Project-Based Activity as a Means of Socio-Emotional Development in Preschool Children

Introduction. The search and development of technologies for the socio-emotional development of preschoolers is an urgent task for the modern education system, since socio-emotional development is a predictor of academic and social success in secondary school. Despite the widespread use of project-based activity in contemporary kindergartens as an educational technology, there is insufficient information on the specific effects of different types of the said activities on the socio-emotional development of children. The aim of this study is to analyze the specifics of cultural tools used in project-based activities and to compare the effectiveness of research-based and creative project activities for the socio-emotional development of preschool children. Materials and Methods. 82 children aged 5–6 years participated in the study. For the initial assessment of socio-emotional development, the Russian version of the “Test of Emotion Comprehension” and the questionnaire for teachers “SCBE-30” (including the subscales “Social competence”, “Anxiety-withdrawal”, and “Anger-aggression”) were used. The NEPSY-II subtests were used to assess executive functions as a control variable. The participants were randomly distributed to the three groups: Research project group, Creative project group, and the Control group. 22 sessions were organized with the experimental conditions, and after completing the sessions, a post-test similar to the initial assessment was performed. Results. The findings showed that anxiety levels significantly decreased among preschool children who participated in the Creative project that emphasized symbolic tools. At the same time, creative project activities proved to be more effective for children with a low level of executive functions. Moreover, the study found that participants in the Research project that primarily used sign tools demonstrated a significant reduction in aggression levels. No significant changes were observed in terms of emotional understanding and social competence. Discussion and Conclusion. The results of this study support the importance of considering the type of cultural tools used in children’s activities when addressing their socio-emotional development. In addition, this study provides new insights into the differences between inquiry and creative project approaches for preschool children. The results of the study can be used in the practice of preschool education to facilitate socio-emotional development, especially to correct destructive behaviors in children.