PSYCHOLOGICAL-PEDAGOGICAL BASIS OF DEVELOPING INTEREST IN PROFESSIONALISM IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 82 PSYCHOLOGICAL-PEDAGOGICAL BASIS OF DEVELOPING INTEREST IN PROFESSIONALISM IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN G.E. Gazibekova1, N.T. Khodzhimatova2, N.Sh. Gaziyeva3, D.Sh. Isabekova4 Angren University “Pedagogy and Psychology” senior teachers of the department1,2,3,4 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17936541 Abstract. This article explores the psychological and pedagogical foundations of developing career interest in older preschool children. It presents effective methods for expanding children’s understanding of various professions through role-playing games, didactic activities, observation, constructive tasks, and digital technologies. The study analyzes age-related psychological characteristics, the formation of interest and motivation, and the requirements for labor education outlined in the “Ilk qadam” curriculum. The article aims to foster a positive attitude toward work and to develop early skills that serve as a foundation for future career choice. Keywords: preschool education, career interest, pedagogical process, psychological features, “Ilk Qadam” program, motivation, play activity, learner-centered approach, early career orientation, social skills. INTRODUCTION The psychological and pedagogical foundations of the development of interest in the profession are based on the characteristics of the development of older preschool children. During this period, the figurative nature of thinking increases, the need to master social roles increases, the question “Who am I?” is formed. The child begins to understand the essence of labor, can distinguish between the goal and the result. Pedagogical and psychological characteristics are manifested through the following factors in connection with each other: Person-oriented approach - Didactic approach Integrated education - Stimulation of activity and independence Formation of interest and motivation - Imitative activity Development of memory, attention and imagination - Formation of social skills The psychological and pedagogical foundations of the development of interest in the profession are based on the following. Features of the development of older preschool children.. The figurative and formal nature of thinking increases.. The need to master social roles increases he concept of “I” is formed, "who will I be when I grow up?" interest in the question arises.. Understanding the essence of labor activity begins (performance of work, goal, result). Pedagogical feature Psychological feature Person-oriented approach Didactic approach Integrated education Encouragement of activity and independence Formation of interest and motivation Imitative activity (role-playing) Development of memory, attention and imagination Development of social skills SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 83 Person-oriented approach - A person-oriented approach is the focus of the educator on the integral personality of the child, his attention not only to the development of intellectual abilities and a sense of civic responsibility, but also to the development of a spiritual person with emotional, aesthetic, creative inclinations and development opportunities. Such recognition of the main value of education is the unique formation of the personality. We must give each child the right to choose their own development path based on the identification of their characteristics, life values, aspirations. Didactic approach The content and purpose of the didactic approach is an activity that is aimed at giving children certain knowledge and skills, developing their mental abilities. Didactic games develop children's perceptual abilities, serve to develop the process of perceiving the environment Integrated education Integrated education is understood as a pedagogical phenomenon of integration, as a process and result of the interpenetration, interdependence and synthesis of various knowledge, methods and types of activity. Such a process, of course, implies consistency in the content of education across different modules, as well as the selection of teaching forms, methods and means determined by the general goals of education. Formation of interest and motivation Stimulating activity and independence Stimulating activity and independence is an educational approach that encourages the student to think independently, take the initiative and actively participate, contributing to his personal development and the formation of selfmanagement skills.. Formation of interest and motivation The formation of interest and motivation are important factors determining a person's active attitude to the world around him. Interest means a pleasant attitude towards a certain object or phenomenon Motivation is an internal force that encourages action to achieve a goal. Their formation depends on various factors, and education, upbringing and the environment play an important role. Development of memory, attention and imagination Development of memory, attention and imagination in students The development of memory, attention and imagination in students is one of the important areas of the formation and development of mental activity in preschool children. These mental processes form the foundation for a child's ability to read, learn, remember, develop speech, and think creatively. SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 84 Development of social skills The development of social skills is the process of forming important social behaviors in children, such as living in society, communicating, acting cooperatively, behaving, and adhering to social rules and norms of etiquette. The mechanism of formation of interest in the profession. Interest based on imitation and social example. Modeling professions through the game. And in the process of gaining practical experience, it is stabilized. Motivation is strengthened through stimulation. Pedagogical forms, methods and means of developing interest in the profession, game activities, plot-role-playing games ("Hospital", "Construction site", "Shop", "Airport"). Didactic games ("Find a profession", "Who does what?", "Separate professions"), construction games - ideas about professions are enriched through construction, technical modeling. Observation of the activities of professionals (gardener, cook, driver, doctor) is reflected in preschool educational game-based educational activities. According to the "First Step" program of the preschool educational organization, students in each age group should acquire the following knowledge and ideas about adult labor: Small group: 1) the labor process of certain professions; 2) labor movements in the labor process; 3) the material necessary for the implementation of the labor process; 4) equipment for performing a certain labor process; 5) the result of labor; 6) the social significance of human labor, etc. In the middle group, additional ideas and knowledge about work are given: including; 1) about the quality of movement; 2) about devices that facilitate a person's work; 3) about people's love of work. In the senior and preschool preparatory groups, new ideas and knowledge are given: 1) about machines and mechanisms that facilitate human labor; 2) about the collective nature of human labor; 3) about the mutual relations of people in the process of collective labor; 4) about labor heroes, folk labor traditions. Career guidance is a purposeful activity that helps young people choose a profession in accordance with their interests, abilities, and the needs of society for various professions. It is formed on the basis of the unity of interdisciplinary developing theory and practice and is carried out in the educational process. The main role in this is played by theory. That is, on the basis of a certain theory, one or another idea is formed, which turns practical work into scientific and practical work. Theory is formed as quickly as activity. and develops over the years. As a result of observation and research, theory is formed and serves to summarize the main activity. Career guidance theory is a set of various views, ideas, and concepts aimed at effectively organizing career guidance activities. It is a form of organizing scientific knowledge that provides a complete picture of the laws of the relationship between the two processes, directing young people to professions that are necessary for society and that correspond to their personal interests, abilities, and talents. METHODOLOGY. The person-centered approach is considered a pedagogical process that allows the child to choose an individual path of development. The didactic approach provides SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 85 knowledge, skills and intellectual development. Integrated education is carried out in harmony with various types of knowledge and activities. The components of the theory of career guidance include: evidence, laws and principles. Since there is very little reliable evidence based on scientific methods in career guidance, important tasks in this area are carried out by collecting new evidence, using one or more hypotheses. For example, each region has its own factors that influence young people's choice of a particular profession. The second component of the theory of career guidance is regularities. Knowledge of regularities is the basis of scientific research. The discovered regularities express with a certain accuracy, in the special language of science, the interconnection of the concept of career guidance with concepts related to other disciplines. The level of development of each theory is determined by the composition and quality of the existing principles underlying the activity. When determining the principles of career guidance, attention is paid to the following: - awareness; - compatibility (the correspondence of the laws of personal interests with the needs of professions necessary for society); - activity in choosing a profession; - development (this principle reflects the idea that the profession should serve the development of the individual). The theory of career guidance suggests that success in choosing a career is related to the alignment of a person's abilities, interests, character, and temperament with the requirements set for a specialist by the profession. Accordingly, the following factors are the basis for a person's correct choice of a profession: 1)Individual characteristics, abilities, capabilities, interests of a person; 2) Requirements and characteristics of the profession for a person; 3) Interdependence of the first and second factors. If we approach human abilities from the point of view of professional self-determination, they appear as important professional characteristics that determine professional suitability. In this case, professional suitability can be viewed as a set of psychological and physiological characteristics that are sufficient and necessary for a person to achieve socially acceptable performance in a certain profession. Therefore, when we shape the interests of older preschool children, we must take into account their current circumstances, capabilities, abilities, and interests. In the field of cognitive neuroscience, it is believed that a person's predisposition to a particular profession depends on which of the cerebral hemispheres is more active than the other, that is, which is dominant. Based on this, when teaching children, a profession, attention should be paid to the following distinguishing features observed in people of the dominant "right hemisphere", "left hemisphere" and "mixed" types: Since left-brainers are characterized by rational-specific thinking, they are more inclined to perform analytical, classification, abstract, algorithmic, and inductive operations. They are more communicative and active people than others, since they prefer to work with problems in analysis and solve problems logically. When directing preschool children to a profession, it is necessary to take into account that people whose left cerebral hemispheres are the basis can successfully master theoretical areas such as engineering, mathematics, logic and philosophy, linguistics, and actively adapt to them socially and professionally. Therefore, it is advisable for people with a dominant left SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 86 hemisphere to choose professions related to speech, logical thinking, and analysis of processes and situations. They tend to look for concrete evidence in the process of their activities, draw conclusions based on this evidence, and put forward new ideas. It is worth noting that a person’s education and upbringing depend on the left hemisphere. Right-brained individuals prefer to review information and find solutions to complex problems intuitively. Since the right hemisphere allows them to perceive the world as a whole, figurative thinking is characteristic of such people. Since rightbrained individuals are characterized by figurative-intuitive thinking, they are more likely to display vivid and diverse emotionality, as well as qualities such as visual-spatial modeling and design, and are active in inventing and identifying key ideas. The peculiarity of the thinking strategy of right-brained individuals is that it is advisable to direct them to professions that require a creative approach and creativity in complex situations, internal conflicts, and situations where it is difficult to bring the information into a single context, that is, in activities that require a creative approach and creativity. For this reason, people with a dominant right hemisphere are more likely to succeed in professional activities in the field of art and music. In addition, as leaders and organizers, such individuals prefer to review the information received and follow well-founded rules. People with a mixed hemisphere type use the strategy of the left and right hemispheres depending on the situation. The synchronous operation of both hemispheres allows you to significantly increase the efficiency of the human brain. Because in mixed hemispheres, information analysis is carried out simultaneously using the left and right hemispheres. The advantage is that while the “left hemisphere approach” reflects the accuracy of details and texts, the “right hemisphere approach” plays an important role in social relationships. At the same time, we need to develop both hemispheres in children. Otherwise, the hemisphere that is less involved in work becomes “lazy” and ultimately remains underdeveloped. If both hemispheres are not developed in children from a young age, they may grow up to be “difficult to educate” or “at risk” and, as a result, create various negative problems that are harmful to society. Therefore, when directing preschool children to a profession, it is important to take into account the functional asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres. The wrong choice of profession from a young age can harm their psycho-physical health and make it difficult to integrate into the social environment. Therefore, when directing preschool children to a profession, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth study of their psyche and take into account their individual characteristics and neurological capabilities. We usually introduce preschool-aged children to the skills needed in society. When most children are asked what profession they want to become in the future, they usually choose professions such as teacher, soldier, builder, rescuer, dancer, doctor, pilot. RESULTS. Of course, the goal of early vocational guidance is not to achieve a conscious choice of a profession by a child during preschool education, but to form objective ideas about the types and characteristics of professions in them. In particular, it forms a positive attitude towards the world of professions and labor in children; it creates a desire to constantly and consistently engage in age-appropriate work to the best of their ability. The main direction of early vocational guidance is vocational education, which includes the desire to instill in children an interest in labor and the virtue of hard work. Providing vocational information means familiarizing children with information about the world of professions. In this case, adult supervision and leadership are necessary, and these SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 87 processes are carried out directly by preschool educational organizations. From the perspective of our research, vocational information encompasses information about professions that are tailored to the different types of preschool educational organization's students, divided into different categories based on their age and interests. A distinctive feature of preschool age is the connection of children's labor with play, and work carried out through play increases children's interest in professions. The actions performed in the process of special didactic games in a preschool educational organization often reflect the process of interest in a particular labor and profession. Labor and play differ from each other in their specific characteristics, content, and reason for their occurrence. In labor, a goal is set, conditions are created for its implementation and achievement of results, and means are sought. In play, children imitate the labor activities of adults. Children spend a lot of their time playing. Consequently, play is the main means of forming ideas about adult professions in older preschool children. The main type of play through which older preschool children are directly introduced to adult professions is role-playing. It is in the senior group of a preschool educational organization that a real, meaningful, and rich role-playing game unfolds. Here, they create an imaginary situation, assume roles, and become the adults around them, performing them in a play environment they have created. In preschool education, older children in professional games not only express labor actions, but also repeat adult relationships. Therefore, knowledge about adult work should occupy one of the leading places in the educational work of kindergarten. In addition, introducing children to the work of adults and individual professions should be carried out not at the level of separate tasks, but as a holistic organic process. The professional orientation of preschool children is a broad field of activity for educators and psychologists, a new and unexplored area of preschool pedagogy. Acquaintance with the work of adults and the world around them In preschool age, children learn various professions through fairy tales, communication with adults and the media. Depending on the abilities, psychological characteristics of temperament and character, upbringing of the child and instilling in him the value of labor, a system of knowledge about professions, interests and attitudes towards certain types of activity is formed in children. Work on the formation of preschool children's ideas about the world of professions is based on general didactic principles: - convenience (taking into account the age characteristics of children; adapting the material to their age); - systematic and consistent (continuous delivery of material from simple to complex; frequent repetition of learned rules and norms); - visibility (taking into account the specifics of thinking); - dynamism (integration into various types of activities); - differentiation (taking into account age and individual characteristics). –creating favorable conditions for mastering norms and rules. It is necessary to seriously prepare the child for the choice of his future profession. He should know who his parents or grandparents worked for, acquaint him with the specifics of various professions, the requirements they place on a person, and be interested in who he wants to be when he grows up. The more information a child absorbs and the more diverse and rich it is, the easier it will be to make the decisive choice that will determine his life in the future. Everything in a person begins with childhood, including the professional direction. The early start of preparing a child for the choice of a future profession, according to parents, is not to impose on the child SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 88 who he should be, but to introduce the child to various types of labor, to make it easier for him to work. independent choice in the future. It is necessary to develop his self-confidence by supporting his initiatives in creativity, sports, technology, etc. The more different skills and abilities a child acquires in childhood, the better he will know and assess his capabilities at an older age. According to the Russian scientist Ye.A. Klimov, who conducted research on career guidance, psychological readiness for work should be carried out in two directions: in the family and in an educational institution: psychological readiness (within the framework of motivation); and psychological readiness (in the operational framework, i.e. through efforts). In order to emotionally and emotionally direct a child to an interest in a profession, it is first necessary to create appropriate motives in him. Motives for work are: 1) a set of various reasons that encourage a child to pursue a profession or perform a specific professional activity; 2) a child's inclination to activities related to satisfying his interest in the profession. Readiness in the context of motivation is manifested in a person's readiness to work, the need to work, understanding the social significance of work, treating any type of work with equal respect, having a positive attitude towards them (feeling the joy of work), readiness to choose a profession, demanding approach to the results of their work, feeling responsible, determination and responsibility in achieving the goal, and initiative in work. In the operational sphere, that is, preparation through efforts, includes having sufficient knowledge about the world of professions in demand in the region where one lives, having general labor skills and qualifications, being accustomed to work, knowing what one's preferred career path is, being ready to rationally develop labor skills and qualifications, knowing the positive and negative impact of one's chosen profession on human health and lifestyle, being able to engage in this type of work for a certain period of time and produce the intended product, being able to imagine a difficult, diverse work process, having the skills to plan and control one's labor operations, having the concept of labor discipline, knowing what labor culture is (being able to control the rhythm, pace, speed of work, etc.), being able to work in a team, knowing the tools and equipment of labor, how much time one can complete it, and being able to determine one's share in the total labor. DISCUSSION. The analysis of the results shows that the formation of interest in the profession occurs through game activities, imitation, realistic observation and stimulation. A person-centered approach allows you to correctly identify the abilities of children. Digital technologies, on the other hand, show professions in a more accurate, understandable and interesting way. The process of choosing a profession by a child is determined by psychological, pedagogical and social factors. Timely and correctly directed professional education creates the foundation for future professional success. In older preschool children, the content of professional play activities is diverse and the opportunities for comprehensive development are expanded. Professional play helps to develop imagination, deepen knowledge about the surrounding reality, people's work, and form the social qualities of a person. Methods for the formation of communicative competence in children in the direction of interest in professions are divided into two groups: 1) methods aimed at supplementing the content of children's speech about the world of professions, increasing and strengthening their vocabulary, 2) methods for developing its substantive aspect. The first group of methods: SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 89 a) direct introduction of children to the world of professions and enrichment of their vocabulary: studying and enriching the content of classes, equipping MTT rooms at the required level, targeted excursions; b) direct introduction to the world of professions and enrichment of their vocabulary: includes studying unfamiliar pictures, reading works of art, watching specially selected videos, film and video discs, and television programs. The structure of professions developed by E.A. Klimov is also widespread. 15 According to the object of labor, 5 types of professions are distinguished. 1. Man - nature (T). Representatives of this type work with plant and animal microorganisms and their living conditions. For example, a fruit and vegetable grower, agronomist, zootechnician, veterinarian, microbiologist. 2. Man - technology (T). Workers work with inanimate technical objects of labor. For example, a technician, mechanic, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, technical technologist, etc. 3. Man - human (I) this implies working with social systems, moral groups, people of different ages. For example, a food seller, hairdresser, doctor, teacher, etc. 4. Man - sign system. Natural and artificial languages, conventional signs, symbols, numbers, formulas are the world of objects of interest to representatives of this type of profession, etc. For example, a programmer, a draftsman - cartographer, mathematician, linguist, publishing editor. 5. Man is an artistic image (B). Evidence of artistic reflection of phenomena - these are the things that interest representatives of this profession. For example, a decorator-artist, a restorerartist, a tuner of musical instruments, a ballet artist, a concert performer, an actor, etc. These five professions are divided into 3 classes according to the purpose. 1. Gnostic professions (G) (from the ancient Greek "gnosis" - knowledge); 2. Transformative professions; 3. Search professions; According to the main tools of labor, 4 types of knowledge can be distinguished within each class. 1. Manual labor professions; 2. Machine manual labor; 3. Professions associated with the use of automation and automatic systems; 4. Professions associated with functional tools. Since all people have different abilities and levels of suitability for a profession, this factor is important in guiding them to choose a profession. A person's individual abilities may not match the chosen profession. Therefore, in choosing a profession and guiding a person to a profession, four levels of suitability for a particular profession are distinguished: 1. Unsuitability for a specific profession. Some professions place high demands on human health. Such professions can aggravate the condition of people with health deficiencies. If medical requirements are not met when choosing a profession, this can lead to irreparable harm in the future. Unsuitability for a specific profession can also be associated with the individual characteristics of the person. 2. Suitability for a specific profession. In this case, neither contraindications nor recommendations on suitability are given to a person for working in a particular professional field. SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 90 3. Suitability for a specific profession. A person has some important professional qualities, even if there are no contraindications to engaging in a particular professional activity. At the same time, he can achieve certain goals in other professions. 4. Talent for a specific profession. This is a high level of a person's suitability for a profession, which distinguishes him among his peers with certain abilities, and it is precisely these abilities that make him significant for the chosen profession. At the same time, deciding whether a person is suitable or unsuitable for a certain narrow specialty for life is a very critical problem, because a person is formed and develops throughout life. Professional suitability is not given to a person for life, because the abilities necessary for a particular profession develop precisely in the process of professional activity. A person has the ability to adapt to different conditions, that is, professional adaptation, therefore almost every healthy person can perform various professional activities. Alison Doyle, a job search expert at The Balance Careers magazine and founder of CareerToolBelt.com, has listed the 15 most desired careers for kids. These are: 1. Dancer 2) Actor 3) Musician 4) Teacher 5) Scientist 6) Professional Athlete 7) Rescuer 8) Detective 9) Writer 10) Police Officer 11) Astronaut 12) Pilot 13) Veterinarian 14) Lawyer 15) Doctor It is clear from this that most school-aged children want to become professionals in the above professions. However, we must guide children towards these professions, taking into account their aptitude, abilities, and potential for this profession. CONCLUSION. The process of developing interest in a profession in preschool children is a complex, but extremely important pedagogical and psychological direction. As the study revealed, the formation of interest in a profession is closely related, first of all, to the child's agespecific developmental characteristics - imagination, thinking, understanding of social roles, understanding the essence of labor. Through role-playing games, didactic exercises, constructive activities and observation of adult labor, children's ideas about professions are enriched and a positive attitude towards labor is formed. A person-oriented approach, didactic principles, integrated education and in-depth study of the psychological characteristics of children serve to effectively form professional interest. The results of the study show that the goal of early professional orientation is not to force a child to choose a profession, but to form in him respect for labor, interest in the world of professions and an active attitude. The formation of interest in a profession for preschool children is most effectively carried out through game activities. During play, children model not only labor actions, but also relationships between adults, which helps to