Supporting Ukrainian VET Teachers’ Competency Development: Online Teacher Training as a Part of Ukrainian VET Reform

Abstract

The landscape of Ukrainian vocational education and training (VET) is changing, as is the new need for VET teachers’ competencies. VET reform in Ukraine aims to improve the quality of VET teaching and change it to a competency-based system. Ukraine’s VET education has been criticized for its old-fashioned methods, content that does not meet the needs of the labor market and outdated teaching methods. Poor VET teacher training has been seen as part of the reason for this. This study aimed to improve VET teachers’ competencies in connection with vocational education reform. First, it determined the current state and needs of VET teachers’ competencies through a literature review and survey. Second, the aim was to improve VET teachers’ competencies to support Ukraine’s VET reform. The study defined a VET teacher competency framework and used it to create training programs for Ukrainian teacher trainers and VET teachers