The Department of Theory and Methods of Pre-School and Primary School Education dates back to 1977. The history of its development is closely connected with the history of the then Faculty of Primary Education. The present image of the department appeared in 2013, when three sections were merged: mathematics and methods of teaching mathematics in primary school, Russian language and methods of teaching Russian language in primary school, natural sciences and methods of teaching natural sciences in primary school.

Modern innovative technologies are implemented in the teaching and learning process to further educate students for developing and correcting children of preschool and primary school age. The teaching staff adapt modern scientific achievements and socially significant projects to work with children, taking into account their personal characteristics, as well as social and cultural environment in the Penza Region.

The students and staff of the department mainly focus on providing effective psychological, pedagogical, methodological support for education, development and correction of children of preschool and primary school age, on rendering necessary assistance to parents and on helping children with developmental problems.

The teaching staff members supervise the creative student laboratory “Modern innovative educational technologies”, which meets the needs of the population of the Penza region in teaching and correcting children of preschool and primary school age. It provides consultative and advisory service to children, parents and teachers in need of psychological, pedagogical and methodological support. The laboratory even develops and implements special courses for parents on organising the learning environment in the context of family education, including for children with disabilities, and on training parents to interact with children in various difficult situations. It also serves as an experiment and research platform for students specialising in preschool education, primary education and speech therapy, thus providing them with useful experience in work with children.

DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Bachelor

     Teacher Training: Primary Education

Master

     Teacher Training: Primary Education

RESEARCH

Research topics

•    Pedagogy and methods of primary education
•    Developing methodology for teaching mathematics for junior schoolchildren
•    Teaching grammar and spelling in primary school
•    Speech development of junior schoolchildren
•    Developing skills in natural sciences among preschoolers and junior schoolchildren
•    Encouraging design and research activities of junior schoolchildren
•    Environmental education and health protection of preschoolers and junior schoolchildren
•    Gender linguistics
•    Children’s folklore

Collaboration

Penza Gymnasium no. 1
Department of Primary Education and Social Technologies, I.A. Bunin Elets State University

CONTACTS

Dr. Lyubov Mali
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor
Head of the Department of Theory and Methods of Pre-School and Primary School Education

37 Lermontova Street, building 12, office 335
Tel.: +7 (8412) 20-37-88
E-mail: tmetodika@mail.ru
Web-page of the Department of Theory and Methods of Pre-School and Primary School Education (in Russian)