Legislative Strategies Regarding the Professional Development of Teachers in Pre-University Education

Abstract

The article "Legislative strategies regarding the professional development of teachers in pre-university education", aims at the subsystem of training and evolution in the teaching career of teachers from the point of view of the contextualization of the legislative framework, the subsequent changes and additions, which outline the legislative milestones and framework methodology at the level national in defining the necessary competencies for the foundation of the teaching career, the main professional counselling interventions that define the typology of the teaching career model, the accredited institutions in order to organize professional training programs, but also the evolution in the teaching career within the education system. In this context, it is established that the status of the teaching staff represents a professional and social responsibility, a balance between personal, professional, and social life, and through the transformation skills through the training of teaching staff, professional success is achieved and contributes to the quality and the optimization of the didactic act. From this point of view, the generated teaching career model and the professional development profile aim to train a competent, expert, reflective, innovative teaching staff, an architect of the vision of contemporary pedagogy. Pursuing this desired, it is necessary to activate and dynamize the commission for didactic mentoring and training in the didactic career at the level of school institutions, which in accordance with the legislative framework and framework methodology in force, should aim as its object at the activity of training, improvement and professional development and teaching staff.

Keywords: Evolution in the teaching career, legislative strategies, professional development, professional training needs, teaching staff

Introduction

In a digital dynamic, When the learning characteristics of generation z are rethought, and under the influence of research, significant changes have been made to the learning profile of the learner in the age of digital technologies, it is necessary to redefine teacher training, to access models, strategies, and measures in continuous training of teachers adapted to the learning profile in the digital age. In such an educational context adapted to the interests of the needs of generation z and the high level of competence, the paradigm of the competent teacher is reorganized from the perspective of his training, the quality of the foundation of specialized knowledge but also of the pedagogical practice program carried out, of his ability to develop both at the level of theoretician and reflexive practitioner, so that in the school organization it tends towards,, the expert teacher and the reflective one represent the 2 complementary dimensions of the current teacher. Expertise and reflexivity are neither opposite nor exclusive in relation to each other" (Păun, 2017, p. 143; Șerbănescu et al., 2020, p. 29). In order to pursue this goal, a redefinition of the teaching career is necessary, but also the process of actions and actions that ensure a specialized training of teachers, a high level of professional skills and the conferment of a well-defined professional status is aimed at, because:

The continuous professional development of teaching staff in pre-university education is organized in a blended-learning system (including the face-to-face component and the asynchronous online component) or in the online system (including the synchronous and asynchronous components), in accordance with the recommendations and provisions in the matter at European level. (Order No. 4224/2022, art. 3, para. 1)

Problem Statement

In this new socio-cultural and educational dynamic looking at the emphasis on the use of new technologies in the educational approach in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, in which technology had a role as a content facilitator, it also represented the environment in which the educational act took place, but also a means and source for the educational binomial, the concept of professionalization is necessary to be associated with ensuring the quality of continuous training activity, with the coherent reconstruction of the professional skills necessary to carry out the quality educational act, the status of the teaching staff represents a professional and social responsibility, a human quality, civic spirit, pedagogical vocation, pedagogical aptitude, balance between personal, professional and social life, the ability to carry out transformations through training, etc., all contributing to the professional success of the teaching staff and to the optimization of the teaching act, and:

The requirements towards activity quality teachers' needs must be derived not only from regulatory documents, but based on a continuous study of contemporary pedagogical realities, of challenges in society which, with the help of teachers, students must learn to face. (Şerbănescu et al., 2020, p. 35)

Research Questions

From the point of view of legislative contextualization, the system of continuous training of teaching staff in Romania has evolved in recent years, and the fundamental regulations are found in law no. 1/2011, updated in 2022, with the necessary amendments and additions, which provides that, "Continuous training of teaching staff includes professional development and career development" (Law no. 1/2011, article 242, paragraph 1), and "Career development is achieved through teaching degree II and teaching degree I, certification exams of different levels of competence" (Law no. 1/2011, article 242, paragraph 2). The current social, cultural, legislative, curriculum and educational context, redefined by the influence of the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the study aims to answer the question:

To what extent have the legislative strategies promoted at the national level regarding the continuous training of teaching staff contributed to the development of the professional skills of teaching staff, implicitly to the increase in the quality of the educational approach?

Purpose of the Study

The level of the education system in Romania, the Ministry of Education and Research is the fundamental forum, the institution that directs the objectives of the continuous training program for teaching staff, coordinates, monitors, has the function of control and evaluation at the level of the pre-university system professional training in unanimity with the policies and educational strategies from the continuous training subsystem.

Also, "in accordance with the national strategies and policies" (Law no. 1/2011, article 244, paragraph 1) elaborated, the accreditation of continuing training providers and their financing at the level of the pre-university education system is aimed at the continuous development of teaching staff, aimed at professional skills, quality, and professional standards appropriate to professional development (Law no. 1/2011; Order No. 4224/2022).

Research Methods

Under the influence of the legislative, curricular, and educational contextualization of the national continuous training system or in view of the structures for achieving the continuous training of teaching staff in pre-university education in accordance with art. 244 para. 5, letters a) - c) of Law no. 1/2011, with subsequent amendments and additions (art. 244 paragraph 5, letters a. - c. of Law no. 1/2011, with subsequent amendments and additions).

The purpose of the research was the analysis of the legislative strategies implemented at the national level regarding the continuous training of teachers that contributed to the increase in the quality of the educational act.

Findings

The new post-pandemic architecture of society has led to the redefinition of the profile of human learning and professional development under the influence of communication, informational and digital technologies, which have become the effective environment in the process of personal and professional development of teachers, but also a "facilitator of the delivery contents, in different forms, a fact that obviously implies a rethinking of some of the basic principles of the educational act" (Ceobanu, 2020, p. 23). Following this direction of action Order No. 4223/2022, art. 2 provides to follow "in the framework of educational interventions such as didactic career models - professional development, the development of life skills, including the development of digital skills" (Order No. 4223/2022, art. 2), as a result of the EC Communication (2013) by document 52013DC0654, which aims as an objective to adopt innovative practices in the teaching-learning activity - the evaluation of education systems at the level of the European Union, and the development of new directions of action in the training of teaching staff, the development of a system of high quality of digital training at the level of EU citizens (European Commission, 2021). It is also aimed at shaping a professional training profile at the level of educational institutions, which aims at the innovative, open teacher, the architect teacher, flexible and able to adapt to the new curriculum design that society demands through the existing transformations in the information field, communication and digital. Following this direction of action, a percentage of 87% of the teachers interviewed emphasized that an important role in continuous training and implicitly in professional development is their familiarization with online learning platforms, with their essential characteristics, which aim this connection between education and information and digital communication technologies, becoming an educational environment for supporting teaching learning assessment activities, the source in terms of diversified digital teaching strategies, thus allowing subjects to work in teaching teams, but also in reconstruction teams of the curriculum at the school's decision, curricular models adapted to blended-learning in educational activity, to have the opportunity to design and organize desirable learning experiences for students and to contribute to the development of students' digital autonomy, digital well-being, digital identity of the educable, but also to the development of a proactive attitude towards learning and knowledge (Ceobanu et al., 2020; Cuc, 2013, 2014, 2019a, 2019b, 2019c, 2020a, 2020b, 2020c; Redecker & Punie, 2017; Senge, 2016; Short, 2018). Also from this point of view, the subjects referred to the importance of the existence of a national and European legislative framework which, through the framework methodology adopted, allows the diversification of continuous training courses, adapted to the requirements of the new society, to form an authentic model, an expert teaching staff, reflective autonomous in the design of a curriculum designer, a professional facilitator of educational content that meets the current needs and interests of learners, but also an objective evaluator and open to understanding and approaching the value system, new directions of professional evaluation and existing challenges at societal level (European Commission, 2013, COM/2013/0654). Thus, a percentage of 94% of the teaching staff specified the influence of the national implementation of Order No. 4223/2022, which stipulates that in the bases of piloted practice at the national level there should be educational interventions, which build examples of good practice,, teaching career models - professional development, development of life skills, including the development of digital skills, curricular structures adapted to the blended-learning format in teaching-learning-evaluation" (Order No. 4223/2022, art.1), to be disseminated within school organizations. From this point of view, following the teaching career model and the professional development profile, the formation of an expert, competent, autonomous, reflective, innovative and open teaching staff, an architect of new knowledge in contemporary pedagogy, a percentage of 92 % of the responding teaching staff noted the added value through the activation and dynamism at the level of school organizations of the committee for teaching mentoring and training in the teaching career (Order No. 4183/2022, art. 71, paragraph 2, letters f), but also but and the dynamism of the legislative context regarding the fact that, "Teaching staff in pre-university education have the legal obligation, provided for in art. 245 para. (6) from the National Education Law no. 1/2011, with subsequent amendments and additions, to periodically participate in various forms of continuous training organization" (Order No. 4224/2022, art. 60, paragraph 1). The interviewees pointed out that the legislative framework and the framework methodology adopted allow teaching staff that within 5 years of teaching activity at the department consecutively carried out, starting from the date of passing the exam to be finalized in the education system by participating in continuous training programs, the courses of studies organized by higher education institutions to accumulate "90 transferable professional credits" (Order No. 4224/2022, art. 61, paragraph 1) in "formal, non-formal and informal contexts" (Order No. 4224/2022, art. 61, paragraph 2). In this study, the beginning teaching staff emphasized the fact that the existence of a commission for didactic mentoring in school institutions through the designated mentor teacher who coordinates the entire professional activity of the beginning student during the internship period (Law no. 1/2011, article 236), is strengthened the viability them at the level of the school organization, because through their expertise in the field of teaching, they familiarize beginning teachers with the practice of the teaching profession, with national professional quality standards, but also with the nature of young teachers in professional development and the evolution of their teaching career. From this point of view, the beginning teaching staff stated that the experience of the professional counselling mentors or the mentor teacher is relevant, coordinates them, supports them, facilitates their integration process at the institutional level much more optimally; in becoming familiar with professional responsibilities; in the development of the competence of designing the didactic activity and assuming some modern strategies in the act of teaching, learning and evaluation; in professional communication and interrelationship with members of the educational community; in the design of viable and effective educational partnerships for the educational community of the institution in which they operate; in the development of a way of thinking specific to contemporary pedagogy; in getting familiar with the problems and the needs of the educable according to the particularities of the educational community in which they operate; in building an effective teaching relationship, finding solutions to overcome an authoritarian or server style in the classroom management process, but also in developing attitudes of unconditional acceptance, empathy, collaboration, positive thinking, improving communication and empathic interrelationship, of professional accountability, efficiency and development of decision-making competence at a professional level. In the dynamics of legislative, educational and curricular changes, 78% of the teachers interviewed emphasized the relevance of the commission for didactic mentoring and training in the didactic career at the level of the school organization, which "carries out its activity based on the establishment decision issued by the director of the educational unit " (Order No. 4183/2022, art. 72, paragraph 1), where an effective role is played by a collegial management model, centred on a participative and transformational leader with fundamental implications in the effective collaboration of the teaching group, in the management of a strategy of a collaborative type, which crosses the boundaries and limits existing at the level of the teaching staff, such as the formation of professional, cultural, social, linguistic skills, of problems related to roles, of the differences between individual perception, of assuming one's role at the institutional level in a commission and the perception of its fulfilment. As solutions advanced by the respondents, it was noted: an advisory from the members of the commission given to the beginning teaching staff in the institution, but also the monitoring of the continuous training activity at the level of the institution as professionally as possible, the rigorous planning, organization and implementation of the continuous training activities focused on the needs and interests of the teaching staff contribute to the increase of the quality of the human resource qualified, of the quality of the act of teaching-learning-evaluation and to the development of didactic mastery. A solution supported unanimously by the respondents is the appointment by the manager of the institution of the members of the committee for teaching mentoring and training in the teaching career (Order No. 4183/2022, art. 72, paragraph 1), which in addition to the desirable personal and professional values , professional expertise, professional competence is necessary to have an open, empathetic attitude, of unconditional acceptance of the professional potential of the advised person, aware of the qualities, limits, shortcomings without judging, criticizing the advised colleague following the assessment of the condition fulfilment stage of training for teaching staff" (Order No. 4183/2022, art. 72, paragraph 4, letter c), but becoming a facilitator of the transmission of professional content, of best practice experiences, a professional coaching capable of providing effective professional feedback and constructive; to have congruence capacity at the level of dialogue and professional behaviour; to possess the ability to collaborate desirably through professional peer-to-peer partnership, a positive vision of the personal and professional potential of the person they are mentoring or advising in the path of professional development, etc. In training and collegial counselling, not to feel the effect of professional overload, not to have distortions of moral and professional responsibilities, but also distortions in judging the people they advise professionally. In the complex path of development in the teaching career, the respondents stated that it is necessary to be aware of the need to make the most optimal decisions regarding career development, with the help of the members of the specialized committee, to be able to identify alternative professional development paths by obtaining the most conclusive information and complex regarding these chosen alternatives, to be advised in the most efficient identification of the necessary resources for professional development and to acquire the capacity and ability of integrative planning of personal life with professional life. Also, another solution would be the involvement of the committee members, the manager of the institution, the teachers with Methodist status in the even more in-depth knowledge of the potential and needs, interests and pace of learning and professional training of colleagues; self-awareness of the training needs of teaching staff through the implementation at the school institution of some professional counselling activities, reflection activities, exchange of experience, observation and self-observation activities of the teaching activity, inter-assistance activities, critical professional analysis activities, demonstration activities at the level of the specialized commissions, to boost and reorient the continuous professional development activity, to lead to the most optimal connection of the needs and requirements of the educational system as a result of the evolution and existing changes at the level of theories and practices in the field of educational sciences with the needs and requirements staff for personal and professional development of teaching staff in the institution.

Conclusion

The professional training of teaching staff involves the construction of a coherent, cursive legislative, educational and curricular context connected to the international framework and the dynamic action of continuous training programs. The existence of the national system of continuous training of the teaching staff, the delimitation of the stages and main activities in the continuous training and professional development of the teaching staff, the assumption by the existing norms at the national level of the concept of competence in professional training, but also of the European and national norms that regulate the standards professional for continuous training, Represents the fundamental anchors in the career evolution. The reflexive question that requires an answer at the level of the school organization, how rigorous, objective, complex is carried out by the decision-makers, the analysis of professional training needs of the teaching staff in the institution, from the teleological, procedural and curricular aspect (Șerbănescu et al., 2020). In establishing the professional objectives of the organization, the transformational leadership How to carry out a diagnosis as conclusive as possible of the continuous training needs of teaching staff, the way in which, in partnership with the members of the didactic mentoring and training in the teaching career committee, they contribute to advising the continuous training of employees regarding the courses training and the implementation of these programs at the institutional level, but also the monitoring of "the impact of teacher training on the quality of the teaching-learning-evaluation process and the school progress of students" (Order No. 4183/2022, art. 72, paragraph 4, letter d).

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