Abstract
The article explores an approach to designing an effective professional development program for methodists of preschool organizations, based on the diagnosis of their professional needs. The relevance of the study stems from the need to transition from formal training to programs tailored to actual professional deficits encountered by methodists in their practice.
The purpose of the study is to identify the professional difficulties of methodists in preschool organizations (hereinafter – PO) and to assess the effectiveness of an educational program developed on the basis of data obtained during the research.
The methodological framework of the study is grounded in the principles of applied pedagogical analysis. The main method used was an open-ended questionnaire aimed at identifying challenges in methodological, organizational, planning, and subject-related areas. The study involved 81 methodists from the North Kazakhstan region, ensuring full representativeness of the sample.
The results of the content analysis made it possible to identify the most relevant areas for the development of professional competence. Based on these findings, an algorithm for designing a professional development program was constructed, comprising the following stages: needs diagnosis, content development, program implementation, and evaluation of its effectiveness. More than 1,100 methodists from various regions of Kazakhstan completed the training under the developed program. The evaluation of the program’s content, learning materials, and individual thematic modules indicates a high level of participant satisfaction. A positive shift in final test results was also recorded.
The findings regarding the relevance of the diagnostic approach, the importance of considering professional deficits in designing professional development programs, and the high effectiveness of the implemented algorithm confirm the feasibility of developing such programs based on a preliminary needs assessment. This approach significantly enhances the practical relevance and impact of the training.