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Background. A paradox is increasingly documented in contemporary international early childhood research: the pedagogical legacy of Friedrich Froebel continues to shape everyday preschool practice — through play-based methods, didactic materials, and value orientations — while its theoretical and philosophical foundations remain largely unrecognised by practitioners themselves.

Objective. To systematise contemporary international research documenting the gap between theoretical and practical dimensions of Froebel’s legacy; to characterise institutional forms of its study abroad; and to identify the specifics of the Russian context.

Sample. The theoretical analysis draws on publications from 1991–2026 addressing the reception of Froebel’s pedagogical system in preschool education practice in Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Australia, as well as materials from the official websites of research centres and professional associations.

Methods. Comparative-historical and problem-thematic analysis of scholarly literature; the method of institutional analysis in comparing organisational forms of Froebel’s legacy study across different countries.

Results. Three mechanisms for reproducing the theory–practice gap are identified: professional socialisation (occupational mastery through practical experience), instrumental reduction (the separation of didactic material from its conceptual system), and institutional asymmetry (the influence of the presence/absence of research centres on the reflection of practice). International research centres studying Froebel’s legacy (Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland) are systematised and compared with the Russian context.

Conclusion. The image of Froebel as a “known stranger” (Bekannter Unbekannter) accurately captures the current state of the field: his name and individual tools are widely recognised, while the coherent conceptual system behind them remains understudied. In the Russian context, the following are necessary: the inclusion of a historical-theoretical component in teacher education programmes; the development of research infrastructure; and the strengthening of the professional community with a transition to sustainable institutional forms.

Background. Digitalization has a profound psychosocial impact on young children; however, the dominance of Western educational models often ignores cultural specificities and the context of local communities, especially in rural Africa. Against the backdrop of growing digital inequality and the need to protect children’s psychosocial well-being, there is a pressing need to develop and implement culturally responsive approaches to early childhood education that draw on traditional African values, indigenous pedagogies, and community practices.

Objective. To explore the Afrocentric conceptualization of young children’s psychosocial well-being and digitalization practices within Cameroon’s community-based early childhood education system, and to substantiate the role of community preschool centers as an institution for protecting and supporting children in the digital age.

Methods. The study employs a set of theoretical methods: analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, regulatory documents, and educational development strategies (drawing on the example of Cameroon and UNESCO international recommendations); comparative analysis of Western and Afrocentric pedagogical approaches; and a bioecological approach to examining the child’s developmental environment.

Results. A research gap concerning the influence of culturally conditioned beliefs and rural geography on the implementation of digital resources in the African context has been identified. The key characteristics of Afrocentric child development (holistic personality, communal learning, and learning through participation) have been analyzed. The effectiveness of the community preschool center model in Cameroon has been substantiated; these centers serve as an institutional buffer that balances digital interaction with traditional socio-emotional learning. The strengths of this model have been highlighted: a safe environment, close collaboration with local councils, a play-based curriculum, and an emphasis on health and nutrition. The necessity of moving away from the exclusive dominance of Western epistemologies toward documenting and integrating local indigenous practices has been demonstrated.

Conclusions. The community-based approach to early childhood education in Cameroon implements the principles of inclusion and cultural appropriateness, ensuring the protection of the psychosocial well-being of vulnerable groups of children (including refugees and children from poor families) in the context of digitalization. The key success factor and innovation is parental education and the involvement of parents in the upbringing process. For the sustainable development of early childhood systems in Africa, it is necessary to generate and promote indigenous research and pedagogical practices that reflect local value systems, rather than uncritically borrowing Western standards.