To download article. 

DOI: 10.15507/1991-9468.030.202601.133-157

UDC 376-053.5

Interinstitutional Cooperation in the Spiritual and Moral Upbringing of Children: Problems and Experience of Orthodox Sunday Schools in the Udmurt Republic

Maksim A. Sannikov
Priest, Rector, Ushinsky Institute for the Development of Education (80 Balezinskaya St., Izhevsk 426052, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6155-0581, Researcher ID: C-8399-2019, SPIN-code: 9905-7120, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract
Introduction. In conditions of the crisis of the spiritual and moral upbringing and the loss of value unity in the socializing space, the importance of interinstitutional cooperation in shaping traditional national values is growing. However, the regionally specific barriers and opportunities for interaction between the family, school, parish, and the state in the multi-confessional regions of Russia remain insufficiently studied. The aim of the study is to identify the barriers and potential for social interaction among the key subjects of education (family, school, parish, and the state) using the example of the activities of Orthodox Sunday schools.
Materials and Methods. The theoretical basis of research was the system-activity approach, the axiological paradigm of education, and the concept of the educational environment. The empirical part is based on a mixed-methods study conducted in 2024 on the basis of 12 Sunday schools and 10 secular schools in Udmurtia. The total number of participants was 747 people. The studied groups included 350 Sunday school students (aged 9–14), 348 secular school students (control group), 27 teachers, and 44 parents. The study was conducted using questionnaires (Bubnova – Sytina, Motkov – Ogneva methodologies), semi-structured interviews (n = 20), observation, and document analysis.
Results. It was established that institutional connections in the system of spiritual and moral upbringing are fragmented, resource-constrained, and accompanied by value and status conflicts. Geographical and gender differences in the implementation of educational approaches were identified: rural Sunday schools demonstrate more stable institutional integration and family involvement, while girls demonstrate a higher level of altruistic orientations. The greatest gap between the significance and implementation of values was observed in urban environments and among adolescent boys. To overcome the identified barriers to interaction between social institutions, the following mechanisms were proposed: tutoring support, digitalization of the environment, inclusive methodological approaches, and the creation of sustainable interinstitutional partnerships.
Discussion and Conclusion. The results of this study can be used by education authorities, school administrations, and parishes to improve interaction models, develop joint programs, and formulate strategies for interdepartmental cooperation in the field of spiritual and moral upbringing. The study’s contribution to research is determined by the identification of regionally specific barriers to interaction (value-based, resource-based, and status-based) and the proposal of an integrative model for coordinating institutional activities that refines classical pedagogical concepts, taking into account the modern challenges of digitalization and gender asymmetry. A conclusion is drawn regarding the need to develop an educational environment as a value-oriented system with the coordinated participation of all actors involved in socialization.

Keywords: Sunday school, social institutions, spiritual and moral upbringing, pedagogy of cooperation, interinstitutional interaction

Acknowledgments: The author is thankful to the Sunday school teams for their assistance in organizing the empirical research, and the consultants for their assistance in preparing the manuscript.

Conflict of interest: The author declares no conflict of interest.

For citation: Sannikov M.A. Interinstitutional Cooperation in the Spiritual and Moral Upbringing of Children: Problems and Experience of Orthodox Sunday Schools in the Udmurt Republic. Integration of Education. 2026;30(1):133–157. https://doi.org/10.15507/1991-9468.030.202601.133-157

Availability of data and materials. The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the author on reasonable request.

The author has read and approved the final manuscript.

Submitted 31.07.2025;
revised 27.08.2025;
accepted 03.09.2025.

REFERENCES

PlumX

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.