Research on parental involvement in the education of preschool children

Statement of the problem. In modern scientific psychological and pedagogical research, the problem of parental involvement in the education and upbringing of preschool children is poorly understood: indicators that allow determining the nature of parental involvement are insufficiently clearly defined; little attention is paid to the possibilities of ensuring productive parental involvement. The purpose of the article is to characterize the involvement of modern parents in the education and upbringing of preschool children: to highlight the features of parents’ interest and participation in the educational process, in the implementation of family education; to substantiate psychological and pedagogical recommendations to teachers on the formation of productive parental involvement. Methodology (materials and methods). The methodology of the research consists of the works of A.Ya. Varg revealing the nature of the modern family from the point of view of a systematic approach; the works of I.V. Antipkina, M.V. Juran, and S.S. Sabirova reflecting the essential characteristic of the concept of ‘parental involvement’, its role in the mental and personal development of a child; the provisions of the research by W. Jaynes, J.L. Epstein, S.V. Shika, T.A. Mertsalova, J. Goodall and K. Montgomery, R.V. Ovcharova, S.S. Stepanova, A.S. Spivakovskaya, S.S. Sabirova, and S.A. Valiullina substantiating the importance of ensuring productive parental involvement as a factor of psychological well-being of a child. Parental involvement in the education and upbringing of preschool children was studied using a questionnaire (the content analysis of parents’ responses was applied). The testing method was also used. Research results. The obtained research data allowed us to determine the nature of parents’ involvement in the education and upbringing of preschool children: - To a greater extent, parents show formal or controlling involvement in children’s education, which implies: orientation to a greater extent towards their own interests, rather than towards the interests of their child; insufficient knowledge of the age characteristics, capabilities and needs of their child; an active position in the organization of an educational space for children and a passive position when included in the educational process. - There is a tendency towards a controlling (over-involved) type of parental involvement in the process of educating preschool children. This type of involvement can adversely affect the development of children’s personality, forming their lack of initiative, lack of independence, and the desire to avoid responsibility for their actions.