Abstract: This research is devoted to the study of main characteristics of educational environment and the level of its influence on learning motivation of secondary education students. The purpose of the study is to determine how to create a favourable educational environment that meets the needs and interests of students and supports positive motivation. In this research we consider educational environment as a set of conditions in which the educational process takes place, including: goals, objectives, methods and forms of education; pedagogical style; school atmosphere; the equipment of schools. Educational environment is a significant factor that determines the success of learning, contributes to the development of students’ interest in learning, their independence and critical thinking, and increases internal motivation. Within the framework of this study, we rely on a personalized and value-based approach to the organization of learning process, and use such methods as: system analysis, generalization, comparison, theoretical analysis of scientific literature. We conducted an anonymous survey of 178 students from grades 8–11 of 5 Volzhsky schools to analyze the possibilities of practical implementation of theoretical results. The analysis of modern scientific publications on pedagogy and pedagogical psychology, as well as the results of the survey, allowed us to draw the following conclusions. It is possible to increase students’ motivation by: making clear definitions of goals and objectives of education that are achievable by students; using teaching methods that promote activation of students’ cognitive activity and increase their interest in learning; using of a pedagogical style focused on creating a favourable atmosphere in the classroom and on supporting students. Schools, that are provided with modern digital equipment, comfortable classrooms, and that are practising a democratic management style, usually have a significantly higher level of student motivation. Students in such schools participate in educational and entertainment events actively.

Abstract: This article is devoted to the study of modern possibilities to increase the efficiency of moral and ethical upbringing of students in higher educational institutions. One of such possibilities is motivating them to use new digital technologies in a correct and an ecological way. Proper upbringing of students at higher education institutions and involving them in extracurricular activities contributes to their ethical and moral education and creative development, which helps to achieve the global goals of sustainable development of society (i.e. improving human living conditions and minimizing the negative impact on the environment). In this regard, the authors consider that it is necessary for teachers of higher education institutions to study in more detail the possibilities of new digital and educational technologies precisely considering the principles of environmental friendliness and ethical standards of communication. The authors conduct a complex analysis, including the following methods: theoretical analysis of scientific literature, an anonymous survey of 194 junior full-time students and 48 lecturers and monitoring of the application of digital technologies in different events, held in the Volgograd Institute of Management. The analysis of modern scientific literature on pedagogy and pedagogical psychology, as well as the results of the survey, allowed the authors to draw the following conclusions. The use of new digital technologies and tools, such as smartphones and their apps, videoconferencing services, video recording and presentation development programmes, undoubtedly helps to make the educational and upbringing process easier. All these technical means make the process of creation accessible, attractive, exciting, and involve more students in extracurricular activities. The exact ways of developing efficient and safe online communication during the extracurricular activities are still not yet sufficiently discussed by the methodologists and educators, that’s why this research is to be further continued within another higher educational institutions.

Abstract: This article, in the framework of the system approach, considers the category of the future from the perspective of such scientific disciplines as philosophy, discourse linguistics, communication theory, psychology, methodology of science. The authors complete a definitional analysis of concepts related to the human ability to pre-empt the upcoming events (intuition, anticipation, guess, hypothesis, supposition, prediction, forecasting, prophecy). On the material of English-language and Russian-language media texts, the authors show that future can often become a subjective informational base for addressing to the mass audience by public personalities, including politicians. This probably happens due to the patterns of functioning of the human psyche, and due to the fact that there is a constant public request for information appealing to the future time category. Such a request doesn’t often depend on cultural-historical specificity. The authors conclude that prophecy can be understood as a personal particularly significant future and an axiologically super valuable reference point for future discursive connections. Some features of prophecy may include a wide emotional range, which is usually expressed in a compact form, but is potentially unlimited. The axiology of prophecy includes its ability to reduce or modify an area of intact uncertainty. Prophecies largely ensure the existence of emotionally significant non-rejected information, lacking most of the characteristic attributes of a connection with the present or the past. Studying of the deeper philosophical understanding of «prophecy» can become a prospect of further research.

Abstract: The relevance of the article is determined by the need to analyze the changes that occurred in higher education institutions in the area of the use of digital technology during and after the pandemic. Within the framework of this research, we conducted a content-analysis of the websites and curricula of Volgograd higher education institutions and a questionnaire survey of students in order to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the use of digital technology and e-learning in the modern context. Digitalization came into the process of the management of higher education institutions long ago, however, rapid changes in e-learning have occurred in the last two years, which was confirmed in the results of our study. 70-80% of students' independent work was transferred to electronic form, the classroom workload is replaced with online lessons, the teaching methods change: the use of mixed learning as well as blended and flipped learning increases. The results of the study make us think about the excessive enthusiasm for e-learning, possibilities and risks of its use. Digital education brings significant changes in the role of professors and students in the process of learning, which requires appropriate adaptation and causes changes in the management of the organizations and the introduction of new actors in the educational process. At the institutional level, our conclusions indicate the need to support the academic staff in the area of methodological and technical assistance since the process of digital transformation of higher education institutions is irreversible and its intensiveness continues to grow.