Historical Development Dynamics of Pedagogical Staff Training in Western Azerbaijan and the Transition From Traditional Education to Institutional Pedagogical Education
Khanim Safarli
Abstract. The article examines the historical development dynamics of pedagogical staff training in Western Azerbaijan in the context of the transition from traditional forms of education to institutional pedagogical education. The study focuses on the role of mollakhanas, madrasas, state schools, teacher seminaries, pedagogical technical schools and higher pedagogical departments in the formation of national teacher training. It is shown that pedagogical staff training in Western Azerbaijan first developed within the traditional religious and educational environment, but later acquired a more systematic and professional character through the expansion of secular schools and specialized teacher-training institutions. The activity of the Yerevan Teachers’ Seminary, the Yerevan Turkish Pedagogical Technical School and the Azerbaijani department of the Yerevan State Correspondence Pedagogical Institute played an important role in preparing teachers for Azerbaijani schools. The article also emphasizes that the involvement of women in pedagogical education expanded the social base of teacher training and strengthened the enlightenment movement in the region. The study concludes that the development of pedagogical staff training in Western Azerbaijan was not only an educational process, but also an important factor in preserving national identity, mother-tongue education and Azerbaijani enlightenment traditions.
Keywords: Western Azerbaijan, pedagogical staff training, teacher seminary, traditional education, institutional education, national enlightenment, women’s education, Azerbaijani schools