Exploration of Pedagogical Staff Readiness for Professional Transformation: Analysis of Synchronous Online Focus Group (SOFG) Study Results
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26437/ajar.v10i1.711Keywords:
Pedagogic. readiness. stages. teacher. transformationAbstract
Purpose: In the face of contemporary challenges within the socio-social spheres globally, particularly within educational systems, the professional transformation of pedagogical (scientific-pedagogical) staff is paramount. Therefore, this research explores this professional category's readiness for change, a significant relevance and impact topic.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The research design included a focus group survey to explore the views and experiences of educators on critical aspects of professional transformation. Focus group participants discussed motivation, skills, resources, and barriers in the context of implementing the New Ukrainian School (NUS) reform. The sample size was 718 people. The selection procedure involved forming groups comprised of individuals from diverse segments of the educational system, including primary and secondary school teachers. The focus group participants were selected based on the principle of strategic selection to ensure a diversity of opinions and experiences among educators at different levels. The focus group discussions were structured around open-ended inquiries and key themes, facilitating comprehensive responses and enriching the analysis with valuable insights. The results were analysed through thematic coding and grouping participants' responses by key aspects of professional transformation. Considering the focus group discussions, different views and experiences of educators were compared and analysed.
Findings: The study's results underscore a significant aspect of the research, indicating a high level of educators' motivation for change, readiness for self-improvement, and openness to embracing updated educational values. These findings hold the potential to impact the field of pedagogy significantly.
Research Limitation/Implications: It was noted that focus groups, as an effective method of scientific research, require clear objectives, identification of participants and moderators, development of guides and scenarios, testing of questions and scenarios, consideration of threats, and provision of accurate instructions.
Social Implication: This improves teachers' professional competence and mastery of modern pedagogical methods and technologies. The level of readiness of teaching staff for transformation can also have a positive impact on the development of the educational system, stimulating innovation and the improvement of curricula.
Practical Implication: This facilitates the development of professional development programmes that consider teachers' specific needs and provide them with the necessary skills and resources to implement innovations in the classroom successfully.
Originality/ Value: This study's novelty is that it confirms the assumptions about teachers' readiness for professional transformation, which have been clarified and supplemented by the central concept.
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