Training future educators in developing pre-schoolers’ health culture

The article presents the study of the problem connected with the training aspects of the future educators in developing pre-schoolers’ health culture. The concept «health culture» is defined. The indicators of the future educators’ readiness for the development of preschool children’s valeological culture were determined, namely: the availability of scientifically grounded theoretical knowledge and practical skills in preserving children’s health (about human health, age and individual characteristics of the development, basics of a healthy lifestyle, safe behaviour); a conscious attitude to their own health, the motivation for its preservation and strengthening, the adherence to a healthy lifestyle; the provision for the development of pre-school educator’s communicative and organizational skills. The diagnostics was carried out before and after the training sessions within the subject «Theory and technology of pre-schoolers’ valeological education». The study of the indicators demonstrating the future educators’ readiness for the formation (development) of the pre-schoolers’ valeological culture was carried out with the help of the questionnaire «Health in the system of pedagogical university students’ value orientations» (T. Ponamarenko), testing COI–1 (communicative and organizational inclinations). To verify the students’ necessary knowledge of using various forms and methods and technologies of pre-schoolers’ valeological education the products of students’ activities were analysed. The students fulfilled a set of tasks intended for two levels of complexity: the first level was the reproductive level, which provided for the reproduction of the learned information on valeological education; the second level, research-oriented and creative, provided for the development and substantiation of the author’s program and technology of the children’s valeological upbringing. The goal, objectives, general and professional competences as well as the outcomes demonstrated while mastering the academic discipline «Theory and Technology of Pre-schoolers’ Valeological Education» are described. The main organization forms of the students’ educational activities were as follows: computer-assisted lectures; practical classes, seminars (for example, «Basics of the Child’s Rational Nutrition», «Problems of Health and Healthy Lifestyles in Modern Society», «Basics of Mental Health», etc.). While working with the students, these methods and learning technologies were applied: discussions, disputes, the project method, the mind mapping technology. The independent and research-oriented activities were organized for the students. A statistical study involving the Chi-Square criterion (Pearson’s multifunctional criterion) proved that the indicators of the future educators’ readiness to develop the preschool children’s valeological culture before and after conducting classes on the theory and technology of valeological education aimed at preschool children significantly differ from each other.