In the past two years, we have experienced numerous changes in our lives due to the COVID 19 epidemic. These changes have not only affected the cultural, economic, technological, and social aspects but have also left a mark on the field of education. Professionals in the education system have faced many challenges, leading to the redefinition of pedagogical practices and the meaning and role of education. Global and radical changes such as the prolonged closure of educational institutions and the implementation of distance education have had an impact on the roles of educational workers, including special and rehabilitation pedagogues, and have served as a significant stimulus for learning and development. The theoretical part of this study focuses on defining professional development for educational staff and the professionalization of the teaching profession. It provides detailed descriptions of professional development models and explores the characteristics of teachers' professional roles, competencies, and principles. Additionally, the study examines the factors that promote professional development and presents various research studies related to professional development involving teachers, preschool educators and principals, connecting them to theoretical knowledge. In the empirical part, the study investigates how special and rehabilitation pedagogues in kindergartens define and evaluate professional development during the COVID 19 epidemic. It identifies the factors that are considered important for their professional growth during this period and examines the facilitators and barriers to professional development experienced by special and rehabilitation pedagogues. The study also explores the dilemmas and challenges faced by special and rehabilitation pedagogues during the epidemic, how they resolved them, and the impact on their professional development. The research was conducted using a questionnaire answered by 60 special and rehabilitation pedagogues working in kindergartens. The findings indicate that the majority of respondents perceive their professional duties during the epidemic as more stressful compared to the pre-epidemic period. On average, respondents expressed a low level of job satisfaction. The study also reveals the factors influencing professional development. Personal commitment is identified as the most important factor, followed by management support during the COVID-19 epidemic. Statistically significant differences were found based on the length of service when assessing the importance of factors such as engagement in teaching research and familiarity with research findings. Significant differences were also observed in terms of seniority regarding the accessibility of professional resources and their impact on professional development. Moreover, the majority of respondents believe that professional development opportunities during the epidemic remained the same as before. Additionally, most respondents rate the impact of distance education on their professional development as both positive and negative. No statistically significant differences were found among special and rehabilitation pedagogues in terms of length of service, stress levels, and professional satisfaction when assessing professional development opportunities during the COVID-19 epidemic. During the COVID-19 epidemic, the greatest challenge for special and rehabilitation pedagogues, both in teaching and performing other professional tasks, was the lack of response and feedback from parents. The study also reveals that special and rehabilitation pedagogues acquired new knowledge in the field of information and communication technology during the pandemic. Furthermore, the knowledge and skills they already possessed in this area were found to be most helpful in overcoming the challenges and dilemmas faced during the epidemic.
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