On historical origins of preschool education: Pedagogical activity and concept of Marie Pape-Carpantier (1815-1878)

Abstract

The system of preschool education, which is currently undergoing the process of transformation, needs to have its contents updated and innovative technologies implemented into the organization of educational process in preschool education institutions. To implement the abovesaid, it is valuable to make an attempt at retrospective consideration of the origins of the preschool education system, which outlines the relevance of the suggested research. The purpose of this scientific inquiry lied in performing a historical and pedagogical analysis of the activities and concept suggested by the founder of French preschool education, Marie Pape-Carpantier, and in identifying its progressive views in accordance with modern considerations. To achieve the stated goal, a combination of the following methods was used: theoretical analysis, synthesis and concretization, historical and pedagogical (retrospective and chronological-structural), pedagogical historiography, systematization and generalization. The article reveals peculiarities in development of public preschool education in France in the middle of the 19th century, based on the study of pedagogical heritage by Marie Pape-Carpantier (1815-1878). The author highlights historical significance of the French pedagogue Marie Pape-Carpantier in the context of biographical data regarding both her immediate work with preschoolers in shelter rooms and training of qualified personnel for such institutions. The research puts emphasis on the means of education applied by the French pedagogue in shelter rooms to engage in physical, mental, moral, labor and aesthetic education of children. The article singles out main progressive ideas regarding organization of educational process with children of preschool age: consideration of every child’s individual development and current level of their knowledge, compliance with principles of cooperation, moral behaviour, visual aids, activity-based approach (in particular, use of games), and requirements to teachers. The scientific and practical value of this research is envisaged in supplementing the teaching material of the educational component “History of Preschool Pedagogics” with information on the founder of French public preschool education Marie Pape-Carpantier