Regularities and principles in the preparation of future preschool teachers for inclusive practices

Анотація

The formation of preschool teachers’ readiness for inclusive activities is founded on specific pedagogical regularities, which ensure that the training process is systematic, purposeful, and continuous. These regularities derive from the essence of the pedagogical process, the mechanisms of teacher activity, and the requirements of inclusive education. Effective training encompasses not only pedagogical knowledge and skills but also the teacher’s social position, psychological state, value system, and professional behavioral strategies. Approaches to inclusive education and teacher preparation differ across countries, shaped by diverse scientific schools. The European model emphasizes social justice, equality, human rights, and school transformation, examining teacher preparation in the context of the interplay between societal demands and pedagogical activity. The Russian model focuses on the theory of teacher activity, developmental psychology, and the pedagogical potential of social interaction, prioritizing personality-oriented development, individualized growth, and systematic performance capacity of teachers. In the United States and several Western countries, preparation centers on social relationships, motivation, activity-based learning, and the implementation of inclusive pedagogical technologies, aiming to enhance teachers’ psychological and social positions, behavioral strategies, and pedagogical adaptability. Several key regularities underpin a systematic and coherent approach to preparing preschool teachers for inclusive activities. These include the interrelation of parts and the whole, hierarchical structure, necessary diversity, and system development. The interrelation of parts and the whole ensures balance and consistency among different training components and integrates individual skills with general professional qualities. The hierarchical structure grounds teacher preparation at both general educational and individual levels, following the principle of interaction. The law of necessary diversity emphasizes that teachers must possess broad and continuous knowledge, skills, and approaches to adapt to various situations. The system development regularity ensures that training is continuously updated and aligned with evolving pedagogical requirements. The foundational principles of training are divided into general and specific principles. General principles include a humanistic approach, democratization of education, scientific rigor, systematicity, content and structural integrity, and multidisciplinarity. The humanistic approach fosters teachers’ ability to consider each child’s individual development and to promote tolerant attitudes in inclusive settings. The democratization principle ensures equal opportunities by addressing children’s individual educational needs. Scientific rigor facilitates the practical application of theoretical knowledge and the use of innovative methods in inclusive education. Systematicity organizes the interaction among psychological and pedagogical components, ensuring coherence in the training process. Specific principles include professional context alignment, diagnostics, prioritizing the social model of disability, value-content competence, preventive adaptation, identification and compensation of difficulties, teamwork, and professional pedagogical practice. Professional context alignment involves modeling concrete pedagogical situations, developing adaptive skills, and mastering practical activities in inclusive groups. Diagnostics enable monitoring of individual development, identification of strengths and weaknesses, and timely corrective measures. The social model of disability emphasizes individualized approaches and the implementation of inclusive values. Preventive adaptation and difficulty compensation strengthen teachers’ psychological and pedagogical readiness for future challenges. Teamwork and professional practice cultivate integrative cooperation skills, facilitating effective performance in inclusive environments. In conclusion, the preparation of preschool teachers for inclusive activities is multidisciplinary, complex, and integrative. It requires harmonizing pedagogical, psychological, and social regularities. The purposeful application of these principles promotes the development of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for effective performance in inclusive educational environments while accounting for teachers’ individual characteristics. Thus, this concept provides a scientific and pedagogical foundation for systematically, coherently, and sustainably preparing teachers for inclusive activities, fostering both practical and theoretical competencies.