Parent university as a form of enhancing the pedagogical competence of parents

The research deals with the relevant and practical scope of study that is the education of parents in order to improve their pedagogical competence. The structure and components of parents’ pedagogical competence are analyzed. Cognitive, emotional and behavioral components are distinguished. The cognitive component includes the ideas of parents about how to raise a child of a certain age, what means are more appropriate to use. The emotional component helps parents understand better the emotional state of their child, realize their own feelings and respond adequately to the child’s feelings. The behavioral component of parental competence involves certain abilities to deal with the child, the skills of positive interaction. The parents’ skills in upbringing their children can be increased by means of the parent university that is a form of parent continuing education at all stages of the child’s development starting from the pre-school educational organization. The research describes the aspects of the Parent Open University project implemented in the city of Irkutsk. It demonstrates the dynamics of pedagogical culture level of parents involved in this project. The author identifies the significant changes in the cognitive component. They imply the increased responsibility for the upbringing of the child, the development of the ability to determine the factors affecting the child’s development, the awareness of the parents’ role in education and the need to establish their relations with the child on the basis of cooperation and mutual understanding. The methods of active interaction with parents influencing the cognitive component of pedagogical culture are listed. The emotional and behavioral components develop more slowly than the cognitive one; however, their changes are less visible. The research proves the feasibility of the parent university as a form of improving the pedagogical culture and the need for its creation for the purpose of the parent continuing education.