ISSN 0798 1015

Vol. 40 (Number 9) Year 2019. Page 13

Subject position in learning activities as a component of school readiness in senior preschool children

Posición subjetiva de actividades de aprendizaje como un componente de la preparación escolar en niños de edad preescolar

BEZUSOVA, Tatyana Alekseevna 1; VATINA, Elena Viktorovna 2; GILEVA, Angela Valentinovna 3; GILEV, Yan Yuryevich 4 & PETROVA, Olga Anatolievna 5

Received: 24/01/2019• Approved: 03/03/2019 • Published 25/03/2019

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Methodology

3. Results

4. Conclusions

Acknowledgements

Bibliographic references

1. Introduction

In modern civilization, the restructuring of sociopolitical and economic relationships has revealed the essential role of the human factor in social development and revised the question of understanding the nature and purpose of humans. Today, the subjective manifestation of a human being, the process by which a human becomes a subject or gets self-actualized, has acquired special significance. Personality development is a complex, time-consuming process. An important part of this process takes place during the preschool years, which, according to A.N., is the time when the personality is initially formed in fact (Leontyev and Zaporozhets, 1995). One aspect affecting a child’s personality development is the formation of the child’s active subject position, a topic which has been studied at the physiological, psychological, and social levels. In the most general form, the active position can be considered as a measure of the subject’s interaction with the surrounding reality (Schetinina, 2006). This multidimensional approach to the study of mental activity is possible due to its versatility and complexity.

The question of active position is considered a psychological foundation for personal agency (Abulkhanova–Slavskaya, 2000; Brushlinsky et al., 2000; Osnitsky, 2010; Petrovsky, 1993; Chudnovsky, 1988; Yakimanskaya, 1996). The idea of subject’s mental activity should hold a strategic position in theories on school readiness. In Russia, due to recent shifts in educational approaches, the variability of preschool and school education, and the implementation of a personality-oriented approach, the question of school readiness has been addressed in the context of the development of children’s personal agency. European preschool education focuses on preparing children for school to facilitate the transition to elementary school. It includes activities similar to school tasks to ensure all children an equal start to the subsequent school “marathon.” The transition from preschool to elementary school is a very complex topic that has been researched extensively (Babaeva, 1990; Bozhovich; 2001; Venger and Polivanova, 1989, Vygotsky, 1956; Blair (2002); Clarkin-Phillips, 2018; Janus and Duku, 2007; Mligo (2018); Pang and Han, 2010; Sammons et al., 2004; Sousa, 2018).

Around the beginning of the twenty-first century, there was a profound transformation in views on the role of preschool education and education in general, on the attitude towards the preschool period of life and primary education, as the enormous potential and natural resources of preschoolers were not fully recognized before (Bozhovich, 2001).

The ideas of lifelong learning and of encouraging personality development and the humanization of the educational process have identified the need for resources that can help prepare six- and seven-year-old children for school. School readiness is a certain result and a qualitative indicator of a child’s development and education during the preschool years (Lompscher, 1999). A high level of school readiness predicts greater success in school. School readiness manifests through a series of developmental innovations that can be observed at the end of preschool years, including qualitatively new features and new abilities in a child’s activities, behaviors, and attitudes towards the social and objective world. In other words, certain developmental milestones indicate a child’s school readiness, which is defined by the child’s ability to initiate learning activities and achieve success in a school environment. Children’s school readiness indicates their personal development during the preschool period and forms the foundation for mastering school curriculum. Most significantly, it indicates the child’s readiness to become the subject of learning activities (Babaeva, 1990; Bozhovich, 2001; Venger and Polivanova, 1989, Vygotsky 1956). The personality-oriented approach to schoolchildren as learning activity subjects that has established in pedagogics of recent decades is a promising trend in research and organization of training, education and development as a process of a child’s interconnection and interaction with the outside world (Gorshkova, 1992; Vedinyapina, 1998; Lompscher, 1999; Khan, 2000; Samuseva, 2005; Vishtalyuk, 2005). Social and pedagogical theory and practice require studying the process of the individual’s formation as a subject of educational and social reality.

This research is relevant because:

• The pattern and mechanism by which senior preschool-age children take a subject position in learning activities has received insufficient theoretical and methodological attention. More research is needed on how the subjective expression of a child’s personality allows children to master their new socio-psychological position as elementary students.
• Teachers in kindergarten teams and preschool groups (classes) need to better prepare children for school by training them to take an active subject position in learning activities and by using technology to do so.

Hypothesis of the research: the technology for forming the senior preschoolers’ subject position in learning activities will be successful in case of:

– theoretical development of the concept of “subject position in learning activities” with regard to the senior preschool children;

– identification of indicators of the senior preschoolers’ subject position in learning activities;

– identification of psychological and pedagogical types of senior preschoolers’ subject position formedness;

– focus of the technology of interaction in the “teacher-pupil” system on the identified psychological and pedagogical types of senior preschoolers’ subject position formedness.

1.1. Literature review

Personal agency is considered in philosophy, psychology, pedagogy as the essential mode of a human, a component of his selfhood. The problem of personal agency was considered by numerous foreign and domestic scholars (Maslow, 1999; Rogers, 2004; Fromm, 2004; Abulkhanova–Slavskaya, 2000; Bozhovich; 2001; Brushlinsky, 1992; Vedinyapina, 1998; Vygotsky, 1956; Krulekht, 1996; Petrovsky, 1993; and others). Humans are inclined to express personal agency to a certain extent inherently, due their natural belonging. However, the possibility of human agency manifestation, functioning and development is multifaceted. The measure, method, character of personal agency manifestation develops and forms in the process of entire human life. In the overall picture of agency displayed by a person subjective agency can be distinguished as a specific type of human agency. In this kind of agency, a person acts as the author of his own agency, “the creator of his own history” (Osnitsky, 2010). Personal agency as a pedagogical problem aims at studying, developing and forming the dynamic activity of children, which implies a certain generalization of their knowledge and the search for the manifestation of their individuality.

Analyzing the concept of “personal agency”, it should be assumed that personal agency is not an innate property; it is rather formed in the course of child’s ontogenesis provided there is an appropriate educational environment. Training methods are developed in kindergarten didactics that promote children’s active subject position (Venger and Polivanova, 1989; Gogoberidze, A.G., and Derkunskaya, V.A. 2010; Gileva, 2001; Krulekht, 1996; Usova, 1981). The foundation for the development of the child’s subject position should be “laid” in the preschool years, which are believed the most sensitive age (Zaporozhets, 2003; Usova 1981). The primary school period is not less significant as a starting point in the formation and development of learning activities (Samuseva G.V. 2009). The requirements for humans as members of society set a task to the education system of maximum revealing their dynamic activity principles and developing their personal agency. Nowadays creation of new senses, personal agency, criticality and other personal traits should be considered as a self-worth.

The research methods included historical and pedagogical analysis of the appropriate scientific literature, testing, the method of creative tasks and assignments, a pedagogical experiment, study and generalization of the work experience, expert assessments, self-assessment, and modeling.

The Student’s criterion with v=39 degrees of freedom was used to verify the objectivity of the results. 

The efficacy of forming subject position in learning activities was experimentally verified during 2017–2018 school year at the “Center for Children’s Development” Kindergarten No. 30 “Mishka” (Solikamsk, Russia) in two pre-school groups. The control group consisted of 20 childrens (6 boys and 14 girls) and the experimental group also consisted of 20 children (9 boys and 11 girls), whose parents gave their consent to participate in the study. The principal requirement for the control group testees was to show results not lower than in the experimental group at the stage of the summative assessment. The pedagogical experiment was conducted by teachers of the highest category with more than 15 years’ work experience in kindergarten.

To diagnose the level of learning activity subject position formedness, the following techniques were selected: Color attitude test (Lutoshkin, 1998), Torrance tests of creative thinking (Scheblanova and Averina, 1995), “Free choice” test (Gileva, 2001). Problem situations were developed for diagnosing the ability to transfer the generalized way of activity in the new conditions; maze game sets were selected for diagnosing independent goal-setting.

The pedagogical experiment consisted of three stages: a summative assessment, a formative assessment and a control assessment, the purpose and content of which are presented in Table 1.

The data of the summative assessment showed that the level of development of the senior preschoolers’ subject position in learning activities is heterogeneous, which served as the basis for the classification. The following types of the learning activity subject position formedness were identified:

Learning type: a child independently sets a learning goal within a specific task and pursues it; shows a persistent cognitive interest in the objects of cognition, demonstrates the motive of goal achievement; shows creativity as the ability to go beyond the limits of a preset learning goal; independently transfers the generalized ways of learning actions to new conditions; shows positive emotional state in a situation of learning activities ;is aware of school life and has a values-base attitude to it; has a high socio-psychological status as an indicator of the interaction competence in a team of peers.

Prelearning type: The learning goal is made by an adult within the specific educational task, and a child pursues it on the basis of a stage-by-stage control; the preschooler has a situational cognitive interest in objects of cognition; may demonstrate reproductiveness of cognitive activity within a given learning goal; finds it difficult to transfer the generalized methods of learning actions to new conditions; experiences a positive emotional state in a learning situation provided intensive pedagogical support; is aware of school life and has a diffuse attitude to it; has a stable socio-psychological status accepted in group forms of learning activities.

Game type: a child sets game goals, escaping from external learning goal; has a low cognitive interest in objects of cognition; is characterized by field creativity when the child impulsively responds to incentives that have for him the motivating force beyond the influence of a previously accepted goal; does not transfer the generalized ways of learning actions to new conditions; experiences a positive emotional state outside of learning situations; has low school awareness and negative attitude to school; has an unstable socio-psychological status as an indicator of the unformed ability to interact with peers.

Table 1
Purpose and content of the pedagogical experiment stages 

At the first stage, taking into account the preschoolers’ psychological characteristics, the indicators of a subject position in learning activities were identified: independent goal-setting, positive emotional and personal attitude to the situation of cognition, transfer of generalized methods of action to new conditions, cognitive interest in objects of cognition, creativity as an ability to go beyond the limits of a given situation and variability in solving problems.

The appropriate methods and sets of game tasks were used to diagnose each indicator, which are exemplified in Table 2.

Table 2
Examples of the summative assessment tasks

The following criteria and indicators were formulated to identify the levels of the preschoolers’ subject position formedness (Table 3).

Table 3
Levels, criteria and indicators of the
preschoolers’ subject position formedness

Table 4 shows the results of the summative assessment. The Student's test of summative assessment results, shown by the experimental and control groups, (p≤0.5) indicates their slight difference. However, the average indicators of the control group were higher than those of the experimental group testees. The attention should be paid to the fact, that the preschoolers were offered tasks for each indicator, which were estimated at 1 (low level), 2 (medium level), 3 (high level) points. The outcomes also indicated the types of subject position formedness, where 11–15 points corresponded to the learning type; 7–10 points were attributable for the prelearning type; 1–6 points indicated the game type

Table 4
Results of the summative assessment

Table 5 presents the results of the control assessment. In accordance with the Student's test criterion, the conclusion was made about the available differences between the results of the control and experimental groups. All average indices of the experimental group are higher than those of the control group. A statistically significant difference exists in the development of cognitive interest in objects of cognition and the testees’ creativity.

Table 5
Results of the control assessment

* Statistically significant shifts

The second stage of the experimental research included a formative experiment, during which the technology for forming preschoolers’ subject position in learning activities was developed and tested. The backbone of this technology was formed by the structure of indicators of the personal agency state, the nature and content of the “teacher-child” interaction, depending on the type of senior preschoolers’ subject position formedness. These components of the technology form an integrated, internally interrelated structure of pedagogical interaction, which has the following properties: performance, adaptability, controllability, predictability, systematicity, conceptual importance, controllability, and reproducibility.

Differentiation of the “teacher-pupil” interaction nature assumed taking into account the features of the selected types of the formed subject position in learning activities. To a decisive degree the developmental effect of interaction, the implementation of potential developmental possibilities depends on the individual and personal traits of an adult who comes into contact with the child and the degree of pedagogical support. The interaction contributes to the formation of new structures; it is more mobile, has an integrating relationship and is characterized by causality. Each of the interacting parties acts as the cause of the other and, at the same time, is the result of the reverse influence of the other side. The interaction allows for a contradiction, which is the source of the self-movement of structures. The “teacher–pupil” relationship can be such forms of interaction, and the modern educational process is currently intensively seeking to implement the subject–subject principle in these relations.

Table 6 enlists the exercises used to develop preschoolers’ subject position in learning activities during “teacher-child” interaction within the proposed technology according to the formed subject position types.

Table 6
Types of exercises to develop subject position in
learning activities during “teacher-child” interaction

At the control assessment stage, a final diagnostics was performed by the methods previously applied in the summative assessment. The control assessment results showed that certain changes occurred in the types of formed subject position in the testees’ learning activities. The numerical results of the summative and control assessments are given in Table 7.

Table 7
Results of the summative and the control assessments

3.1. Discussion

The prelearning type was most dynamic, which is explained by the formedness of constructive components of subject position in learning activities, such as a positive attitude towards learning and emerging focus on the content-related aspects of school activities. The cognitive interest in objects of cognition was the most dynamic indicator. The indicator of a positive emotional and personal attitude to objects of cognition turned out to be quite dynamic, since by the end of preschool age the child is striving to take a new social position of a schooler. The experiment also revealed the dependence of the child’s socio-psychological status in the educational group by the degree of learning activity subject position formedness: children of learning and prelearning types have a higher status position in the group.

Comparison of the results shown by the control and experimental groups confirms the efficacy of the performed work. Thus, the findings confirm the hypothesis that the technology for forming the senior preschoolers’ subject position in learning activities will be successful, if the concept of “subject position in learning activities” is theoretically developed as applicable to the senior preschool children; the indicators of subject position in learning activities and psychological and pedagogical types of preschoolers’ subject position formedness are identified; the technology of the “teacher–pupil” interaction is focused on the identified psychological and pedagogical types of the senior preschoolers’ subject position formedness.

The results of the research can be used by teachers and researchers to develop scientific rationale and guidelines for the issues of subject position in learning activities of the preschool and primary school age children, as well as by practicing teachers in the educational process.

In general, one can talk about a positive trend in forming the senior preschoolers’ subject position in learning activities with the help of the developed technology. Summing up the experimental work on the implementation of proposed technology in a preschool educational institution, it should be noted, that the efficacy of practical application of this technology is explained by the specific features and sensitivity of the preschool age children, by the created special favorable emotional background, contributing to the improvement of the work of children’s and teachers’ teams; by the development of pedagogical technology for forming subject position in learning activities based on the “teacher–child” interaction in accordance with the psychological and pedagogical type of the given position formedness.

The conducted research revealed the indicators of preschoolers’ subject position formedness (independent goal-setting, positive emotional and personal attitude to the objects of cognition, cognitive interest in objects of cognition, transfer of generalized methods of action to new conditions, creativity as the ability to go beyond the given situation and variability in solving problems); the types of senior preschoolers’ subject position formedness (learning, prelearning, game) were described; the technology for forming subject position in learning activities was developed and verified on the basis of the “teacher-child” interaction in accordance with the psychological and pedagogical types of the formed subject position, implying joint cooperative collaboration for the learning type, consulting and controlling interaction for the prelearning type and information controlling or dictatorial interaction for the game type, which is undoubtedly important for practical pedagogy.

It should be noted that focused efforts to form senior preschoolers’ subject position in learning activities have a positive impact on the further education of children at school. Monitoring of the development of the first grade pupils who underwent experimental training showed that children of learning and prelearning types adapt more quickly to school life, easier join the team, better establish contact with the teacher, are capable for academic cooperation, and have higher academic performance. The game type children are involved in the general work with difficulty, they are not able to arbitrarily control their behavior; they hardly join the team, and have low academic performance. The results of the experimental verification have proved the efficacy of the technology for forming senior preschoolers’ subject position in learning activities.

The directions of further research are focused on finding the ways to expand the component content of the “school readiness” concept; searching for systemic associations and integration factors that have multifunctional significance for a child’s successful entry into school learning environment and fulfilment of new responsibilities; and providing continuity in the individual approach of preschool institutions and primary school teachers to children of different types of formed subject position in learning activities.

Acknowledgements

This research was conducted on the basis of the thesis study records on the topic “Forming subject position in learning activities as a component of school readiness in senior preschool children” (written by A.V. Gileva).

Abulkhanova–Slavskaya, K.A. (2000). Rubinstein – a retrospective and prospective. In Brushlinsky, A.V., Volovikova, M.I., Druzhinin, V.N. (Eds.) Problems of subject in psychological science. Moscow: Akademichesky proekt, pp. 13-26.

Babaeva, T.I. (1990). Improving preparation of children to school in the kindergarten: Study guide to the special course. Leningrad: LGPI Press.

Blair, C. (2002). School readiness: Integrating cognition and emotion in a neurobiological conceptualization of children's functioning at school entry. American Psychologist, 57(2), 111-127. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.57.2.111

Bozhovich, L.I. (2001). Issues of personality formation: Selected psychological works. Moscow: MPSI; Voronezh: MODEK.

Brushlinsky, A.V., Volovikova, M.I., Druzhinin, V.N. (Eds.) 2000. Problems of subject in psychological science. Moscow: Akademichesky proekt http://rubinstein-society.ru/engine/documents/document65.pdf 

Chudnovsky, V.E. (1988). Problems of personal agency in the framework of modern tasks of the educational psychology. Issues of Psychology, 4, 15-25.

Clarkin-Phillips, P. and Petrie, K. (2018). Physical education' in early childhood education: Implications for primary school curricula. European Physical Education Review, 24(4), 503-519. DOI: 10.1177/1356336X16684642

Fromm, E. (2000). To have or to be? Translated into Russian. Moscow: AST. http:lib.ru/PSIHO/FROMM/haveorbe.txt_with-big-pictures.html#toc001

Gileva, A.V. 2001. Forming the subject position in learning activities as a component of school readiness of the senior preschool children: PhD Thesis in Education: 13.00.07. Ekaterinburg.

Gogoberidze, A.G., and Derkunskaya, V.A. (2010). Personality of a preschool age child: myth or reality? Modern Kindergarten: Methods and Practice, 1, 22-27.

Gorshkova, V.V. (1992). Intersubjective relations in pedagogical process: PhD Thesis in Education: 13.00.01. Saint-Petersburg.

Janus M., and Duku, E. (2007). The school entry gap: Socioeconomic, family, and health factors associated with children's school readiness to learn. Early Education and Development, 18(3), 375-403. DOI: 10.1080/10409280701610796a

Khan, O.N. (2000). Technology of oncoming efforts of teacher and pupil as a condition of the education process humanization: Synopsis of PhD Thesis in Education: 13.00.01. Ekaterinburg.

Krulekht, M.V. (1996). The problem of preschooler’s comprehensive development as a subject of child labor activity: Synopsis of the PhD Thesis in Education: 13.00.01. Saint-Petersburg.

Leontyev, A.N. and Zaporozhets, A.V. (1995). Issues of the preschool age child psychology: Collection of research articles. Moscow: International Educational and Psychological College Press.

Lompscher J. (1999). Motivation and activity. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 14(1), 11-22. DOI: 10.1007/BF03173108

Lutoshkin, A.N. (1998). Emotional potentials of the collective. Moscow: Pedagogika.

Maslow, A.H. 1999. The Farther Reaches of the Human Nature. Translated into Russian. Saint–Petersburg: Evraziya.

Mligo, I. (2018) Impediments to effective enactment of early childhood education curriculum and pedagogy in Tanzania: issues and experiences of teachers in urban and rural pre-schools. Early Child Development and Care, 188(12), 1648-1651. DOI:/10.1080/03004430.2016.1275102

Osnitsky, A.K. (2010). Psychological Mechanisms of Independence. Moscow; Obninsk: IG-SOTSIN.https://www.pirao.ru/upload/iblock/51b/psihologicheskie_mekhanizmy_samostoyatelnosti.pdf

Pang L., and Han X. 2010. Legislation of China’s Pre-school Education: Reflection and Progress. Journal of Beijing Normal University (Social Sciences), 5, 14-20.

Petrovsky, V.A. (1993). Personal agency phenomenon in psychology of personality: Synopsis of the PhD Thesis in Psychology: 19.00.11. Moscow.

Rogers, C. (2004). Questions I would ask myself, if I were a teacher. Chrestomathy on pedagogical psychology. Moscow: Moscow State University of Psychology & Education Press.

Sammons, P., Elliot, K., Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Siraj‐Blatchford, I., Taggart, B. (2004). The impact of preschool on young children's cognitive attainments at entry to reception. British Educational Research Journal, 30(5), 691-712. DOI: 10.1080/0141192042000234656.

Samuseva, G.V. (2009). Pedagogical maintenance of forming the subject position of learning activities of a primary school age child: Synopsis of PhD Thesis in Education: 13.00.01. Volgograd.

Scheblanova, E.I., and Averina, I.S. (1995). Brief test of creative thinking. Figural form (Torrance test): manual for school psychologists. Moscow: INTOR.

Schetinina, V.V. (2006). Formation of senior preschoolers’ cognitive activity in the process of retrieval activities. PhD Thesis in Education: 13.00.01. Moscow.

Sousa, F. (2018). Innovation in Teaching by Project: A Creative Problem-Solving Case Study. Revista Internacional de Educacion Para la Justicia Social, 7(2), 61-76. DOI: 10.15366/riejs2018.7.2.004.

Usova, A.P. (1981). Training in the kindergarten. 3rd edition, revised. Moscow: Prosveschenie.

Vedinyapina, V.A. (1998). “Me” subject as a pedagogical problem: PhD Thesis in Education. Saint-Petersburg.

Venger, L.A, and Polivanova, K.N. (1989). Study of the six year old children with different levels of school readiness: recommendations for a teacher. Moscow: Shkola.

Vishtalyuk, M.A. (2005). Development of the learning activities  subjects under conditions of personally oriented education. Synopsis of the PhD Thesis in Psychology. Saint-Petersburg,

Vygotsky, L.S. (1956). Selected psychological studies. Moscow: Publishing House of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of the RSFSR.

Yakimanskaya, I.S. (1996). Personality oriented education in modern school. Moscow: Sentyabr.

Zaporozhets, A.V. (2003). Significance of early periods of childhood for the personality formation of a child. In Semenyuk, L.M. (Ed.) Chrestomathy on developmental psychology: study guide for students. Moscow: Moscow Psychological and Social Institute Press; Voronezh: MODEK, pp. 134-138.

1. Candidate of Sciences (Education), Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology, Perm State National Research University, Solikamsk State Pedagogical Institute, Solikamsk, Russian Federation

2. Candidate of Sciences (Education), Associate Professor, Department of Pedagogy and Psychology, Perm State National Research University, Solikamsk State Pedagogical Institute, Solikamsk, Russian Federation.

3. Candidate of Sciences (Education), Associate Professor, Department of Pedagogy and Psychology, Perm State National Research University, Solikamsk State Pedagogical Institute, Solikamsk, Russian Federation. gileva.angela@yandex.ru

4. Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences and Humanities, Department of Philosophy, Perm State National Research University, Solikamsk State Pedagogical Institute, Solikamsk, Russian Federation

5. Senior Lecturer, Department of Pedagogy and Psychology, Perm State National Research University, Solikamsk State Pedagogical Institute, Solikamsk, Russian Federation