Conceptual principles of teachers’ professional growth: implementation prospects

Abstract

The article addresses the problem of modernizing the system of professional growth of teaching staff iin Ukraine, which gains particular importance in the context of implementing the “New Ukrainian School” reform and wartime challenges. It is emphasized that existing models of training, advanced training, and teacher support remain fragmented, inconsistent, and insufficiently effective for ensuring the quality of education and overcoming the current personnel shortage. The lack of unified approaches that would combine entry into the profession, career development, and professional support hinders the formation of high-quality staffing potential.
The aim of the article is to theoretically substantiate conceptual approaches to updating the system of teachers’ professional growth in five key directions, which form the basis of the draft “Conceptual Principles of Continuous Professional Growth of Teaching Staff of General Secondary Education Institutions” (2025).
The methodological basis of the work consists of: a system analysis of legal and regulatory documents; statistical analysis of data from international and national monitoring studies; systematisation of scientific approaches and concepts.
A model of professional growth covering five directions has been substantiated. In the field of training, synchronization of higher education standards with Teachers’s professional standard, increasing the volume of practical training, and introducing dual education are proposed. Regarding entry into the profession, mechanisms for effective pedagogical internship and alternative pathways to teaching for persons with non-pedagogical education through one-year programs are defined. Within the career trajectory, a gradual replacement of attestation with voluntary certification is envisaged for the transition to new vertical levels (from beginner teacher to expert teacher) and the formalization of horizontal roles
(mentor, supervisor). Professional development is based on creating a unified digital platform, recognizing micro-credentials, and financing according to the “money follows the teacher” model. The system of professional support focuses on scaling up the use of supervision and the development of professional communities.
It is concluded that the proposed model forms a unified logic of teacher development, where all stages are integral components of state policy. The comprehensive implementation of these approaches, subject to proper financial provision and increasing the social status of the teacher, will allow creating a sustainable professional community capable of effectively responding to educational challenges and ensuring high quality of learning.