Inter-program continuity in the system of spiritual and moral education: pedagogical logic of age development

Importance of the study is due to the problem of fragmentation and lack of continuity in the programs of spiritual and moral education, especially in Sunday schools, which reduces their effectiveness. There is a shortage of studies combining theoretical justification with practical tools and empirical verification. Materials and Methods . The study is conducted in the longitudinal format (“before–after”) over two academic years. It involved 384 students of Sunday schools of the Udmurt Republic (6–16 years old), distributed into experimental and control groups. The effectiveness of four original programs is assessed according to four criteria (cognitive, emotional-volitional, motivationalvalue, behavioral) using validated diagnostic tools (tests, observation, expert assessments). To analyze the data, the methods of mathematical statistics are used (χ² criterion, Student’s t-test). Results and Discussion. Statistically significant positive dynamics are revealed for all criteria in the experimental group (p < 0.01), while there is none in the control group. The most pronounced growth is observed in the motivational-value (up to 48.9 %) and behavioral (up to 54.4 %) spheres in adolescents aged 12–14. The results confirm that the implementation of the inter-program continuity model ensures the progressive development of value consciousness and the consolidation of morally oriented behavior as a personal trait. Conclusion . The developed inter-program continuity model is an effective mechanism for ensuring holistic spiritual and moral development. The practical significance of the work lies in the possibility of using the model and diagnostic tools for planning educational work and training teachers. Prospects for further research are associated with adapting the model to secular educational contexts and expanding the geography of the sample.