Coaching as a tool for young teachers professional development

Abstract

This paper explores the role of coaching as a professional development tool for young faculty members just beginning their careers in higher education. Given current changes in the educational paradigm, the digitalization of processes, and increasingly stringent requirements for higher education institutions' human resources, the issue of supporting and adapting new staff is extremely pressing. This research is particularly important for young faculty members, who face a number of professional and psychological challenges early in their careers. This study analyzes the features and benefits of coaching as an innovative practice capable of facilitating the development of young faculty members' pedagogical competencies, increasing their motivation, and preventing burnout among experienced faculty members. Coaching viewed as a means of strengthening the internal potential of the university team. The paper systematizes the theoretical foundations of coaching, its practical application in Russian pedagogical work, and substantiates the effectiveness of this approach in higher education. Particular attention paid to comparing coaching with traditional mentoring, the potential for integrating these methods into higher education institutions, and the need for implementing systematic programs of this type. A rationale for using coaching as a tool to address the challenges associated with the adaptation of young faculty developed, and methods for implementing coaching programs into the staffing system of higher education institutions proposed. The study offered recommendations for creating specialized coaching centers at universities using various methods, monitoring the professional success and developing the competencies of young faculty, which, taken together, will contribute to improving the quality of education and sustainable staff development in Russia's higher education system.