The scientific work is dedicated to the specifics of older preschool children’s sensitivity formation study.
Research relevance. Children’s sensitivity formation, which helps to feel people’s emotional and mental state greatly, stimulates compassion and efficient help to others, in conditions of a significant decrease in the spiritual level of society, becomes a priority direction of preschool education.
The scientific novelty of the obtained research results is the following: for the first time, the pedagogical conditions for older preschool children’s sensitivity formation have been theoretically substantiated and experimentally verified (updating the content, forms, methods, and means of educational activities with older preschool children; enriching older preschool children’s moral experience; activating the interaction of kindergarten teachers and families in the course of older preschoolers’ sensitivity formation), criteria (cognitive, motivational, behavioral), indicators (knowledgeable-cognitive, emotional-motivational, activity-behavioral) and levels (high, medium, low) of its formation in older preschoolers have been determined; a complex of educational tools has been developed. It will ensure older preschool children’s sensitivity formation; the definitions of “sensitivity,” and “preschool children’s sensitivity formation” have been clarified; the essence of the categories “morality,” and “moral education” has been specified; retrospective ideas on the issue of preschool children’s moral education, approaches to updating the content, forms of organization, methods, and means of preschoolers’ sensitivity formation have gained further development.
The practical significance of the obtained results is that the scientifically based pedagogical conditions for older preschool children’s sensitivity formation have passed experimental verification and can be implemented in preschool education institutions. Scientific and pedagogical support for this process has been created.
The introduction substantiates the research relevance; the connection of the survey with topics of research work is reflected; the goal, objectives, object, subject, hypothesis, and research methods are defined; the scientific novelty, theoretical and practical significance of the obtained results are revealed; the justification of the author’s personal contribution is presented; information is provided regarding the approbation and implementation of the main provisions and research results.
In the first chapter, a retrospective analysis of the research issue is carried out. The study terminological field is outlined. The author’s interpretations of the definitions of “sensitivity” and “preschool children’s sensitivity formation” are provided. Regulatory documents regulating the moral content of preschoolers’ education are analyzed.
In the second chapter, the pedagogical conditions for older preschool children’s sensitivity formation are substantiated. They are the following: 1) updating the content, forms, methods, and means of educational activities with older preschool children; 2) activation of interaction between kindergarten teachers and families in the course of older preschoolers’ sensitivity formation; 3) enrichment of older preschool children’s moral experience.
In the third chapter, the specifics of the pedagogical experiment to check the effectiveness of justified pedagogical conditions for children’s sensitivity education are disclosed. The criteria (knowledgeable-cognitive, emotional-motivational, and activity-behavioral), indicators, and levels of sensitivity formation are determined.
Practical testing of pedagogical conditions was carried out during the formative pedagogical experiment in the preschool education institutions based on their phased implementation. Implementing the first pedagogical condition, a calendar-thematic plan of work with preschoolers on sensitivity formation was developed. The educational process of PEI was carried out according to this plan.
The implementation of the second pedagogical condition was carried out by creating favorable conditions for the establishment of cooperation between kindergarten teachers and parents and the involvement of the parent team in the educational process of PEI.
To implement the third pedagogical condition, preschoolers were involved in didactic and story role-playing games and environmental, charitable, and socio-pedagogical actions.
The comparative dynamics of preschoolers’ sensitivity formation showed positive changes in EG children, in contrast to the control group. The greatest changes in the activity-behavioral criterion indicators were found in EG. The number of children with a high (+26
