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The relevance of research. The changes taking place in society and culture affect the transformation of such a socio-cultural phenomenon as childhood. Obtaining current knowledge about childhood makes it possible to predict the features of the future society, the adult population of which will consist of modern children. Obtaining data on the similarities and differences of ideas about childhood in children and adults can allow us to build effective educational work with parents. This will help adults better understand children, change the educational and the pedagogical process in accordance with the needs, values, and problems of modern preschoolers. The article presents the results of a study of the peculiarities of ideas about childhood as a phenomenon in older preschool children and parents of older preschoolers and designing on this basis of an educational program for parents.

Organization of the study. The aim of the study was to develop methods and conduct a comparative analysis of children’s and parents’ ideas about childhood and to develop a program of educational activities taking into account the identified features. Diagnostic research tools included modifications of "soft" methods (S.N. Mayorova-Shcheglova): the sociographic method (drawing on a given topic "Children and their childhood", analysis of the depicted event) the collision method (analysis of the verbally presented situation) and the comic book method (inventing the child's replicas of the hero in the presented situations). In addition, an auxiliary method was used – a conversation – for the interpretation of children's drawings and a modified projective technique "Ladder".

Research results. As a result of the study, comparative data were obtained on the specifics of ideas of different generations about the phenomenon of childhood, the peculiarities of the understanding of childhood by modern children and modern parents were identified, on this basis a program of educational activities for parents was developed and tested. The program of educational activities: is focused on the development of parental competence as an integrative ability to solve the problems of development and upbringing of children, which involves the implementation of comprehensive educational work, including stimulating motivation, position formation, enrichment of ideas and the formation of practical skills; involves the organization of a system of individual support of parents, a variety of forms of work, the development of parental reflection, stimulating independence and awareness through keeping a personal diary; practice-oriented, illustrated with a large number of examples and cases from real practice; involves updating the existing experience of parents, helps everyone see points of their own growth.

Conclusions. The program of educational activities was designed on the basis of the data obtained on the specific ideas about the phenomenon of childhood of older preschoolers and parents and is focused on the problems of raising a child in a family that are relevant for modern parents and children.

The relevance of research. The topic of education transformation is extremely relevant today, since in the last 10-20 years the approach to the role of preschool education (upbringing and education) of young children around the world has changed globally. As a result, many countries have revised approaches to preschool education, it has taken the place that this level of education deserves for the development of competitiveness of countries (Komarova, 2018). This forced the world community to reconsider its approaches to education and hold a series of congresses, conferences and symposiums dedicated to the transformation of national education systems. All the changes were the result of long-term (some were conducted since the 1960s) experiments and studies of educators and psychologists from different countries. Thus, today's transformation of the pedagogy of young children (from 0 to 8 years old) has become the result of largest scientific research (Komarova, Tishchenko, 2023). The article is devoted to the study of how the program documents changed in Russia and what studies preceded it. This is especially important today, when the program documents of the preschool education system have been radically changed three times over the past 10 years.

The purpose of the study: to present and analyze the logic of the emergence of various documents of the system of preschool education in Russia, in the creation of which great scientists were involved, what problems of preschool education and how they solved, how justified these decisions were for creating conditions for survival, upbringing and human development.

Description of the research progress. The study was based on the analysis of materials from four groups of sources. The first group consists of archival materials covering the period from 1900 to 1975, related to the activities of N.P. Sakulina and from 1908 to 2020, related to the activities of T.S. Komarova. Archival sources also include Reports of the Research Institute of Preschool Education of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences on scientific activities prepared by T.S. Komarova as Deputy Director for Science of the Research Institute of Preschool Education for the USSR Academy of Sciences; records of T.S. Komarova about the stay of American psychologists, including Uri Bronfenbrenner at the International Psychological Congress in Moscow. The first group includes materials from meetings on the preparation of the Concept for the Development of the Preschool Education System (2022–2023) by I.I. Komarova. The second group consists of books and articles devoted to research on the history of the formation of the preschool education system in the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. These materials were used earlier in the development of a course and a methodological manual for the State Academy of Education. The third group includes studies carried out by international research groups and international institutes on the formation of educational policy for young children (Komarova, Chabrova, 2022). This group also includes foreign dissertations devoted to the study of the Soviet experience after the publication of Bronfenbrenner's book on the Preschool Education Program in the USSR (Bronfenbrenner, 1976). The fourth group of sources is the program documents themselves, which regulate the state policy regarding preschool education and preschool education in Russia, from the middle of the 19th century to the present.

Research results. As a result of the study, material on the state of ECCE in Russia, its relationship with trends in various countries of the world was systematized. The analysis of sources allowed us to establish the continuity of different stages in the development of Russian preschool pedagogy and psychology, its orientation towards the scientific base and practical logic.

Conclusion. The world education system is changing before our eyes, and it is changing radically. The needs of these changes have been felt by most countries of the world. These changes lead to changes in educational policy, access to education, the emergence of new objects and subjects of education, the formation of a new structure of the sciences of education, pedagogy and psychology as scientific disciplines with their own assessment system, etc.

Relevance (context) of the subject of the article. The role of the play in preschool age is a priority. At the same time, the predominance of the cognitive dominant in educational standards has an adverse effect on the full living of a child of preschool childhood. When discussing the problem of standardization of education, special attention is paid to the forecasts of D.B. Elkonin, that did not loose their importance today regarding the reform of education in general and preschool education in particular. It is noted that the idea of “high standards of education”, implemented through the introduction of programs for the early development of intellectual skills in children and their preparation for the use of high technologies in the future, simplifies the development of a preschooler.

Organization of the research. The purpose of the study was to determine the presence of ontogenetically successive types of play in the system of additional education of preschoolers. The research method was a content analysis of the content of advertising products for services offered by institutions of additional education for children of early and preschool age. More than 500 advertisements have been analyzed. The analysis showed that the list of proposals is dominated by areas focused on the knowledge component, many of which prevent the formation of age-related neoplasms.

Research results. The results of an analytical study of the services offered by institutions of additional education for young and preschool children indicate the dominance of the school preparation service, the implementation of which begins from 2–3 years of age. The ratio of “developing” services for children offered by extracurricular institutions is shown, in which there is completely no orientation to the leading type of activity of a preschooler – the play. It is indicated that the implementation of both basic and additional education for preschool children in modern conditions is carried out with the predominant use of school forms and teaching aids.

Conclusions. The analysis showed that the use of school forms, methods and techniques when teaching preschoolers in preschool and additional education institutions outside the reliance on the leading type of activity deprives children of a full-fledged childhood. Limited by the framework of educational and other standards, preschool childhood today is deprived of the means to construct the image of adulthood, the image of the social future and the prospects of one’s own individual formation.

The relevance of the subject of the article. The topic of the transformation of education today is extremely relevant, since in the last 10–20 years the approach to the role of preschool education / Early Childhood Care and Education of young children around the world has changed globally. This forced the world community to reconsider its approaches to education and hold a series of congresses, conferences and symposiums dedicated to the transformation of national education systems (Komarova, 2018).

The article is devoted to the systematization of the data presented and discussed at the UNESCO World Conference in Uzbekistan, presented by 150 heads of state, ministers or representatives of ministries, heads of NGOs and international organizations in the field of early childhood education and upbringing.

The purpose of the study is to present and analyze the diversity of approaches of different countries to solving the problems of preschool education in order to create conditions for human survival and development that ensure sustainable development.

Description of the research progress. The authors analyzed the educational statistics of several groups of countries: post-Soviet countries; developing countries; developed countries; countries that have long used innovative approaches in the upbringing and education of young children, etc. The authors have published several reports on this topic (Karakchieva et al., 2022; Komarova, Chabrova, 2022). The data obtained earlier were compared with studies of certain aspects of preschool education and upbringing, developed by groups of scientists and aimed at concepts that are recognized as important in the current situation, for example, research on the neurophysiology of early childhood or the ecologization of childhood, etc. These data were also compared with those characteristics of the state of ECCE, which were given by the heads of state, ministers responsible for ECCE.

Research results. As a result of the study, material on the state of ECCE in various countries of the world, on further development directions was systematized.

Conclusion. The global education system is changing. The need for these changes has been felt by most countries in the world. These changes lead to changes in educational policy, access to education, the emergence of new objects and subjects of education, the formation of a new structure of the sciences of education, the formation of pedagogy and psychology as scientific disciplines with their own assessment system, etc.

Background. We are living in challenging times, with an urgent need for transformation that requires new and sustainable ways of living. Young children are exposed to these global challenges. This study responds to the need for further understanding of how education for sustainability (EfS) is being handled in early childhood education (ECE).

Objective. This study investigated ECE teachers in the process of implementing early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS). This was initiated by the 2019 revised Swedish National Curriculum for the preschool, where education for sustainable development is included as an overall value and objective.

Design of study. The data presented in this article was obtained in May 2021. An initial questionnaire was emailed to all Ifous participants. One hundred fifty-three teachers (76.5%) responded. The intention of the questionnaire was twofold: first, to investigate what the teachers considered to be education for sustainability in ECE; and second, to scrutinize the teachers’ knowledge base, for the further planning of the research and development program. Content analysis was used to analyze the data.

Results. The findings of the study showed a tendency to describe education for sustainability as “business-as-usual” rather than treating EfS as a new field, and to contend that the teachers addressed EfS before it became a compulsory task in 2019. There were few connections made to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (2015) and to the ongoing pandemic. A common trend when describing the content and activities was to divide the content into three areas, following the three dimensions of sustainability. The teachers described the physical changes and pedagogical changes made after the revision of the national curriculum.

Conclusion. The teachers in the study were interested in EfS, and some articulated a longing for more knowledge about ECEfS and for transformative change. The teachers also showed the need for courage and professionalism to lead the way in finding the relevant content and activities for EfS. The teachers were struggling to find new ways to meet the demands from the governing documents especially during a planetary crisis.

Parents, teachers and researchers are wondering how the digital and technological world affects young children between 0 and 6 years of age at home. This study aims to show the use they make of it, the characteristics of this use, and the relationship that children establish with technologies, as well as to find out whether there are rules for this use and who sets them. A mixed quantitative-qualitative methodology, using the “questionnaire on the use of technology at home”, semi-structured interviews, and analyses of Early Childhood Education Assemblies (ECEA), generated very significant results. For instance, despite the quick incorporation of tablets or video game consoles, TV is still the favorite device of the youngest population, followed closely by mobile phones. The results indicate that these children spend an average of 92 minutes per day watching TV. In addition, 92% of them have a tablet and spend an average of 60 minutes per day using a computer or a tablet. It can be concluded that children start accessing and using ICT at the age of two.

The article presents the results of a study on the integration of children’s reading and playing practices implemented within the framework of the Federal innovation platform – kindergarten No. 8 of the Central District of St. Petersburg on the topic “Designing Practices for the Education of Preschool Children in a Changing Sociocultural Situation”.

The aim of the study was to study the possibilities of enriching the practice of subject-role play of children in various age groups (3-7,5 years) as a result of testing the technology of productive reading when children get acquainted with the modern world bestseller of children’s literature, J. Donaldson “Snail and Whale”. It was found that the technology of productive reading has a high developing potential both for organizing children’s perception of the book and understanding its meaning, and for the natural display read in the conditions of play activity. The monitoring and quality analysis of playing activity of children 3-7,5 years revealed that the implementation of the technology of productive reading with preschool children allows, on the one hand, to consider the game as a way of interpreting literary works and on the other hand, to support the game based on the read.

The obtained results show that the implementation of the research plan contributed to the fact that the development indicators of the children’s game begin to approach the normative in the situation of the “zone of proximal development” and the further accumulation of play practice will contribute to the achievement of the normative indicators of the role-playing game in the “zone of the actual development of children”. It is also important that the reliance on the content and structure of the literary text allows the teacher to feel more confident in situations of play interaction with children, as an adult and a child interact in a single story context.

This paper presents the results of the national research dedicated to the comprehensive study of the developing environment in early childhood educational organizations of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It also reveals the main directions of its study in the context of the conceptual ideas of the Public Curriculum of the Republic of Uzbekistan, identifies factors that can improve the quality of design of developing environment in early childhood educational organizations.

The purpose of the study was to analyze key indicators for assessing the quality of the developing of environment in early childhood organizations in Uzbekistan in the context of modernization of the early childhood education system of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The main method of research is a comparative analysis of existing approaches to the design of the developing of environment of early childhood organizations in Uzbekistan. The subject of the analysis is a phenomenon of the environment, assessing the understanding of its significance and content for the development of early childhood and preschool children, and identifying key factors that determine its quality.

The results of the study contain a systematic analysis of the quality of the developing of environment of early childhood organizations in Uzbekistan, identify trends in changes in the understanding of the environment as a condition and means of development of children before school, and identify key parameters of the quality of the environment, consistent with cultural and historical values, national and regional traditions, features due to nature, climate, and the specifics of industrial life of the area.

The research makes it possible to identify existing practices in the design of development of the environment in early childhood educational organizations, to propose an artistic and aesthetic approach to the design and filling of the early childhood organization’s space, and to understand the characteristics of the development of the environment in regard of the national preschool education system, as well as identify its innovative trends.

The relevance of the study has been determined by necessity of actualization in modern conditions of development of non-public sector of early childhood education which will allow partially to solve problems of shortage of places in early childhood educational institution, will expand possibilities of realization by citizens of the right to accessible and qualitative education. In order to achieve the goal, the following methods have been used: content analysis of documents, the method of collecting and structuring information, the structural method of presentation of the material. The article analyzes the legal framework governing educational activities in early childhood educational institutions of the non-public sector. In this article, results of legal regulation of the relations connected with realization of educational programs of early childhood education and rendering of services on supervision and care of children of early childhood age by private educational organizations and individual businessmen are reflected.

The best Russian and international practices in the implementation of early childhood education programs, which scored the highest number of points according to the used criteria and indicators of analysis, are also presented: the legal framework for the provision of practice, the substantive justification of the availability and quality of early childhood education, methodological approaches to ensure accessibility and quality of early childhood education, description and analysis of existing practices to support the non-public sector in early childhood education, organizations.

It has been established that the development of a legal framework regulating the educational activities in a non-public sector of early childhood education institution and the usage of best Russian and international practices will make the non-public sector of early childhood education a powerful tool both in meeting parental demands for early childhood education and in eliminating the queue for enrollment into the early childhood education organizations.

The article discusses the results of the study of the emotional well-being of 6-7 years old children of kindergartens in Moscow. The data were obtained through a questionnaire survey of children and their parents using the supplemented Children’s Barometer methodology, consisting of 22 questions for a child and 8 questions for a parent. The study was attended by 151 parent-child couples; children from 15 groups of 5 different preschools. Emotional well-being is based on satisfying the needs of the child, both basic and essential for the age at hand, and essential for personal development including personal relevance, recognition in the group, autonomy and initiative. It was important for us to hear the “voice of the child”, attitude towards kindergarten, what makes child happy and discomforting. It was found that children of 6-7 years old can express their opinion and attitude to what is happening in kindergarten. Organized forms of activity are less interesting for children than free activity; there are discrepancies between children’s and adults’ assessment of issues important for the child; children remember conflicts in kindergarten and it is important for them how the teacher resolves the children’s conflict. The educational environment and style of interaction between adults and children in groups implementing different pedagogical systems influences children’s attitude towards kindergarten, which was shown in significant statistical differences.

Changes in the world’s education system and new conditions for the existence of the education system have radically affected the infrastructure of education institutions. Many legal acts, conferences, publications, etc. are devoted to its changes. Much less attention has been paid to such a crucial element of the education system, which sets spatial, substantive, aesthetic and programmatic norms of life activities, which is a link between education and the human community, as architecture. Teachers, speaking about the role of the environment in education, rarely pay attention to architecture. Nevertheless, the space of the kindergarten has a significant impact on the creation of the environment. In different historical periods, there were different views on where children should be, what kind of education they should receive and who should provide it. Depending on the era, the answers to these questions differed significantly. The author focuses on modern trends in the construction of kindergartens and schools, the risks that arise in the construction of standard buildings and shows what requirements should the space of a modern kindergarten meet, reveals how changes in education generate new trends in architecture.

This article analyzes the attitude of respondents to the profession of Early Childhood Education Teacher. Respondents were preschool teachers (n = 203) and parents of preschoolers (n = 706). The basis for the empirical study was the Kazan Center for Social and Humanitarian Education, which is being implemented within the framework of the experimental site of FEDI RANEPA. The study was conducted over September and October 2018. A questionnaire method was used to collect information. The research has shown that to be recognized as a professional, significant for the progressive development of society, the early childhood education teacher fulfills his/her social order, but is assessed by public opinion as a person who does not have the opportunity to rise to a high level in the social hierarchy. Despite the fact that the respondents, i.e. the teachers of early childhood educational institutions belong to the low-income strata of the Russian society and the absence of a high socio-economic status, their ideas about their profession are generally positive. The authors suggest that the positive interpretation of the external assessment of their profession by the respondents is a mechanism for conscious increase of professionalism. An early childhood education teacher is a creative profession and a positive self-esteem of the prestige of the work in the field of early childhood education work can be linked to the processes of self-actualization and self-realization. On the other hand, overestimated perceptions of the prestige of the profession help early childhood education teachers to form their symbolic capital.

Responding parents demonstrate trust in public early childhood educational institutions, which is defined by paternalistic orientation of parents in relations with teachers and administration of preschool educational institution and is interpreted by the authors as loyalty of respondents to government. The authors note that the prestige of the profession of an early childhood education teacher has different meanings for its bearers, for those who use educational services, and for society as a whole.

The article is devoted to the study of creativity of a teacher of preschool education. The aim of the research was to study the influence of motivating factors on the professional creativity of teachers. The developing subject-spatial environment was considered as the main indicator of the manifestation of creativity in the work of the teacher. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the transformation of the subject space

of the group on the creative development and change in the attitude of the teacher to professional activities. The developing subject-spatial environment of the kindergarten is viewed from several sides: as a product of the teacher’s creativity, as a place of interaction between the teacher and children, as an application area of ​​the teacher’s creative abilities.

The article was prepared on the basis of experimental research using questionnaires for teachers and monitoring their work. The study was conducted on the basis of two preschool institutions in the city of Ivanovo, Ivanovo Region. 16 teachers took part in the study. As a toolkit, scales for assessing the conditions of creative activity of children in independent activities and art classes were used. To study the changes in the sources of professional motivation of teachers, a questionnaire developed by D. Barbuto and R. Skoll was used. The study consisted of two stages, at each of which a new motivating factor was introduced. After each stage, the sources of teachers’ professional motivation were measured, the state of the group’s developing environment was assessed, and the interaction in the art class was chosen as the most creative type of educational activity. As motivating factors, a professional competition and the involvement of teachers in the work on the dissemination of experience were used.

The results of our study showed that the use of the mentioned motivating factors contributed to the launch of the creative cycle among teachers, which resulted in creative changes in the organization of the subject space of groups, improving the interaction of the teacher and children in the arts classes. Creative manifestations in the subject space and interaction with children were reflected in the motivational sphere of teachers.