PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGERS TO MANAGE CHANGES IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERN TRANSFORMATIONS: FOCUS ON ANTI-CRISIS PRACTICES

Abstract

In review article, the authors examine the challenge of equipping educational managers in Ukraine with the professional skills required to steer effective change management amid ongoing reforms of the national education system. They highlight how Ukraine’s trajectory toward European integration has intensified the need to align educational standards, approaches, and practices with European norms. The article argues that educational managers serve as pivotal agents of change in this process. The study identifies a significant misalignment between existing training programs and contemporary demands: managers often lack the practical capabilities to apply their theoretical knowledge during crises. A review of current professional-development approaches shows that their success largely hinges on cultivating core competencies – strategic planning, leadership, adaptability, digital literacy, and crisis management. However, Ukrainian training programs, even those featuring project-management and strategic-planning modules, remain insufficiently practice-oriented. The initiatives such as the Ministry of Education and Science’s «ReFormEd» programme and advanced training courses in the regional institutes of postgraduate pedagogical education only partially bridge this gap. To address these shortcomings, the authors propose a structural-functional model grounded in three interrelated components – cognitive, operational-activity, and personal – designed to develop the professional competencies and duties defined by the national standard for school principals. This model fosters strategic-planning skills, leadership qualities, adaptability, and psychological resilience, while promoting continuous professional growth through self-assessment, individualized learning trajectories, and dedicated tutor support. Characterized by its modular flexibility and adaptability to crisis conditions, the model was piloted at the Zaporizhzhia Regional Institute for Postgraduate Pedagogical Education, where its effectiveness and relevance – particularly under martial-law conditions – were successfully demonstrated.

Key words: model of professional training; professional competence; educational manager; change management.