Teachers’ Digital Competence Development: Estonian State Policy in the Field

Abstract

Abstract The article reveals the results of the content analysis of Estonian legislative and normative documents, which define the state educational policy regarding the development of both professional and digital competences of school teachers at the current stage of the education reforming of the country. The main objectives are defined as the theoretical analysis of scientific-pedagogical literature, which highlights different aspects of the problem under research; identification of the main features of Estonian legislative framework for professional development of public school teachers, especially in the field of digital competence formation. Teachers’ professional development has been studied by foreign and Ukrainian scientists: L. Chance, A. Hollingsworth, N. Klokar, N. Mukan, V. Oliynyk, D. Ross, E. Villegas-Reimers etc. The paper, in particular, focuses on the provisions of the National Strategy for Continuing Education 2014–2020, the Professional Standards of the Teacher; The Law on Basic Schools and Secondary Schools, the State Program of Competent and Motivated Teachers and School Principals, which regulate goals, content and expected result of the development of the teacher’s digital competence and its importance for the development of education and the state. The analytical references and results of the research of the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation, dedicated to Estonian education, have been summarized. The research methodology comprises theoretical (logical, induction and deduction, comparison and compatibility, structural and systematic, analysis and synthesis), and applied (observations, questioning and interviewing) methods. The analysis has been carried out through the prism of expediency of borrowing the Estonian positive experience for the educational system of Ukraine, in particular, in the field of public school teachers professional development. The research results have been presented.