THE IMAGE OF AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION AS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF ENSURING THE QUALITY OF PRESCHOOL EDUCATION

Abstract

The purpose of the scientific article is to provide a theoretical substantiation of the image of an educational institution as a multidimensional socio-pedagogical phenomenon and to determine its role in ensuring the quality of preschool education under modern educational transformations. The study emphasizes the relationship between a positive image of a preschool institution, the level of trust from parents, the professional reputation of teaching staff, and the effectiveness of the educational process. Special attention is paid to the image as a strategic resource that influences public perception and sustainable development of preschool education institutions. The methodological framework of the research is based on systemic, competence-based, and axiological approaches, which made it possible to consider the image of an educational institution as an integral system of internal and external characteristics. A set of general scientific and special research methods was used, including analysis and synthesis of scientific literature, comparison, generalization, structural and functional analysis, and pedagogical forecasting. The analysis of regulatory and legal documents in the field of preschool education allowed determining the role of image policy in ensuring the quality of educational services. The scientific novelty of the study lies in clarifying the concept of the “image of a preschool education institution” as an integrative characteristic that combines organizational culture, professional competence of the teaching staff, communicative openness, and social responsibility. The structural components of the preschool institution’s image (managerial, pedagogical, communicative, and visual-informational) are substantiated, and their influence on creating a positive educational environment and improving the quality of preschool education is theoretically proven. The research results demonstrate that the image of an educational institution is an important tool for ensuring the quality of preschool education, as it contributes to increasing the competitiveness of the institution, establishing partnership relations with parents and the community, and creating a favorable psychological climate. It is concluded that purposeful formation of a positive image should be an integral part of strategic management of preschool education institutions and should be focused on long-term development and compliance with modern quality requirements of educational services.