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INTRODUCTION

The problem of professional self-improvement and development is the object of active research in the educational world, using the terms: teacher development, professional development, professional self-development, continuing education, lifelong learning, and others (Hager Paul., 1998; Mulder M., 2016). Researching methodological, theoretical, practical bases of optimization of teachers’ professional development, in particular their self-development as bases of lifelong training, literature sources concerning the most actual problems, as well as general strategic tendencies and directions of development of the teacher’s professional competence in Ukraine, technological schemes were analyzed, as well as practical conditions for their implementation. It was important to define how the problems of continuing vocational education and professional, personal development in its context are realized at different levels of formation of the system of pedagogical activity and in specific forms of the educational process at the stage of transition to competency-based education technologies. The transition period to the new educational standards is quite complicated because it is about changing the formula of educational activities, the relationship of participants of the pedagogical process, and the focus on other educational, life values.

In the monograph «Higher Education in Ukraine in the Context of Globalization of Society» V. Oliynyk, O. Otych (V. Oliynyk, O. Otych, 2015) emphasized the importance of self-development, teachers’ self-improvement in the system of postgraduate education as a factor of ensuring its continuity: «To ensure the quality of human capital in Ukraine it is necessary to pay more attention to the formation of specialists self-improvement competence, which is associated with the establishment in the society the idea of continuing education and the rapid development of adult education as an important component of lifelong learning».

METHODOLOGY

The problem of professional self-improvement and self-development, professional positions, improving the teacher’s professional competence is complex and multifaceted, that’s why different fields, forms, and methods of personal professional development were the subject of scientific research domestic (I. Dychkovska, 2015), (L. Zyazyun, 2006), (S. Sysoeva, 2000), (V. Semichenko, 2001), etc.) as well as foreign scholars of Humanistic Psychology (A. Maslow, 1994), (K. Rogers, 2002), foreign theories of personal development and competence approach (Omarova Yessen B., 2016), (Parry S.B., 1991), (Spencer L.M., Spencer S.M., 1993) and others.

The analysis of the above-mentioned documents on education, scientific works on teachers’ professional readiness for the announced reforms in the education system, made it possible to identify particularly relevant problems, among them:

- conservative pedagogical community, insufficient level of readiness for productive self-development;

- insufficient level of formation of the motivational basis for the teacher’s professional growth, lack of relevant information and methodological tools;

- lack of mobile diagnostic tools to control the quality of teachers’ professional activities substantively, taking into account its results to determine the status positions of everyone in the system;

- insufficient level of efficiency, mobility of the system of postgraduate education, focused on continuity, motivation for professional, personal self-development of the teacher.

The purpose of the article is to theoretically substantiate some aspects of the professional and pedagogical self-development of higher education teachers, their readiness for continuing professional self-improvement and identify teachers’ attitudes to their professional activities and the desire to upgrade their level of professional development, improvement.

The objectives of the research: theoretically substantiate the scientific solution for the researched problem; determine the criteria, indicators, and levels of readiness for professional self-improvement of teachers of higher education, diagnose teachers’ attitude to professional activities and the desire to improve their professional level, self-improvement, mastery of methods of objective self-assessment of their professional activities.

By the outlined tasks and goals, a set of research methods was used: analysis and generalization of educational and methodological literature to substantiate thesis from domestic and foreign works, theoretical and methodological principles of research, and characteristics of the conceptual and terminological apparatus. We also used questionnaires to collect information on the levels and characteristics of teachers’ readiness for professional self-improvement in the process of getting higher education.Ukrainian scientists point to the radical reforms of the educational sphere related to rethinking the formula of educational activity, the conditions for ensuring its continuity, respectively, teachers’ functions in the system of innovative education at the present stage of its development. Thus, I.Zyazun (2000, p.9) argues that «the most important goals of creating a system of continuing education are: first, specialists’ creative activity, the ability to flexibly reorient it according to changes in the system of social and cultural institutions of modern society focused on human values; secondly, the formation of personal qualities, which determine not only his/her only professional characteristics, but also a way of thinking, culture level, intellectual development».

Analysis of literature on the modernization of pedagogical education at all levels, including postgraduate, makes it possible to focus on its most significant trends (Latin “tendential”, from tendo - aspire, direct). Researcher V. Maslov (2012) defines the trend as a «generalizing concept that embodies significant constant contradictions, conditions, factors, etc., which are systematic and have a significant impact on the quality of the system as a whole and its structural components''. The author notes that a trend is a form of manifestation of laws that have no other reality at all but are reflected in an approximate form, in the trend. The generalization of the authors' positions (Maslov V.I, Bodnar O.S., Gorash K.V., 2012) made it possible to identify general trends in the modernization of education, most related to the problems of the teachers’ professional and pedagogical self-development:

- the tendency to fundamentalization, integration, the integrity of the continuing education process;

- the tendency to informatization of education;

- the tendency to provide personal-oriented education, etc.

The adaptation of these trends to the content and technological features of postgraduate education indicates the importance of ensuring the teachers become subjects of their professional development, in particular:

- development of professional competence of each teacher based on modernization of existing experience of professional activity and growth, formed "I-concept" in the process of professional formation, self-development, integration of personal, professional, life spheres;

- ensuring the permanent development based on the integration of personal and professional, the formation of the teacher's personality as a subject of his/her professional growth, the realization of existing potential.

The outlined views completely correlate with European educational standards, the process of organizing teachers’ professional training. Based on the comparison of foreign and domestic experience in the field of teachers’ professional development, the following characteristics are presented: teachers’ professional development is based on constructivism, so teachers are the subjects of active learning; professional development is a process taking place within a certain context. Therefore, the most effective form of professional development is the daily activities of a high school teacher. This process is connected with educational reforms, as it accumulates a process of cultural formation, not just providing teachers with new skills to implement curricula. Educators are reflective practitioners starting their work with a certain knowledge base acquiring new knowledge and experience, «accumulating» them on the previous background.

Thus, the importance and functions of teachers’ professional self-improvement mean creating favorable conditions for professional, personal development, i.e. to help teachers create and implement personality-oriented pedagogical methods and technologies and increase their real readiness for innovative pedagogical activities.

RESULTS

Teachers' readiness for professional self-improvement is a multifaceted personal-professional formation, the structure of which can be represented as the unity of functionally interconnected components: motivational-value, organizational-activity; emotional-volitional; information-cognitive, reflexive-evaluative. The level of formation of the teacher's readiness for continuing professional self-development is considered appropriate motivation, the degree of mastery of knowledge and the implementation of teacher's abilities, personal qualities, and so on. To determine the level of teachers’ readiness for continuing professional self-development means providing a quantitative and qualitative description of the state of its main criteria and indicators.

Therefore, the current teachers’ professional-pedagogical education outlines the scope of his/her training due to the strengthening of the practical component.

The definition of the criteria of «the teacher’s readiness for professional self-improvement» is considered as a certain standard serving basis for the assessment, expressing the highest, most perfect level of the phenomenon under study. Comparing real phenomena with this standard makes it possible to establish the degree of compliance closer to the norm, the ideal. Each of the indicators of «teacher’s readiness for continuing professional self-development» is considered as an element of the relevant criterion, which should reflect individual properties and characteristics of the whole object and server as a means of accumulating quantitative and qualitative data for criterion generalization. Thus the indicator, acting as a measuring instrument of criterion, should be characterized in terms of concreteness and diagnosticity, accessibility for monitoring, recording, and fixation. Each criterion includes a group of indicators that characterize its qualitative and quantitative features (Fritsyuk V. A., 2017).

Nowadays the main problem of the modern education system of Ukraine is the formation of the readiness of each individual for self-improvement, according to L. Zyazyun (Zyazyun, 2000), in particular, to fulfill the civic duty of natural creative perspectives and self-sufficiency in society at the level of everyday needs and hobbies of opportunities for education and upbringing in state institutions and training for self-education, self-expression of creative activity and self-identification during life. Therefore, the scientist identifies three stages of readiness for self-improvement, namely preparatory, integrative and creative which are the supporting structural components for interpreting the process of formation, enabling relatively comfortable adaptation to social fractures, identifying internal resources for enriching knowledge, improving skills and worldviews.

In modern pedagogical theory and practice, much attention is paid to the issue of professional training of a future higher education teacher, as he/she is a key figure on which the education, training, and development of students will depend. The student will become a real teacher only if he/she develops his/her personality and is active in mastering scientific knowledge and skills, purposefully, consciously, and persistently working on the development of the little aspects that shape the personality of a modern specialist. In pedagogy and psychology, such work is called self-education and self-development. Self-education and self-development is a conscious practical activity aimed at a fuller realization of a person. Self-education is the formation of a personality by a conscious goal. Psychologists interpret self-education as a conscious human activity aimed at improving oneself, developing positive traits, qualities, habits, and overcoming negative ones. Professional self-education and self-development is conscious activity aimed at improving one's personality, by professional requirements (Adamenko, 2013).

Personal self-improvement and professional self-education are inextricably connected. Both processes are complex in their structure and implementation, but mastering the technology of professional self-education and self-improvement will help the future teacher to organize effectively independent training for professional activity and master skills (Antonova, 2014).

The experience of general self-education is a prerequisite for professional self-improvement, which involves conscious work on the development of professionally significant properties, the formation of pedagogical skills and abilities.

Many young people are engaged in self-education in such areas as intellectual, spiritual (self-education), moral and psychological (self-control over the revealed defects of character), sports and physical training (hygienic) (training, carrying out health-improving procedures, conducting a healthy way of life), etc.(Artemova, 2000).

Self-education was inherent in many previous generations of our ancestors. The history of self-education is much older than the history of civilized education. In Ukrainian folk pedagogy many traditions have come down from antiquity and testified to the need for children to engage in self-improvement to take a worthy place in adulthood among fellow villagers, not to lag behind others in the original peasant labor, in the accumulation of wealth. Self-education begins when a person realizes himself/herself as a person, understands the norms and requirements of society, his/her own needs, and can properly assess his/her actions. It originates in adolescence, but its effectiveness increases significantly in youth.

In structural terms, human self-awareness includes three factors: cognitive (self-knowledge, i.e. research, self-knowledge); emotional and evaluative (self-assessment, which is manifested in self-esteem); effective-volitional, regulatory (self-regulation, i.e. the ability of an individual to manage his/her health, emotions, feelings, mental state, actions, behavior) (Ivakh, 2014).

Self-education is possible if the individual can set meaningful goals. It is inextricably connected with a person's ability to self-analyze and self-esteem, with the ability to control his/her behavior and activities.

Self-education can be aimed at educating the mind (intellectual sphere), feelings (emotional sphere), and will (volitional sphere). However, the leading in the self-educational process is the volitional sphere, which provides self-regulation of the person’s inner world by the surrounding reality.

For the future higher education teacher, improving oneself is an important prerequisite for obtaining and maintaining professionalism. Self-education is purposeful work on continuing professional education under the conditions that the future educator becomes a subject of construction of own life ("I am a future specialist, I prepare myself for this"), independently chooses the goals of self-improvement, constantly considers the achievements of professional growth, is engaged in self-education. Under such conditions, the emergence of the need for professional self-education for the future higher education teacher is his/her transition from the position of a student to the position of a specialist. The self-education of the future teacher begins with the realization of the difference between the ideas of oneself as a future specialist and one's concrete perspectives. The impetus for working on yourself is the idea of incompatibility between "I-real" and "I-ideal" if the future teacher has a professional example and the ability to self-knowledge. The usual and at the same time reliable method of forming the idea of a specialist is reading of psychological-pedagogical and scientific literature and sources, acquaintance with life, and creative activity of outstanding teachers to find one's ideal educator (teacher of higher education) (Ivakh, 2014).

It is important that people who possess natural abilities, pedagogical talent become educators. However, nowadays the pedagogical specialty is the most widespread; many specialists are inclined to believe that the lack of clearly expressed abilities of the teacher can be compensated by the development of other, no less important professional qualities, such as diligence, good and positive attitude to their responsibilities, hard work, etc. In addition, it should be noted that professionally significant individual qualities characterize the intellectual and emotional-volitional aspects of the individual, significantly affect the outcome of professional and pedagogical activities, and reveal the teacher’s style (Antonova, 2014).

DISCUSSION

Even the most talented teachers could not imagine themselves without working on the development of their skills. One of the fundamental tenets of pedagogical science is the statement that intelligence is sharpened by intelligence, character is nurtured by character, and personality is formed by personality. That is, a teacher’s bright, extraordinary, attractive personality is the most important condition and means of achieving success in educational activities.

Orientation, balance, endurance, stability, the focus of professional self-education depend primarily on:

- the presence of a professional example;

- qualities of a future teacher;

- motives of choosing a pedagogical profession;

- moral and psychological climate in the student group;

management and communication style of the teaching staff;

- availability of free time;

- construction and improvement of educational independent work of students;

- engaging students in various extracurricular activities.

The system of self-education combines three interconnected and interdependent processes: 1) self-knowledge, first of all, to educate yourself, accumulating and implementing a program of self-improvement, you need to study yourself as an individual; 2) self-restraint from bad thoughts, actions, behavior; 3) self-coercion to the implementation of serious actions, steps, affirmative actions (Ivakh, 2014).

We agree with the construction of professional self-education proposed by researchers: 1. Goals of self-education. They are regulated by a social goal and have a similar direction - sensory, aesthetic, physical, and so on. 2. The structure and objectives of self-education take a position and behavior that leads to the achievement of goals of self-education. It largely depends on the mental traits of the individual, his/her intellectual, emotional, will spheres. 3. Means of self-education. This method of influencing oneself, which combines purpose and consequences (acquaintance with various types of art, reading of scientific and fiction literature, pedagogical work, etc.). 4. The consequences of self-education, changes that have occurred because of self-education (Ivakh, 2014).

The result of the student's work on self-education and self-development is positive changes and successes in educational and scientific activities (improving the quality of education, awareness of their successes). The higher the concrete results of the activity are, the stronger the need for further self-improvement is.

All personal changes (intellectual development, the ability to manage their mental state and strengthen their professional health, strong-willed focus, spiritual development, development of pedagogical abilities) become a powerful stimulus in professional and personal self-development, as they form the need for self-improvement. To achieve good results in professional activities, the teachers need to systematically study themselves, know their strong and weak points, and constantly form the inner core on which not only professional but also personal growth will be based. Personal growth is an essential condition for achieving professionalism (Kuzhelny, 2013).

As the content of educational training of students in pedagogical disciplines is significantly updated based on the latest theoretical and methodological concepts of personal activity, national and world democratic pedagogical heritage, it gives the prospect to use rich and extremely valuable educational experience. Students will be introduced to alternative educational systems and pedagogical innovations. Multilevel training is aimed at improving and reformatting the normative courses on the theory and history of pedagogy, the basics of pedagogical skills, as well as elective courses that are introduced in higher educational establishments to meet the educational, training, and qualification needs of the individual and society, effective use of acquired educational experience, traditions, regional needs. The introduction of new disciplines, such as "The image of the modern teacher", "Pedagogy of higher education", "Technology of the educational process" will help the professional self-improvement of both teachers and future higher educators.

Defining the individuality and personal orientation of professional self-improvement, we note that everyone has his/her self-realization and activity in the teaching profession, their self-engagement in the educational process of higher educational institutions, and later in educational activities. Professional self-improvement of future higher educators is connected with self-search and self-realization of professional choice of system "teacher", "educator" as a set of interconnected elements promoting the development of new qualities and properties of the specified system, and awareness of own value as teachers in the professional-pedagogical world, which can interact with other social systems (Pavlyukh, 2015).

Professional self-improvement is provided by a set of activities that include, on one hand, the personal paradigm (motivational, emotional, will, cognitive, etc.); and on the other - the system of methodical work provided by the educational institution, district (city) methodical office, institutions of postgraduate education. The process of personal self-improvement consists of several stages that cover a whole system of interrelated methods, among which we consider the most effective methods of self-knowledge, self-stimulation, self-programming, and self-influence. In the works of scientists, there is an opinion that the process of professional self-improvement of the individual goes through several levels:

- spiritual perfection (phenomenal creativity of the individual, spiritual maturity, the priority of spiritual values, spiritual rebirth);

- creative maturity (creative and unique individuality of the creative personality, creative search, constructiveness);

- professional maturity (professional skill, vocation, self-actualization);

- interpersonal maturity: communicative (communication, relationship); managerial (interaction, managerial activity); co-creative (cooperation, co-creation, sympathy, etc.);

- personal maturity (cognitive sphere - self-development);

- physical maturity (healthy lifestyle, physical perfection, and harmony);

- creative potential (originality of thinking, imagination, intuition, talent, natural personality, etc.) (Loseva, 2004).

It should be noted that the development of each individual is uneven and depends on the creative potential, in particular the integration of psychological and individual-typological capabilities, which is the basis for the process of self-development, self-actualization, and self-improvement (Gladkova, 2007).

Self-improvement of professionalism of pedagogical activity is carried out using objective self-assessment and self-analysis, self-control in the process of pedagogical communication. Considering the professionalism of knowledge as a measure of mastering a holistic system of professional knowledge, psychological and pedagogical, methodological, general, and reflective, we can say that the lack of at least one list of knowledge leads to unformed professionalism of knowledge, which in turn leads to the unprofessionalism of pedagogical activities in general (Gorodyska, 2016). The main driver of professional growth is the mechanism of dynamic balance, which is associated with the causal characteristics of dynamic processes and the stability of mental activity. Imbalance forms the desire to restore it and has certain consequences, which are manifested inactivity (Loseva, 2004). At this stage, the system of search (acme logical) attitudes to things, phenomena, people come into action.

Based on these areas in the context of self-improvement, the following tasks are identified:

- reproduction of the intellectual potential of the nation;

- providing opportunities for human self-development;

- preparing young people for integration into society;

- professional adaptation of the specialist in the conditions of transformation of the social system and formation of his/her professional mobility and competitiveness (Antonova, 2014).

Summarizing the views of scientists, it is necessary to highlight the following aspects of self-improvement that motivate to intensify professional development in the following context:

- self-centeredness (self-improvement is characterized by the coincidence of subject and object of activity);

- independence (professional self-improvement is carried out independently);

- self-determination (in the process of self-improvement, based on their initiative, the need, and direction of self-change a person defines as a purely personal task);

- integrative nature (as a multifaceted all-encompassing phenomenon of self-improvement that integrates all forms of self-creative activity of the individual to reach the heights of professionalism);

- positive nature (self-improvement ensures the achievement of only positive, progressive, evolutionary, personal changes);

- conscious nature (self-improvement, in contrast to spontaneous, unconscious forms of self-development, such as imitation, play, adaptation is a consciously determined, and purposeful activity of the individual);

- creative nature (the process of self-improvement consists of a set of creative tasks, the solution of which cannot be algorithmic).

At the present stage of education development, attention is focused on the activation of personal aspects: motivation, self-regulation, self-realization, which determine the focus on self-improvement.

Diagnostic principles of the process of self-improvement are presented in the following areas:

- observation (emotional state, attitude to job responsibilities, the nature of relationships, activity, etc.);

- metric methods - tests, questionnaires, etc .;

- projective methods - subconscious information about the object of study (for example, the picture "I'm in the profession", color associations, etc.) (Antonova. 2014).

When organizing the process of self-improvement, scientists offer to take into account the following principles:

- the interconnection of purpose, essence, content, the structure of methodical work and social needs, pedagogical practice;

- continuity and systematic training of professionals and professional skills of employees using the pedagogical activity;

- a comprehensive study of sociology, psychology, didactics, theory of education, the scientific basis of teaching subjects and combining scientific and theoretical training with the acquisition of skills needed in teaching;

- advanced teacher training, getting new scientific information, recommendations of psychological and pedagogical science and the best pedagogical experience;

- taking into account the level of training and individual interests of teachers, differentiation of the content and methods of methodical work;

- consistency and continuity of methodical work and course preparation, eliminating a gap between the teacher’ practical activity;

- the connections of methodical work with the teachers’ creative search.

Work on professional self-improvement can be planned in any form. To do this, it is necessary to develop an individual program of professional self-improvement, based on the postulates of the competence paradigm. The program must be developed according to the method that takes into account individual characteristics. This approach to the organization of self-improvement forms the ability to determine the prospects for professional growth and feel a steady need for it, regardless of the degree of improvement of pedagogical skills. To ensure the analysis of the components of the process of self-improvement and the dynamics of changes in professional growth V.M. Pavlyukh proposes a scheme based on the three-factor paradigm of education and reflects the individual trajectory of the specialist. This model of professional growth allows you to analyze the following areas:

- the systematic study of psychological and pedagogical, scientific literature, direct participation in the work of methodological associations, seminars, conferences, pedagogical readings;

- the improvement of educational work; conducting experimental research;

- preparation of reports, speeches on radio, television, review of psychological-pedagogical and scientific-methodical journals, etc.

A positive aspect of organizing the process of self-improvement according to this model is the ability to interconnect and anticipate:

- connection of self-education with the practical activity of the higher education teacher;

- systematic and consistent self-education, the constant complication of its content and forms;

- multifaceted (comprehensive) approach to the organization of the study of the chosen topic of self-education;

- cooperation of all parts of the educational process (interaction with colleagues, medical staff, law enforcement agencies, etc.)

- individual nature of self-education as the most flexible form of replenishment of the theoretical base, improvement of practical skills and dynamics of personal changes;

- creating conditions for the promotion of modern science and advanced pedagogical experience;

Thus, the problem of professional self-improvement of future teachers in the current changes is multifaceted. However, the issues of organization of self-educational activities in the system of professional development are practically undeveloped and require a comprehensive approach that would take into account compliance with modern educational trends and would promote professional growth (Loseva, 2004).

Therefore, professional self-improvement is provided by a set of activities that include, on one hand, the personal paradigm (motivational, emotional, will, cognitive, etc.); and on the other - the system of methodical work provided by the educational institution.

Modern research shows that today's knowledge becomes out of date every 3-5 years. Because of this, the teacher is faced with the issue of lifelong learning. Thus, the paradigm of education is changing - from "education for lifelong" to "lifelong learning".

There is a need to be able to learn and relearn, constantly improving professional qualities. Education of the XXI century puts forward new requirements to the professional competence of the teacher:

- a system of fundamental knowledge;

- ability to self-determination;

- developed theoretical thinking;

- high level of professional culture;

- the ability to integrate thinking and cultural dialogue;

- mastery of methods of scientific knowledge;

- the ability to design cognitive, informational, creative, research models and problem tasks (Loseva, 2004).

Thus, an important component of the professional activity of the future teacher of is self-knowledge, correlation of characteristics with the requirements of creative pedagogy. In general, pedagogical readiness for self-improvement includes personal and professional improvement of the future higher education teacher, implementation of the "I-concept", pedagogical optimism, and improvement of the education system. The educator must have professional knowledge and skills, as well as be able to change personality creatively, based on psychological knowledge, moral and spiritual values of society while maintaining individuality. All of the above are components of the professional growth of the future higher education teacher.

The obtained results allowed defining the initial levels of formation of teachers' readiness for professional self-improvement according to certain components: motivational-value, information-cognitive, organizational-activity, emotional-will, and reflexive-evaluative. The diagnostic criteria were as follows: value awareness of the necessity of purposeful continuing professional self-improvement; theoretical training, the level of professionally oriented knowledge; practical and operational training, the formation of practical skills and abilities about professional self-improvement; a set of individual psychological qualities important for continuing professional self-improvement and future professional activity in general; focus on self-analysis, self-assessment of one's professional self-improvement. We will characterize the levels of teachers’ readiness for continuing professional self-improvement defined by us.

Critical level. Teachers are not aware of the necessity of purposeful continuing professional self-improvement, there are no goals, objectives, programs of professional self-improvement; they do not feel the necessity to achieve goals (concerning professional self-development); they have no interest in self-improvement in professional activities; underdeveloped cognitive and professional motivation, no motivation to succeed; they are not focused on professional self-improvement; such respondents are not aware of the personal meaning and significance of continuing professional self-improvement; teachers have a very low level of theoretical training, the level of acquired professionally oriented knowledge is extremely low, professional and methodological knowledge is unsystematic, basic; lack of knowledge about the basics of professional self-improvement, about methods, techniques, forms of professional self-development; underdeveloped logical and critical thinking; they have undeveloped practical skills and abilities in relation to professional self-development; they avoid designing their own professional self-development, directing their own activities to professional self-development; such teachers do not have the skills of self-organization; do not possess methods and techniques of professional self-development; communication skills are also very low; teachers are not confident; not purposeful, they lack persistence, emotional stability, emotional and volitional self-regulation; do not show the ability to effective self-government; do not feel responsible for their own professional self-development; the level of reflexive skills is very low; they are not able to adequately assess their own abilities and qualities; inadequately assess (underestimate or overestimate) the level of their own readiness for continuing professional self-improvement.

Passive level. Teachers rarely think about the necessity of purposeful continuing professional self-improvement; they do not have a clear need to achieve the goal (in relation to professional self-development); there is only an episodic interest (orientation) in self-development and self-realization in professional activities; cognitive motivation, professional motivation, motivation to succeed, value orientations for professional self-development are insufficient; they are not always aware of the personal meaning and significance of continuing professional self-development; do not have systematic and deep professional knowledge; not always able to demonstrate the appropriate level of mastery of psychological and pedagogical, methodological knowledge; their knowledge of the basics of professional self-development, knowledge of methods, techniques and forms of professional self-development are superficial; not always able to think logically and critically; they lack practical skills and abilities regarding professional self-development; insufficient cognitive and creative activity; insufficient ability to design their own professional self-development, direct their own activities to professional self-development; self-organization skills (goal setting, activity planning) not confident in the methods and techniques of professional self-development; communication skills are insufficient; there is no positive «I-concept», insufficiently formed self-confidence, purposefulness, persistence, emotional stability, emotional-volitional self-regulation, self-control, self-discipline; they have difficulties in self-organization, effective self-government; are insufficiently responsible for their own professional self-development; insufficient focus on self-analysis, self-assessment of their own professional development (do not have reflexive skills in cognitive activity) (self-observation, self-analysis); not always adequate self-assessment of their abilities and qualities; the ability to reflect on their quasi-professional activity is insufficiently developed; do not always adequately assess the level of their readiness for continuing professional self-development.

Basic level. Teachers are generally aware of the necessity of purposeful continuing professional self-development, have a goal of professional self-development, but do not have an appropriate program; they have a need to achieve the goal, but there is not always an interest in self-development and self-realization in professional activities; cognitive motivation, professional motivation, motivation to succeed are quite expressive; their orientation on professional self-development is not always identifiable; in general, they are aware of the personal meaning and importance of continuing professional self-development; teachers have the appropriate level of integrative-theoretical training, the level of professionally-oriented knowledge is sufficient (their professional knowledge is quite systematic, although not deep enough; the degree of psychological, pedagogical and methodological knowledge is sufficient; they have some knowledge of the basics of professional self-development; familiar with some methods, techniques and forms of professional self-development; level of logical and critical thinking is average; teachers partially have practical skills and abilities regarding professional self-development; cognitive and creative activity is expressed sporadically; ability to design own professional development, to direct own activity on professional self-development need improvement; mastery of self-organization skills (goal setting, activity planning); have fragmentary ideas about methods and techniques of professional self-development; communication skills; do not clearly realize ways of forming a positive «self-concept», self-confidence; they demonstrate purposefulness, persistence, emotional stability, but are not always capable of emotional and volitional self-regulation and self-control; do not always express self-discipline, self-organization, ability for effective self-government; not fully aware of the responsibility for their own professional development; not always aimed at self-analysis, self-assessment of their own professional development; in general, adequately assess their own abilities and qualities; sometimes during the activity, they need the teacher's advice; do not always adequately assess their readiness for continuing professional self-development.

The optimal level. Teachers are well aware of the necessity of purposeful continuing professional self-development (real goals, objectives, sometimes professional self-development programs); they need to achieve goals (regarding professional self-development); steady interest (orientation) in self-development and self-realization in professional activity; cognitive motivation, professional motivation, motivation to succeed, value orientations for professional self-development are always observed; they are well aware of the personal meaning and significance of continuing professional self-development; teachers have a sufficient level of integrative-theoretical training and professionally oriented knowledge (demonstrate the system and depth of professional knowledge; good knowledge of psychological, pedagogical and methodological principles; demonstrate awareness of the basics of professional self-development, methods, techniques and forms of professional self-development; have a sufficiently developed logical and critical thinking); practical and operational training, the formation of practical skills and abilities for professional self-development are sufficient (they often show cognitive and creative activity, the ability to design their own professional development, direct their own activities to professional self-development; generally have skills of self-organization; mostly possess methods and techniques of professional self-development); teachers have individual psychological qualities that are important for continuing professional self-development and future professional activity in general. They have a positive «I-concept», they are often self-confident, purposeful, although sometimes not persistent enough; voluntary self-regulation, voluntary self-control, self-discipline, self-organization; demonstrate the ability of effective self-regulation; responsible for their professional development); focus on self-analysis, self-assessment of their professional development (reflective skills in cognitive activity (self-observation, self-analysis) are well developed; they adequately assess their abilities and qualities; able to reflect their quasi-professional activities; can adequately assess their readiness for continuing professional self-development.

The creative level is typical for teachers who are aware of the need for purposeful professional self-development, have a purpose, goals, self-developed program of professional self-development; a clear need to achieve the goal (regarding professional self-development); expressed interest (orientation) in self-development and self-realization in professional activities; cognitive motivation, professional motivation, motivation to succeed, value orientations for professional self-development are quite well developed; they are well aware of the personal meaning and significance of continuing professional self-development);

In scientific and pedagogical sources, there is no defined method for diagnosing professional self-improvement readiness of the teacher's personal-professional formation. However, you can find only a few methods (tests, questionnaires, etc.) to define various aspects of this complex personality formation. The study of the peculiarities of self-development can be carried out in the same way as the study of personal quality with the help of expert assessments and self-assessments, questionnaires, testing, analysis and interpretation of stages of self-development, etc.

The analysis of some scientific literature allowed us to define the preparation of teachers for self-improvement as a purposeful process of shaping their ideas about possibilities and ways of using self-improvement in education, training, and development.

Thus, globalization and integration processes taking place at the present stage of social development, information technology, and the growing role of personal values, increasing attention to the processes of socialization and individualization of personal development make new demands on teachers in higher education.

The state requires professional teachers who, on one hand, would be guided by the innovations of psychological, pedagogical science, would master a variety of technologies for raising, and developing children, on the other hand – are capable of self-development, self-improvement, and adaptation to rapid changes in professional activities.

Qualitative education is not only a quantitative indicator. The quality of solving tasks of primary education is ensured by maintaining a high level of higher education professional training and the dissemination of modern educational and methodological developments that reflect the promising pedagogical experience of domestic and foreign professionals.

Analysis of several psychological and pedagogical studies has proved that personal professionalism cannot be formed only in the process of obtaining basic professional education. Its formation and development take place in the course of a person’s complete professional activity. This is confirmed by psychological research, which proved that the professional development of a mature person is associated with the realization of personal potential in the process of professional activity.

Creating conditions for the teacher’s professional self-improvement is considered the main task of pedagogical education.

Analysis of recent research and publications indicates the existence of substantial research on mastering professional excellence, professional teaching staff as a factor affecting the competitiveness of the teacher in the process of solving professional tasks.

Research on teacher training proved that pedagogical higher education should be devoted to the formation of a specialist focused on comprehensive and professional self-development, able to realize himself/herself creatively in higher education.

The level of the specialist, which is characterized by the corresponding level of professional and pedagogical knowledge, abilities, skills that provide success in fulfilling professional-pedagogical functions is a result of professional-pedagogical training.

The way from a specialist to a professional teacher is passed in the process of solving professional tasks, self-development, and self-improvement. The constant search for ways and means of education requires constant improvement.

Analyzed research proved that professionals, among other qualities, are characterized by a positive attitude to their activities, the desire to self-improve the methods of objective self-assessment of their professional activities. One of the tasks of our study was to identify the attitude of teachers to their professional activities and their desire to improve their professional level. For this purpose questionnaire was formed which included three groups of questions: 1) clarifying issues related to teachers’ attitude to their professional activities, identification of the main reasons for the choice of profession; 2) the issue of identifying the level of formation of the need for professional development and self-improvement, ways to achieve it; 3) questions focused on identifying some aspects of analysis and self-analysis of professional activity.

Using the questionnaire, during 2019-2020 16 teachers of the Department of Theory and Methods of Preschool and Special Education of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University and 12 teachers of the Department of Primary Education of Volyn National University named after Lesya Ukrainka have been interviewed.

To determine the attitude to the profession, it was proposed to identify factors that attract and motivate to work as a higher education teacher. Thus, 89% of respondents chose «love for students», 70% indicate the ability to observe the results of their work and the creative character of the profession, and more than 40% consider this profession their vocation. 89% of respondents are aware of the necessity of professional development. 10% do not feel such a need, unfortunately among them, there are teachers with less than 10 years of experience.

When determining the priority forms of improving their professional level, the interviewed teachers often chose to read and study scientific and methodological literature and periodicals. Only 13% pointed to the lack of such a regular opportunity, and this is mainly due to lack of time. When choosing methodological literature, teachers give preference to practical handbooks on educational activities and planning. A significant role in their professional development is given to methodical work in higher education institutions and training courses at the Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education (48%), and communication with colleagues - 46%.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of answers to questions about self-analysis of professional activity indicates that the vast majority of teachers rely on the opinion of colleagues - 54% and parents - 39%, so the priority for them is the assessment of others.

Only 30% of teachers consider self-assessment with prospects, 23% of educators consider the certification self-report to be a priority method. An interesting trend was revealed during the survey: 13% of teachers indicated the observation diary as one of the forms of self-assessment though it is not included in the list of mandatory documentation.

The survey revealed that teachers' self-analysis of professional activity is based on a subjective attitude. It is often difficult for teachers to identify specific problems that arise in the process of professional activity and their causes.

The vast majority of teachers show a positive attitude to their professional activities striving to realize their creative potential.

Thus, the process of the teacher’s self-improvement and professional growth is significantly influenced by the pedagogical environment, the possibility of effective professional communication. A significant place in self-educational activities is occupied by the study of scientific and methodological literature, but the content of such literature rarely concerns the peculiarities of professional development, self-analysis of professional activity, and so on. In matters of introspection and self-development, the teacher relies on intuition and previous experience.

In the process of conversations with teachers, we found that the method of «round table», which is based on the principle of collective discussion of problems, is of particular relevance in the system of innovative education. During the experimental training, the following issues were discussed: «The concept of competency education, the basics of its implementation» and «Innovative lesson: the technology of formation», «Professional self-development of the teacher: algorithms of formation».

The research method was used in the process of experimental training as a method with the highest self-development potential implemented at the highest level of cognitive activity and independence. Teachers independently chose the topic of research activities that best met the problems and needs of their practical professional activities. In the format of organized classes, teachers worked out problems and methods of forming the purpose of the study, determining the theoretical foundations of its organization, as well as the logic and methods of its implementation. Realizing the problem, the teacher independently formed a hypothesis, developed a research plan, and studied the facts, respectively, classifying and comparing, summarizing and systematizing them, analyzing information, drawing conclusions, checking their validity. In the process of logical reasoning, they used imagination, prediction, modeling, and programming, which are indicators of creative thinking, professional self-development.

The problem of teachers' attitude to interactive forms of organization of activity as a means of promoting professional and pedagogical self-development through observation, questionnaires, and analysis of work results was also researched. Thus, 72% of teachers declare to be personality-oriented, interactive forms of vocational training initiate their activities in the process of understanding and solving pedagogical tasks, activate thinking, and encourage creativity, further self-education.

The study revealed that not all teachers are ready to work in the proposed format of interactive learning. They usually have a low level of general professional competence and do not accept innovative education standards (traditionally work in the information-reproductive mode), with a low level of pedagogical thinking. There is every reason to believe that the high interest of the vast majority of teachers in this type of activity is a motivating factor and for those teachers who are not yet ready for such work, they refuse to either participate in classes or complete educational tasks, taking a passive position of observers than active participants.

Learning through the organization of personality-oriented, interactive activities is based on dialogue, polylogue between its participants, including teachers of pedagogical education, which projects both joint involvement in the process of optimizing the program and technology of training, and designing their professional programs of personal self-development in its context.

We took into account: a) teachers’ priorities and selectivity of the content, forms of organization of vocational training; b) personal and professional motivation; c) focus on self-development, the need to use the acquired competencies independently, on their initiative, in situations that are due to personal needs and go beyond the curriculum.

The basis of the organization of personality-oriented, interactive learning is the actualization of the teacher’s professional experience, ensuring a selective attitude to problems, educational material, the ability to focus on the formation and implementation of personal and professional self-development (a person selectively uses the knowledge organized in the system, and acquires only the knowledge that is part of personal experience). Thus, since the basis of active learning is the teacher’s personality, the methodological basis of this system is the individualization and differentiation of educational material. Forms of individualization and differentiation made it possible to record the selectivity of teachers’ cognitive preferences, the stability of their manifestations, activity, and independent implementation.

CONCLUSION

Thus, higher pedagogical education is aimed at achieving many goals, including training teachers for active citizenship, professional growth, and promoting their practical development. One of such tasks is the preparation of teachers for continuing professional self-improvement and self-development.

The results of the study revealed the state of readiness of teachers of higher education institutions for continuous professional self-improvement and self-development by clarifying their attitude to professional activity, determining the main motives for choosing a profession; identifying the level of formation of the need for professional development and self-improvement, ways to achieve it; disclosure of some aspects of analysis and self-analysis of professional activity, training through the organization of personality-oriented, interactive activities, updating the professional experience of teachers, ensuring selective attitude to problems, educational material, focusing on the formation and implementation of personal and professional self-development.

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Notas de autor

t.potapchuk73@gmail.com

Información adicional

How to cite: Potapchuk, T., Prima, D., Yana, L., Serhii, Z., Roslavets, R., & Prima, R. (2022). Aspects of readiness of higher education teachers for continuing professional development. Revista Tempos e Espaços em Educação, 15(34), e17204. http://dx.doi.org/10.20952/revtee.v15i34.17204

Authors' Contributions: Potapchuk, T.: conception and design, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article, critical review of important intellectual content; Prima, D.: conception and design, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article, critical review of important intellectual content; Yana, L.: conception and design, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article, critical review of important intellectual content; Serhii, Z.: conception and design, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article, critical review of important intellectual content; Roslavets, R.: conception and design, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article, critical review of important intellectual content; Prima, R.: conception and design, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article, critical review of important intellectual content. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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