Background. Social perceptions of the administrators of educational institutions about the psychological characteristics of the educational environment are a key factor influencing the effectiveness of the system of interaction in the team. The organizational and managerial component of the educational environment is of primary importance in the formation of a psychologically safe kindergarten educational environment that promotes the maintenance of the emotional well-being of all its subjects.
Objective. Theoretical and empirical substantiation of the development of a program of social and psychological support for kindergarten managers, as well as an assessment of its effectiveness.
Sample. The study involved 111 kindergarten managers from seven cities of Russia. 72 people participated in the formative experiment: directors, deputy directors and senior preschool teachers aged 35 to 70 years.
Methods. The study used survey and diagnostic (questionnaires, surveys) methods, observations, and a formative experiment. The content analysis of the associations of managers was carried out using the methodology of P. Verges (Vergès, 1992).
Results. The study shows that the administrator is a key link in ensuring psychological safety in an educational institution, which emphasizes the importance of identifying and adjusting social perceptions about creating safe learning conditions. These perceptions play a significant role in shaping the organizational and managerial component of the educational environment of a preschool educational institution. The study defines the structure of social perceptions of preschool educational institution directors before and after participating in the program of socio-psychological support. The content of these perceptions was also revealed and described, and then the changes that occurred as a result of the formative experiment were analyzed.
Conclusions. The program of social and psychological support, including five semantic blocks: diagnostic, informational, educational, formative, reflexive and analytical, is an effective tool for forming social perceptions of preschool educational institution heads about the principles of organizing a psychologically safe educational environment in a kindergarten.