Educational Motivation of Students With Disabilities in a Digital Society

Abstract

This article reveals the peculiarities of educational motivation of students with disabilities. It is noted that the educational motivation and professional orientation of this category of students are associated with two risk groups — intra-personal and environmental risks. By educational risk, the authors mean a factor that has a potential impact on the performance of education at a university. In order to study the risks of students with disabilities socializing, including determining the specifics of their educational motives, in 2018 the authors conducted a sociological study using two survey methods — questionnaires (with 159 students with disabilities) and interviews (with 14 students with disabilities). Students with musculoskeletal impairment were included in the sample, who, due to explicit health disorders, are one of the most stigmatized groups. The study was conducted at the Moscow State University of Humanities and Economics, which has the largest number of students in this category in the Russian Federation. The participating students had almost equally positive and negative educational motives. Important characteristics included the “pragmatism” of professional choice, due to the ease of mastering the profession at the chosen university. It is noted that such motivation entails some risks (for example, a decrease in interest and, as a result, the quality of study). The conclusion emphasizes the importance of access to education (including transport) for students in this group, and the need for an integrated approach in solving the problems of developing inclusive education.