Relationships between knowledge about Poland and the region and the attitudes of young people

W artykule podjęto próbę określenia związków pomiędzy wiedzą o Polsce i regionie a postawą młodzieży. Problem ten rozpatrywany był w świetle aktualnych koncepcji teoretycznych (psychologicznych, socjologicznych, wychowawczych) oraz badań ankietowych przeprowadzonych wśród uczniów szkół ponadgimnazjalnych. Objęto nimi uczniów z terenu woj. łódzkiego. Wyniki przeprowadzonych badań zestawiono z wynikami badań dotyczącymi postawy młodzieży w dużych miastach naszego kraju. Związki pomiędzy wiedzą o miejscu a postawą wobec niego rozpatrywano w kontekście głównych komponentów postawy (poznawczego, emocjonalnego, behawioralnego) oraz ich cech.One of the contemporary dilemmas in teaching geography is the shaping of attitudes of responsibility for the surrounding environment in young people and their active participation in social life both at the local and national level. Geography, as a school subject, is particularly predestinated to shape the responsibility of young people for the place where they live in, learn and in where the future will take decisions concerning their local or broader community. The article is an attempt to determine the influence of the knowledge about Poland, the region and place of residence on the attitudes of young people towards these places. This problem has been examined in the light of contemporary theoretical concepts (psychological, sociological and educational) and a broad survey research undertaken among the pupils of high schools in the Łódź region. The results have been compared to the previctus research studies concerning the attitudes of young people in big cities in Poland. The relationships between the knowledge about the place and the attitude towards this place have been examined in the context of the main components of an attitude (cognitive, emotional, behavioural) and their features. The research has proved a rather insignificant influence of geography lessons and the knowledge about Poland and the region on the process of shaping attitudes of young people. These attitudes seem to be much more dependent on the emotional factors