Features of the teacher’s pedagogical competence under conditions of distance education in Ukraine

The article analyses the features of the pedagogical competence of a teacher who performs his / her professional activity under conditions of distance education. The purpose of the article is to study the features of the professional competence of a teacher who operates in the framework of distance education. The achieving of the goal involved solving a number of tasks: to determine the characteristics of the pedagogical competence of a teacher and its components, to highlight the key characteristics of distance education and analyse its impact on the system of teacher competencies, to consider tutoring as an optimal model for meeting the requirements of distance teaching / learning. To achieve the purpose and goals of the article, the author used theoretical methods (analysis, synthesis, generalisation and systematisation of approaches which enable defining the professional competence of the teacher and determining the features of distance learning). The terms "competence" and "competency" have been compared. The main components of the teacher's professional competence are highlighted. The components of the competence under study as well as their role in ensuring a high level of educational process have been analysed. The main features of distance learning as one of the today's main educational trends have been described. Some assumptions about potential transforming of the competence system of a teacher, operating within the framework of distance education, have been made. The essence of how the conditions of distance learning effect each component of the teacher's pedagogical competence has been determined. The system and interrelation of the components of the teacher's pedagogical competence have been indicated. Some features of the competence in the field of information and communications technology (ICT competence) and its components have been analysed. The necessity of including the ICT competence in the system of the teacher's pedagogical competence under conditions of distance education has been assumed and substantiated. The phenomenon “tutoring”, its types and functions have been described. It is concluded that the introduction of tutoring is able to satisfy the requirements to the pedagogical competence of a teacher operating within distance education. Some assumptions regarding the possibility of applying the principles of tutoring and implementing its mechanisms for revealing a full potential of distance education have been made.