Implementation strategies for continuing teacher education: regional models

Abstract

The article reviews strategies of Continuing Teacher Education (CTE) based on the comparative typological study of regional models in relation to the succession of teachers’ professional development. Six Russian universities were sampled for this study: Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University named after K. D. Ushinsky, Minin Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University, Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, Tomsk State Pedagogical University, Shukshin Altai State University for Humanities and Pedagogy. Comparative analysis of best practices in the regions was based on the following criteria: mission, strategic goals/objectives of a university; pre-professional teacher education; non-university level higher education; higher education; postgraduate level. Taking into consideration typologies covered by the scientific discourse, the authors classify existing strategies of continuing teacher education as follows: traditional (conventional) strategies (fundamental nature of education, integration, humanization and axiologization of education, professional and personal development strategies for teachers) including certain updates of traditional strategies (collaboration/cooperation/partnership strategies) and innovation strategies (digitalization (digital transformation), foresight strategies). These types of strategies were profiled as follows: traditional strategies of continuing teacher education involve a step-by-step approach at predetermined intervals for each level of the education system; these are predictable and long-term; goal setting is aimed at effective performance; innovation strategies of continuing teacher education feature educational ecosystems that are versatile, collaborative, purposeful, advance-focused, predictability, and continuous support of professional and personal self-determination and self-development