The problem areas hindering the creation of a friendly educational environment at school

Abstract Context and Relevance. The relevance of this study is conditioned by the problem, which consists in the practitioners' demand for the organization of a friendly educational environment — focused on the subject (teacher or child), containing a positive school climate, corresponding to national and cultural peculiarities, providing an opportunity for each child to participate in the educational process and including the possibility of introducing into the educational process innovative and socially oriented practices, including social-pedagogical or inclusive practices; as well as the presence of social factors that impede its creation (bullying, lack of specialists, etc.). Based on the identified problem, an empirical study was conducted in 4 primary schools in the Moscow region to identify problem areas that hinder the creation of a friendly educational environment and to determine the groups of students who need additional support from teachers. Objective. The main goal of the study was to identify problem areas of the process of organizing the educational environment and the group of children who need special conditions for the development of learning and intellectual potential in Grades 1—4 (identification of risk groups). Methods and Materials. The study involved 2300 children aged 6,5 to 10 years, 100 primary school teachers and 2300 parents. The research process was divided into 3 main stages: at the first stage teachers and parents were questioned to obtain primary information, at the second stage children were examined by a neurologist and at the third stage a diagnostic examination was conducted. Results. The conducted research allowed to determine the presence of problem areas in the process of organizing the educational environment. According to the results of questionnaire survey of parents and teachers of primary education 7 problem zones were identified (bullying among pupils, excessive strictness on the part of teachers, lack of specialists (speech therapists, psychologists, tutors), concealment of the child's diagnosis, lack of continuity between educational levels, lack of interaction between teachers and parents, lack of professional assistance for teachers) and risk groups in each age category of children were identified (grades 1—4). After analyzing the obtained results, a work plan for specialists with these children and a plan for school management to address problem areas were developed. Conclusions. The obtained results have shown that the current system of school interaction with children who need special conditions to realize their learning and intellectual potential does not meet all the demands of modern society for a friendly educational environment.