Psychological and Pedagogical Foundations for Developing Moral and Ethical Education in Primary School Students Through Fairy Tales

The article investigates the psychological and pedagogical principles that underlie the formation of moral and ethical values in primary school students by means of fairy-tale narratives. Drawing upon cultural-historical psychology, narrative theory and contemporary empirical studies, the research combines qualitative content analysis of 127 folk and literary fairy tales with an experimental intervention conducted in three Uzbek primary schools (N = 186). The findings reveal that carefully curated fairy-tale instruction, when aligned with developmental stages and supported by dialogic reflection, significantly enhances pupils’ internalisation of prosocial norms such as honesty, courage and empathy. The study offers a model that integrates value-laden narrative structures, age-appropriate discussion protocols and formative assessment tools, thereby meeting the Higher Attestation Commission’s competency-based standards for moral education.