INTEGRATION OF EDC/HRE INTO THE DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT FOR THE TRAINING OF FUTURE TEACHERS IN UKRAINE

Mariia HRYNOVA

Abstract

This article examines the integration of Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education (EDC/HRE) into the digital educational environment in the training of future teachers in Ukraine. The relevance of this research stems from the challenges posed by global transformations, digitalisation, and wartime conditions, which require educators to develop competencies to foster a culture of democracy, facilitate democratic interaction, and support an inclusive educational environment. The theoretical framework is based on contemporary approaches to implementing EDC/HRE in conjunction with the principles of sustainable development, the democratisation of education, and the “New Ukrainian School” reform. The study identifies key challenges in the training of future educators, including the inertia of the teacher education system, rapid digitalisation, and the difficulty of implementing values-based approaches in a wartime environment. The empirical basis of the study consists of survey results from 93 students from teacher training colleges in the Odesa region – participants in the distance learning program “Becoming Stronger Together” (DECIDE project), which combined synchronous and asynchronous learning formats. The results demonstrated an increase in future teachers' awareness of EDC/HRE approaches, their readiness to organise democratic interaction, their use of interactive and cooperative methods, and their readiness to create a safe, inclusive, and non-discriminatory educational environment. The most pronounced dynamics are observed in the value-based and activity-based components of competencies. In contrast, competencies related to reflection, the emotional sphere, and acceptance of uncertainty require further development. A synthesis of the results confirms that non-formal distance education is an effective tool for integrating EDC/HRE into the digital educational environment and for preparing future teachers for professional practice based on the principles of democracy, human rights, and sustainable development.

Pages: 70 - 81