Professional Development Courses for Teachers within the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Project (24.03-04.04.2025, online/offline)
As part of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Module project “European Integration and Ukraine: Historical Memory and Migration Challenges”, professional development courses for teachers from Zhytomyr lyceums and the region, as well as third-level education seekers, were held from March 24 to April 4. The course topic was: “European Studies in the Context of New Approaches to Teaching History and Civic Education in the New Ukrainian School (NUS)”.
The courses were conducted in two stages with different formats (the first week – offline, the second – online). The online format enabled teachers from the Zhytomyr region to participate.
The event was organized by the project team with the participation of lecturers and students, teachers from Zhytomyr lyceums and colleges, and supported by the rectorate of Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University.
As a result, 29 participants received certificates.
On the first day, the project team, consisting of lecturers from the Department of Ukrainian History, presented the main directions of the project’s implementation, outlined the course topics and format, and reviewed participants’ expectations.
The course was opened with an online lecture by Dr. Tobias WOLFF (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich) titled “Zhytomyr Jews and the German-Soviet War”.
Participants had the opportunity to listen to and discuss lectures on the following topics:
Oleksandr MAKSYMOV – “Concentric Approach to Teaching History: New Perspectives. Problems of Contemporary Historical Education”; Viktoriia VENGERSKA – “Problems of Historical Policy and Memory in Integrated History Courses”; Ivan KOVALCHUK – “Mythologization of History as a Tool of Hostile Propaganda in the Context of the Russian-Ukrainian War”; Oleksandr ZHUKOVSKYI – “Features of Teaching History in the NUS Through the Prism of Human-Nature Interaction”; Olha BILOBROVETS – “European Identity and Values in the Context of NUS Model Curricula”; Anton SYCHEVSKYI – “The Russian-Ukrainian War 2014–2025: Course, Socio-Economic Transformations”; Serhii STELNYKOVYCH – “Migration Processes in Europe in the Context of the Russian-Ukrainian War”.
Key discussion points included the challenges faced by history and civic education teachers in the context of education modernization, rethinking teaching approaches, and learning outcomes within the adaptation of education to European standards.
Discussion of controversial historical issues, European studies, their inclusion and representation in school education, teaching specifics, new ideas, approaches, and methods encouraged deep reflection and, hopefully, will serve as a stimulus for further professional growth.
Details about the event and speaker presentations are available on the project’s website.