MORAL METHODS OF ENCOURAGEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY OF PRESCHOOL STAFF (RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS)
Authors: TARARAK N. 
Published: March 2022

Modern humanistic tendencies of development of higher pedagogical education put forward high requirements to pedagogical staff in general and preschool teachers in particular, their independence, creativity, responsibility for own professional growth. These provisions are regulated by the State National Program "Education" ("Ukraine of the XXI Century") (1993), the Laws of Ukraine "On Education" (2017), "On Preschool Education" (2001), the National Doctrine for the Development of Education in Ukraine (2002), the Basic component of preschool education in Ukraine (2012). Both methods of material and moral encouragement of preschool workers have a great influence on their professional growth.

The article identifies the following main methods of encouragement of preschool staff: moral – an honorary certificate, a badge of honour, announcement of gratitude, receiving an honorary title, awarding the employee at meetings and others. Among the main methods of material encouragement there is the method of awarding preschool specialists, providing preschool workers with extra days off, rewarding them with valuable gifts and others. The leading methods of professional encouragement included sending preschool staff to problem conferences, methodological seminars, exhibitions which were illustrated with materials on the most topical issues of preschool education; providing assistance to preschool workers in printing manuals, permission to develop and implement author's programs, demonstration lessons, etc.

It has been established that the further development of the issue of encouragement of preschool staff to professional activities was facilitated by the adoption of a special resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Council of Ministers of Ukraine "On measures for further development of children's institutions to improve education and health care" which became a kind of impetus for the spread of forms and methods of motivating preschool workers to professional development.

The analysis of scientific and pedagogical sources suggests that the success in addressing the issues of the encouragement of preschool staff to professional development through education contributed to the creation of an extensive network of preschool institutions in different regions of Ukraine (Cherkasy, Kherson, Khmelnytsky, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Volyn, Kyiv, Ternopil, Zaporizhia, Poltava regions) where the total number of preschool teachers increased 2.5 times.

Thus, the conducted historical and pedagogical analysis of the works of scholars shows that the main methods of moral stimulation to the professional activity of preschool staff in the 50-60s of the XXth century included inviting teachers to participate in courses, seminars and meetings, the organization of self-education of these employees by studying the best pedagogical experience and scientific and pedagogical literature; rewarding them with vouchers to the sanatorium, free issuance of manuals; announcement of gratitude; studying and spreading advanced pedagogical experience; awarding preschool workers with badges, medals and awarding them honorary titles; patronage of kindergartens of the city, rural institutions of preschool education; expressing gratitude to the employee at meetings of different levels, etc.