Development of professional competencies of future preschool education teachers in the context of higher education training

The subject of the research is the process of developing professional competencies of future preschool education teachers in higher education, aimed at overcoming the gap between academic theory and the practical requirements of preschool organizations. Modern kindergartens expect graduates not only to have knowledge of pedagogy but also to be ready for everyday work with children of early and preschool age, parents, documentation management, daily routine organization, creating a developmental environment, and interacting with the team. The regulatory framework includes Federal Law No. 273-FZ, Federal State Educational Standards (FSES) for Higher Education 44.03.01, the professional standard "Teacher," FSES for Preschool Education, and the Federal State Educational Program for Preschool Education. The relevance is determined by state policy: the year 2026 has been declared the Year of Preschool Education. According to Rosstat (form No. 85-K for 2025), more than 1 million children under the age of three attend preschool institutions, and over 266,000 places for early-aged children have been created in the last five years, which intensifies the need for practice-oriented personnel. The focus is on the graduation stage, integrating learning and the student's systematic participation in the work of a specific preschool organization. The methodological foundation consists of competency-based and systematic approaches. The methods employed included the analysis of regulatory documents and scientific literature, modeling of practice-integration trajectories, experimental work, participant observation, expert evaluation, and surveys. The scientific novelty lies in highlighting the adaptive-practical component of the professional competence of future educators, ensuring a quick entry into the real labor process, conscious application of theoretical knowledge, and flexible responses to typical and non-standard professional situations. The formation of this component is carried out through mentorship by experienced educators, systematic pedagogical practice in the final year based in the same preschool institution, and the completion of a final qualification work, the topic of which arises from the needs of that kindergarten. The author concludes that the practice-integration model reduces the period of professional adaptation, enhances the methodological, communicative, and organizational readiness of graduates, and fosters a stable motivation for working in preschool education. The combination of final training with immersion in the work of the kindergarten makes practice a system-forming element in the formation of teachers and ensures that graduates’ competencies meet the demands of employers and state priorities.