The dissertation provides a comprehensive historical and pedagogical analysis of the development of distance learning in Ukrainian institutions of postgraduate pedagogical education between 1998 and 2020. The study is based on the analysis of legislative and regulatory documents, scholarly and methodological sources, and the synthesis of practical experience. It substantiates the theoretical foundations of the research problem, identifies the main stages, trends, and characteristics of the development of distance learning, systematizes scholarly approaches to its conceptualization, reveals the specific features of its implementation in the context of educational digitalization, and examines the transformation of the content, forms, and methods of teachers’ professional development.
The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that, for the first time in Ukrainian educational research, the genesis of distance learning in institutions of postgraduate pedagogical education during 1998–2020 has been comprehensively investigated. Three stages of its development have been identified and substantiated: Stage I (1998–2003), characterized by the emergence of distance learning, the establishment of the regulatory framework, and the first experimental applications of information and communication technologies (ICT); Stage II (2004–2013), marked by institutionalization, the expansion of distance learning practices, and the development of educational resources and learning platforms; and Stage III (2014–2020), distinguished by intensive educational digitalization, the widespread implementation of blended learning, the enhancement of digital learning environments, and the introduction of flexible models of teachers’ professional development.
The study identifies the major patterns governing the development of distance learning, including the dependence of its content and organizational forms on the level of ICT development, teachers’ professional needs, and societal challenges, as well as the interrelationship between educational digitalization and the transformation of the content, forms, and methods of in-service teacher education.
The research refines the interpretation of the concepts of distance learning, postgraduate pedagogical education, information and educational environment of a postgraduate education institution, and teachers’ digital competence within the context of educational digitalization. It further develops approaches to the periodization of distance learning in postgraduate pedagogical education, the organization of distance learning, and the functioning of information and educational environments as the foundation for digital learning. The findings also contribute to the theoretical framework for modernizing postgraduate pedagogical education through digital transformation, organizing teachers’ professional development in distance and blended learning environments, substantiating the role of digital competence as a key component of teachers’ professional competence, and explaining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on accelerating the implementation of distance learning.
The practical significance of the study lies in the applicability of its findings to the development of university courses in distance pedagogy, the history of education, and in-service teacher education; to the improvement of educational programmes in institutions of postgraduate pedagogical education; and to further research on the history and development of distance learning in Ukraine.
The lower chronological boundary of the study, 1998, is justified by the beginning of the state policy of educational informatization and the transition from isolated initiatives of individual higher education institutions to the establishment of a national regulatory framework for distance learning. The adoption of the Law of Ukraine On the National Informatization Programme created the prerequisites for integrating computer technologies into education, developing academic telecommunication networks, expanding access to educational resources, and preparing academic staff for the use of digital technologies.
The upper chronological boundary, 2020, is determined by the adoption of the regulatory documents governing the organization of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Orders of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No. 466 (16 April 2020) and No. 1115 (8 September 2020) established the procedures for organizing distance education, defined the requirements for digital learning platforms, and ensured teachers’ access to electronic educational resources, marking the completion of the historical stage examined in this study.
