On March 10, the Center for Innovative Educational Technologies “PNU EcoSystem” and the Department of Primary Education and Educational Innovations at the Faculty of Pedagogy of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University organized an open lecture for PhD students. The lecture was delivered by visiting Polish scholar Professor Anna Sajdak-Burska, a Habilitated Doctor and Faculty Member at the Institute of Pedagogy of Jagiellonian University. The presentation focused on Didactic Development of University Educators: Psychosocial Pitfalls. Rozwój dydaktyczny nauczyciela akademickiego. Pułapki psychospołeczne).
The event was attended by early-career researchers, postgraduate students, and faculty members of the Faculty of Education, along with colleagues from various higher education institutions in Ukraine and Poland. These included Bohdan Khmelnytsky Cherkasy National University, Mukachevo State University, the Institute of Pedagogical and Adult Education of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi State Pedagogical University, Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian Institute, and the Pedagogical University of the Commission of National Education in Krakow.
Professor Olena Budnyk, the event moderator, discussed the university’s traditions of virtual scientific mobility. She introduced the research interests and scholarly contributions of the guest speaker, Professor Anna Sajdak-Burska, in the fields of academic didactics, teacher professional development, educational innovation, and inclusive education. Additionally, she provided the asynchronous translation from Polish.
In her presentation, Professor Anna Sajdak-Burska outlined the fundamental dimensions of a modern teacher’s professional role within the triadic framework of researcher, educator, and organizer. She examined the stages of teacher professional development and highlighted key aspects of professional burnout that may arise at various career phases. Particular attention was given to its characteristic symptoms, including emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of professional satisfaction, as well as the associated risk factors and preventive strategies.
During the discussion, particular interest was expressed by students regarding the concept of “psychosocial traps” encountered at various stages of their academic and pedagogical development. Special attention was given to the challenges associated with the initial phase of professional adaptation, including the “start-up shock” and the tendency to imitate established methodological models. For graduate students, the analysis of common difficulties and setbacks experienced by early-career educators proved especially valuable, as these challenges are often accompanied by feelings of anxiety, confusion, disorientation, and, in some cases, psychological shock. Engaging examples from personal teaching experiences and the lives of renowned scholars stimulated an active discussion on the professional development of educators, particularly during the phase of creative transcendence of their professional role. This stage is characterized by a critical and reflective approach to one’s pedagogical practice, fostering the pursuit of individual standards, the implementation of innovations, and the creative resolution of challenges. Professor Ruslana Romanyshyn, Head of the Department of Primary Education and Educational Innovations, expressed gratitude to the speaker and participants for their active engagement in the discussion. She also emphasized the significance of ensuring psychological well-being in the professional environment, prioritizing goals and objectives in pedagogical development, and adopting strategies to prevent burnout.
The event was conducted remotely as part of the academic study of the educational component “Pedagogical Creativity of Higher Education Institution Teachers” within the framework of specialty 015 Vocational Education.
Reference:
Anna Saydak-Burska – Habilitated Doctor, Professor at the Institute of Pedagogy of the Jagiellonian University, Head of the Department of School Pedagogy and Academic Didactics, Head of the Doctoral Program in Pedagogy at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Pedagogical Disciplines, Director of the Center for Didactic Improvement “Ars Docendi” (non-faculty unit of the Jagiellonian University) (https://pedagogika.uj.edu.pl/dr-hab.-anna-sajdak), and Professor of the Department of Primary Education and Educational Innovations at Vasyl stefanyk Carpathian National University.