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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.

The article is devoted to the results of a pilot study of the relationship between the quality of the educational environment in preschool groups and the level of development of creative thinking of preschool children and the study of the development of creative thinking of teachers in solving pedagogical problems.

The study is based on the idea of the quality of education inherent in the Federal State Educational Standard of Preschool Education, the cultural and historical concept of L.S. Vygotsky’s and structural-dialectical approach, describing dialectical thinking as the ability to creatively transform objects and situations. The study was aimed at studying the possible relationships between the quality of the educational environment in preschool groups and the level of development of the dialectical thinking of children, as well as the ability of adults (teachers) to use creative thinking tools to solve professional problems: designing an educational action and developing dialogue with a child.

The study was conducted on a random sample of preschool departments of educational complexes in Moscow (a total of 103 children from 5 to 6.5 years old and 35 teachers). To assess the quality of the educational environment, we used the ECERS scale and the pilot version of the scale “Stimulating dialectical thinking”. To assess the creative thinking of preschoolers, a block of techniques was used to measure the level of dialectical thinking, and for adults, a methodology was developed and tested for studying mental strategies in solving professional pedagogical problems.

Introduction. The article presents the results of a theoretical and practical study of the history of the museum collection of the Department of Preschool Pedagogy, Herzen State Pedagogical University. Particular attention is paid to the creation of motivation for students to master the pedagogical profession and to realize its value in society.

The purpose of the study is to describe the history of the creation of the unique museum collection of authentic materials by F. Froebel and M. Montessori, the rationale for using the potential of collections in the education of a modern teacher.

The result of the study was a description of the museum’s potential for organizing the research work of teachers, students, undergraduates and post-graduates of the Department of Preschool Pedagogy Department, Herzen State Pedagogical University. The possibilities of the museum collection for acquaintance with the history of the formation of the profession “kindergarten teacher” are described. Analysis of the legacy of M. Montessori and F. Frobel leads to a conclusion about the modernity and relevance of the ideas of the educators and their reinvention into the practice of the kindergarten of the XXI century.

Conclusion. The presented description of the authentic museum collections of materials by F. Frobel and M. Montessori of the Department of Preschool Pedagogy, the explanation of the potential possibilities of their use in the educational process of the pedagogical university reveals one of the ways to solve the urgent problem of higher professional education in creating motivation for students to master the pedagogical profession. An excursion into history allows young and experienced teachers to rethink the modern theory and practice of preschool education.

The article describes the findings of the historic-theoretical study of research methods utilized by preschool teachers in terms of analysis of understandings about their specificity in the national psychological and pedagogical science. The aim of this study is to uncover the strategies for studying children through observations and comparison forms of the documentations of results conducted by the preschool teachers. The analysis was performed beginning from the preschool teacher’s diary designated by research team under the guidance of

O. Dyachenko to the maps of development for the modern curriculums of preschool education (“Beginnings”, “From the Birth to School”, “World of Explorations” etc.). The main method of the study is a problem analyses, that allowed defining the goals and tasks of the use of the diaries and development maps as tools of documentation and analyses of results through observation; rules and choice of developmental milestones in children for the diaries and maps; methods of filling them up, analyzing and interpreting data. Directions for the improvement of design, implementation and analysis of the diaries and development maps children are identified. The conditions for effective interaction between preschool teacher, psychologist and other specialists through implementing of strategies for exploration of children are discussed. The objectives for the development of professional competences in preschool teachers in the area of pedagogical diagnostic are given.

This paper reports on an interview study with directors of Head Start and child care programs who are collaborating with local education authorities to provide publicly funded preschool in New Jersey, USA. A standardized interview protocol was utilized with 98 directors chosen to represent a range of center types from across the three main regions of the state. Interviews were conducted over the phone. The study examined the kinds of preparation that these directors received for their work as program leaders, the areas that these directors identified as strengths and weaknesses, and the kinds of professional development that they perceived as necessary to perform their jobs well. Results indicate that given the wide range of qualifications and work experiences among directors in this mixed service delivery system, targeted professional development focusing on both administration and early childhood content is needed. These findings suggest that policy makers and administrators of preschool programs should conduct needs assessments of their preschool directors and school leaders to ensure that professional development opportunities address different levels of experience and expertise appropriate for leaders working in these systems. Because of the complexity of leading programs with mixed sources of funding and policy mandates, it is also suggested that competencies be articulated for preschool leaders and that institutions of higher education develop early childhood leadership preparation programs.

This paper reports on an interview study with directors of Head Start and child care programs who are collaborating with local education authorities to provide publicly funded preschool in New Jersey, USA. A standardized interview protocol was utilized with 98 directors chosen to represent a range of center types from across the three main regions of the state. Interviews were conducted over the phone. The study examined the kinds of preparation that these directors received for their work as program leaders, the areas that these directors identified as strengths and weaknesses, and the kinds of professional development that they perceived as necessary to perform their jobs well. Results indicate that given the wide range of qualifications and work experiences among directors in this mixed service delivery system, targeted professional development focusing on both administration and early childhood content is needed. These findings suggest that policy makers and administrators of preschool programs should conduct needs assessments of their preschool directors and school leaders to ensure that professional development opportunities address different levels of experience and expertise appropriate for leaders working in these systems. Because of the complexity of leading programs with mixed sources of funding and policy mandates, it is also suggested that competencies be articulated for preschool leaders and that institutions of higher education develop early childhood leadership preparation programs.

Background. The relevance of this study stems from the contradiction between the growing demand for the development of young children (aged 1–3) and the insufficient preparedness of educators to address their specific needs. Preschool teachers lack competence in areas such as pre-verbal communication, emotional regulation in toddlers, and working with parents, yet standard professional development courses fail to account for these specific aspects. This necessitates the development of a comprehensive personnel training concept, new educational programs, and flexible formats for non-formal education.

Objectives. To theoretically substantiate and empirically verify a holistic concept of developing professionalism among early childhood educators in the context of non-formal education, revealing its essence, structure, and dynamics as a nonlinear process of qualitative transformation of the specialist’s personality and activity.

Sample. The study sample consisted of 445 specialists from four regions of the Russian Federation, including 282 early childhood educators and 163 experts from psychological-pedagogical and methodological services. A subsample of 45 educators participated in the formative and control experiments.

Methods. A questionnaire survey with self-assessment and expert assessment of deficits, 18 focus groups (182 teachers), and analysis of activity products. A pedagogical experiment (N=45) based on the implementation of a non-formal learning community program, followed by verification of its effectiveness.

Results. A stable discrepancy was found between teachers’ self-assessment and the expert assessment of their professional deficits (p < 0.05), the most acute being in the methodological sphere (mean scores of 6.2 and 4.8, respectively). Professional deficits of teachers were recorded. Qualitative analysis of interview data showed that teachers are aware of their difficulties but do not have a sufficiently diverse set of tools to overcome them. The developed concept posits non-formal education as a special environment that generates professional new formations through the mechanisms of social learning, kinesthetic attunement, and collective creativity.

Conclusions. A holistic concept is presented that defines non-formal education as a possible resource for developing the professionalism of early childhood educators. Empirical evidence of its validity was obtained: statistically significant positive dynamics across all diagnosed indicators (p < 0.05), with the greatest increase in pedagogical sensitivity (32%) and pedagogical tactility (28%). Prospects for use are associated with the development of variable regional models of learning communities for specialists working with young children in different types and kinds of institutions.

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. The current stage of preschool education development is characterized by the active implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Despite the understanding of the indispensability of personal communication between teacher and child, AI tools can optimize the professional activities of educators, freeing them from routine tasks and providing data for personalized learning. However, there is a lack of empirical data on the practical application of AI assistants directly in the work of educators in kindergarten groups.

Objective. To test and evaluate the effectiveness of integrating AI assistants into the educational process of preschool educational institutions in Kazan to personalize learning and optimize the professional activities of teachers.

Sample. The study involved 180 children aged 5 to 7 years (60 preschoolers aged 5-6 and 120 children aged 6-7), 24 teachers (educators and kindergarten specialists), and 180 parents (legal guardians of the children participating in the experiment) from six municipal kindergartens in Kazan.

Methods. The study was conducted using an experimental design and included four stages (preparatory, training, main, and evaluation). A combination of diagnostic methods was used: assessment of teachers’ digital competence (surveys and interviews), analysis of the individualization of the educational process, pedagogical assessment of children’s development (speech, cognition, socialization, emotional-volitional sphere), and parental surveys. Statistical data processing was performed using the Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Pearson’s c² test, variance and correlation analysis, and Cohen’s d coefficient for effect size assessment.

Results. AI assistants were integrated into the educational process of kindergartens. A significant increase in the digital competence of teachers in the experimental group was observed, and a reduction in the time teachers spent on recordkeeping was found due to the use of a digital platform with AI analytics. Statistically significant differences in the cognitive and speech development of children in the experimental group compared to the control group were found. A strong positive correlation was found between the use of robotic assistants and the development of social skills, as well as between specialized AI platforms and personalized learning. Positive trends in parental attitudes toward the implementation of AI were also recorded.

Conclusions. The integration of AI assistants allows for the optimization of educators’ work and the personalization of educational trajectories without replacing the role of the teacher. Key conditions for successful implementation include data security, technological reliability, and the critical selection of tools (taking into account the risks of commercial support, as in the case of the Moxie robot). AI assistants should not be viewed as a replacement for the teacher, but as a tool that enhances their capabilities and allows them to see the child more deeply, without replacing human warmth and understanding.

Background. Teachers play a crucial role in the development of preschoolers’ personalities. However, their professional work is associated with emotional intensity, multitasking, and increased responsibility, which creates the preconditions for the development of burnout. High levels of teacher burnout negatively impact the quality of interactions with children, their motivation, and initiative, while insufficient interaction competence, in turn, can exacerbate burnout. This indicates the need for a systematic study of factors predicting increased burnout.

Objective. To identify relationships between professional burnout, burnout factors, and the quality of interactions between teachers and children in kindergarten groups.

Sample. The sample consisted of 25 teachers (M = 43.3, SD = 10.1, 100% women) working in senior and preparatory groups of kindergartens.

Methods. The CLASS method (adapted by Bukhalenkova and Almazova) was used to assess the quality of interactions. Professional burnout was diagnosed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (adapted by Vodopyanova and Starchenkova). A sociodemographic questionnaire was also administered. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis (Spearman rho) were used to analyze the data.

Results. High depersonalization scores were found to be associated with shorter teacher tenure. No significant associations were found between burnout symptoms and interaction quality, age, education level, qualification category, or the number of children in the group. Additional analysis revealed a trend: when interaction quality was low, teachers more often chose midpoints on the burnout scales, which may indicate the influence of social desirability when questionnaires were completed anonymously.

Conclusions. A direct link between professional burnout and interaction quality was not confirmed in this study. The findings highlight the methodological challenges of studying burnout using self-report methods in settings where complete anonymity is not guaranteed. Further research with larger samples and procedures that minimize the influence of social desirability is needed.

Background. The current stage of social development, characterized by digitalization, cultural diversity, and a changing philosophy of childhood, places new demands on preschool teacher education. A growing contradiction is evident between the upd ated goals and objectives of preschool education and the real state of teacher preparation in higher and vocational institutions, which demonstrates inertia and insufficient readiness to adapt to rapidly changing conditions, as well as the quality of teacher training. This leads to a systemic crisis in both human resources and educational content.

Objectives. The purpose of the study is to conduct a multidimensional analysis of the current challenges facing preschool teacher education, to identify systemic and latent risks, and to substantiate conceptual and practice-oriented directions for its modernization in light of contemporary transformations.

Methods. The research employs a se t of complementary methods: theoretical analysis of psychological, pedagogical, and methodological literature; analysis of regulatory and legal documents; and systemic and comparative analysis of existing models and practices of teacher preparation. This approach made it possible to examine the problem in a multifaceted and interdisciplinary context.

Results. Three key clusters of challenges were identified and systematized: digital (the need for a fundamental shift in pedagogical thinking under conditions of digitalization and AI integration; widening intergenerational gaps), socio-communicative (family partnership, work in multicultural and inclusive environments), and professional (contradictions of the new paradigm, lack of practice-oriented preparation, and low professional prestige). A model of key preschool teacher competencies was proposed, encompassing both professional and metaprofessional levels. Vectors of transformation of the teacher education system were outlined. The proposed measures are comprehensive and aimed at the simultaneous transformation of content, technologies, and organizational-economic foundations.

Conclusions. Overcoming the identified challenges requires a radical revision of the preschool teacher education paradigm, including a rethinking of the professional ideal of the educator. The teacher of the future is envisioned as a “meta-specialist” — a reflective practitioner, mediator, and architect of educational environments, capable of acting effectively under conditions of uncertainty and rapid change.

Background. In the context of social and economic transformations, the need for high-quality preschool education adapted to regional specifics is growing. The Amur Region, which has unique natural and ethnocultural resources, requires teachers to possess the competencies to effectively implement the regional component. However, the insufficient development of methodological support in the continuing professional education (CPE) system creates barriers to its high-quality implementation. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to create and test effective methodological tools for integrating regional content into teacher training.

Objective. To substantiate the need to introduce methodological recommendations for the implementation of the regional component as an effective way of methodological support for kindergarten teachers in the CPE system.

Sample. The study involved 7 regional internship sites (the “We Teach and We Are Taught” network) and 176 preschool organizations in the Amur region.

Methods. The study was based on an analysis of educational programs; observation of internships with recording of practical interactions between participants; and study of protocols of pedagogical councils. As well as monitoring the quality assessment of the “Implementation of the Regional Component of Preschool Education” area in preschool educational institutions in the Amur Region in 2025.

Results. The effectiveness of methodological recommendations for the implementation of the regional component was confirmed: internship sites not only integrated local history material, but also became competence centers that spread experience through networking.

Conclusions. The developed methodological recommendations for implementing the regional component in preschool education in the Amur Region provide a systematic, practice-oriented, and theoretically sound approach to enhancing teachers’ professional competencies and the quality of the educational process. As a result of their application, a transition has been achieved from a fragmented inclusion of regional content to a holistic, sustainable practice, demonstrating the high effectiveness and potential for scaling up this experience.