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ANENT THE MODERNIZATION OF UKRAINIAN TEACHERS REFRESHER COURSE SYSTEM
V. P. Lyakhotskiy
At present, the status of the refresher course system for the management and teaching staff of Ukraine's educational institutions as one of the components of postgraduate education is determined by the Ukrainian education legislation. The purpose of refresher training of the management and teaching staff is their acquiring a system of new knowledge and forming skills within the framework of the existing educational and qualification level, resulting in the enhancement of the trainees' professional competence level. Refresher training of educational management and teaching staff in the Ukraine is carried out in a systematic fashion in the following areas: Undergoing courses at teachers' postgraduate higher educational institutions, at advanced training departments of teacher training colleges, carrying out methodic work on the basis of district (city) methodic departments (centers); permanent self-education.
The structure of the Ukrainian refresher training system for educational management and teaching staff is multifunctional and multidivisional. During the period of its existence. it underwent substantial changes and modernization, namely: The principal functions of the abovementioned educational institutions were changed - from the functions of methodic centers (scientific-methodical and coordinating) to the function of III-IV accreditation level educational institutions (educational, scientific and methodical, scientific, coordinating, international). At the present stage of development of this system, it tends to create teacher training universities, colleges and academies in Ukrainian cities and regions for the purpose of refresher training of educational management and teaching staff working in their respective fields.
Such changes introduced in the system of postgraduate education for Ukraine's teaching staff foster the development of the system but leave its problems unsolved. The problems that remain unsolved are the ones connected with the refining of the roles and functions, with the efficiency of the refresher training system, the training of research and teaching staff and the psychological readiness of its members to accept educational innovations and promising teaching experience. This training system lacks its own legal basis and complete regulatory framework that would describe the aims, tasks and functions of postgraduate education in detail. The understaffing of the teaching staff refresher training system and the lack of highly professional training and research staff in that system remains a problem. The standardized (exemplary) job descriptions and curricula for the educational management and teaching staff refresher training have not yet been upgraded, and there are no coursebooks and instruction publications for the refresher courses trainees. For the purpose of solving those and other problems, the scientists from the Ukrainian National Academy of Pedagogical Science determined the ways and methods of adequate modernization of the educational system as a leading factor of social and cultural formation and successful living of a human being, and his or her further
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improvement. Like all humanity, Ukrainian society is influenced by mighty globalization process, quick changes in life conditions and the establishment of research and innovative types of development, by reassessment of axiological reference points and strategies of human existence. Due to these facts, scientific analysis of the status of tendencies and its forecasting, substantiation and projecting of practical measures have reached a public consensus in respect of reforming the sphere of education. That is why a White Book of Ukrainian National Education has been created in the Ukraine on the initiative and with the support of the National Academy of Pedagogical Science.
Let us disclose the principal ways and methods of reforming such a sphere of Ukrainian education as postgraduate pedagogical education, namely: refresher training of educational managing and teaching staff.
Systematic Introduction of Educational Innovation into the Content, Forms and methods of Managing and Teaching Staff - Refresher Training. One of the factors in the improvement of the quality of educational services is the wide-scale utilization of information and communication technologies in the teaching process. Being innovative, these technologies make qualitative alterations to the level of a person's independent work, namely: they extend the volume of information being taught; activate learning and cognitive work; promote the introduction of objective control methods. Such (innovative) teaching systems require the active utilization of multimedia course books and training aids, new forms of training session organization (webinars, discussions, round tables, offsite classes, thematic meetings, etc.), independent work, and new methods of evaluating professional competence levels.
The Development of Onsite and Remote Model of Management and Teaching Educational Staff - Refresher Training. Starting from 2000, an innovative onsite and remote training model was introduced in the Ukrainian postgraduate training higher educational institutions for teaching staff. Its characteristic features are making the Ukrainian system of refresher training nearer to the world standards, and promoting self-realization of every trainee. The model has a modular structure, combining onsite training (up to 10-12 days) with remote training that lasts for 4-6 months. The roles of trainees and instructors undergo a qualitative change in this model. Namely, trainees have an opportunity to exchange experience and discuss actual problems of education, to study at various specialty courses of their choice, to attend training sessions and seminars at the onsite stage of training and to consult, and take part in web conferences, internet forums and chats at the remote stage. The instructors do not just play the role of a lecturer or a leader of a seminar or a training session, but the role of a tutor, rendering various consulting services in the process of teaching through the internet or through an electronic educational program, e.g.: "Prometheus", "Moodle", "Web Class KhPI", "E-Front", etc.).
The Introduction of Competence-Based and Credit-Based Approaches. Creating a Credit-Module Training System (on the basis of European Credit Transfer System) in the Educational Management and Teaching Staff Refresher Training. The Credit-Module training organization system in the educational managing and teaching staff refresher training envisages a distinct definition of the components of professional competence of educational managing and teaching
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staff, diagnosing and monitoring their development; being based on the module training technology and credits, it is one of the state-of-the-art educational innovations. At present, the Statute "On the Introduction of a European Credit Transfer System in Postgraduate Pedagogical Education" is being discussed in all Ukrainian regions. Thereby, at present it is necessary for the Ukrainian educational management and teaching staff refresher training system to develop the Concept of Development of the Educational Management And Teaching Staff Refresher Training, the Law on Postgraduate Education in the Ukraine, the Statute "On Thesis-Based Education at Educational Institutions", and to create a National University of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education with a Unified Center of Electronic Education. The managers of regional education and science management bodies should pay attention to and promote experimental work aimed at the creation and introduction of innovative models of educational management and teaching staff refresher training.
The task facing the managers of the postgraduate pedagogical education institution is to modernize the structure and content of refresher training of teaching staff who belong to various categories in view of their professional competence, and on the basis of principles of various innovative training organization models (credit-module, onsite and remote, individual), to introduce actively educational innovations into the content, forms and methods of training and into the organization of the training process.
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