4th International CEO Communication, Economics, Organization & Social Sciences Congress

The Current State of Practice for Phasing Content And Technology in

Continuous Pedagogical Education

Dr. Afat SULEYMANOVA

Leading Adviser of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Doctor of Philosophy in Pedagogy
a.suleymanova@edu.gov.az
Orcid: 0000-0002-7078-5400

ABSTRACT
To be honest, for many years, the teaching of theoretical information was deemed adequate in the training of
pedagogical personnel, and the young teacher began his/her educational activity without enough teaching
experience. Today, when new demands are being placed on education, the "will learn while working" approach is
plainly not warranted. Teachers who learn "while working" might leave behind children who lack the necessary
knowledge and skills, as well as unformed personalities and unfulfilled destinies. For just a reason, it is critical for
a teacher to have a strong pedagogical belief, social responsibility, vital theoretical knowledge, and practical
abilities, as well as appropriate experience, from the first day of joining the classroom. For many years, we have
been researching the content and technology of teacher education, led by the stages of "self-determination," "self-
organization," "scientific and pedagogical formation," "self-improvement," and "self-realization." In this study,
the current situation in the design of teacher education is examined in terms of the above-mentioned stages. The
educational programs approved in the 2014 (code 050118) and 2020 (code 050107) for the "Primary school
teaching“ specialization, also the educational plans for the bachelor's degree in Azerbaijan State Pedagogical
University and Khazar University based on the "Primary school teaching" specialization were reviewed . The
study were guided by qualitative research methodology, documents on the organization of the content of
pedagogical education were the basis for analyzing and interpretation. Data derived from explored documents were
analyzed inductively. The results of the analysis lead to the following conclusions: In the legal and normative
documents on the content and technologies of continuous pedagogical education in the Republic of Azerbaijan,
there are wide opportunities for the gradual organization of content and technologies. However, there is a need to
adequately assess and take into account the existing opportunities in the planning of content and technology in
higher education institutions. This study successfully presents a model of five-staged planning for content and
technology of teacher education.

Keywords: Continuous Pedagogical Education, Stages of Content And Technology, Gradual Organization of
The Content, Specialty, Educational Programs.

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INTRODUCTION
To be honest, for many years, the teaching of theoretical information was deemed adequate in
the training of pedagogical personnel, and the young teacher began his/her educational activity
without enough teaching experience. Today, when new demands are being placed on education,
the "will learn while working" approach is plainly not warranted. Teachers who learn "while
working" might leave behind children who lack the necessary knowledge and skills, as well as
unformed personalities and unfulfilled destiny. As just a reason, it is critical for a teacher to
have a strong pedagogical belief, social responsibility, vital theoretical knowledge, and practical
abilities, as well as appropriate experience, from the first day of joining the classroom. For
many years, we have been researching the content and technology of teacher education, led by
the stages of "self-determination," "self-organization," "scientific and pedagogical formation,"
"self-improvement," and "self-realization." The situation of taking these stages into account
while designing teacher education was investigated in this study.
The goal of the study is to assess the current situation regarding the use of a phased approach
to structuring the content and technology of ongoing pedagogical education at the
undergraduate and graduate levels.
Research question:
1) To what extent is the problem of progressive content and technological structuring taken into
account when planning training at various levels of pedagogical education?
2) What issues should be considered in order to achieve a progressive arrangement of
pedagogical education?
Methodology. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was used to evaluate
pedagogical education programs in the study.
Qualitative research has been widely used to analyze important state documents on the content
of pedagogical education approved in 2014 and 2020 in terms of the possibility of phased
organization of content and technology, to compare the results, to clarify the differences
between the documents. At the next stage, the curricula of the teacher education departments
of the two higher education institutions at the bachelor's and master's levels were analyzed in
terms of the gradual organization of the content, and the results were evaluated.
Quantitative research was used to assess the status of the distribution of educational loans
between the stages of content and technology, defined in the curriculum of the specialty.
Relevance of the problem: It is vital to review the current situation and identify strengths and
shortcomings by analyzing the situation of a staged approach to the organization of content and
technology in pedagogical education to make judgments in the next stage of the study.
The novelty of the problem: It is novel to assess the current state of content and technology
organization in pedagogical education in the Republic of Azerbaijan in terms of phasing.
Analysis of results.
The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan authorized all educational programs
for all bachelor's degree specialties in higher pedagogical education in 2020. In this regard, the
educational program approved in the 2014 year (code 050118) on the "Primary school teaching"
specialization was replaced by a new curriculum (code 050107) approved in the 2020 year.
Both programs were investigated to see how the content and technology phases' skills are
expressed in the new programs and how they differ from the prior ones. The following items
are discovered as a result of this inquiry. In previous investigations, we identified features of
the content and technologies of pedagogical education (Appendix 1). Advanced educational
practices and the work of well-known scientists serve as guides for the research. These features
were also used in this study.

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Based on the features of the levels of content and technologies of pedagogical education, a
comparison analysis was performed between "Graduate competence" in 2014 and "general and
professional competencies" in 2020 educational programs. The overarching goal of these
investigations was to identify the possibility of gradually organizing pedagogical education
content and technologies in these educational programs. The following situation was revealed
(Table 1):
Educational program Sample 2014 (coded 050118) Sample of 2020 (050107)
Number of competencies 24 28
From them
Phases of content and
technologies of continuous
pedagogical education and
teacher training
Self-determination 1 1
Self-organized 9 7
Scientific and pedagogical
8 7
formation
Self-improvement 2 6
Self-realization 3 6

According to research, both curricula have competencies that are appropriate for the stages. The
classification of each five stages demonstrates that the approved curriculum in 2020 is more
favorable due to its balanced nature. Thus, in the example of 2020, 28 competencies were
classified according to the characteristics of the stages with 1, 7, 7, 6, 6, whereas this division
was observed in the 2014 educational programs as 1, 9, 8, 2, 3. In terms of taking into account
the role and importance of each stage in the development of pedagogical content and
technology, the 2020 document outperforms the 2014 document. Another distinction between
the programs approved in 2014 and 2020 is that the first document includes a section titled
"Subject sections, the results of their mastery (in terms of knowledge, skills, and habits)," which
aims to specialize the "graduate competencies." The 2020 document contains no such section.
These results (from the 2014 program) were also evaluated in terms of the content and
technology phases, as shown in the table below:

Educational program Sample 2014 (coded 050118)

Number of learning outcomes 70

From them
Self-determination 2
Self-organized 6
Scientific and pedagogical formation 57
Self-improvement 1
Self-realization 6

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As the table shows, 81.42 percent of the total 70 learning outcomes correspond to only one
stage, while 18.57 percent correspond to the characteristics of the remaining four stages.
We investigated the education plans of higher education institutions involved in pre-service
teacher education at the next level, with a focus on the gradual arrangement of content and
current experience in its organization. An education plan is a document that specifies the
content and scheduling of subjects taught in any educational institution, and it is distributed
annually and for the academic year.
Each educational institution covered by the education system has its education plan. Varied
types of educational institutions have different tasks and education plans appropriately are
different. Although education plans differ based on the type and form of educational institution,
they have common characteristics. The commonalities mentioned are as follows: the academic
year, quarters, and holidays; a complete list of subjects studied in educational institutions;
distribution of subjects by years of study; the number of hours allocated for the study of each
subject during the entire training period and in each class; the number of weekly hours allocated
for the study of each subject; structure, duration of practicums, etc. determines. (İbrahimov F.,
Huseynzade R.,2012).
The education plan for the bachelor's degree in specialization 050118 (Primary school
teaching), adopted in 2015 at Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, was reviewed in terms
of the content organization from the point of stages of content and technologies of pedagogical
education. 210 credits (6,300 hours) are spread out across eight semesters in the 2015 Education
plan. We've put together the following table based on the University Education plan for this
specialty. What is the education plan? The content of the teaching process is determined by the
education plan and subject curricula, and it is reflected in textbooks and technological
equipment that gathers and saves information.
Table 3. Compilation based on ASPU's Education Plan for the bachelor's degree program in
"Primary School Teaching"(2015).
SEMESTER I II III IV V VI VII VII
I
The Foreign
Foreign
foreign Foreign language
language 2 Foreign Foreign
language I language 3 5 (Upper-
Humanitarian

(A. white- language 4 language 6

(Low (Reading middle
middle (Reading and (High reading
reading and reading
reading and speaking) and speech)
and speaking) and
speech)
speaking) speech)
History of Speech
Azerbaijan culture
SCOOL PRACTICE

Economy
(elective
Philosophy
Selected subjects on
SUBJECTS

subjects)
(elective
Basics of the
humanitarian

subjects)
Constitution
Sociology
and rights of
and
the Republic
political
of
science
Azerbaijan
(elective
(elective
subjects)
subjects)
Child Psychology General Pedagogy of
preparat
Specialt

career
y and

anatomy pedagogy primary

ion

and education
physiology

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Mother Mother Mother Children's Methodology Methodolog

tongue II tongue II tongue literature of teaching y of
III mother teaching
tongue I mother
tongue II
Theoretica Theoretical Theoretical Informatic Methodology Methodolog
l bases of bases of bases of s and its of teaching y of
Primary elementary elementary teaching the teaching the
course in course in course in methods elementary elementary
Mathemati mathematic mathematics course in course in
cs I s II III mathematics I mathematic
s - II
ICT in Basics of Technology
education the and its
medical teaching
science methods
Fine arts and Life
its teaching knowledge
methods and its
teaching
methods
Music and its Physical
teaching education
methods and its
teaching
methods

Fine writing The Methods Modern Introductio

(elective curriculum of for pedagogical n to the
subjects) primary incorporat technologies teaching
education ing (elective profession; (
Methodologi (elective the develo subjects) elective
cal bases of subjects) pmental Active subjects) Int
spelling and Theoretical practice learning roduction to
orthoepy pedagogical into technologies pedagogy
Elective subjects)on Specialty and career preparation

training problems of mathemat (elective (elective

(elective the content of ics subjects) subjects)
subjects) primary instructio Social
education n (grades pedagogy
(elective I-IV) (elective
subjects) (elective subjects)
subjects) History of
Ways of Azerbaijan
formation school and
of pedagogical
mathemat thought
ical (elective
concepts subjects)
(grades I-
IV)
(elective
subjects)
Use of new
learning
technologies
in mother
tongue
teaching
(elective
subjects)
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Methodology
of work on
speech
development
(elective
subjects)
Basic
geometric
concepts and
suggestions
(elective
subjects)
Formation
and
development
of the
concept of
number (elect
ive subjects)

Elective subjects * are determined by the higher education institution. Elective subjects can be
expanded depending on the characteristics of the specialty.
The following main characteristics of the stages of content and technology of pedagogical
education were used to evaluate the subjects to be taught in the semesters. The subjects that can
be referred to the first stage of the content and technologies of pedagogical education have been
determined, taking into consideration the subjects' purpose and characteristics of the "self-
determination" stage. Previously, we established the following features of the "self-
determination" stage (A.Suleymanova, 2022):
- reconstructing human consciousness (gnostic) and achieving real changes in social
status (practical);
- determining one's way of life and lifestyle, consciously choosing one's place and
position in the socio-cultural space;
- establishing one's history, determining one's identity;
- self-perception as a subject of pedagogical activity;
- establishment of subjective attitudes and professional goals associated with specific
labor tasks;
- progressive application of internal training for regulating and implementing
development prospects;
- "What?" "Why?" "How?" "In what circumstances?" an emotional and rational approach
to major topics based on free-thinking
The following subjects were considered by the characteristics of the "self-identification" stage,
according to the investigated Educational Plan: "Philosophy" (elective subject, Humanitarian
section, I semester), "History of Azerbaijan" (Humanitarian section, II semester), "History of
Azerbaijani school and pedagogical thought" (elective subject, Speciality training section, VI
semester), and "Introduction to Teacher Specialization" (elective subject, Speciality training
section, VII semester).
As can be seen, the majority of these courses are elective (optional According to the Educational
Plan, the student may select one of two alternative elective topics provided on an "either-or"
basis. For instance, if a student selects "Introduction to Pedagogy" from the same optional
block, he or she forfeits the ability to select "Introduction to the Teaching Profession". It lowers
students' chances of passing all content and technological stages of pedagogical education.

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However, if the student is expected to choose all of the above subjects, 6 credits on the subject
of "History of Azerbaijan", ± 4 credits on the elective subject "Philosophy", ± 4 credits on the
elective subject «History of Azerbaijan school and pedagogical thought", ± 2 credits on the
elective subject “Introduction to the teaching profession” corresponding to the characteristics
of the stage of "self-determination", which is only 6 ± 10 credits.
When analyzing the Educational Plan in terms of the "self-organization" stage of pedagogical
content and technology, the following characteristics of that level were considered:
- in a dynamic system, each subsystem adapts to the environment created by all other
subsystems;
- identifying the individual's purposeful activities after assessing own potential,
environment, and conditions;
- formation of pedagogical labor culture based on independence, purposefulness, and
volitional qualities;
- control their actions and behavior;
- regulation of personal situation, quality, and characteristics;
- feeling the problem, penetrating it, flexible thinking;
- conscious organization of regular activities aimed at solving tasks by rational methods
of implementation;
- optimizing one's actions, combining one's efforts with the efforts of colleagues, defining
the boundaries of professional activity.
The following subjects were considered by the characteristics of the "self-organizing" stage:
"Sociology and Political Science" (elective, Humanities, 1st semester), "Speech Culture"
(Humanities, fifth semester), "Economics" (third semester), and "Azerbaijan Fundamentals of
the Constitution and Rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan” (selection, Humanitarian section, II
semester).
As can be seen, three of the four subjects associated with this level are from the elective subject
blocks. As previously stated, the elective subject "Philosophy" is vital in terms of "self-
determination," while "Sociology and political science" is crucial in terms of "self-
organization." And the pupil is required to select one of two steps. As a result, it is compelled
to discontinue the development of one of the phases. In this regard, while defining subject
blocks, it is critical to group subjects of the same stage in blocks. In this circumstance,
regardless of the subject chosen, the student has the chance to gain competencies connected to
the stage to which the subject group belongs.
According to the analysis, the number of credits assigned to subjects that correspond to the
characteristics of the "self-organization" stage in terms of educational purpose is as follows: 3
credits in "Speech Culture," ± 4 credits in "Sociology and Political Science," ±2 credits in
"Economy" and the alternative «Fundamentals of the Constitution and Rights of the Republic
of Azerbaijan"±2 credits. As a result, only 3± 6 credits were allocated for the teaching of courses
deemed adequate in terms of the features of the "self-organization" stage.
The next step of the Educational Plan analysis is based on the following characteristics of the
stage of "scientific-pedagogical formation" of pedagogical education content and technology:
- Investigating the dynamics of the link between teacher, learner, and material
- Resolving two interrelated issues: personal social growth and professional development
and specialization
- methodical learning supported by scientific advances and best practices gained through
observation and experience;
- the new essence of teaching and learning activities: the teacher is a researcher, and the
student is a scientific innovator.

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-creating an educational environment that fosters and promotes critical thinking,

creativity, cooperation, and problem-solving skills via the use of information
technology in the classroom.
- Preparing a pre-service or in-service teacher to feel like a manager, not an executor: a
researcher who supervises the learning process in the classroom, the quality of
education, and participant connections, and a problem-solver who discovers the reasons,
prepares strategies, and then puts them into action.
In terms of aims and objectives, the disciplines proposed in the Educational Plan were thought
to be connected to the phases of the content and technology of pedagogical education (Table
N):

Table N: Subject classification based on the stage of "Scientific and pedagogical formation" in
the ADPU 2015 Educational Plan.
Semester I II III IV V VI VII

PTMTM

Scientific- Child Foreign Foreign language Foreign language IV Foreign Methods of Methodology
pedagogical- anatomy language II III (Intermediate (Reading and language V teaching the of teaching
organizational and (Low-middle reading and speaking) (Upper-middle native mother tongue
physiology reading and speech) reading and language I II
speech Pedagogy of primary speech) Methods of
Mother education ICT in teaching Methodology
tongue-I Psychology General education Curriculum Children's elementary of teaching an
Mother pedagogy of primary education literature courses in elementary
Theoretical tongue II (elective, I block) mathematics I course in
bases of Theoretical Mother tongue III Informatics and Fine arts and mathematics II
Primary bases of Theoretical bases Theoretical its teaching its teaching
course in elementary of elementary pedagogical problems methods methods Technology
Mathematics course in course in of the content of Music and its and
I mathematics mathematics III primary education Basics of the teaching methodology
II (sample, I block) medical science methods of its teaching
The foreign Calligraphy Modern
language I (optional, Use of new learning Ways to use pedagogical Life knowledge
(Low reading block III) technologies in developmental technologies and
and Methodological mother tongue work in (elective, block methodology
speaking) of spelling and teaching mathematics VI ) Active of its teaching
orthoepy (optional, block IV) teaching learning
training (elective, (grades I-IV) methods Physical
block III ) Methods of work on (selection, block (elective, block education and
speech development V) VI ) Social its teaching
(sample, block IV) pedagogy methods
(elective, block Introduction
Basic geometric VI ) to pedagogy
concepts and Ways of (elective, block
suggestions formation of VII )
(sample, block II) mathematical
concepts
Formation and (grades I-IV)
development of the (sample, block
concept of V)
number (sample, block
II )

When analyzing the Educational Plan in terms of the "self-improvement" stage of pedagogical
content and technology, the following features were considered:
- to become a better person physically, intellectually, or emotionally;
- learning new information and skills on their own to become a better person;
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- increasing, developing, or enhancing one's knowledge, position, or character via one's

efforts: self-development, self-education;
- as living situations, interests, and requirements change, rethinking one's own physical,
intellectual; and emotional life, recognizing areas in need of repair and improvement,
and reorganizing oneself;
- evaluate own professional training in terms of new needs, appraisal of identified gaps
as the need for improvement, and development plans;
- strive to become a person by continually growing morale and effective creative activity;
Learners acquire basic abilities of lifelong learning at all levels of pedagogical education at this
stage, via self-assessment, identification of strategies of self-education, and planning.
From this point, the 14-week (1.5 credit per week) active and passive internship phase indicated
in the ASPU Educational Plan can be referred to as the "self-improvement" stage. This stage
also offers four credits for "Foreign Language VI (High Reading and Speech)."
The following characteristics were considered while evaluating the Educational Plan in terms
of the "self-realization" stage of the content and technology of pedagogical education.
Someone’s:
- fulfillment of ambitions and objectives relating to their abilities, character, or
personality
- taking an active role in their lives to fully realize their potential in action and
relationships,
- attain self-actualization in current or newly created circumstances
- Integration into the social community and individual distinction within that community
- Participate in groups with a feeling of interdependence, collaboration, belonging, and
honesty;
- contribute to the growth of society as an autonomous, self-confident, free, and
responsible citizen;
- raising psychological and pedagogical moral literacy; perception value and ideological
position in terms of subject knowledge; competitiveness in terms of methodological
environment, as well as creative originality in terms of synergetics;
Based on the aforementioned characteristics, a total of 21 credits were assigned to the "self-
realization" stage, including the period of active internship, which is not included in the total of
210 credits.
Semester
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
Stage
Self-
X X X X X X
determination
Self-organization X X X X X
Scientific-
pedagogical X X X X X X X X
formation
Self-
X X
improvement
Self-realization X X
The great majority of courses covered in the Educational Plan, as shown in the table, pertain to
the stage of "scientific and pedagogical formation." According to the findings, 13±16 credits
out of 210 were distributed among "self-determination," "self-organization," and "self-
improvement." The remaining credits were assigned to disciplines related to the "scientific and
pedagogical formation" stage. Thus, based on the most simple calculations, 13.8 percent of the
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total credit belongs to the three aforementioned stages, with the remaining 86.2 percent to the
stage of "scientific-pedagogical formation."
Applying the same logic, Khazar University's Educational Plan for the relevant specialization
was evaluated based on the aforementioned factors. The findings of the analysis are shown in
the table below:
Table № Classification of courses outlined in Khazar University's "Primary School Teaching"
specialty's Educational Plan in terms of content and technology of pedagogical education.
Semester I II III IV V VI VII VIII

PTMTM

Self- Azerbaijani history of Introduction to Philosophy Introduction Historical

determin culture Azerbaijan philosophy of culture to education and
ation philosophic
al bases of
education
Self- Basics of Human Organizatio Social Right to
organized speech rights nal sciences education
culture behavior and its (optional)
teaching Class
(elective) management
(selection)
Education
management
(selection)
Scientific Basics of Basics of Introduction to Methods Basics of Fine arts Methods of ICT in
and English-1 English-2 psychology. Child of educational and its teaching education
pedagogi Introductio Curriculum psychology. teaching psychology teaching elementary Training
cal n to and Earth and space English in Mathematic Life mathematic methods
organizati computer assessmen sciences primary s for knowledge s (selection)
on science t strategies school primary and its Methods of
Modern Informatics
Introductio Modern Azerbaijani Children's school teaching teaching and its
n to the Azerbaijani language-3 literature teachers-1 methods mother teaching
article language-2 Special Basics of Mathemati tongue methods
Modern Azerbaijani education civil defense cs for Teaching (elective)
Azerbaijani literature (elective) and medical primary methods of Pediatric
language-1 Geography knowledge school literature anatomy,
of Music and teachers-2 (optional) physiology,
Azerbaijan its teaching Health and and hygiene
(selection) methods physical (optional)
(elective) education
Technology (optional)
and its World
teaching regional
methods geography
(elective) (sample)
Self- Academic English Pedagogical Experience
improve experience
ment (passive)

Be Pedagogical Experience
yourself experience
(active)
As shown in the table, subjects that are close or related in terms of purpose and essence to the
characteristics of the self-determination stage have been continuously included in the
Educational Plan for six semesters. These are "Azerbaijani culture", "Azerbaijani history",
"Introduction to philosophy", "Philosophy of culture", "Introduction to education", "History
and philosophical foundations of education", none of which are electives. İt means all students
have mastered the knowledge and skills provided in this subject.

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Courses are planned to be taught from the fourth to the eighth semesters that correspond to the
characteristics of the "self-organizing" stage in terms of aims and objectives. These disciplines
include "Social sciences and its teaching (elective)," "Fundamentals of speech culture,"
"Human rights," "Organizational behavior," "Educational legislation (elective)," "Classroom
management (elective)," and "Education management (elective)."
Table N. The state of stepwise content and technology arrangement
in the Educational Plan
Semester
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
Stages

Self-determination X X X X X X

Self-organizatio X X X X X

Self-formation X X X X X X X X

Self-improvement X X

Self-realization X X

Thus, 36 of the 264 credits defined for subject instruction were distributed to the teaching of
six core subjects linked to the "self-determination" stage, and 24 ± 6 credits were assigned to
the teaching of four core and one elective subject related to the "self-organization" stage. In
addition, 12 credits for passive practice were referred to as "self-improvement" stages, while
12 credits for active practice were referred to as "self-realization" stages. During the
investigation, it was discovered that 180± 6 credits were allotted for teaching courses relevant
to the stage of "scientific and pedagogical formation." That is, 68.2 percent of the total credits
for the specialty were assigned to courses connected to the "scientific and pedagogical
development" stage, with the remaining 31.8 percent given to the other four stages.
The findings of a comparative analysis of the Educational Plans of ARSPU and Khazar
University for the specialty "Primary School Teaching" in terms of the stage of content and
technology of pedagogical education revealed that ASPU allocated 86.2 percent of credits to
the "scientific and pedagogical formation" stage and Khazar University allocated 68.2 percent
to the same stage.
Aside from the vertical sequence, the horizontal sequence was studied while analyzing the
Khazar University curriculum in terms of content phasedness. Observations suggest that six
semesters of the Educational Plan included subjects relevant to the features of the "self-
determination" stage. Since the fourth semester, important subjects in the self-organization
(second) stage have been inserted into the educational plan. Courses related to the third stage
"scientific and pedagogical formation" were supposed to be taught throughout the first through
eighth semesters. The stages of self-improvement and self-realization correspond to the
Educational plan's periods of passive and active practice. As a result, creating a systematic
organization of courses for all phases in each semester is both difficult and complex. Such
horizontal content design in terms of phasing necessitates the promotion of one essence in each
semester, as well as the anticipation of the sequencing of its philosophy, legal backing, scientific
and pedagogical theory, and practice. Additional study is required for the systematic
construction of an educational plan in this regard. Consequently, despite the benefits of the
Educational plan in terms of horizontally anticipating the stage, there is a critical necessity to
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study the key aspects in terms of the problem. When assessing the Educational Plan based on
the vertical structure, the systematic sequence of content and technological stages from
semester to semester was not recognized.
The investigation reveals that the phased structure of content and technology established at
Khazar University for the Primary School Teaching specialty is closer to the horizontal design
concept in several ways. Although horizontal anticipation of the stage is considered effective
in certain areas, no research into the value of such a stage in bachelor's and master's degrees has
been undertaken. This topic might be the subject of separate research. The vertical hierarchy of
content and technological design is the basis of this research. Because these levels are, in essence,
hierarchical.
SELFREALİZATİON

SCIENTIFIC-PEDAGOGICAL SELF-
IMPROVEMENT

SCIENTIFIC-PEDAGOGICAL FORMATİON

ELFORGANİZATİON

SELFDETERMİNATİON

Several investigations have revealed that these stages are constant and interrelated. It is
significant from this perspective that each higher level comprises a level or levels below it and
has a taxonomic feature. The capacity of a person to realize himself in any profession should
be evaluated based on the individual's successful completion of the preceding four phases.
Based on the concerns raised above, it is reasonable to anticipate a vertical stage in the
arrangement of pedagogical content and technology. If the optional course "Special Education"
is scheduled for the fourth semester and the topic "Philosophy of Special and Inclusive
Education" is scheduled for the same semester, the horizontal phase may be regarded as
beneficial. When a student learns about the issues and methods of arranging special education,
he can understand the philosophy of both special and inclusive education at the same time.
Also, the inclusion of the philosophy of the main specialty (for example, "Philosophy of
Biology" in the specialty "Biology Teaching") in the curriculum helps to love the subject,
increase the desire to learn by determining the value of the subject, its function in life, its direct
connection to real life. As a result, it is obvious from the research that focuses on the horizontal
stage while also considering the vertical stage can improve the overall quality of teacher
education.
The following are the most important development trends in continuous pedagogical education
and teacher preparation in developed nations, as shown in "Conception and Strategy of
Continuous Pedagogical Education and Teacher Preparation in the Republic of Azerbaijan":
Reduce contact with the student and give them more time to think and act independently;
develop effective training programs that reflect all scientific achievements to improve
pedagogical education; increase pedagogical practice time and provide practical training to
future teachers, strengthening the focus on developing independence and activism as abilities
are acquired.
It is important to emphasize that these are "international development patterns." It is neither
right nor correct to apply all of the world's innovations to the country's education system;
however, applying the experience gained in the Azerbaijani education system, which creates
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truly effective and achievable opportunities and is successfully implemented in many countries,
could be beneficial in terms of improving quality. International consultants who were
performing an examination of pedagogical education in the country thought it would be
beneficial to modify the current practice for the better. Rob McBride (2002) focused on the 14-
week pedagogical practice in the Educational Plan's fourth year. The expert believed that
prospective teachers should contact the school beginning with their first year of teacher training,
and he designed a work plan and recommendations for its execution (Table 11).

Table11. Recommendation of Rob McBride, an international consultant who worked in

Azerbaijan in 2002 on the effective division of teaching time between the audience and
pedagogical practice
Period Time spent in schools,% Time spent at universities,%

First-year 10 90

Second-year 20 80

Third-year 35 65

Fourth-year 60 40

As can be seen from the table, the time allotted for pedagogical education at the undergraduate
level is divided between university study and school observation or practice throughout four
years. During the study period, the quantity of time spent at university decreases while the
amount of time spent at school increases. It is advised that students visit the university only
when absolutely essential in their fourth year of study [McBride, 2002].
There is also an example of dividing pedagogical experience time across four years as part of
the UNESCO initiative to promote elementary teacher training in Myanmar (STEM)
[UNESCO, 2016]. (Table 12).
Table 12. UNESCO initiative to promote elementary teacher training in Myanmar (STEM)
Teaching and learning experience

Period Type of Practice Day Week

Semester - 1 School observations, work with a 5 Within 5 months

student
The first year
Work with a group of students 10 2 separate weeks

Semester - 2 Work with a group of students 15 3 separate weeks

Second-year Semester - 3 Partially independent activity 25 5 consecutive weeks

Semester - 4 Partially independent activity 25 5 consecutive weeks

Third-year Semester - 5 Fully independent operation 15 3 consecutive weeks

Semester - 6 Fully independent operation 15 3 consecutive weeks

Fourth-year Semester - 7 Fully independent operation 40 Half semester (7 weeks)

Semester - 8 Work with student groups 20 4 consecutive weeks

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Total 170 days 32 weeks

The four-year internship duration for the UNESCO Primary Teacher Training Project in Myanmar is 18
weeks longer than the ADPU approved Educational plan in 2015.
The preceding is significant in terms of a balanced and purposeful distribution of teaching time in the
specialty between stages of content and technology of pedagogical education. The recommendations
and experiences offered above can assist to enhance the efficiency of activities in the "self-
improvement" and "self-realization" stages.
To ensure the comprehensiveness of study on the gradual arrangement of the content and technology of
continuing pedagogical education, the curriculum of Khazar University's Master's Degree Program in
"Theory and History of Pedagogy" (060119) was assessed using the aforementioned parameters. The
analysis findings are also shown in Table NN:
Semester I II III IV

Levels of the
content and technologies
Self-determination Modern philosophy of History of education
education
Education systems around
the world
Self-organization ICT in education Education policy and The right to education
strategy Educational economics
and planning
Scientific and pedagogical Basics of English -1 Basics of English -2 Research methods Quality
organization Development and Educational psychology Measurement and assurance
evaluation of educational Pedagogy: Teaching and evaluation in in
programs learning education education
Classroom management Education
and leadership in the management
teaching process Training strategies
Development and learning
theories
Self-improvement Academic English
Thesis
Self-realization

According to the categorization, 22 out of 120 credits in the speciality "Theory and history of
pedagogy" may be assigned to "self-determination," which is the first stage of the content and
technology of pedagogical education. These credits are divided into three disciplines, which are
shown below: "Modern Education Philosophy" (8 credits), "Education Systems in the World"
(6 credits), and "History of Education" (8 credits). It was discovered that 24 credits were allotted
for the second stage of "self-organization" in four disciplines matching to the objective and
characteristics. These include "Right to Education" (8 credits), "Education Policy and Strategy"
(6 credits), "ICT in Education" (6 credits), and "Education Economics and Planning" (6 credits).
Third, 9 ±2 disciplines can be classified as being in the "Scientific and pedagogical formation"
stage. "Research Methods" (6 credits), "Curriculum Development and Evaluation" (8 credits),
"Educational Psychology" (6 credits), "Pedagogy: Teaching and Learning" (6 credits),
"Measurement and Evaluation in Education" (6 credits), "Development and Learning Theories"
(6 credits), "Training Strategies" (6 credits), and "Quality Assurance in Education" (6 credits)
are among them. As can be seen, 9 subjects were incorporated in the third stage, totaling 50
credits. The topics "Classroom Management and Leadership in the Teaching Process" (6
credits) and "Education Management" (6 credits) correspond to the stage of "self-improvement"
if taught in a real school setting, and to the stage of "scientific and pedagogical formation" if
taught in an auditorium. From this perspective, if 12 credits are referred to the stage of "self-
improvement" with the condition, the loan distribution may be envisaged as shown in the table
below:

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Stages of content and The number of Percentage

technologies of continuous credits
pedagogical education
Self-determination 22 18,33%
Self-organization 24 20%
Scientific-pedagogical
50 (±12) 41,66% (±10%)
formation
Self-improvement (±12) (±10%)
24 20%
Self-realization

Thus, 41.66 percent (±10%) of the 120 credits designated at the master's level in the
specialty "Theory and History of Pedagogy" relate to the third stage of "scientific-
pedagogical formation." The remaining 49.33 percent ( ±10% ) was divided across the other
four stages. This can be considered a successful distribution in terms of establishing the
necessary foundations in terms of professionalism in the organization of pedagogical
education's content and technology, as well as maintaining a balance in the distribution of loans
for its improvement after the initial formation and application of acquired knowledge and skills.
Despite the fact that credits were distributed evenly across the stages, the following sequence
of stages was observed:
• Subjects related to the "self-determination" stage are taught in the first and second
semesters;
• Self-organized subjects are taught in the first, second, and third semesters;
• Subjects related to the "scientific-pedagogical formation" stage are taught in the first,
second, third, and fourth semesters;
• Subjects (if taught in a real school environment) related to the "self-improvement" stage
are taught in the second and third semesters. Also, thesis writing is partially assigned to
this stage as a scientific activity;
• Thesis writing connected to the fifth stage corresponds to the stage of "self-realization."
Taking all of this into consideration, we recommend developing the program in terms of the
progressive structuring of pedagogical content and technology, as shown in Table N:

Semesters I II III IV
Stages
Self- Modern Education
determination Philosophy,
Education Systems in
the World
History of Education
Self-organization Fundementals of Fundamentals of
English -1 English -2
Right to Education ICT in Education
Educational policy
and strategy
Education Economics
and Planning
Scientific- Educational Research Methods
pedagogical Psychology Measurement and
formation Development and Evaluation in
Learning Theories Education
Pedagogy: Teaching Training
and Learning Strategies
Curriculum
Development and
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Evaluation
Quality Assurance
in Education

Self-improvement Academic English Classroom

Education Management
Management (in and
the real-school Leadership in
environment) the Teaching Theses
Process
Self-realization
Theses

As stated in Table N, 120 credits for four semesters at the master's level in the specialty "Theory
and History of Pedagogy" are divided as follows:
• Teaching subjects in the first semester that form competencies for the "self-
determination" stage;
• Teaching subjects in the first and second semesters that are important in terms of
the goals and objectives of the "self-organization" phase;
• Teaching relevant subjects in the second and third semesters in terms of the
characteristics of the "scientific and pedagogical formation" stage;
• Teaching subjects covering activities related to the "self-improvement" stage in the
third and fourth semesters;
• Application of activities related to the "self-realization" stage in the final semester.
This approach was tested in three higher education institutions of the Republic of Azerbaijan in
the frame of one subject which acquire four semesters and the results were highly appreciated
by experts.

REFERENCES

ASPU's Education Plan for the bachelor's degree program in "Primary School Teaching"(2015).
Classification of courses outlined in Khazar University's "Primary School Teaching" specialty's Educational Plan
in terms of content and technology of pedagogical education.
"Conception and Strategy of Continuous Pedagogical Education and Teacher Preparation in the Republic of
Azerbaijan"
Ibrahimov N. Firadun, Huseynzade L. Rufat, PEDAGOGY, The textbook. Azerbaijan Teachers' Institute, Baku,
2012
Rob McBride. Teacher training (Pedagogical education, professional development, and retraining). Final report.
25.12.2005
Suleymanova, A. (2022) The Main Characteristics of Stages of Content and Technology in Continuing
Pedagogical Education. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 10, 502-527. DOI: 10.4236/jss.2022.102034.
The educational program was approved in the 2014 year (code 050118) on the "Primary school teaching"
specialization new curriculum (code 050107) approved in the 2020 year.
UNESCO initiative to promote elementary teacher training in Myanmar (STEM) [UNESCO, 2016].
Khazar University's Master's Degree Program in "Theory and History of Pedagogy" (060119)
UNESCO initiative to promote elementary teacher training in Myanmar (STEM) [UNESCO, 2016]

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Appendix 1

Self- - rebuilding one's consciousness (gnostic) and effecting real changes in one's social situation
determination (practical);
- a deliberate choice of one's place, position in life, and professional goals;
- defining one's "way of life";
- ensuring that one's decisions are based on free-thinking;
- self-perception as a subject of pedagogical activity;
- formation of a "subjective attitude toward specific labor activities"
- gradual internal training in the regulation and implementation of development prospects;
- emphasis on innovative types of education and innovative teaching materials; - to identify oneself
with values and define one's position in the socio-cultural space;
- "what should I teach?" "Why should I teach?" "How should I teach?" "Under what conditions
should I teach?" a combination of emotional and rational responses to these questions
Self-organization - the formation of the order in a system as a result of internal processes rather than external
constraints or forces - in a dynamic system, each subsystem adapts to the environment created by
all other subsystems.
- establish a specific goal
- once an individual has identified his or her potential and assessed the environment and conditions,
he or she should engage in goal-oriented activities free of outside interference.
- the cultivation of a culture of pedagogical labor, independence, purposefulness, and volitional
qualities based on an active position
- self-control, self-stimulation, and command of their actions and behavior to advance professionally
- command of natural, mental, and personal situations, qualities, and traits
- overcoming stereotypes, sensing and penetrating the problem, and thinking creatively
- conscious organization of routine activities aimed at task completion via rational execution
methods
- to optimize one's actions, combine one's efforts with those of colleagues, and define professional
activity boundaries
- multidimensional, multidisciplinary, and multifunctional
Scientific and - investigating the internal dynamics of the teacher-learner-content relationship; - focusing on two
pedagogical interrelated issues, such as social development, professional development, and specialization;
formation - systematic learning based on scientific achievements and best practices through observation and
experience;
- learning based on intellectual and practical activities
- to cover abilities that are tightly linked to a variety of complex qualities and personal mental
characteristics;
- new teaching-learning activity content in which the teacher acts as a researcher and the student acts
as a scientific innovator;
- -preparation of pre-service or in-service teachers for dynamic processes such as self-analysis, self-
development, and continuous change;
-the creation of an educational environment that supports and develops critical thinking, creativity,
collaboration, and problem-solving through the use of information technology in the teaching
process;
- Making a future or active teacher feel like a manager, not an executor: a researcher who manages
the learning process in the classroom, educational quality, participant relationships, investigates
problems in any direction, identifies causes, and plans and implements teacher training.
Scientific and - to improve oneself physically, intellectually, or emotionally
pedagogical self- - learning new knowledge and skills on one's own to become a more capable one
improvement - increase their knowledge and skills through their efforts, raise their status, and improve their
character
-Self-development, self-education;
-A person's self-development and education;
-to strive for perfection without stopping;
-self-organization reconstruction;
-reconsidering oneself, one's physical, intellectual, and emotional existence, identifying areas that
need to be corrected and developed;

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-reorganizing oneself as living situations, interests, and requirements change

- evaluate their professional training against state-approved criteria, identify gaps that need to be
filled, and design a development plan.
-man's desire to grow as a person through the ongoing development of his knowledge, habits,
abilities, will, responsibility, morality, and, as a result, effective creative activity, "maximizes the
efficiency of his energy and reduces entropy - inefficient energy to zero."
- spiritual self-improvement, in addition to physical and voluntary self-improvement
Self-realization - to achieve one's wishes and objectives about oneself, one's abilities, one's character, or one's
personality;
- an active life position in which a person's potential is embodied in actions and relationships;
- self-actualization under existing or freshly generated circumstances;
-self-realization in a closed system (conventional scientific path) and an open system (synergetics-
self-regulation, self-organization)
- preserving the individuality of a person with a desire to integrate into the social community, to
stand out as an individual in that community;
- the product of one's actualization of one's skills, as well as the process;
- the individual's contribution to the growth of society as an independent, self-assured, free, and
responsible citizen;
- active participation with a sense of interdependence, cooperation, and belonging;
- self-confidence and self-actualization in learners;
- continuous and active group participation and discussions, accompanied by a sense of responsibility
and honesty;
- the development of a person's psychological-pedagogical, moral-ethical, and academic abilities, as
well as their understanding of values and ideological positions, methodological competence, and
synergetics, to the level of "creative originality."

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