The master’s thesis examines the career development of education professionals, focusing on a comparison of promotion procedures in Slovenia and Croatia. The theoretical part presents key concepts of career development, an analysis of existing procedures, and the issue of teacher shortages, which is a challenge in both countries and across the EU, as well as the impact of promotion on the attractiveness of the profession. The research part applies a mixed-methods approach (surveys and interviews) to gather data on the experiences and perceptions of education professionals regarding promotion and its effects on motivation and job satisfaction. The results show that administrative procedures significantly influence motivation and professional growth, but no direct link with teacher shortages was identified. In Slovenia, the main weaknesses are administrative overload, unclear criteria, and dependence on the subjective judgment of principals, which reduce transparency and often lead to demotivation. The Croatian system, based on a centralized points scale, provides greater transparency and consistency but less flexibility in considering individual circumstances. In both countries, procedures remain lengthy, and teachers are overburdened, which limits continuous professional development and reduces the attractiveness of the profession. The conclusion proposes the digitalization of procedures in Slovenia to ensure greater transparency, clearer and more objective criteria, shorter deadlines, and stronger recognition of pedagogical work and mentoring, as such changes would turn administrative procedures into a tool supporting professional growth rather than a bureaucratic obstacle.
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