Vol 20, No 3 (2023): Phenomenology of Childhood in Contemporary Research Contexts

EDITORIAL

Phenomenology of Childhood in Modern Contexts

Veraksa A.N., Kurilenko V.B., Novikova I.A.

Abstract

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RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):419-430
pages 419-430 views

THE ROLE OF LEADING ACTIVITY IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT: THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL STUDIES OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN’S PLAY

Pretend Play and Project-Based Learning as Factors in the Development of Preschool Children

Veraksa N.E., Veraksa A.N., Plotnikova V.A.

Abstract

In psychology, playing is traditionally considered the most developing form of preschool children’s activity. Nowadays, despite the large amount of research demonstrating the significant impact of pretend play on the psychological development of the preschoolers, project-based learning is widespread in kindergartens. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to determine whether it is enough for the successful development of the preschool children to include them in pretend play or whether it is important to use other educational technologies as well. According to the cultural-historical and activity-based approaches in the educational psychology, the key features of play and project-based learning are identified as fundamental for the development of the preschoolers. Based on the identified key features, the authors conduct a comparative analysis of play and project-based learning in order to determine their fundamental differences. The results of the analysis show that these types of activities have their own developmental tools: an imaginary situation (in play) and a space for children’s realization (for project-based activity). It is also demonstrated that inclusion in pretend play involves a process orientation caused by the underdevelopment of the operational sphere in the preschoolers, while project-based learning is result-oriented activity aimed at creating a socially significant product. Finally, an essential point in play and project-based activity is associated with the role of the adult. In play, the child is independent, being the subject of play activity. In project activities, the child is the author of an idea, with the adult being the child’s interpreter. The research shows the fundamental differences between pretend play and project-based activity for the development of the preschoolers, which should be taken into account when working with children of this age.

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):431-445
pages 431-445 views

Playing with a Doll Family: Key Characteristics of Junior Preschoolers’ Play Behaviour

Sukhikh V.L., Veresov N.N., Gavrilova M.N.

Abstract

The age of 3-4 years is the initial stage in the development of pretend play, or play involving an imaginary situation. In this process, the leading role belongs to dramatic play with toys, the importance of which for children’s development cannot be underestimated. The qualitative analysis of children’s play presented in this research forms part of a large study aimed at identifying the features of children’s play and the toy preferences throughout the entire preschool age. Ten 3-4-year-old children during five play sessions were asked to play a story with a doll family. Before and after the play sessions, all children were tested to assess the level of development of executive functions, imagination, and the type of attachment was determined for each child using a survey of teachers and mothers. The video recordings of the play sessions were then analyzed. The purpose of the analysis was to identify the characteristics of 3-4-year-old children’s play behavior and to explore the relationship of the play features with the indicators of individual development. The experimental setting with a series of play sessions also made it possible to assess the dynamics in play development for each child. To evaluate the play, the following indicators were used: the theme and content of play, spatial substitution, the extent of elaborateness and stability of the play idea, the level of play actions with a toy, and the elaborateness of role-play interactions. The results showed that the level of development of free play involving an imaginary situation for 3-4-year-old children could be defined as generally low, regardless of the level of individual development indicators. A comparison of the first and the fifth play sessions did not reveal any positive dynamics in the level of play development. These results indicate the important role of adult participation in the support and development of children’s play. They can form the basis for the practical recommendations for teachers and parents how to scaffold the playing process of 3-4 years old children.

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):446-463
pages 446-463 views

The Influence of Various Types of Play on the Development of Coherent Monologue Speech in Children Aged 5-6 Years

Oshchepkova E.S., Sukhikh V.L., Shatskaya A.N.

Abstract

Coherent monologue speech is one of the main factors determining both school performance and social success of children. Therefore, problems related to methods and techniques for developing coherent monologue speech in children still remain relevant. It is often recommended to use various types of play activities (i.e., games) for this purpose. However, the question remains whether all of them have an equally positive impact on the development of coherent speech in such an aspect as its macrostructure (coherence, cohesion, semantic completeness, narrative structure). For this reason, the purpose of this study is to find out how different types of play affect the speech development in children of senior preschool age. According to our preliminary hypothesis, the development of semantic elements of a story is most influenced by role-playing games. Our study involved 220 preschoolers ( M = 60.84 months; SD = 4.14 months) who were randomly assigned to seven groups in which they either participated in a series of games of a certain type, or listened to additional stories, or were not exposed to experimental treatment at all. Before and after the exposure, the children made up stories based on a series of pictures. The resulting stories were evaluated in terms of their macrostructure. The groups were then compared in terms of the impact that different types of play interaction had on the development of the macrostructure of coherent speech. It was found that the best effect was shown by the role-playing games, and, first of all, ‘directed’ ones. These results allow a more reasonable approach to the use of games for the development of coherent monologue speech in children aged 5-6 years.

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):464-481
pages 464-481 views

DIGITALIZATION OF CHILDHOOD: RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Features of the Imagination in Preschoolers Playing Various Digital Games

Bukhalenkova D.A., Chichinina E.A.

Abstract

Due to the fact that in the life of modern preschoolers the traditional role-playing game with peers is increasingly being replaced by playing on digital devices, many researchers have expressed concern about how well their imagination develops. However, other scientists, on the contrary, see the potential for developing children’s imagination in digital games and applications. For this reason, the study is focused on differences in the productive imagination among preschoolers who prefer different types of games on digital devices. The authors propose a typology of digital games played by the preschoolers. A survey was conducted on the use of digital devices among 450 children aged 5-6 years who attended preparatory groups of kindergartens from four regions of Russia, and their imagination was assessed using the “Completing Figures” technique (by O.M. Dyachenko) and a questionnaire developed as part of the study for educators on behavioral manifestations of imagination in their pupils (42 educators were involved). Based on the results of a survey of the educators, it was found that they evaluated the results of creative productive activity lower in the children who liked games for reaction speed than in those who did not play such games. At the same time, the educators rated this parameter of imagination higher in children playing simulation games compared to those who did not play them. The results of the “Completing Figures” technique showed that the children playing logic games had significantly higher ratings for the elaboration of drawings than those who did not play games of this type, and the parameter of originality of the drawings was lower in the children playing strategic games compared to those who did not play them. The typology of digital games proposed by the authors of the study and the data obtained can be useful in conducting scientific research on the digitalization of modern childhood and in developing recommendations for parents of preschoolers.

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):482-500
pages 482-500 views

Medical and Socio-Pedagogical Risks of Primary School Children Using Digital Devices: An Empirical Study

Kurgansky A.M., Guryanova M.P., Khramtsov P.I.

Abstract

The study considers the medical and socio-pedagogical risks of primary school children using digital devices and social networks, based on the results of a medical and social study, the purpose of which was to assess and systematize these risks. The digital devices, the Internet and activities on social networks have become an integral part of the lives of modern children. However, their use can negatively affect the neuropsychic status of the child and lead to problems with vision and the musculoskeletal system. For this reason, parental control over the use of gadgets and social networks that is safe for children’s health is very important. The methodological basis of the research was social pedagogy, which explores the processes of interaction of a growing person with various objects of society in the main spheres of his/her life: family, educational and social, performing an integrating function in the study of current social problems of children, families and society by various scientific disciplines. A complex of research methods was used, with the main one being a questionnaire survey of parents with children of primary school age and living in the Borovsky district of the Kaluga region (the research base of the Research Institute of Hygiene and Health Protection of Children and Adolescents, National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation). It was found that watching videos is a risk of increased irritability, computer games, searching for information on the Internet, uncontrolled use of digital media - a risk of visual impairment, using social networks - complaints for communication difficulties. More than 50% of parents need help from specialists in improving digital literacy and using digital devices safely for children’s health.

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):501-525
pages 501-525 views

DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-REGULATION: AGE SPECIFICS AND KEY FACTORS

Preschoolers’ Executive Function Development and Maternal Birth Experience: The Moderating Role of Depression and the Mode of Delivery

Yakupova V.A., Suarez A.D., Shraibman L.A.

Abstract

Early executive functioning is a crucial precursor to the future cognitive and behavioral development of children. Given that the mother is typically the child’s primary caregiver, her maternal behavior may be an important factor that either facilitates or hinders the child’s cognitive development, especially if the mother suffers from depression. It is important to analyze these effects, taking into consideration the mother’s birth experience. This study focuses on assessing the child’s executive functions, the mother’s concomitant depression and her birth experience, including the mode of delivery. The results obtained have shown no significant relationship between the executive function performance and the mother’s concomitant depression. However, significant relationships have been found between the child’s executive function performance and complications during the mother’s pregnancy, birth and mode of delivery. The regression analysis shows that cesarean birth reduces the child’s overall executive function performance by 1 point, while the data of the moderation analysis including the mode of delivery and mother’s depression are not statistically significant. The total executive performance score is largely related to the mother’s educational level. The mother’s perinatal depression may have a stronger adverse effect on the child’s development than her concomitant depression. A higher level of the mother’s education may be a protective factor that could potentially offset the cesarean birth effect.

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):526-542
pages 526-542 views

Development of Executive Functions in Preschoolers with Different Sibling Positions

Almazova O.V., Mostinets K.O.

Abstract

The development of the executive functions in older preschoolers largely determines their subsequent successful adaptation and schooling. The purpose of the research is to identify the developmental features of the executive functions in older preschoolers with different sibling positions. The relevance of the theme is due to the growing number of children with insufficient development of self-regulation. The study involved 393 preschoolers attending senior groups of kindergartens: 153 - single children in the family, 99 - oldest, 21 - middle, 110 - youngest children, 10 - twins). The levels of development of the participants’ executive functions were determined using three subtests of the neuropsychological complex NEPSY II (“Inhibition”, “Sentences Repetition” and “Memory for Design”) as well as the “Dimensional Change Card Sort” technique by F. Zelazo. It was revealed that auditory-speech memory is best developed in the oldest children in the family. The results obtained make it possible to suggest a different structure of connections between different components of executive functions in children with different sibling positions. The level and structure of the developed executive functions in the single and youngest children in the family are more similar to each other than in the oldest and single children or in the oldest and youngest ones.

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):543-559
pages 543-559 views

Conscious Self-Regulation, School Engagement and Academic Performance in Adolescents: Differential Psychological Aspect

Fomina T.G., Bondarenko I.N., Morosanova V.I.

Abstract

The problem of the relationship between school engagement and self-regulation of students is a topical area of modern research in the field of educational psychology. The objectives of this study include: 1) identifying individual typological groups of students depending on the rates of the behavioral, cognitive and emotional components of engagement; 2) conducting a comparative analysis of self-regulation and academic performance in the selected groups; 3) revealing regulatory and personal resources for the performance of adolescent students with different profiles of school engagement. The sample consisted of 7-9-grade students of general education schools ( N = 484; boys - 53%; M = 14.11; SD = 0.76). The study was conducted using the questionnaire “Self-Regulation Profile of Learning Activity (by V.I. Morosanova), the Multidimensional Scale of School Engagement, and the Russian-language adaptation of the questionnaire “Big Five - Children’s Version”. Depending on the profile of school engagement, four groups of the participants were identified with significant differences in the levels of conscious self-regulation, particular regulatory components and academic performance. The data analysis revealed the following special resources for academic success in the selected groups: the regulatory competences “modeling of significant conditions” and “evaluation of results” as well as personal disposition “openness to new experience”. The results obtained are discussed in the context of the resource approach and the practical technologies for maintaining academic performance and school engagement in adolescence.

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):560-577
pages 560-577 views

A Group Level Analysis of Self-evaluations Associated with Cognitive Load

Kouzalis A.

Abstract

Self-evaluation, or self-rating, is the process by which people evaluate themselves with the purpose of improving several aspects of their personalities or skills and it is closely related to the cognitive function of metacognition. The purpose of the study was to investigate the degree of implication of various brain areas to meta-cognition as it relates to subjective ratings of cognitive effort when performing mathematical problems of different complexity. To achieve this, participants were recruited to solve mathematical problems (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) in three levels of difficulty, while inside an fMRI scanner. After solving a given task, they were asked to evaluate the amount of effort they spent to solve it. Brain signal was collected during their answers, which was then analyzed with the aid of computer software. Results of the analysis show that increases in task difficulty activate the frontal lobe, cingulate and insular cortex areas. The parietal lobule, the precuneus and the cingulate gyrus were found to be active as well as during all four mathematical operations.

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):578-587
pages 578-587 views

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN ADOLESCENCE

Social Competence of Adolescents: The Role of Social Cognition and Behavior Control

Vilenskaya G.A., Lebedeva E.I., Ulanova A.Y.

Abstract

Social competence during adolescence plays a crucial role in socialization and psychological well-being. Available data suggest that social cognition (theory of mind, ToM) and self-regulation (behavioral control) abilities make a significant contribution to social competence at a young age, but research on their role in adolescence is still limited. The purpose of the research is to study the role of behavior control and ToM in the social competence of adolescents. The study involved 106 6-8-grade students (girls - 51), aged 12-15 years ( Me = 13, SD = 0.87). The BRIEF questionnaire was used to assess their behavior control; ToM was assessed using tasks for understanding high-order false beliefs. For external assessment of the social competence of the participants, a questionnaire for teachers and a sociometric method were used. The groups of the adolescents, divided by the median criterion, were compared using the overall BRIEF regulation index and the total score for false-belief understanding. The most salient differences in the teachers’ and peers’ assessments of the social competence were found between the contrasting groups of the participants, i.e., with high levels of ToM and behavior control and with low levels of these abilities. At the same time, differences in the teachers’ assessments were observed for both positive and negative assessments but, in sociometric indices, only for negative ones. The teachers considered the adolescents with high levels of behavior control to be more socially competent, regardless of their level of social cognition. For the peers, the level of behavioral control mattered only when the ability to assess the mental states of other people was weak. The results of our study show the importance of the role of social cognition and behavioral control in the implementation of socially competent behavior in adolescents. At the same time, the data obtained indicate the heterogeneity of the contribution of these abilities to the social competence of adolescents assessed by peers and teachers.

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):588-608
pages 588-608 views

Family Socialization of Adolescents Convicted of Crimes of Varying Severity

Nesterova A.A., Levin L.M.

Abstract

Features of family functioning and parent-child interaction affect the success of the socialization process, because parental attitudes and habitual ways of behavior are subsequently reproduced by children in further interaction in society. Aspects of family socialization of adolescents who have committed crimes of varying severity have been little studied in Russia. The purpose of the study is to determine the nature of interaction with parents and the features of family socialization of male adolescents convicted of crimes of varying severity. The study involved 280 adolescents, of whom 120 were serving sentences in juvenile correctional facilities, 80 were given and were registered with the penitentiary inspection, 80 were studying in educational institutions in Moscow and had never been held brought before the law for offenses. The average age of the participants was 15.8±0.8 years, all the respondents were male. As main methods the authors used interviews and analysis of personal files as well as a number of psychodiagnostic methods, including: The Scale of Tactics of Behavior in Parent-Child Conflict (adapted by I.A. Furmanova); A Questionnaire on Family Emotional Communications (A.B. Kholmogorova, S.V. Volikova, M.G. Sorokova); Unfinished Sentences Sacks - Sidney Variant (modified by T.A. Zaeko). The results of the study revealed the following reliably significant characteristics of the family socialization of convicted adolescents: living in an incomplete family, dissatisfaction with the financial situation, narcotization and alcoholization of parents, deprivation of parental rights of one of the parents, problems with the law of one of the family members, and fewer children in the family. In the families of adolescents convicted of serious crimes, there was a high level of cruelty and violence against the child on the part of the parents manifested. In the families of probationers, there was a lack of clear rules and methods of discipline, neglect of the child’s needs. The families of all the adolescents with unlawful behavior were characterized by a dysfunctional nature of communication (communication on the part of the parents was dominated by criticism, causing anxiety, prohibiting the expression of emotions, fixating on negative experiences, etc.). The information obtained in the study can be used by employees of the psychological and educational services of the penitentiary system.

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):609-627
pages 609-627 views

PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF EDUCATORS AND THEIR ROLE IN PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

Teaching Quality as Predictor of Student Engagement, Well-Being and Performance

Lunkina M.V., Gordeeva T.O., Diryugina E.G., Pshenichnyuk D.V.

Abstract

The relevance of the study is due to the need to obtain reliable data on the components of effective teaching that affect important learning outcomes, such as motivation, engagement, academic performance, and well-being of school students. The purpose of the study was to analyze the contribution of three, actively discussed in the literature, psychological and pedagogical indicators of teaching quality, assessed by the school students, to their engagement, psychological well-being and academic performance. The study involved 2028 eighth-grade students (1085 girls, 906 boys and 35 of unspecified gender; mean age - 13.96, SD = 0.46) from 73 schools and 16 regions of the Russian Federation. The analysis of the respondents’ assessments included such indicators of teaching quality as the relevance of the learning content, psychological and instrumental support, as well as school engagement, indifference, academic performance and indicators of their satisfaction (with themselves, their teachers and school). The results of the regression analysis showed that the perceived psychological support from the teacher was the strongest predictor of the growth of all the types of educational engagement of school students and the decrease of all the types of educational indifference; besides, this component of teaching quality was a predictor of well-being in the context of school life (including the respondents’ satisfaction with their school, their teachers and themselves). The teacher’s instrumental support was the next most important predictor of cognitive and emotional engagement of the students and, no less important, was a negative predictor of all the types of learning indifference; it was also a predictor of the students’ satisfaction with their school and relationships with their teachers. Thus, the present study, conducted on a large and representative sample of Russian school students, has shown the positive effects of two components of teaching quality, namely, psychological support and instrumental support provided by the teacher. The effects of actual learning content are less clear, which casts doubt on the importance of teachers emphasizing the connection between the educational material and real life in order to maintain the motivation of school students. The results obtained can be used for training and retraining school teachers and improving teaching quality in Russian schools.

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):628-649
pages 628-649 views

Characteristics Motivation of Work in the Context of Work Engagement Among Preschool Teachers

Rudnova N.A., Volkova E.N., Kornienko D.S.

Abstract

Being a specific group of educators due to the specifics of the organization as well as the pedagogical and psychological content of their activities, preschool teachers show both similar and different characteristics in comparison with their peers from other educational institutions. At the same time, data on their work engagement, as well as on its connection with autonomous and controlled motivation, are scarce. The purpose of this study was to identify the connection between the professional motivation of the preschool teachers and their work engagement. The research involved 260 female participants ( M = 35.95, SD = 10.08), of whom 131 were preschool teachers and 129 made up a comparison group (the respondents were employed in different fields of activity). Data were collected using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) by W. Schaufeli and A. Bakker (adapted by D.A. Kutuzova) and the Professional Motivation Questionnaire by E.N. Osin et al. The results of the study confirmed the hypothesis of a positive relationship between autonomous professional motivation and work engagement, and a negative relationship between controlled motivation and work engagement. In addition, data were obtained on the significant predictive role of autonomous motivation for the level of work engagement. It was also found that the preschool teachers had higher rates of work engagement, as well as autonomous and controlled professional motivation, than the respondents of the comparison group. At the same time, in the group of the preschool teachers, with pronounced autonomous motivation, the effect of controlled motivation, which is negative for work engagement, disappears, which was not found in the comparison group. The age of the preschool teachers turned out to make a positive impact to their work engagement. As prospects for further research, it is proposed to involve teachers employed at different levels of the educational process (preschool, junior school, etc.), as well as to clarify the role of age and experience of the preschool teachers in their work engagement and professional motivation, since the available data are rather ambiguous.

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2023;20(3):650-668
pages 650-668 views

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