Ongoing Professional Growth for University Educators Amid Martial Law Conditions

Continuous professional development is a determining factor of quality higher education. However, under martial law, the focus of educational institutions is shifting to security measures, which jeopardises the professional growth of the teaching staff. Our study aimed to determine the state of continuous professional development compared to the pre-war
period to identify motivational factors and obstacles to professional development related to the war. The study used induction, deduction, synthesis, questionnaires, quantitative comparisons, and generalisation methods. The study was based on a survey of 305 teachers from various
higher education institutions in Ukraine in 2021 and 2023. The study’s results revealed a decrease in the number of hours of continuing professional development after the introduction of martial law compared to the pre-war period. An inverse correlation between teaching experience and the number of hours of CPD has been proved. Different motivation factors for professional development among different age groups and academic achievements are identified. The popularity of skills within the framework of continuing professional development of teachers is determined, including work with platforms for distance learning and management and planning consulting activities. The main obstacles to high-quality professional development of teachers are analysed, including interruption of the educational process and adaptation of curricula to martial law conditions.