Assessment of the engagement of older preschool children in working initiative and activity in the process of forming the foundations of a socially responsible personality

the article examines the potential of work activities in preschool age as a means of forming a socially responsible personality. Traditionally, work in kindergarten is associated with the development of independence and labor skills, but its educational potential in the context of civic and moral formation of the individual remains insufficiently utilized. This article argues that the systematic inclusion of children in meaningful work activities contributes to the development of empathy, responsibility for the result, respect for common rules, and a sense of belonging to a collective. Based on the adapted model of Hart's levels of participation (from manipulation to self-management), qualitative changes in the child's position are revealed, from a passive performer to a subject of social initiative. It is shown that as preschoolers move to higher levels of involvement (information, counseling, joint decision-making, initiative, and self-management), they develop attitudes towards responsible behavior, civic engagement, and solidarity. Special attention is given to the role of adults as partners and facilitators of children's initiatives. It is emphasized that work in a meaningful social context becomes an effective resource for moral and civic education. The results of this study can be used in the practice of preschool education to develop programs aimed at early formation of socially responsible individuals. The relevance of the study is due to the requirements of regulatory documents for the formation of a socially responsible personality. The foundation of a socially responsible personality begins at an early stage of ontogenesis, and preschool age is a sensitive period for the formation of basic attitudes, value orientations, and behavioral patterns that determine the individual's subsequent civic engagement and social maturity. The potential of work as a factor in social and moral education remains underdeveloped both in theory and in the practice of preschool education. The research methodology is based on the analysis of theoretical provisions and the analysis of empirical data. The following methodological approaches were used in the research: - Personal-value approach (S.A. Amonashvili, V.A. Sukhomlinsky, L.S. Vygotsky, A.N. Leontiev, E.A. Yamburg, etc.) - Participatory approach (E.V. Grosh, I.V. Kasyanova, I.A. Kravchenko, E.Y. Nikitina, O.N. Perova, E.B. Plokhotnyuk, M.V. Smirnova et al.) - A problem-based communicative approach (E.B. Maksimova, V.I. Matetskaya, V.L. Skapkina, A.V. Brushlinsky, I.Ya. Lerner, M.I. Makhmutov, V. Okon, D.A. Pospelov, A.M. Matyushkin et al.) The study was conducted in three stages and included stating, forming and control experiments. The Hart's Ladder model was used for statistical data processing, which allows for a differentiated approach to organizing children's activities and assessing the level of social responsibility, initiative, and civic engagement in children. The study was conducted on the basis of Kindergarten No. 366 in Chelyabinsk (N = 25 children aged 6-7 years). The most important theoretical and practical achievement of the research was the introduction of pedagogical conditions in the logic of participation levels according to the Hart model. This made it possible to transfer work from the form of external control into the space of subject-subject interaction. The gradual transition from informing to joint decision-making and initiative contributed to the internal assimilation of norms of responsible behavior, which is consistent with the concept of moral development of Piaget and L. Kohlberg, as well as with the ideas of humanistic and humane pedagogy. The practical significance lies in the development of specific methodological techniques ("ABC of labor affairs", "Calendar of labor holidays", "Activity Passport"), which can be in demand in educational practice to build an integrated system of education of a socially responsible person from an early age. Discussion and conclusions. Labor activity, organized according to the principles of the "Hart Ladder", becomes a powerful tool for educating not just a performer, but a socially responsible person. Also, work in preschool age should be considered not only as a pedagogical tool for the formation of household independence, but also as a strategically important resource for moral and civic education. Its integration into the educational process based on the principles of subject-subject interaction, reflection and social significance allows children to purposefully form attitudes towards responsible participation in the life of their immediate social environment, laying the foundation for a socially responsible personality.

social responsibility, work activity, senior preschool age, the Hart Ladder model