Professional network communities as a resource for informal professional development of teachers

The research problem and the rationale for its relevance. The article discusses the possibilities of improving the system of informal professional development of teachers of general educational organizations and institutions of additional education by means of professional network communities. A review of scientific, popular science, journalistic and educational-methodical literature is carried out, which makes it possible to substantiate the importance of the resources of professional network communities in the system of professional development of teachers. The goal of the research. Scientifically substantiate the effectiveness of the creation and use of professional network communities on the basis of interactive platforms in the VKontakte social network as: 1) a tool for integrating non-formal and informal education; 2) a tool for the development of informal professional development of teachers of general educational organizations and institutions of additional education. Methotodology. The research methodology was based on the following methods: study and analysis of literature, analytical generalization, forecasting, abstraction, analogy, measurement, data synthesis, generalization, modeling, analogy, statistical processing of the information received. Results. The current literature on the research problem is analyzed from different positions. The definition of the concept “Professional network communities of teaching staff” is derived. The essential qualities of non-formal education have been studied and summarized. It has been established that, despite a sufficient degree of theoretical knowledge of non-formal education, practical tools for its development and mechanisms of integration with informal education in the context of advanced training of teachers have not been sufficiently developed and substantiated. As an effective resource for the development of non-formal education, the creation and use of professional network communities on the basis of interactive platforms in the VKontakte social network has been substantiated. Also, a number of essential qualities of professional network communities have been identified, which allow this type of organization of activity to act as a system-forming mechanism for integrating formal, informal and informal advanced training. A number of organizational, managerial and psychological and pedagogical features of professional network communities, which have not been sufficiently studied in the scientific literature, have been identified and generalized. Criteria and qualitative characteristics of participation in professional network communities have been substantiated. The personal qualities and professional competencies of teaching staff are revealed, which are directly or indirectly formed through participation in professional network communities. The indissolubility and interdependence of personal and professional qualities formed by professional network communities has been proved. A number of controversial provisions will be put forward in the “Discussions” section, which could become the basis for further research in this direction. A way is outlined for a comprehensive study of personal and competence neoplasms in the leading activities of teachers of general educational organizations and institutions of additional education in the process of working in professional network communities.