Features of improving the pedagogical competence of managers using the example of managers of educational organizations

Abstract

The authors discuss key aspects of the professional development of managerial staff in educational organizations. Emphasis is placed on improving the pedagogical competence of leaders of educational organizations. An effective model for developing the pedagogical competency of educational managers is presented, which becomes a priority task in the system of additional professional education for leaders. An axiological analysis of the competency-based approach is provided. The article examines the improvement of pedagogical competency of leaders of educational organizations as a key condition for sustainable management in a dynamically changing sociocultural and informational environment. The conceptual field of analysis is clarified through the distinction between the concepts of competence as a given set of functions and requirements of the professional role and competency as the degree of mastery of these functions, manifested in the quality of practical execution and effectiveness. The pedagogical competency of a manager is interpreted as an integrative formation combining managerial, communicative, and humanitarian-ethical components and ensuring the design of a developmental environment for employees and learners. The theoretical justification is revealed through an axiological perspective: values are described as regulators of will and professional choice, and the competency-based approach as a mechanism for translating value orientations into management practice, where responsibility, respect for the individual, transparency of communications, support for learning, and inclusive safety serve as system-forming guidelines. The sociological dimension demonstrates that under conditions of norm transformation and weakening of traditional regulators, competency acquires the status of a socially significant value, influencing the legitimacy of managerial decisions and trust in the educational institution. At the applied level, a model of additional professional education for leaders is presented, oriented toward variability and adaptation of content to individual professional deficiencies; the importance of collaborative learning and development of managers' agency through reflection, internal dialogue, and rethinking of accumulated experience is emphasized. The organizational principles of modular sessions, practice-oriented formats, and diagnostic toolkit are described, including questionnaires, self-presentations, a project assignment on the image of a modern leader of innovative changes, and expert cross-interviews. It is shown that a pedagogically competent leader acts as a strategist capable of coordinating the interaction of educational process participants, developing self-management and teamwork, supporting goal achievement, and forming a corporate atmosphere that enhances the effectiveness of the educational organization.