Implementing competency-based education through the personalized monitoring of primary students' progress and assessment

Competency-based education is an educational paradigm with the primary goal of combining theoretical knowledge and practical skills, giving students the opportunity to effectively apply learning outcomes in real-life situations. This approach focuses on preparing students for life’s challenges by nurturing them as independent, critical, and creative thinkers who can adapt to an ever-changing environment. This article examines the process of competency-based assessment and progress monitoring in primary grades. The study conducted a qualitative content analysis of observed lessons and teacher interviews to reveal how assessment and continuous progress monitoring can contribute to comprehensive student development. Ten primary school teachers participated in the study, responding to researchers’ questions about competency-based education and their practices in assessment and progress monitoring. The article presents the results of a qualitative study aimed at evaluating the process of competence-based assessment and progress monitoring in primary school classrooms. The study results revealed that, in assessing student progress, teachers find it important for students to not only demonstrate knowledge in different situations but also gain a clearer understanding of their learning goals and have opportunities for growth. Such an assessment system not only helps students develop self-reflection but also encourages them to take responsibility for their learning process, continually improve, and strive for higher competency achievement. Keywords: competency-based education; assessment; personalized monitoring; student progress; primary school students

Development of mental toughness among basketball sports school students

The development of mental toughness in student athletes within sports schools is crucial for identifying strengths and improving weaknesses to optimize performance. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a mental toughness development program for basketball sports school students. Sixty-two male student athletes, aged 15.83 ± 0.37 years, participated, with 30 in the experimental group and 32 in the control group. They completed the Mental Toughness Questionnaire 48 (MTQ48) before and after the 6-week intervention program. Pearson’s correlations were calculated for study variables. A repeated measures MANOVA followed by one-way ANOVA analyzed differences in mental toughness skills between groups and over time. Results showed a significant effect of the intervention program on mental toughness skills, with small and medium effect sizes. Post-program, the experimental group exhibited higher levels of various skills compared to controls, including skills related to challenge, commitment, emotional control, life control, overall control, self-confidence in interpersonal interactions, self-confidence in one’s abilities, overall self-confidence, and total MTQ48. These findings underscore the utility of interventions for enhancing mental toughness among basketball sports school students, emphasizing the importance of tailored approaches in such intervention programs. Keywords: mental toughness skills; intervention program; student athletes; sport school

Background, origins and changes of the Lithuanian business elite companies 1995-2004

Straipsnyje analizuojamos stambiausios Lietuvos įmonės, jų aplinka, kilmė, kaita ir kitos ryškiausios charakteristikos 1995–2004 m. Šis laikotarpis pasirinktas, nes tik nuo 1995 m., besibaigiant pirmajam privatizacijos etapui, Lietuvoje susiformuoja stambių verslininkų sluoksnis, kuris reikšmingiausias transformacijas patiria iki 2004 m. Tyrime pasitelkiami stambiausių pagal apyvartą Lietuvos įmonių sąrašai, apimantys po 200 bendrovių kiekvienais pasirinktais metais. Analizuojama, kas daugiausia prisidėjo prie šiuose sąrašuose esančių įmonių kaitos, kaip šios įmonės keitėsi įkūrimo metu, įkūrimo vietos, ekonominių sektorių, finansinių rodiklių atžvilgiu. Atskira darbo dalis skirta stambiausių verslo įmonių kilmės nustatymui ir kaitos kilmės požiūriu analizei. Tyrime pasitelkiami įvairūs enciklopediniai, žiniasklaidos šaltiniai, statistikos duomenys, publikuoti atsiminimai ir interviu. Analizė rodo, kad stambiausios verslo įmonės aptariamuoju laikotarpiu Lietuvoje fundamentaliai pasikeitė, ypač vyraujančių ekonominių sektorių ir verslo kilmės požiūriu. Reikšminiai žodžiai: verslo elitas, verslo kilmė, ekonomikos sektoriai, praeito amžiaus paskutinis dešimtmetis, verslininkai.The article analyses the largest Lithuanian companies, their background, change, origin and other major characteristics in the period of 1995–2004. This period was chosen because it was only from 1995, after the end of the first phase of privatisation, that a layer of major entrepreneurs emerged in Lithuania, which was undergoing the most significant changes until 2004. The study uses lists of the largest Lithuanian companies by turnover, covering 200 companies for each selected year. The analysis focuses on the factors which contributed most to the change in these lists, and on the way how the companies on the lists changed in terms of the year of their establishment, place of establishment, economic sectors, and financial indicators. A separate part of the paper is devoted to the origin of the largest business enterprises, while identifying and analysing change in terms of the origin. The study makes use of various encyclopaedic and media sources and the statistical data, published memoirs and interviews. The analysis shows that the largest business enterprises in Lithuania changed fundamentally during the period under consideration, especially in terms of the dominant economic sectors and the origin of the business. Keywords: business elite, business origins, economic sectors, 1990s, entrepreneurs

Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės augustinų bažnyčių architektūra

Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės „Šv. Augustino šeimos“ bažnyčių architektūra yra gana nuosekli. Jos buvo stačiakampio plano sienų ir kolonų konstrukcijos su kukliu vienanaviu interjeru, trumpu dviejų arba trijų tarpsnių korpusu ir jame išskirta presbiterija. Nesant tikslių statybos reglamentų ar netgi bendrų gairių, kanoninių kongregacijų bažnyčios buvo statomos atsižvelgiant į fundatoriaus galimybes ir lūkesčius bei konkrečios bendruomenės poreikius. Taigi, nors mūrines bažnyčias daugiausia statė bajorai ir magnatai, jų lokacija nedideliuose miesteliuose ir kaimuose nulėmė nedidelį tūrį ir skurdžius, dažniausiai vienanavius interjerus. Be to, kai kurių architektūrinės programos buvo itin minimalios. Pavyzdžiui, nors Lietuvos Brastos bažnyčia stovėjo svarbiame politiniame centre, pastatas buvo suprojektuotas stačiakampio plano, o salės interjere nebuvo išskirta presbiterija. Tokiame kontekste Slanimo vienanavės bažnyčios lotyniško kryžiaus planas yra unikalus. Vis dėlto reikia atkreipti dėmesį į tai, kad Laterano kanauninkai perėmė šią bažnyčią tuomet, kai ji jau buvo pastatyta, ir todėl ne begalėjo turėti įtakos jos formai. Lotyniško kryžiaus planas būdingas ir didžiausiai bei didingiausiai Vilniaus Antakalnio Šv. Petro ir Povilo Laterano kanauninkų bažnyčiai. Ji vienintelė buvo uždengta kupolu. Daugumos bažnyčių fasadai neturi bokšto arba turi vieną varpinę. Šiuo požiūriu išsiskiria dvi Laterano kanauninkų šventovės Vilniuje ir Michališkėse. Antakalnio bažnyčios fasadas yra ypatingas, nes jį sudaro du bokštai. Tuo pačiu šis fasadas, kurį puošia kolonos ir chiaroscuro, su balkonu ir dideliu langu ant ašies, dekoruotas stiuko lipdyba, yra romėniško pobūdžio. Dažniausiai kukliai „Šv. Augustino šeimos“ bažnyčių architektūrai yra būdingas viduramžių erdvės organizavimas, daugiausia eremitų bažnyčiose. Tiek abiejų Tautų Respublikos, tiek Europos Naujųjų laikų architektūros kontekste šios bažnyčios išsiskiria nebent savo akivaizdžiai mažu tūriu. „Šv. Augustino šeimos“ bažnyčios, vidur amžiais statytos Centrinėje Europoje ir modernizuotos XVII–XVIII a., suvaidino ypač svarbų vaidmenį įtvirtinant kuklias architektūrines formas. Reikšminiai žodžiai: augustinų vienuolijos, Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės architektūra, baroko architektūra, vienuolynų architektūra.The Order of St. Augustine, along with the Canons Regular of the Penitence of the Blessed Martyrs and the Canons Regular of the Lateran, constitutes “the family of St. Augustine” – religious congregations rooted in the Rule of St. Augustine and actively developing the spirituality inspired by the bishop of Hippo. This paper aims to explore the churches affiliated with these orders in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It seeks to address the question of whether the communal spirit is reflected in the formal solutions employed in these churches, and whether these orders adhered to typical architectural forms, or each order developed its own distinctive architectural character. Keywords: Augustinian orders, architecture of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, baroque architecture, monastic architecture

Збереження культурної спадщини на основі наполеонівського культурного маршруту наративу ради європи: приклад Литви

Cultural tourism is a type of tourism associated with educational, experiential trips of heritage, culture, and personal enrichment. One of the types of cultural tourism – cultural routes is based on significant tangible and intangible cultural heritage, its actualization, cultural phenomena, historical personalities, etc. The article aims to clarify the requirements for a country to join the Council of Europe’s Napoleonic Cultural Route “Destination Napoleon”. The problem of this studie – it is not clear whether joining the Council of Europe cultural route “Destination Napoleon” will have a positive impact on the preservation of cultural heritage. The aim: find out the requirements for joining the Council of Europe’s Napoleon Cultural Route (Destination Napoleon) regarding the preservation of cultural heritage. Research tasks: 1) To define the concept of the cultural route of the Council of Europe, emphasizing the Napoleonic cultural route 2) Find out the requirements for joining the Council of Europe’s cultural routes; 3) To find out the opinion of experts on Lithuania’s compliance with the requirements of membership of the Council of Europe “Napoleon’s cultural route” (Destination Napoleon) regarding the preservation of cultural heritage. Research methodology. Analysis of scientific literature sources, current reports in the media, European Council documents and statistical data; A qualitative study was carried out – an expert interview, based on a pre-prepared questionnaire; formulation of conclusions. The research showed that the absence of the necessary association prevents Lithuania from becoming a member of the “Destination Napoleon” project, which prevents the implementation of further requirements, when joining would have a positive impact on the preservation of cultural heritage in Lithuania. Keywords: cultural route, Napoleon, Council of Europe (COE), requirements, Lithuania

Raflection of Russia's aggresion against Ukraine in the 2023 local authority elections in Lithuania

Nors tiesioginiai merų rinkimai buvo viena didžiausių pastarojo dešimtmečio Lietuvos politinės sistemos reformų, paskatinusi 2022 m. Lietuvos Respublikos Seimą balsuoti dėl Konstitucijos, tačiau ši tema ir savivaldos rinkimai apskritai kol kas Lietuvos politologų dėmesio sulaukia tik epizodiškai. Tarp negausių politologinių tyrimų savivaldos tematika dar mažiau dėmesio tenka studijoms, nagrinėjančioms kandidatų į merus bei savivaldybių tarybas programas. Šio straipsnio tikslas yra iš dalies užpildyti žiojinčią spragą, analizuojant vieno didžiausių pastarojo meto įvykių – Rusijos agresijos Ukrainoje atspindžius 2023 m. merų bei savivaldybių tarybų rinkimuose. Siekiant šio tikslo išnagrinėti visose 60 Lietuvos savivaldybių vykę merų ir savivaldybių tarybų narių rinkimai. Taikant kiekybinę turinio analizę išanalizuotos visų kandidatų į merus ir savivaldybių VRK skelbiamos rinkiminės programos. Surinkti empiriniai duomenys leido politines organizacijas bei vyravusias temas skirstyti į blokus. Atlikta analizė atskleidė, kad, nepaisant didelio visuomenės susidomėjimo Rusijos agresija Ukrainoje bei savivaldybių pareigos rūpintis civiline sauga, daugelyje iš nagrinėtų savivaldybių ši tema liko išvis neminėta. Be to, didesnis dėmesys saugumo klausimams nepadėjo politikams laimėti rinkimų. Galiausiai didesniu aktyvumu komunikuojant apie saugumą pasižymėjo tos politinės organizacijos, kurių nacionaliniu lygmeniu dažniausiai nesame linkę sieti su saugumo tematika. Pagrindiniai žodžiai: Rusija, Ukraina, grėsmė, meras, savivaldybės taryba, kandidatas, rinkimai, partija.Even though direct elections of mayors have been one of the biggest changes in the political system of Lithuania, this reform and the local authority elections has remained terra incognita for Lithuanian political scientists. We have a very small number of studies that analyse political life at a local authority level. Moreover, there are no studies focused on the election programmes of candidates who seek to be elected as mayors or council members. Besides, the geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe changed dramatically after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These dramatic changes are extremely important to residents of Lithuania, who live near an aggressive state. The situation has been revealed by Eurobarometer polls and Google Trends statistical analyses. The importance of geopolitical threats requires united efforts to deal with the new geopolitical challenges. To some extent, local level leaders should also take on a role in this process. This responsibility is related to local government law, which claims that local authorities are responsible for civil security initiatives. The Economic Theory of Democracy claims that politicians will offer policy initiatives that were asked for by voters. Therefore, it is useful to analyse how the geopolitical risks were represented in political programmes by local politicians. To do this, I focused on four main tasks: first, to identify what kind of topics were mentioned in the political programmes of local politicians, second, to identify how different communication was on the security topics by local authorities, third, to evaluate how different communication was among different political groups, and, fourth, to evaluate how intense communication on security issues affected candidates’ chances of being elected. I achieved these goals after careful analyses of 60 local authorities with the help of the quantative content analysis method. The careful analysis of all the candidates’ political programmes, which were published by the Election Commission of Lithuania, demonstrated unexpected results. First, the main statements which were found in political programmes varied from a simple mention of the current political situation, which was most common among TS-LKD candidates, to very specific statements and initiatives. For instance, the LVŽS talked about the need for coordinating the actions of Nato air police and local authorities. Second, there was no mention of security aspects in 25 out of 60 local authorities. Examples of this are the Mažeikiai district local authority and the Švenčionys district local authority. Moreover, only in 18 local authorities were security questions mentioned more than twice. Third, despite the fact that the TS-LKD is the most active promoter of security topics at a national level, at a local level the party was less active than the LS, LRP and LSDP parties. Finally, those politicians who focused on security questions were not so successful in elections. A total of 27 candidates to positions of mayor and 26 lists of candidates to the council failed to get through to the second round of elections, while only nine candidates for the position of mayor and seven lists of candidates to the council did. Those candidates who were successful were mayors who sought reelection as parliamentarians who were elected to the parliament by the citizens of that local authority. Keywords: Russia, Ukraine, threat, mayor, local authority council, candidate, elections, party

Skirtumas tarp ekstatinio laiko ir grynosios trukmės

Straipsnyje spekuliatyviai lyginami du požiūriai į modernųjį materialistinį mokslą – Martino Heideggerio požiūris, pagrįstas ekstatinio laiko supratimu, ir Henrio Bergsono požiūris, pagrįstas gyvybinio impulso, arba grynosios trukmės, samprata. H. Bergsono gyvybinio impulso sampratą galima kildinti iš M. Heideggerio ateities ekstazės. Pamatinių materialiųjų elementų sampratą ir jų dėsningo judėjimo sampratą galima kildinti iš M. Heideggerio praeities ir dabarties ekstazių. H. Bergsonas taip pat mano, kad šiuolaikinis mokslas paremtas to, kas užbaigta (praeitis), ir to, kas dabartiška (duota), samprata. H. Bergsonas savo gyvybinį impulsą priešpriešina materijos sampratai, kuria grindžiamas modernusis materialistinis mokslas, o M. Heideggeris parodo šių sampratų istorinę kilmę iš graikiškojo prezencijos supratimo, taip pat ontologinę kilmę iš prezencijos kaip ekstatinio laiko. H. Bergsono grynoji trukmė yra laikiškumo neautentiško supratimo modusas. Analizuojant ir lyginant remiamasi fenomenologine-hermeneutine prieiga, fundamentaliąja ontologija ir „gyvenimo filosofija“. Raktažodžiai: H. Bergsonas, durée pure, ekstatinis laikas, élan vital, M. Heideggeris, materialistinis mokslas.The article offers a speculative comparison of two approaches to modern materialist science – that of Heidegger based on the understanding of ecstatic time and that of Bergson based on the notion of vital momentum, or pure duration. Bergson’s notion of vital momentum can be derived from the Heideggerian ecstasy of the future. The notion of fundamental material elements as well as the notion of their lawful movement can be derived from the Heideggerian ecstasies of the past and the present. Bergson also sees modern science as based on the concept of what is finished (past) and of what is present (given). While Bergson opposes his vital momentum to the notion of matter which underlies modern materialist science, Heidegger shows the historical origin of these notions in the Greek understanding of Presence and also the ontological origin in Presence as ecstatic time. Bergson’s pure duration is a mode of the inauthentic understanding of temporality. The analysis and comparison draw on phenomenological-hermeneutical approach, fundamental ontology as well as ‘philosophy of life’. Keywords: Bergson, durée pure, ecstatic time, élan vital, Heidegger, materialist science

Publishing trends of informal Lithuanian youth publications - Fanzines - at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century

Straipsnyje analizuojami iki šiol platesnio tyrėjų dėmesio nesulaukę Lietuvos jaunimo subkultūrinių grupių leidiniai – fanzinai (zinai). Popieriniai fanzinai pradėti kurti XX a. pabaigoje ir išpopuliarėjo XX a. 10 dešimtmetyje plintant Vakarų kultūros idėjoms, keičiantis Lietuvos politinei, sociokultūrinei aplinkai, technologinėms kopijavimo ir dauginimo galimybėms. Straipsnyje, pasitelkus Skaitmeninio Lietuvos jaunimo kultūros archyvo „Lietuvos zinų kolekcijos“ ir papildomai surinktų šaltinių išteklius, analizuojamos fanzinų kūrimo ir leidybos tendencijos. Lyginant atskiroms subkultūrinėms grupėms priskirtų fanzinų leidybos panašumus ir skirtumus, siekiama suprasti šių leidinių kūrimo kultūrinį kontekstą, santykį su skaitytojais, fanzinų kūrėjų leidybos galimybes. Tyrimui taikoma fanzinų aprašomųjų metaduomenų analizės ir sisteminimo, etnografinio tyrimo metodai (tikslinis pokalbis, klausimynas, kokybiniai interviu su fanzinų autoriais, leidėjais, kolekcininkais). Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad Lietuvoje daugiausiai XX a. 10 dešimtmetyje metalo muzikos fanzinų autoriai, skirtingai nei pankai ir fantastikos mėgėjai, kūrė daugiau anglų kalba parašytų leidinių. Metalo muzikos fanzinai pasižymėjo didesne apimtimi. Fantastikos mėgėjų leidiniai nuo metalistams ir pankams priskirtų fanzinų skyrėsi didesniu tęstinių leidinių numerių skaičiumi ir mažesniu vienkartinių leidinių skaičiumi. Su pankų ideologija siejamų fanzinų autoriai daugiausia rinkosi leidinius dauginti savarankiškai kopijavimo aparatu. Metalo muzikos ir fantastikos fanzinų kūrėjai dažniau naudojosi profesionalių spaustuvių paslaugomis. Fanzinuose vartojama kalba, jos stilius padėjo formuoti artimą ryšį su skaitytojais, atskleidė subkultūrinių grupių tapatumo bruožus, padėjo ypač metalo muzikos fanzinų autoriams įsilieti į tarptautinį fanzinų kultūros kontekstą. Siekdami savarankiškumo ir individualumo, fanzinų kūrėjai nepaisė profesionalios leidybos standartų. Fanzinų leidyba priklausė nuo individualaus pasirinkimo, motyvacijos ir kūrybiškumo, skaitytojų susidomėjimo ir technologinių (leidinių dauginimo, maketavimo) galimybių. Lietuvoje kurti fanzinai tapo viena pagrindine alternatyvaus jaunimo bendravimo, idėjų sklaidos, kūrybinės laisvės ir saviraiškos forma. Reikšminiai žodžiai: fanzinai, zinai, Lietuvos jaunimas, subkultūra, metalistai, pankai, fantastai, dešimtasis dešimtmetis, neprofesionali spauda, meta duomenys.This article analyzes Lithuanian youth subcultural group publications – fanzines (zines) – which have not yet received broader attention from researchers. Paper fanzines started to be created at the end of the 20th century and became popular in the 1990s, spreading Western culture ideas and changing the political, and socio-cultural environment in Lithuania along with technological copying and reproduction possibilities. Using resources from Lithuania’s Youth Culture Digital Archive “Lithuanian Zine Collection” and additionally collected sources, the article analyzes the trends in the creation and publishing of fanzines. By comparing the publishing similarities and differences of fanzines attributed to different subcultural groups, the aim is to understand the cultural context of these publications, their relationship with readers, and the publishing possibilities of fanzine creators. The study applies descriptive metadata analysis and systematization of fanzines, as well as ethnographic research methods (targeted interview, questionnaire, and qualitative interviews with fanzine authors, publishers, and collectors). The research results showed that in Lithuania, mainly in the 1990s, metal music fanzine authors, unlike punks and science fiction fans, created more publications written in English. Metal music fanzines were characterized by greater volume. Science fiction fans’ publications differed from those of metalheads and punks by a greater number of continuous issues and fewer one-time publications. Authors of fanzines associated with punk ideology mostly chose to independently reproduce publications using a copying machine, while creators of metal music and science fiction fanzines more often used professional printing services. The language used in fanzines and its style helped to form a close relationship with readers, revealed the identity traits of subcultural groups, and helped metal music fanzine authors to integrate into the international fanzine culture context. Seeking independence and individuality, fanzine creators disregarded professional publishing standards. Fanzine publishing depended on individual choice, motivation, creativity, reader interest, and technological possibilities (publication reproduction, layout). Fanzines created in Lithuania became one of the main forms of idea dissemination, creative freedom, and self-expression for alternative youth communication. Keywords: fanzines, zines, Lithuanian youth, subculture, metalheads, punks, science fiction fans, 1990s, non-professional press, metadata

The Impact of raising alcohol taxes on government tax revenue: insights from five European countries

Background and Objective: Reducing the afordability of alcoholic beverages by increasing alcohol excise taxation can lead to a reduction in alcohol consumption but the impact on government alcohol excise tax revenue is poorly understood. This study aimed to (a) describe cross-country tax revenue variations and (b) investigate how changes in taxation were related to changes in government tax revenue, using data from Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Methods: For the population aged 15 years or older, we calculated the annual per capita alcohol excise tax revenue, total tax revenue, gross domestic product and alcohol consumption. In addition to descriptive analyses, joinpoint regressions were performed to identify whether changes in alcohol excise taxation were linked to changes in alcohol excise revenue since 1999. Results: In 2022, the per capita alcohol excise tax revenue was lowest in Germany (€44.2) and highest in Estonia (€218.4). In all countries, the alcohol excise tax revenue was mostly determined by spirit sales (57–72% of total alcohol tax revenue). During 2010–20, infation-adjusted per capita alcohol excise tax revenues have declined in Germany (−22.9%), Poland (−19.1%) and Estonia (−4.2%) and increased in Latvia (+56.8%) and Lithuania (+49.3%). In periods of policy non-action, alcohol consumption and tax revenue showed similar trends, but tax level increases were accompanied by increased revenue and stagnant or decreased consumption. Conclusions: Increasing alcohol taxation was not linked to decreased but increased government revenue. Policymakers can increase revenue and reduce alcohol consumption and harm by increasing alcohol taxes

Searching for an optimal model for the renewal of the Constitutional Court to avoid a constitutional crisis: dream or reality?

The failed renewal of the Constitutional Court in Lithuania was not the first in Europe, and will not be the last. The appointment of constitutional judges, usually undertaken with the involvement of the political institutions, became a very sensitive issue closely linked to their independence. After a sequence of unsuccessful attempts to renew the composition of constitutional courts, some states fall into a deep democratic backsliding, while some take the initiative to reform the existing appointment procedure, seeking to prevent the politicisation of constitutional control institutions. A universal and standardised one-size-fits-all model does not exist, as each particular national context must be considered. However, certain lessons are to be learned and certain pitfalls to be avoided. Constitutional courts must correspond to the criteria of the tribunal established by law, as disclosed in international jurisprudence. For this purpose, the proper law is needed. This article analyses the advantages and shortcomings of some elements of the proposed and partly realised Slovak reform on the appointment of constitutional judges that Lithuania and other states could benefit from. This allows for the conclusion that the explicit criterion of professional reputation might prevent arbitrary nominations and ensure that the best judge for the court and the society would be appointed. Contrary to most convictions, a larger majority in the Parliament is not necessary to keep this procedure in line with the principle of the rule of law. The only requirement is that the law must be clear, unambiguous and provide for the steps to be taken if the rotation fails. Keywords: constitutional court, judicial independence, appointment procedures, separation of powers, tribunal established by law, rule of law