Teacher professional development in innovative teaching methods, entrepreneurship and ICT

Policy development
Practical measure/Initiative
Slovenia
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Timeline
  • 2016Implementation
  • 2017Implementation
  • 2018Implementation
  • 2019Implementation
  • 2020Implementation
  • 2021Implementation
  • 2022Completed
ID number
28558

Description

What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.

The 2016-18 ESF project 'Strengthening the competences of professionals' in the field of managing an innovative educational institute, targeted teachers and other professionals in upper-secondary vocational schools and higher vocational schools. The project strengthened their competences in promoting entrepreneurship, introducing innovative methods of teaching, working with special needs learners, acquiring pedagogical/andragogical skills of higher-education lecturers and supporting quality assurance in higher vocational schools.

In the scope of the POKIT project, the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for VET (CPI), in cooperation with the National Education Institute, analysed VET teachers' knowledge, attitude and use of ICT in designing and implementing digital competences in VET programmes. A questionnaire was addressed to all VET schools, with more than 600 replies received. Results of this analysis fed into training of approximately six teachers per school in 12 vocational schools in 2018-19 to help them develop their teaching approaches in developing learners' digital competence.

2016
Implementation
2017
Implementation
2018
Implementation
2019
Implementation

The project, Strengthening the competences of professionals, continues during 2018-22. It intends to implement and build on the results of the previous project periods, 2007-13 and 2014-18. The goals of the project are:

  1. differentiating, developing and appropriately using entrepreneurship as an approach and entrepreneurship as a trait,
  2. lifelong learning,
  3. mastering life-long career planning.

POKIT organised three major face-to-face training exercises and several shorter web training (ICT) lessons. Each teacher produced at least three examples of good practice to share with others.

2020
Implementation

In 2020, the project Strengthening the competences of professionals, implemented 13 andragogical training and development programmes, with a total of 242 participants.

POKIT organised training for members of school development teams. Completion of another activity was delayed due to COVID.

2021
Implementation

In 2021, 11 andragogical training and development programmes were implemented in the project Strengthening the competences of professionals. A total of 217 individuals attended.

The POKIT project was completed in 2020.

2022
Completed

In 2022, 12 andragogical training and development programmes were organised, with a total of 223 participants. Example of trainings:

  1. The influence of communication competences on the quality of learning and teaching of adults.
  2. The use of modern online networks and information for a more effective work of educators.
  3. Use of ICT tools for active participation of participants in distance education.

The 2018-22 project concluded in 2022 with a total of 47 programmes of andragogic training organised with 898 participants.

Bodies responsible

This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
  • Ministry of Education, Science and Sport (MIZŠ) (until 2023)
  • Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training (CPI)
  • Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (ACS)
  • National Education Institute (ZRSŠ)
  • Ministry of Education

Target groups

Those who are positively and directly affected by the measures of the policy development; those on the list are specifically defined in the EU VET policy documents. A policy development can be addressed to one or several target groups.

Education professionals

  • Teachers

Thematic categories

Thematic categories capture main aspects of the decision-making and operation of national VET and LLL systems. These broad areas represent key elements that all VET and LLL systems have to different extents and in different combinations, and which come into focus depending on the EU and national priorities. Thematic categories are further divided into thematic sub-categories. Based on their description, policy developments can be assigned to one or several thematic categories.

Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences

Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.

This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.

The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.

Systematic approaches to and opportunities for initial and continuous professional development of school leaders, teachers and trainers

This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of initial and continuing professional development (CPD) for VET educators who work in vocational schools and in companies providing VET. VET educators include teachers and school leaders, trainers and company managers involved in VET, as well as adult educators and guidance practitioners – those who work in school- and work-based settings. The thematic sub-category includes national strategies, training programmes or individual courses to address the learning needs of VET educators and to develop their vocational (technical) skills, and pedagogical (teaching) skills and competences. Such programmes concern state-of-the-art vocational pedagogy, innovative teaching methods, and competences needed to address evolving teaching environments, e.g. teaching in multicultural settings, working with learners at risk of early leaving, etc.

Supporting teachers and trainers for and through digital

This thematic sub-category is in line with the EU policy focus on the digital transition, and refers to professional development and other measures to prepare and support teachers and trainers in teaching their learners digital skills and competences. It also covers measures and support for them to increase their own digital skills and competences, including for teaching in virtual environments, working with digital tools and applying digital pedagogies. Emergency measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic also fall into this sub-category.

Subsystem

Part of the vocational education and training and lifelong learning systems the policy development applies to.
IVET
CVET

Further reading

Sources for further reading where readers can find more information on policy developments: links to official documents, dedicated websites, project pages. Some sources may only be available in national languages.
Project website

Country

Slovenia

Type of development

Policy developments are divided into three types: strategy/action plan; regulation/legislation; and practical measure/initiative.
Practical measure/Initiative
Cite as

Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Teacher professional development in innovative teaching methods, entrepreneurship and ICT: Slovenia. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].

https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28558