PhD in Pedagogy, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Continuous Psychological and Pedagogical Education, Ivanovo State University (Ivanovo, Russia)
The relevance of the study. Pedagogical skill competitions are an effective means of improving the professionalism of educators, attracting public attention to the teaching profession. In the context of changing requirements and the order of the regional stage, the trend towards increasing the spectacularity of competitive events, its developmental significance may be lost.
The purpose of the study: to study the features of the regional professional competition “Teacher of the Year” as an indicator of the state of preschool education in the Ivanovo region.
Methodology: analysis of the tender documentation, individual standardized interview.
Research progress: the provisions of the Ivanovo region for the competition in the nomination “Teacher of Preschool Education” for the last 6 years have been studied. 71 works of participants of the regional competition “Teacher of the Year” in the nomination “Teacher of Preschool Education” for 2017–2023 were analyzed. The analysis of the personnel composition of the participants, their teaching experience, materials and topics of pedagogical experience was carried out. Interviews were conducted with educators who were present at the competitive events as spectators.
Research results: there is a general trend to simplify participation in the competition by reducing the number of face-to-face events and documentation of the correspondence stage. A reduction in the number of participants with an increase in their average teaching experience was revealed. A low competitive activity of specialists (music directors, arts teachers, physical education instructors) has been established. An analysis of the topics and materials of the contestants showed that the activities of a modern educator in the Ivanovo region is dominated by interest in the creation of manuals, the most popular is the cognitive and socio-communicative development of the child.
Conclusions. According to the results of the study, the following features were noted: the desire of teachers to receive official recognition of the significance of their work; passion for the profession as a creative and useful hobby; interest in modern pedagogical areas in work with preschoolers and the desire to introduce innovations without their critical evaluation. Simplification of the process of participation in the competition may indicate a decrease in the quality of professional training of teachers. Among the features that characterize the preschool education system of the region, we highlight the workload of educators and their lack of confidence in their professionalism, the lack and weak activity of physical education instructors, arts teachers, music directors.
The study showed teachers’ distrust of professional competitions, the lack of attractiveness of the competitive movement associated with the lack of worthy prizes and public recognition.
The relevance of the subject of the article. Preschool educational organizations are actively implementing various electronic learning tools – laptops, interactive whiteboards, digital laboratories, 3D pens and much more. The use of these tools to enrich the educational activity of the child and increase the diversity of his independent activity is an important task of modern preschool education. The research of the attitude of teachers to the use of technical devices in working with children is an urgent problem, the study of which will reveal the features of the use of electronic learning tools by educators.
The aim of the study: to identify the attitude of educators to the use of electronic learning tools in the educational activities of preschoolers.
Methodology: individual structured interview.
Description of the research progress. The sample consisted of 50 teachers of preschool educational organizations in Ivanovo. Teachers were asked to answer a number of questions on the use of electronic devices in their professional activities. The statements showing the respondent’s attitude to the use of technology in working with children, the opportunities for the development of the child that the teacher sees in the use of modern technology, the problems and difficulties encountered in the process of using electronic devices were carefully studied.
Research results. Educators actively use technical devices in working with children. Most often, technical devices are used by teachers to increase the visibility of classes, as well as a surprise moment to attract the attention of children. Most of the interviewed educators would not like to use technical devices in every exercise. They explain this by the fact that it is more important for a preschooler to gain experience of live communication, subject activity and independent work with various materials. Among the main problems of teachers in working with technical devices, one can single out the unavailability or malfunction of electronic means, as well as the lack of consumables and the difficulty of mastering computer programs.
Conclusion. The main problem in the attitude of teachers to modern technical devices is the contradiction between the wide opportunities for conducting classes that technology gives to the educator, and the possible harm to the health and development of the child. Teachers regard electronic learning tools as a resource for additional audiovisual support of classes and do not see the potential of technical devices to enrich children’s independent activities in the classroom and in the play. Using technical devices in working with children, teachers proceed from the leading position of an adult and define the lesson as the leading organizational form of work with preschoolers.