TUTORING IN EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION: TRANSFORMATION OF THE TEACHER’S ROLE AND GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF UKRAINIAN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Introduction. The article examines the transformation of the teacher’s role as a tutor in European higher education within the student-centred learning paradigm, the digitalisation of educational processes, and the evolving normative and value-based frameworks of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). In the context of the Bologna Process, the traditional lecturer model is gradually being replaced by a multifaceted tutor role that provides comprehensive academic, professional, and psychosocial support to students.
Purpose. The purpose of the study is to generalise the historical genesis of tutoring, analyse contemporary models of its implementation in European universities, identify the key professional competences of teacher-tutors in digital and blended learning environments, and outline prospects for adapting best European practices to the Ukrainian higher education system in the context of European integration.
Methods. The research employs theoretical methods of historical-genetic and comparative analysis, generalisation and systematisation of scholarly sources, regulatory documents of the EHEA (in particular, the 2024 Bologna Process Implementation Report), and findings from recent empirical studies, including materials from the AMEE 2024 conference. Structural-functional and competence-based approaches are also applied.
Results. The study shows that the evolution of tutoring from medieval mentoring practices to an institutionally embedded system of pedagogical support reflects fundamental changes in university culture and the professional identity of academic staff. In modern European higher education, tutoring transcends purely academic assistance and functions as an integrated support system combining academic-professional and personal-social dimensions. Special attention is paid to the growing psychosocial component and the multidimensional roles of the tutor in supporting students’ academic progress and well-being. The competence profile of the teacher-tutor has been clarified, highlighting the importance of digital, intercultural, communicative, pedagogical, and social competences necessary for effective work in virtual and blended environments. Key institutional, organisational, and professional challenges of implementing tutoring systems across European countries are analysed.
Originality. The scientific novelty consists in the comprehensive theoretical understanding of the transformation of the teacher’s role as a tutor under the student-centred paradigm of the EHEA, the systematisation of current European models of tutoring (including insights from AMEE 2024), and the identification of specific digital and psychosocial competences of teacher-tutors, which remain insufficiently covered in Ukrainian pedagogical discourse.
Conclusion. The effective implementation of tutoring systems is a significant factor in ensuring the quality of higher education and student success amid digital transformation and European integration processes. The study outlines concrete prospects and practical recommendations for adapting leading European practices in Ukrainian higher education institutions, including the development of national competence frameworks for teacher-tutors, institutional support mechanisms, integration of tutoring into quality assurance systems, and modernisation of academic staff professional development programmes. These findings can serve as a foundation for further empirical research and the improvement of pedagogical education in Ukraine.