The article examines how pedagogical support that stimulates students’ learning initiatives can be systematically harmonised with the broader goals of national upbringing when it is grounded in the values, symbols, and communicative practices of a nation’s culture. Drawing on socio-cultural learning theory and contemporary research on culturally responsive pedagogy, the study analyses an educational intervention carried out in upper-secondary schools that combines initiative-based project work with modules on cultural heritage. A mixed-methods design—incorporating classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and comparative achievement data—was employed to investigate how the integration of national cultural elements shapes motivational dynamics, cognitive engagement, and socio-emotional outcomes. Results reveal statistically significant gains in self-regulated learning behaviours and cultural identity affirmation among the experimental group relative to a control cohort, alongside qualitative evidence of deeper student–teacher dialogic interaction. The discussion situates these findings within global debates on localisation versus universalisation in curriculum design, arguing that national culture, when treated as a dynamic resource rather than a static canon, can enrich initiative-based learning without sacrificing academic rigour. Recommendations are offered for teacher professional development, curriculum policy, and further research on culturally grounded pedagogical ecosystems.
Azimova Nilufar Nuriddinovna (Sun,) studied this question.