All articles

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. In the context of a shortage of teaching staff in preschool education, the importance of studying the specifics of a teacher’s professional identity is increasing as a condition for developing management mechanisms to increase the prestige of the profession and the quality of teacher training.

Objectives. In the course of the research, the specifics of the professional identity of a preschool teacher are revealed as his personal attitude to the moment of reality associated with a sense of professional success.

Sample. The study involved 119 respondents aged 25 to 65 years, teachers and specialists of preschool educational organizations in the Ivanovo region.

Methods. The research is based on a discursive design using high-quality content analysis of pedagogical essays on the topic “Pedagogical insight or the moment when I felt that I was a good teacher.” The analysis of the essay content was carried out on the basis of a three-component structure of professional identity, including cognitive, emotional and behavioral components.

Results. It is revealed that teachers identify their profession and its importance with conducting classes and direct interaction with preschoolers. A tendency has been revealed to shift the focus of the cognitive component from the realization of professional activity to choosing a profession, solving personal problems and self-improvement. The behavioral component manifested itself in the teachers’ increased concern for the mood of children, the desire to entertain and please them, which determines the choice of methods and means of work. The emotional component is a contradiction between the pleasure of communicating with children when working in preschool education and doubts about the importance of the chosen profession and the correctness of their actions.

Conclusions. The value of a child’s vivid emotions is a factor that regulates the teacher’s choice of methods and means of work in favor of entertainment formats and orientation towards the external expression of positive emotions by children as a result of interaction with the teacher. The improvement of professional training and work with teaching staff can be carried out through the training of monitoring the development of children and pedagogical reflection. Further research requires identifying the nature of the influence of the ratio of the levels of development of the components of professional identity on the style and quality of the teacher’s work.