On April 17, 2026, from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM, the Laboratory for Personal Potential Development in Education at the Research Institute of Urban Studies and Global Education (MCU), together with the Charitable Foundation “Investment in the Future,” will hold an online session titled “Teacher Development in Communities: Cases from the ‘Developing Environment’ Programme” as part of the 9th Annual International Symposium “Education and the City: People and Institutions.”
More about the event is shared by its moderator, Valeria Markova, Leading Research Fellow of the Laboratory for Human Potential Development in Education:
“Learning communities successfully address professional challenges both offline and online: they conduct research, create new educational products, and adapt existing ones. This collaborative work benefits every participant. During the session, we will discuss research findings and practical outcomes of the ‘Developing Environment’ programme, focused on the personal and professional development of teachers involved in these communities. We will also present publications, including guides on the well-being and development of children and teachers, as well as reviews prepared in collaboration with the Charitable Foundation ‘Investment in the Future,’ UNESCO IITE, HSE University, and MCU.”
Researchers from the Laboratory for Human Potential Development in Education — Andrey Ioffe, Lyudmila Bychkova, Natalia Borodkina, Irina Vinogradova, and Svetlana Letunovskaya—will present “Professional Development of Teachers in Interregional Learning Communities: Experience of Group Interaction.” They will share findings based on interviews with leaders of interregional learning communities, identifying key factors that influence the quality and effectiveness of teacher collaboration. These insights may be useful for organisers of online communities.
Alexandra Yanchenko, Head of Methodology and Advanced Research at the “Developing Environment” programme (Charitable Foundation “Investment in the Future”), will present “How the ‘Developing Environment’ Programme Promotes Evidence-Based Approaches in Education.” She will discuss how the programme community advances evidence-based practices through research, collaboration with scholars, and professional workshops and courses for educators.
Yulia Soshnikova, Acting Head of the Department of Educational Technologies at the Samara Regional Institute for Education Development and regional coordinator of the programme, will share her experience of organising the session “Evidence-Based Approach in Education” at the Open Interregional Pedagogical Festival “In Dialogue 2026.”
Marina Bulgakova, Head of the Center for Upbringing Development at the Irkutsk Regional Institute for Education Development and regional coordinator of the programme, will present the research case “Teacher Growth Point: From Research to Project Solutions in the Context of Digitalisation in Education.” Her presentation focuses on studying teachers’ professional competencies using digital platforms. Based on surveys, focus groups, and analysis of systems such as SocView and IOM-Office.38, professional gaps are identified and project solutions are proposed to support individual learning pathways and create a supportive educational environment.
Albina Korableva, Associate Professor at the Directorate of Educational Programmes (MCU), will present “‘Cinema About Teachers’: The Potential of Film Pedagogy in Developing Professional Communities.” She will share experience using the immersive game “KINOuchitelskaya” and conducting online film discussions with educators. Participants will learn how film pedagogy and collective reflection help rethink professional values, overcome fears and stereotypes, and support teachers’ professional growth.
We invite you to join the session as a participant. Registration is open via the link.
Please note that several events will take place at the same time. The link to the online broadcast will be provided in the programme. The full programme will soon be available on the symposium website.
Photo: Freepik