The Department of Pedagogy and Innovative Education began its history on September 1, 1963, when the Department of Engineering and Pedagogical Training was established by the order of the Minister of Higher and Secondary Special Education of the Ukrainian SSR No. 323 of June 12, 1963 "On the Organization of Departments at Lviv Polytechnic Institute".
During its existence, the department has almost always been a graduate department - it trained specialists in the specialties "engineer-pedagogue-electrician" (1971-1976), "engineer-pedagogue-builder" (1978-1996), organized professional training of military lawyers of the Military Department of Lviv Polytechnic (1996-1998).
In 1999, the department licensed the specialty "Social Worker" by the Public Service Reform Project funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
In 2001, the specialty "Social Work" was transferred to the newly created Department of Sociology and Social Work of the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences.
In 2002, the Department licensed a new specialty "Management of Educational Institutions" (specialty "Management", specialization "Management of Educational Institutions"), which has trained more than 500 masters of management for the needs of the Ukrainian education system.
Since 2010, the Department has licensed and started training bachelors in the specialty "Journalism" (now the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication of the Institute of Law, Psychology and Innovative Education is the graduating department for this specialty), and since 2011, it has licensed and started training in the specialty "Practical Psychology" (now the Department of Theoretical and Practical Psychology of the Institute of Law, Psychology and Innovative Education is the graduating department for this specialty).
In 2011, the Department of Psychology, Pedagogy and Social Administration (PPA) became part of the Institute of Law and Psychology.
In 2015, the department was renamed the Department of Pedagogy and Social Management (PSM).
According to the decision of the Academic Council of Lviv Polytechnic National University, in 2016 the Department started training pedagogical staff for vocational education, providing educational services to students of engineering, technical, economic and humanitarian specialties of Lviv Polytechnic with the award of a professional qualification of a teacher (by specialty). In connection with this activity, the vocational education of Lviv region was replenished with highly qualified teaching staff.
Since 2016, the Department of PSU has licensed and started training bachelors in the specialty 015 "Vocational Education (by Specialization)" in the field of knowledge 01 Education, Pedagogy.
In 2019, the department was renamed the Department of Pedagogy and Innovative Education (PIE).
Today, the Department of PIE provides training at the first (bachelor's), second (master's) and third educational and scientific levels of higher education:
Bachelors in Vocational Education in the following specializations:
- Digital Technologies;
- Construction and welding;
- Mechanical Engineering;
- Agricultural Production, Agricultural Processing and Food Technology;
- Law.
Masters in the specialty "Educational, Pedagogical Sciences" (distance learning teacher, teacher (by specialty);
Doctors of Philosophy in the following specialties:
- 011 Educational, Pedagogical Sciences;
- 015 Vocational Education (by specialization).
At the department, research and teaching staff have the opportunity to take doctoral studies, implementing their own scientific developments and research in the preparation of doctoral dissertations. There is a Specialized Academic Council D 35.052.24 in the specialties 13.00.01 "General Pedagogy and History of Pedagogy", 13.00.04 "Theory and Methods of Vocational Education" (Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of 06.06.2022 № 530).
In the implementation of the academic mobility program, from the 2021/2022 academic year, the Department of PIO organizes and conducts training for bachelors majoring in "Vocational Education", specialization "Digital Technologies" under the double degree program with the Lublin University of Technology (Lublin, Poland).
In the 2021/2022 academic year, the department began training specialists in English:
- masters from the People's Republic of China in the specialty "Educational, pedagogical sciences" (high school teacher);
- postgraduate students from the People's Republic of China.
The main direction of the department's work is educational and scientific activities related to the theory and practice of vocational education, peculiarities of implementation of the competence approach in training specialists of different educational levels, different specialties, innovative information and communication technologies in the training of pedagogical staff, peculiarities of implementation of inclusive education in the academic environment of general secondary, higher and vocational (vocational-technical) education institutions, fundamental approaches to the implementation of inclusive education in the academic environment of general secondary, higher and vocational (vocational-technical) education institutions.
The department is a leading educational and scientific unit of vocational education in Ukraine, which employs well-known scientists in the country and abroad: Doctors of Pedagogical Sciences: Prof. Horokhivska T. M., Prof. Kozlovskyi Y. M., Prof. Mukan N. V., Prof. Kryshtanovych M. F., Associate Professor Iievliev O. M., Associate Professor Dolnikova L. V. and others.
The Department carries out its scientific and educational activities in cooperation with foreign partners in the field of education from Poland, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, etc., which is realized through joint round tables, scientific conferences, exchange of students and teachers within the framework of academic and professional mobility.
Currently, the department trains: 120 bachelors; 145 master's students (including 3 master's students from the People's Republic of China); 43 PhD students, including 4 PhD students from the People's Republic of China.