Friendly educational environment: qualimetry of innovative potential and Socio-Humanitarian expertise of inclusive effects

The project “A Friendly Educational Environment: Qualimetry of Innovative Potential and Socio-Humanitarian Expertise of Inclusive Effects” has been supported under the 2024 competition for grants from the Russian Science Foundation, within the framework of the initiative “Conducting Fundamental Scientific Research and Exploratory Scientific Research by Small Independent Research Groups” (Regional Competition).

The concept of a friendly (or supportive) educational environment is gaining increasing significance in contemporary academic and public discourse. Such an environment is grounded in the principles of inclusivity, equity, effective learning, safety, and active participation of all stakeholders in the educational process—from students and teachers to parents and school administrators. It fosters not only high-quality education but also personal development, social well-being, and the formation of a trusting community united by shared values. In practice, however, the creation of such an environment faces contradictions: while official policy promotes inclusion and diversity, public consciousness often perceives diversity as a threat to safety. Moreover, the Russian school system remains in a state of tension between neo-conservative tendencies aimed at preserving tradition and the pressing need to implement innovations in response to global challenges.

Within the proposed project, a comprehensive analysis will be conducted of the perspectives held by key participants in the educational process—from education policymakers and system-level strategists to teachers, students, and parents—regarding pathways toward developing an inclusive and friendly school environment. The study will identify the motivations of social innovation initiators, analyze effective practices in implementing state and civil society initiatives, and propose a systemic model of a friendly educational environment. Based on this model, an assessment tool will be developed to evaluate changes in the educational environment and their consequences. Expected outcomes include the structuring of key factors contributing to a friendly environment and the creation of a validated management model enabling purposeful development of the educational environment in the interests of all its participants.

The project team, comprising researchers from the Laboratory, is led by Maria Kozlova, Chief Research Fellow at the Laboratory and Doctor of Sociological Sciences.