Transformation of teachers’ professional functions in the modern Ukrainian education system

Abstract

In the development of both global and national education, a significant reevaluation of teachers’ professional functions is underway, leading to their transformation. This process is primarily driven by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the military aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine, the digital transformation of school education, and the ongoing reform of the Ukrainian educational system. Consequently, the professional roles of modern teachers are also evolving in line with these changing functions.
The article examines the transformational processes in the structure of teachers’ professional functions in response to global and national challenges, within the contemporary context of the Ukrainian
education system.
Main findings. Six groups of teachers’ professional functions that have been transformed or newlyemerged are identified. The first group includes functions influenced by the current context of the national education system under martial law: ensuring an inclusive and safe learning environment; providing psychological support and fostering resilience among participants in the educational process; compensating for learning losses and addressing the educational needs of students affected by war, displacement, or the pandemic; engaging with children abroad to preserve their national identity; and recognizing learning outcomes. The second group consists of the professional digital functions of a modern teacher: shaping
digital culture and healthy digital skills; teaching safety in the virtual world; modeling the digital world as a learning tool; using digital tools for personalized learning. The third group of functions relates to communication. A new function involves using social media to support learning, facilitate communication, and manage relationships with students and their parents or guardians. The use of artificial intelligence technologies in education has also influenced the nature of interaction among participants in the educational process, particularly between teachers and students, and has contributed to the emergence of new professional functions of teachers, which constitute the fourth group. The fifth group of teachers’ professional functions reflects the implementation of educational reforms. The functions of the sixth group have also undergone transformations and are associated with teachers’ professional development, resilience,
initiative, and ability to engage in lifelong learning.
Conclusions. The transformation of teachers’ professional functions under social challenges, new educational policies and reforms, and digitalization demonstrates the teacher’s adaptability, resilience, and capacity to ensure continuity and modernization of the educational process.