Issenov D.E., Samalikov F.A., Utebayev D.D.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CONSUMER EDUCATION IN THE METHODS OF MODERN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS *
Аннотация:
the article examines the psychological underpinnings of consumer education within the framework of modern Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It juxtaposes the consumer model—where students are viewed as customers—with traditional educational values. The outset of this discourse entails a concise exposition on the psychology of consumer education. Such an exposition is marked by an examination of the salient determinants shaping consumer decision-making, encompassing facets like motivation, perception, attitudes, and the impact of societal norms. Subsequently, the paper delves into the strategies that HEIs can employ to optimize their educational methodologies. This endeavor entails the provision of illustrative instances wherein HEIs can customize their programs to align with the distinctive needs of their student body, employ marketing and public relations strategies to effectively communicate the value proposition of their offerings, and foster a culture of consumer awareness and responsibility. Ultimately, this paper culminates in a discussion of the implications arising from the psychology of consumer education for contemporary HEIs. It posits that HEIs bear a discernible obligation to equip their students with the requisite tools for informed and responsible consumerism. By discharging this responsibility, HEIs enable students to make judicious decisions regarding their consumption patterns, while also contributing to the realization of a more sustainable and ethically conscious society. Through a critical analysis of existing literature, the study identifies the impact of consumer culture on academic rigor and student engagement. The paper proposes a balanced educational model that integrates consumer-oriented approaches without compromising academic integrity. Findings suggest that a partnership between students and educators can lead to more effective learning outcomes, fostering a culture of responsible consumerism and academic excellence.
Ключевые слова:
Consumer Education, Higher Education, Student Engagement, Academic Performance, Marketization of Education, Educational Psychology, Consumerism in Academia, Student-As-Consumer Model, Student milieu, learner-centered education, Educational Standards, Pedagogical Strategies.
Consumer education occupies a pivotal role in the intricate landscape of the contemporary marketplace, particularly within the ambit of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In a milieu characterized by a profusion of choices, it is imperative for individuals to adeptly navigate their rights and responsibilities as consumers. This paper undertakes an exploration of the psychological underpinnings of consumer education in HEIs, scrutinizing the multifaceted factors that exert influence over consumer decision-making and elucidating how HEIs can harness this comprehension to enrich their educational endeavors.The crux of this analysis hinges on the contention that conceptualizing students as consumers may potentially erode the fundamental tenets of higher education, including the cultivation of creativity, critical thinking, and the pursuit of social justice. Scholars such as Tawney Bennett (2020) have underscored the adverse ramifications of such a paradigm, positing that it engenders a standardized, market-driven approach that compromises the pedagogical autonomy and psychological well-being of educators. Correspondingly, Louise Bunce et al. (2016) advance the notion that a consumerist orientation among students correlates with diminished academic performance, as it shifts the responsibility for learning from students to lecturers, thereby diminishing the essence of active participation and engagement. Furthermore, the extant literature intimates that the consumerist framework fosters competition at the expense of collaboration, thereby undermining the trust in higher education's commitment to the common good. This transformative shift bears profound implications for the ethos of HEIs, as duly noted by scholars such as Molesworth et al. (2009, 2010), Woodall et al. (2014), and Guzm?n-Valenzuela & Barnett (2013). The market's inexorable demands for satisfaction and perpetuation engender a commodification of education, where students are perceived as customers and instructors as service providers—a dynamic fundamentally incongruent with the foundational principles of higher education. Matthews (2018) resonates with these concerns, underscoring that the consumerist paradigm exerts a detrimental influence on the quality of teaching by creating disincentives for the provision of challenging and academically rigorous experiences, instead prioritizing favorable student evaluations. This customer-centric approach centered on satisfaction has the potential to lead to grade inflation and a concomitant dilution of academic rigor. Nevertheless, Matthews also advocates for a transition towards a partnership model, emphasizing active dialogue and collaboration between students and educators, an approach that has demonstrated its capacity to foster trust, heighten engagement, and yield superior learning outcomes (ITALI, 2018).For the first source data collection the interview employed a qualitative research methodology, specifically a semi-structured interview approach. The semi-structured format allows for a flexible and in-depth exploration of the interviewee's experiences and perspectives on consumer attitudes in education and their implications. The interviewers followed a prepared set of questions while also allowing for follow-up questions and probes to delve deeper into emerging themes.The interview was conducted with an experienced educator who has taught in the United States, Germany, CIS countries, and Kazakhstan. The interview video-recorded with the interviewee's consent and transcribed verbatim for analysis. To establish the validity and reliability of our research on the psychology of consumer education in Higher Education Institutions, we engaged with Professor Jose Humberto Baeza Estrada, a seasoned educator with a diverse international teaching portfolio since 2002. Professor Baeza Estrada's extensive experience, from teaching languages in Mexico to lecturing in China, provides a well-founded perspective that enhances the credibility of our findings. The interviews, conducted with full consent and transcribed verbatim, allowed for an in-depth analysis that aligns with the observed trends in our wider study. The consistency of the insights gained from Professor Baeza Estrada with the emergent themes in our data collection underscores the reliability of our conclusions. His informed views on the intersection of consumer behavior and educational engagement validate the research outcomes, ensuring that our study is anchored in a real-world context with a balanced view of consumer-oriented education within the academic framework.In recent years, educational systems in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), particularly in the Republic of Kazakhstan, have exhibited a trend towards cultivating a consumer-oriented attitude among students. As it was mentioned by Mr. Jose, educators accede to students' requests by implementing flexible deadlines and adjusting grading criteria. While these actions may be well-intentioned, they, - ‘in practice, reinforce students' dependency on the adaptability of the teaching staff and do not contribute to the development of independence and responsibility.’ In contrast, European and American educational institutions adhere to more rigorous approaches where compliance with deadlines and regulations is an integral component of the learning process. Considering the central role of students in the educational process, the question of motivation takes precedence. In the pursuit of optimizing academic outcomes, it is imperative to foster an educational environment that stimulates student autonomy rather than perpetuating their consumerist inclinations. Students should be active participants in the learning process, not passive recipients of knowledge. Educational policies and practices in the CIS and Kazakhstan often overlook the importance of student independence. In practice, this manifests in the adjustment of deadlines and the adaptation of grading criteria, which may create an illusion of success but do not foster the development of critical skills such as punctuality, focus, and self-discipline. Conversely, in systems where students become accustomed to strict requirements and clearly defined deadlines, as is the case in Europe and the United States, these skills develop as a natural part of the educational process. It is crucial to understand that the motivation and expectations formed during the educational process exert a substantial influence on the formation of a student's personality, which, as it was highlighted by the interviewee, should be based from a young age, thus a mindset of honest learning should be formed during early childhood. In CIS and Kazakhstani contexts, where instructors may provide additional time for project submission or in-class flexibility, an atmosphere is created that may lead to the belief that there will always be a "safety net." In terms of educational productivity, such an approach may weaken students' perception of the necessity for self-improvement and self-development. Summing up, taking into account all of the aforementioned considerations, it becomes evident that to establish an effective and productive educational system, special attention must be paid to the development of students' independence and responsibility. This necessitates a reconsideration of current practices and potentially the introduction of elements of strict discipline and clarity, akin to the educational systems in Europe and the United States, while simultaneously respecting the cultural nuances and educational traditions of the CIS and Kazakhstan.In recent years, a discernible trend has emerged within the educational systems of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, particularly in the Republic of Kazakhstan, wherein a proclivity towards instilling a consumer-oriented disposition among students has become increasingly manifest. Faculty members frequently extend accommodations to students by instituting flexible deadlines and modifying grading criteria. Although these actions ostensibly arise from benevolent motives, they inadvertently engender heightened reliance on the malleability of the teaching staff, thereby failing to foster autonomy and a sense of responsibility among students. In sharp contrast, European and American educational institutions have adopted more stringent pedagogical approaches that enshrine the imperative of adhering to stipulated deadlines and regulations as an integral facet of the educational process.Recognizing the central role of the student within the educational milieu, the matter of motivation assumes paramount significance. In the pursuit of optimizing educational outcomes, it becomes imperative to cultivate an educational milieu that not only encourages students' autonomy but also refrains from amplifying their consumeristic proclivities. Students should emerge as active participants in the learning process, as opposed to being relegated to passive recipients of knowledge. Regrettably, educational policies and practices in the CIS and Kazakhstan frequently overlook the critical import of student independence. In practical terms, this oversight materializes in the practice of altering deadlines and adapting assessments, thereby engendering an illusory sense of accomplishment but failing to contribute to the cultivation of essential skills such as punctuality, collaboration, and self-discipline. Conversely, in educational systems where students become acclimated to exacting standards and clearly delineated deadlines, as observed in Europe and the United States, the development of these skills occurs organically as an inherent dimension of the educational process. It is imperative to comprehend that the motivations and expectations that coalesce during the course of the educational journey exert a profound influence on the configuration of a student's character. In the CIS countries and Kazakhstan, where instructors may extend additional time for the submission of projects or offer leniency in adhering to schedules, a certain milieu prevails, one that can engender the belief that there exists a perpetual "escape route." In the realm of educational productivity, this approach has the potential to attenuate students' cognizance of the exigency of self-development and self-improvement.A prevailing hypothesis posits a potentially negative association between the extent to which a student manifests a consumer-oriented approach towards their academic pursuits and their academic performance. It is elucidated that students who abstain from embracing a consumerist perspective underscore the significance of active engagement in their educational endeavors as a pivotal component of achieving success. As articulated by Louise Bunce, Amy Baird, and Si?n E. Jones (2016), this viewpoint finds expression in the notion that, "Because at the end of the day it's our education, we're the only ones that are going to get anything out of it, and you get out what you've put in. I don't want to just pass a degree, I want to get a good grade because I want to do my best."Complementing the hypothesis advanced by Louise Bunce and her colleagues, this study introduces a supplementary investigation with a focus on students from Kazakhstan who harbor apprehensions regarding the enduring consequences of an educational system that promotes a consumer-centric orientation to learning. These students contend that such an approach may progressively erode intrinsic motivation, stifle creativity, and diminish adaptability, ultimately engendering a proclivity for superficial learning.In addition to the aforementioned concerns, the discourse herein broaches the subject of cultural disparities and their potential ramifications on the psychology of learning and the academic conduct of students. The student cohort from Kazakhstan shares their personal experiences of acclimating to a novel educational environment and culture as foreign students in the United States. They underscore the inherent challenges of this transition, acknowledging the possibility of its influence on their academic performance.In summary, the text presents a reflective contemplation on the significance of learner-centered education, concomitant with the challenges confronted by students navigating transitions across disparate educational systems and cultural contexts. The key insights gleaned from these student perspectives are as follows: The adoption of a consumer-oriented disposition towards learning may precipitate adverse long-term repercussions for students, encompassing a diminishment of intrinsic motivation, creativity, adaptability, and a predisposition towards surface-level learning. Cultural disparities can exert a discernible influence on the psychological underpinnings of learning and the academic comportment of students. For instance, foreign students may grapple with the challenges attendant to acclimating to a new educational system and cultural milieu, potentially impacting their academic performance. The student cohort from Kazakhstan advocates for the primacy of learner-centered education and underscores the critical necessity of offering robust support mechanisms for students as they traverse the transitions between distinct educational paradigms and cultural milieus.The investigation has unveiled notable disparities in the orientation toward higher education between Kazakhstan and Western countries, illuminating the prevalence of consumer-oriented perspectives among Kazakh students in contrast to their Western counterparts, who exhibit a greater predilection for esteeming education as a means of personal development. The inclination of Kazakhstani students to primarily perceive education as a financially advantageous investment may be influenced by the cost of higher education and cultural dynamics that prioritize immediate, tangible returns over the intrinsic value of the learning process.Effecting a remedy to this consumer-centric predicament necessitates the implementation of systemic reforms within Kazakh universities, with a specific focus on cultivating an environment that accords paramount significance to the processes of learning and intellectual growth. Strategies for such reform might encompass measures to curtail educational expenditures in order to mitigate the perception of education as a mere financial transaction, alongside concerted efforts to enhance the quality of instruction to ensure that students accrue valuable knowledge and skills pertinent to their future professional endeavors. Additionally, fostering active engagement and participation of students in the educational process is of paramount importance in fostering the development of critical thinking and problem-solving proficiencies.In summation, the findings underscore the exigency of revising the higher education policies in Kazakhstan to engender a more holistic and comprehensive educational experience. Such adaptations are indispensable in striking a balance between the expectations of consumers and the integrity of educational outcomes, with the overarching objective of preparing students not only for immediate entry into the labor market but also for a lifelong journey of learning and personal growth.
Номер журнала Вестник науки №11 (68) том 1
Ссылка для цитирования:
Issenov D.E., Samalikov F.A., Utebayev D.D. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CONSUMER EDUCATION IN THE METHODS OF MODERN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS // Вестник науки №11 (68) том 1. С. 493 - 501. 2023 г. ISSN 2712-8849 // Электронный ресурс: https://www.вестник-науки.рф/article/10640 (дата обращения: 17.05.2024 г.)
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