Dysfunctions of the higher education system in the context of Russian media discourse

Introduction. The transformation of higher education in accordance with national interests requires a thorough analysis of dysfunctions within this sector. The mass media play a crucial role in shaping the discourse surrounding these issues. Aim. The present study aims to analyse the dysfunctions of higher education as depicted in Russian digital media. Methodology and research methods. The methodology is based on the structural-functional paradigm, which conceptualises higher education as a system comprising four functional components: adaptation, goal attainment, integration, and pattern maintenance. Drawing on an analysis of sources published in electronic databases of scholarly publications between 2000 and 2026, key dysfunctions within the sphere of higher education were identified. On this basis, a corpus for content analysis of media publications was compiled; selection was conducted using keywords via the Kribrum system. Employing a qualitative-quantitative approach, 705 media publications addressing problems in higher education were analysed. Results. The hypothesis that media coverage is dominated by external dysfunctions in the spheres of adaptation and goal attainment was confirmed. The principal narrative emphasises the need to transform higher education in accordance with national priorities. News items predominantly focus on corruption within higher education institutions. Internal dysfunctions of higher education – specifically those related to the academic environment and pedagogical work – are discussed considerably less frequently. Correlation analysis revealed no significant patterns between the dysfunctions represented and the type of source, which can be attributed to the “virality” of publications and the tendency of local media to follow the agenda set by federal outlets. Scientific novelty. The study is notable for its integrated approach, combining automated social media analysis with the sociological method of content analysis. The authors developed a typology of dysfunctions in higher education and identified specific characteristics of their media representation, placing particular emphasis on external dysfunctions. Practical significance. The research findings can be utilised to enhance the information environment concerning the representation of issues in higher education.

1. Klyachko T.L., Tokareva G.S. Assessment of redundancy/insufficiency of qualifications of young specialists: review of Russian experience. Professional’noe obrazovanie i rynok truda = Vocational Education and Labour Market. 2024;12(3):32–52. (In Russ.) doi:10.52944/PORT.2024.58.3.004

2. Rozhkova K.V., Yemelina N.K., Roshchin S.Y., Travkin P.V. Overeducation among Russian university graduates. Voprosy Ekonomiki = Economic Issues. 2026;(2):101–126. (In Russ.) doi:10.32609/0042-8736-2026-2-101-126

3. Karpov A.O. Designing the university’s creative environment: structural-functional analysis. In: Intelligent Computing. SAI 2018. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing. London: Springer, Cham; 2019:319–332. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-01177-2_23

4. Wu J., Huang X., Liu H.F. Research on the construction path of teaching workshops from the per-spective of structural-functionalism theory. Frontier Computing: Volume 4. FC 2024. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering. Singapore: Springer; 2025:233–239. doi:10.1007/978-981-96-2395-2_39

5. Nargiza N., Zhao W., Fazal K. Investigating the practicality of implementing structural functionalism theory in the teaching practices of basic education teachers in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Open Journal of Social Sciences. 2023;11:271–283. doi:10.4236/jss.2023.114020

6. Ravochkin N.N., Kudashov V.I., Neskryabina O.F., Rakhinsky D.V. Representational capabilities of the media reality of educational organizations: a socio-philosophical analysis. Sociologiya = Sociology. 2025;5:168–173. (In Russ.)

7. Mardanova M.A. Metaphorical modeling of the education system in Russian media discourse. Vestnik Chuvashskogo gosudarstvennogo pedagogicheskogo universiteta im. I. Ya. Yakovleva = Bulletin of the Chuvash State Pedagogical University named after I. Ya. Yakovlev. 2022;3(116):71–80. (In Russ.) doi:10.37972/chgpu.2022.116.3.009

8. Abramovskikh T.A. Coverage of education issues in print media as a factor of positive impact on the process of modern school reform: theory and reality. Vestnik Volzhskogo universiteta im. V. N. Tatishcheva = Bulletin of V. N. Tatishchev Volzhsky University. 2017;1(2):110–116 (In Russ.)

9. Reid E. I heard it on TV: a content discourse analysis of educational changes influenced by television and politics. Curriculum Studies Summer Collaborative (2011–2025). 2025. Accessed February 18, 2026. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cssc/2025/2025/15

10. Lexman R.R., Krishnan G., Baral R., Thomas Sh.C. Navigating the digital classroom: a qualitative content analysis of MOOC discourses in Indian e-newspapers. Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society. 2024;22(4):494–516. doi:10.1108/JICES-03-2023-0027

11. Collom G.D., Cooper A.R., Trad J.K. The perception of postsecondary education’s value in the United States: a critical discourse analysis. Innovative Higher Education. 2026. doi:10.1007/s10755-025-09873-2

12. Zhang X., Wang P. The politics of higher education in China: the signal-response mechanism, downward tiered pressure escalation, and the double first-class university initiative. Comparative Education. 2025;61(2):202–224. doi:10.1080/03050068.2024.2376986

13. Litlere E., Teymoori A. Anomie in academia: the perceived normative structure of higher education among staff and students. Education Sciences. 2026;16(3):497. doi:10.3390/educsci16030497

14. Watermeyer R. Academic anomie: implications of the ‘great resignation’ for leadership in post-COVID higher education. Higher Education. 2025;89(5):1215–1233. doi:10.1007/s10734-024-01268-0

15. Stein S., Andreotti V., Restoule J.P., Vukovic R., McGregor C., Francis P.L., et al. Deepening relational capacity to confront the polycrisis in higher education and beyond. Higher Education Research and Development. 2025;44(6):1572–1587. doi:10.1080/07294360.2025.2525109

16. Kicherova M.N., Trifonova I.S. Dysfunctions of the educational ecosystem: risks of informal education in expert assessments. Vestnik Tomskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Filosofiya. Sociologiya. Politologiya = Bulletin of Tomsk State University. Philosophy. Sociology. Political Science.2024;81:188–202. (In Russ.) doi:10.17223/1998863Х/81/17

17. Dzhamaludinov G.M., Dzhamaludinova Z.G. The specificity of social functions of the higher education system. Izvestiya Dagestanskogo gosudarstvennogo pedagogicheskogo universiteta. Psihologo-pedagogicheskie nauki = Dagestan State Pedagogical University. Journal. Psychological and Pedagogical Sciences. 2015;(3):23–26. (In Russ.)

18. Pevnaya M.V., Shuklina E.A. Institutional traps of nonlinear development of higher education in Russia. Integraciya obrazovaniya = Integration of Education. 2018;22(1):77–90. (In Russ.) doi:10.15507/1991-9468.090.022.201801.077-090

19. Zborovsky G.E., Ambarova P.A. Typologies of anomalies in higher education. Vestnik Rossijskogo universiteta druzhby narodov. Seriya: Sociologiya = Bulletin of Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia. Series: Sociology. 2021;21(3):497–511. (In Russ.) doi:10.22363/2313-2272-2021-21-3-497-511

20. Majumdar A. The nature of functionalism in social science. Academia Letters. 2021. doi:10.20935/AL1236

21. Shoaib M. Sociology of knowledge perspectives on gendered curriculum and educational authority. Dialogue Social Science Review (DSSR). 2026;4(3):119–137.

22. Galushko D.V., Kiselev A.S., Ostroushko A.V. Financial and legal instruments for ensuring the technological sovereignty of priority sectors of the economy of the Russian Federation. Finansy: teoriya i praktika = Finance: Theory and Practice. 2026;30(2):63–77. (In Russ.) doi:10.26794/2587-5671-2026-30-2-63-77

23. Demidova S.Y., Vasyunina M.L. Financial mechanisms for achieving technological sovereignty: assessing the impact of R&D expenditures. Finansy: teoriya i praktika = Finance: Theory and Practice. 2026;30(2):78–89. (In Russ.) doi:10.26794/2587-5671-2026-30-2-78-89

24. Markov D.I. Perceptions of urban youth about career opportunities and relations in the labor sphere. Narodonaselenie = Population. 2024;7(4):128–139. (In Russ.)

25. Dombrovskaya A.Yu., Davydova M.A. Future planning horizons in the assessments of Russian students in the context of civilizational confrontation between Russia and the West. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. 2025;34(10):131–146. (In Russ.)

26. Aleksandrova Yu.Yu., Mironova E.V., Kamneva E.V., Pryazhnikov N.S., Pryazhnikova E.Yu. Prospects for the development and risks of deformation of professional identity in the context of “digitalization” of the labor process. Organizacionnaya psihologiya = Organizational Psychology. 2023;4(13):213–235. (In Russ.)

27. Frolova E.V., Rogach O.V. Dysfunctions of digitalization of higher education (experience of the COVID-19 pandemic). Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i social’nye peremeny = Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes. 2022;6(172):84–107. (In Russ.) doi:10.14515/monitoring.2022.6.2265

28. Badr A.M., Al-Abdi B.S., Rfeqallah M. Information quality and students’ academic performance: the mediating roles of perceived usefulness, entertainment and social media usage. Smart Learning Environments. 2024;11(45). doi:10.1186/s40561-024-00329-2

29. Brodovskaya E.V., Dombrovskaya A.Yu., Lukushin V.A. Managing digital communications with target groups in the activities of leading Russian universities. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. 2022;31(10):9–24. (In Russ.) doi:10.31992/0869-3617-2022-31-10-9-24

30. Poplavskyi M.M. Teacher as a media figure in modern higher education: a competence-based approach. Linguistics and Culture Review. 2021;5(4):904–914. doi:10.21744/lingcure.v5nS4.1772

31. Entradas M., Bauer M.W., Marcinkowski F., Pellegrini G. The communication function of universities: is there a place for science communication? Minerva. 2024;62:25–47. doi:10.1007/s11024-023-09499-8

32. Olaniyan Y.D. Apprenticeship by another name? Media discourses and the vocational turn in Nigerian higher education. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning. 2025. doi:10.1108/HESWBL-05-2025-0182

33. Mabidi N.I. From traditional to digital: transforming education through communication media in the 21st century. South African Journal of Education. 2025;45(4). doi:10.15700/saje.v45n4a2697

34. Leandro A., Morais J., Silva E. Digital storytelling in higher education: the use of podcasts in build-ing institutional identity and engagement. Innovation Higher Education. 2025. doi:10.1007/s10755-025-09839-4