvement in budgeting. However, a high level of agency and the maximum degree of involvement are typical only for a small percentage of respondents. The main motives for participating in school participatory budgeting are personal development, acquisition of new competencies, knowledge and social mobility. Participants in school participatory budgeting with the highest level of agency often seek changes to existing practices and regulations, as well as the implementation of socially significant projects aimed at improving the life of the school community.
Discussion and Conclusion. The level of schoolchildren’s agency is closely related to their involvement in participatory budgeting. With the most frequent mention by respondents of individually significant motives and results, participants in participatory budgeting with the highest level of agency are characterized by a combination of individualistic and altruistic motives and effects of this activity.