Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of responsible behavior and locus of control in students with disabilities. Responsible behavior is considered by us as a quality that determines the success and sustainability of the individual in the era of “liquid modernity”. The study involved 103 students with disabilities from two Siberian universities. The age ranged from 17 to 20 (1st-2nd years of study). The control sample included 132 students without disabilities (health standard). Data processing of “The Level of subjective control” survey was carried out by means of using the “Statistica 6.0” application software package and employing non-parametric statistical methods.

The comparison of the level of development of locus of control among students with and without disability has made it possible to identify the problem and resource areas of a student personality development.

First, students with disabilities have a more pronounced external locus of control in the field of achievements and in the field of failures compared to peers without disabilities. Thus, they feel less responsible for the events and changes in life that occur to them. They rely on a set of circumstances, a chance and fate rather than on their own strength. This area is the most problematic in the development of the personality of students with disabilities. Within the framework of training, it is necessary to pay special attention to the development of students' trust towards the world around them and confidence in their strengths. It is important to create situations in which students will have real achievements due to their own efforts. The educational opportunities must be truly equal, without discrimination on the one hand, and without creating special facilitated conditions on the other.

Second, students with disabilities compared with their peers without disabilities have significantly higher rates of development of internality in family relationships and in regard to health and illness. This area can be considered a resource for students.

Third, the level of development of internality in the field of interpersonal and labor relations does not differ among students. Both groups of subjects demonstrate a predominantly external locus of control in the field of labor relations, which is consistent with the Šafránková&Šikýř study (2017) study, according to which modern students correlate their own future success with a good job rather than with their own level of professionalism.

It is this area that can and should be the basis for creating an environment of understanding between students.

The educational process at the university is not sufficiently focused on a future specialist’s awareness of a personal responsibility for the result of their professional activity.

Understanding the concept of social responsibility allows us to argue that it can be per-ceived by students as responsibility not to society as a whole, but only to the employer or family.

This study showed that not only the theory, but also the practice of forming social respon-sibility of students with disabilities throughout their studying at the university is in a formative stage. In the context of liquid modernity, when external factors change very quickly, responsibil-ity for oneself, one's choice, one's decisions and actions turns out to be a reliable condition for effective self-actualization.

Keywords:

Inclusive education, socially responsible behavior, locus of control, sustainable development, quality of life, students with disabilities.