Basarab N. «Development of Postgraduate Education for Primary School Teachers in Western Regions of Ukraine (1945-1991)».

The object of the research is postgraduate Education for Primary School Teachers in Western Regions of Ukraine. The research aims to trace the genesis of postgraduate education for primary school teachers in the western regions of Ukraine (1945–1991) through historical and pedagogical analysis and identify perspectives for creative utilization of productive experience amid the modernization of the postgraduate education system in contemporary Ukraine. The scientific novelty of the dissertation lies in the first-ever comprehensive historical and pedagogical study of the development of postgraduate education for primary school teachers in the western regions of Ukraine (1945–1991). The research identifies factors influencing the development of postgraduate pedagogical education in the studied period, including political-legal, socio-economic, cultural-educational, and socio-psychological factors. The dissertation introduces a periodization of the development of postgraduate education for primary school teachers in the western regions of Ukraine (1945–1991): Stage I (1945–1959) – restoration and activation of improvement institutions for teachers; Stage II (1959–1974) – reforming the educational system, activating teachers' retraining in improvement institutions; Stage III (1974–1991) – dominance of the orientation of improvement institutions towards enhancing the theoretical level of teachers' professional readiness; Stage IV (1991) – development of postgraduate education as a structural component of the education system. The dissertation characterizes the content and evolution of qualification training for pedagogical staff in postgraduate education, emphasizing continuous professional improvement, deepening, expanding, and updating professional knowledge, skills, and abilities based on previously acquired educational-professional training and practical experience. The research outlines ways to improve access to the professional growth of primary school teachers in the development of modern continuous pedagogical education through addressing contradictions between the actual content of pedagogical education, school requirements, and state challenges (using the example of the Ivano-Frankivsk territorial community). The practical significance of the research lies in its potential use in scientific research, educational preparation, and patriotic-educational activities. The collected material can serve as a foundation for further studies on the history of postgraduate education (qualification improvement) for Ukrainian teachers.