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The relevance of research. The article broadly discusses the issue of education of parents (legal representatives) of children of early and preschool age. The problem of parental education has been relevant for more than a century. During this period, it has been transformed from a simple transmission of information and the elimination of parental illiteracy in matters of health, development, and upbringing of children to an activity that is one of the measures of state support for parents, a way to form a generation of conscious and competent parents.

Organization of the study. The purpose of the study was to develop the content side of the education of parents (legal representatives) of children attending preschool educational organizations. The authors of the article propose to trace the dynamics of society’s approaches to educating parents, reveal the key features of the phenomenon of modern parenthood. Modern parents, living in the age of wide access to information, continue to experience difficulties in family education. However, their needs are no longer connected with information, but with help in a critical analysis of information, selection of the one that will help their educational practice, formation competent and effective parenting skills.

Research results. The implementation of the tasks of psychological and pedagogical support and assistance in the development of competent parenthood is facilitated by the educational activities of teachers of preschool educational organizations. The article contains a brief description of the developed Education Program for parents (legal representatives) of preschool children attending preschool educational organizations. The program was developed by the Laboratory of Preschool Education of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Institute of Developmental Physiology of the Russian Academy of Education by order of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation as part of the development of state support measures in terms of the preparation and implementation of educational programs for parents of children attending preschool educational organizations (in pursuance of paragraph 3 of the list of instructions of the President of the Russian Federation dated June 14, 2022 No. Pr-1049GS following the meeting of the Presidium of the State Council of the Russian Federation on May 25, 2022).

Conclusions. The Education Program for parents (legal representatives) of preschool children attending preschool educational organizations contains content that can serve as a guide for preschool teachers in educational activities.

Relevance (context) of the subject of the article. Inclusive culture is one of the fundamental components of the inclusive environment of educational organizations. The study of this parameter, including the inclusive culture of preschool educational institutions, and its significance for inclusive practice remains relevant in Russian science.

The aim of the study. The work carried out a pilot study of the inclusiveness of the culture of a preschool educational organization as a factor that can influence the subjective readiness of teachers to apply inclusive practices in the context of the inclusion of children with special educational needs.

Methods of the study. The study was conducted using adapted scales-questionnaires, compiled on the basis of those used in international studies. The adaptation included changing the statements of the questionnaires for use in a preschool educational organization. The number of statements in the questionnaires and Likert scales remained unchanged. The following scales were used: attitudes towards inclusion, concerns about teaching in an inclusive environment, teachers’ self-efficacy in implementing inclusive practices, and intentions to implement inclusive practices. Questionnaires are given in appendices A, B, C, D. The sample consisted of 20 respondents, employees of preschool organizations in Moscow, including 15 educators, 2 tutors and 3 support specialists (speech therapist, special educator, educational psychologist).

Description of the research progress. The obtained results show that the attitude towards inclusion among teachers is ambiguous: most teachers are more likely to accept the values of inclusion, some of them are closer to undecided and 2 respondents expressed a negative attitude. The willingness to implement inclusive practices was reflected in the indicators of self-efficacy scales and the intention to implement inclusive practices. Correlation analysis showed that the scales of self-efficacy and intention were statistically significantly (p<0.001) positively associated with a high close relationship on the Chaddock scale, while there was a trend between the scales of attitudes towards inclusion and concern about difficulties in implementing inclusive practices (0.05<p<0.1) to a moderate negative relationship.

Research results. Thus, the set of methods used for the first time in the Russian sample revealed the contradictory nature of attitudes towards inclusion in the organization and the likely lack of support for it, which may indicate insufficient inclusiveness of the culture of the ECE. At the same time, the readiness to implement inclusive values among most teachers may indicate a personal commitment to their implementation.

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.

The relevance of the article’s topic. Planning the educational activities of preschoolers is one of the most important and complex areas of work for a kindergarten teacher. The lack of methodological recommendations and a unified form for writing a plan lead to a formal attitude to planning interaction with children and implementing an educational program without taking into account the individual interests and needs of preschoolers.

The aim of the study. The work is aimed at studying the features of planning educational work with children as one of the most difficult areas of the educator’s work, studying the influence of a new form of planning “Lotus-Plan” on the organization of educational activities of a teacher and a child as a technology of targeted planning.

Description of the research progress. The specifics of the professional activity of the educator are considered, in which the main directions of the teacher’s work are highlighted. Based on the survey data of 133 educators in the Ivanovo region, the areas of work that cause the greatest difficulties for teachers are identified. Planning and writing a plan for educational work with children is considered as the most difficult and requires modern solutions to increase the interest of teachers in applying a targeted approach to planning for successful interaction with preschoolers. As a solution to the problem, it is proposed to design educational activities according to the “Blossoming Lotus” method and draw up a lotus plan for a thematic week or an educational project. The experience of introducing a new form of planning on the basis of kindergarten No. 48 of the city of Kineshma, Ivanovo region, is described.

The results of the study. As a practical tool, the article contains a description of the techniques of drawing up a lotus plan, and gives the main directions that can be used as guidelines for planning. The results of the implementation of the lotus plan in the kindergarten of the Ivanovo region are described.

Conclusion. Materials on the study of the attitude of educators to various areas of professional activity are of interest for further analysis. The data on the introduction of a new form of planning in kindergarten allow us to conclude that the drawing up of a lotus plan has a positive impact on the organization of educational work with children and requires more detailed study in the context of the technology of targeted planning of the educational process. The descriptions and illustrations of the completed lotus plans can be used in the work of preschool educators as practical recommendations for organizing educational activities within the framework of using the project method or in organizing thematic weeks.

Introduction. The article is devoted to the problem of assessing the process and the result of understanding a child by a preschool teacher.

The purpose of the study is to develop and initial approbation an algorithm for self-analysis and expert assessment of the teacher’s understanding of a child as a practical tool for overcoming difficulties in interacting with the child and planning educational activities with him.

The methodological basis of the study was the system-activity and competence-based approaches to the consideration of the teacher’s activity for the knowledge of a preschooler, qualitative (ideographic) and subjective approaches to psycho-diagnostics.

As a result of the research, a step-by-step algorithm for analyzing the teacher’s understanding of the child has been developed. At the first stage, the teacher answers questions compiled in the form of a non-standardized self-report for reflecting the shape of a preschooler in educational activities. The sequence of questions is built in the following logic: identifying the child’s characteristics as perceived by the teacher, comparing them with each other, and then correlating them with the specifics of educational activity with the child, setting tasks for his further understanding in professional and pedagogical activity.

At the second stage, the expert evaluates the teacher’s answers, identifying difficulties in understanding the child and determining the directions for improving his professional training or methodological support. The teacher analyzes the answers in the aspects of, firstly, the manifestation of the social perception and the operational-technical component of gnostic competencies; secondly, their compliance with the criteria and indicators in the content of the information received about the child. At the third stage, the expert together with the teachers discuss and analyze their answers to clarify the shape of the child, make changes in the planning of educational activities and determine the directions for further development of gnostic competencies of teachers.

Conclusions. The three-stage algorithm of reflection and analysis of the child’s shape is developed.

Relevance. In the modern world more researchers and practitioners from different fields are preoccupied with the changing the shape of a child in society: a child is not an object of pedagogical influence, but a subject whose opinion is valuable and should be taken into account when making decisions that directly concern him. The possibility for children to be heard at preschool age is an important basis for the development of civic competencies that do not appear by themselves at an older age. At the same time, the researchers also note that there is a gap between the recognition of the value of child and real practice. The possibility not only to hear the voices of young children, but also to make them visible and significant in society, to offer children the means of expressing their opinions is a methodological challenge for researchers and practitioners of preschool education, which requires special competencies.

The aim of the study is to analyze modern studies and projects devoted to the professional competencies of a teacher and the conditions accompanying their development necessary for the implementation of the principle of participation in educational practice.

Description of the research progress. 19 studies and projects were analyzed from the point of view of the possibilities and limitations of the implementation of the principle of participation in educational practice. Two key aspects were identified: the possibilities and limitations of the implementation of the principle of participation in educational practice, which include teachers’ ideas about participation and the influence of the broader context of the community and organizational culture, and professional competencies of teachers necessary for support their participation in kindergarten and primary school, and approaches to their development.

The results of the study. In the article the problem of implementing the principle of participation is considered not only in the context of the structure of a separate preschool group, but also in the organizational culture of the kindergarten as a whole. The authors conclude that it is necessary to reflect on the ideas of participation in order to create conditions for its support in kindergarten, as well as the need for a comprehensive study of factors related to the organizational culture of the kindergarten, which can influence the development of participatory practices. Based on the analysis, two groups of pedagogical competencies were identified: general competencies necessary to create basic conditions for participation, and more specific competencies necessary to empower children’s opportunities to influence decision-making.

Conclusion. The article formulates recommendations for training preschool teachers and kindergarten teams.

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.

Introduction. The article presents the results of the analysis of the stages of the formation of the system of training teachers of preschool education at the Herzen State Pedagogical University. The purpose of the analysis is to reveal the historical stages and distinctive features of the St. Petersburg model of training teacher of preschool education from the period of existence of the Pedagogical Institute of Preschool Education to the modern stage of modernization of teacher education in Russia.

The result of the study was a description of the four stages of the formation of the St. Petersburg model for the preparation of the teacher of preschool education in the conditions of higher education, including: the stage of training in the conditions of functioning of the Pedagogical Institute of Preschool Education (1918-1925); stage of registration of preschool pedagogy and methods of preschool education as educational disciplines and content core of teacher training (1926-1992); stage of level and variable training of the teacher of preschool education (1992-2013); the stage of development of new practice-oriented models for the training of bachelors and masters in the profile of “pre-school education” (2014 – to the present-day).

Conclusion. The study allows to characterize the essential, distinctive features of the St. Petersburg model of training teacher for pre-school education, to identify promising areas of development, features of educational programs for the training of teachers of preschool education.

Introduction. The article presents results of a theoretical research in the field of quality control of learning environment of early childhood groups. The purpose of the study is to develop a theory based methodology for quality control of learning environment by employing modern trends in early childhood pedagogy.

Directions and methods of research. The research methods are based on activity and competence approach, the idea of the learning environment as a medium for successful socialization of toddlers, structural components of the learning environment, where the key parameters are: nature of adult - child interaction, content and modes of the interaction, focused on successful mastery of kindergarten programs, designing of stimulating environment for early childhood groups. Theoretical analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature on the subject, design of structural components of learning environment of early childhood groups, determination of the expert indicators for each component of learning environment were used as research methods.

Results. Result of the research was presented in the form of control methods description, that include evaluation of the quality of learning environment, measurement of the quality indicators for each component of the learning environment (the nature of adult interaction with the child, the content and modes of interaction, aimed at the successful mastery of the kindergarten program, design of stimulating environment for early childhood groups). Detailed recommendations to the content of each indicator are given.

Conclusion. The developed control methodology makes it possible to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the quality of learning environment for early childhood groups in accordance with the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard, and to help an expert to determine ways of further quality improvement of the learning environment.

Introduction. The article presents the results of theoretical research on the problem of the assessment of the process and result of the study of the preschool child by the educator. The purpose of the study is to develop a model of the analytic activity of the preschool teacher in an educational organization.

Methods. The methodological basis is activity and competency-based approaches, ideas about the reflective-evaluative activity of the teacher, the practical goals of psycho-diagnostics of preschool children, the age-analysis scheme in the cultural-historical concept of L.S. Vygotsky, the principles of the organization of objective psychological research, developed by S. Rubinshtein, and the methods of research – the theoretical analysis of psychological and educational literature on the problem, the modeling stages of the analytic activity of the educator, carried out in the process of studying the preschool child, and the means for monitoring the effectiveness of this activity.

Results. The result of the research is a structurally functional, criterial model of the analytic activity of the educator, aimed at assessing the process and result of learning in the child. The model contains two interrelated blocks: content-procedural and operational-technical, i.e. its structure is focused on the idea of monitoring and evaluation processes in the study of the child. The content-procedural block includes a description of the criteria for assessing the data on the child, arranged according to the stages of the study: 1) the position of the educator in interaction with the child; 2) the integrity of the age-psychological portrait; 3) the quality of the conclusions, the forecast of the child’s further development, pedagogical recommendations; 4) language of the description of the age-psychological portrait. The operational-technical block contains methods for evaluating information about the child in accordance with the content of the proposed criteria: comparing information with the criterion, clarification on its compliance with a certain criterion, and identification of the three levels of this matching.

Conclusion. The model enables the preschool teacher to evaluate both the effectiveness of each of the study stages individually, and the process as a whole, and to compile a holistic age-psychological portrait of the preschool child on the basis of all the results obtained.