Pilot implementation of an authorized computer game as a means of forming research competence in children of senior preschool age

The article reveals the scientific-theoretical and applied principles of the formation of research competence of children of senior preschool age in the context of the digitalization of modern education. It is substantiated that research competence is a component of the cognitive sphere of a child, which includes the ability to ask questions, put forward hypotheses, plan and conduct simple experiments, and analyze results. The importance of early development of research skills for the formation of critical thinking, independence and curiosity of a child in the conditions of rapid transformation of the educational environment is emphasized.The study presents pedagogical conditions that ensure the effectiveness of the formation of research competence: the integration of ICT into the content of educational and cognitive activities, the use of game and virtual methods, and the improvement of digital literacy of teachers. The central element of the study is the development and experimental implementation of the author's computer game «Children's Laboratory», which models situations of researching natural phenomena in a virtual environment, in particular, the properties of water. The game provides the child with the opportunity to conduct observations, experiments, and formulate conclusions independently or in collaboration with the teacher, based on the game plot, animation support, and visual prompts.The research methodology includes a theoretical analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, a questionnaire survey of teachers, diagnostics of the levels of development of research competence in children, and a pedagogical experiment. A total of 270 preschool children and 30 educators from the Cherkasy and Ivano-Frankivsk regions were involved in the participation. The results showed a significant increase in the level of research competence in children in the experimental group compared to the control group.Considerable attention was also paid to the professional development of educators, in particular, the formation of their IR competence through the creation of a virtual educational environment, which includes methodological recommendations, video instructions, and templates for research activities. The introduction of digital solutions contributed not only to the improvement of pedagogical interaction, but also to the growth of children's motivation for cognitive activity.It has been established that the integration of digital tools, in particular the author's computer game, into the educational process contributes to the effective formation of research competence of children of senior preschool age, activates their cognitive activity and allows for the implementation of a personally oriented approach in the conditions of digital transformation of preschool education.