MODERN TRENDS OF CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF ACADEMIC STAFF IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

The article is devoted to modern trends of continuing professional development of academic staff in higher education institutions. The continuing professional development of an academic staff as a process of acquiring of new and improving the existing professional competencies is determined. Based on the analysis of strategic documents of the European Higher Education Area, modern trends of educating and teaching in higher education are described, according to them, directions of continuous professional development of an academic staff are determined. These areas include: development of a facilitator qualities, a coach, a moderator, a tutor, change of the authoritarian role of a teacher to a softer pedagogical support in a student-centered model of educating and teaching; improvement of foreign and intercultural competence to implement internationalization of higher education; development of own research competence and research methods usage as well as modes in conditions of organizing an educational process at university on the basis of scientific researches for the development of students’ critical thinking and reflexive analysis; developing the ability to adapt educational goals to a high-tech and mobile educational environment and creating a psychologically safe educational environment; development of some new electronic educational tools, as well as the experience of using the tools, methods and technologies of e-learning in the educational process of higher education institution.