ACQUISITION OF MUSICAL CULTURAL VALUES IN PRIMARY EDUCATION: APPRAISING THE VIRTUE OF HOLISTIC APPROACH

The paper reviews current tendencies in making sense of the concept of holism as well as analyses relevant theoretical studies in social science about the substance and significance of holistic approach to shaping the content of primary education and to facilitating the acquisition of musical cultural values. Analysis of scientific literature germane to this topic suggested the following research aim – to ascertain the expediency of holistic approach to facilitating the acquisition of musical cultural values in primary school with due concern for enriching learners’ spiritual and physical experience. The empirical study reported on in this paper draws on survey data obtained from primary education teachers in different regions of Latvia. The survey allowed for evaluating and comparing the views of primary school subject teachers on holistic approach to facilitating the acquisition of musical cultural values in Latvian primary school

SUBTAINABILITY OF FAMILY VALUES THROUGHOUT THE GENERATIONS AS VIEVED BY THE BACHELOR PROGRAM STUDENTS

The meaning of a term “family” differs from one group of people to another and changes over time. The definition has important political, economic, social and ecological consequences, often determining family members’ roles, rights and obligations. Maintaining and fostering the value of strong families ensures a sustainable development of a country. Strong family with stable values is an excellent instrument of resistance and adaptation to the external world and pressures. The study presents the survey done on bachelor program students’ view on sustainability and how they maintain family values throughout the generations. This helps to build bridges over the traditional and the modernity aspects that emerge in the society’s contemporary understanding of a family as a structural and spiritual unit. The methods of the research employed are the following: the study presents a qualitative research that comprises the content analyses of fifty six essays on a perception of a family by the bachelor programme students from one regional university of Latvia. The data is supported by the focus group interviews carried out with the full time students that are employed in the educational courses „Family pedagogy” and „Social pedagogy” (n = 111)

CAREER DECISION MAKING PROCESS OF THE 8TH GRADERS WITHIN THE REFORM PROCESSES IN LATVIA

The present study investigates the career choice of 8th graders in the context of reform processes in Latvia and changing demands of the job market. Career planning in this article is seen as a spiralling and dialectic process that is influenced by multiple factors, the process that involves planning, generating options, evaluation of options and making decisions. Reform processes in Latvia requires career counsellors to help young people to maintain an attitude of acceptance while choosing a career path, and in addition to develop meaningful and professional life changing discussion on available career options in order to become significant adviser while guiding pupils on adapting to changing requirements of a job market. The aim of the study is to explore the main influences determining the career choice of the 8th grade pupils as well as to explore the sources of information that determine them on making such decisions. Research methodology: For the purpose of this study the authors chose a pilot questionnaire in order to explore the career path of the 8th graders. The study draws on tendencies of youngsters’ choice of a career obtained in Latvia and Czech Republic. Research findings: Considering the changing demands of a job market, the teachers need to consider an adaptive career managing processes for the youngsters by taking into account a dialectic interplay of multiple influences on pupils’ career choice and to foster a more sustainable career path in helping pupils to gain career maturity in decision making and developing competencies needed for the future.  

TEACHERS’ ENGAGEMENT WITH WORK AND THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING

A number of studies are focusing on interrelations that exist between teachers’ subjective well-being and financial well-being, occupational stress and other factors that influence teachers’ happiness at work. The aim of this study is to explore the factors influencing teachers’ psychological well-being. This involves teachers’ engagement with their professional development. Psychological well-being is conceptualized as a psychological state of mind of teachers in balancing expectations and ability to meet those requirements, a desire for a mindful and meaningful involvement with their work, as well as resilience and competency to deal with the challenging requirements at the workplace. Teachers’ well-being and happiness at work positively influences their performance and a well-being of pupils as well. As a rule, teachers’ profession is associated with high stress, heavy workload, high demands on management in the classroom, high demands on pupils’ academic achievements, and the additional pressure placed on teachers’ engagement with further education. The authors carried out a questionnaire among the teachers from Latvia (n=247). They filled in a questionnaire on a voluntary basis about their subjective well-being in relations to their involvement with the pedagogical work. The authors explored correlation between teachers’ engagement with the research, their educational level, involvement in administrative work, teachers’ personal growth, their view on pupils as open systems and their well-being. It was concluded that all teachers who took part in this study is a relatively homogenous group. Considering their diverse experience of work, educational level and involvement with the scientific and administrative work, their psychological wellbeing can be evaluated higher as average.

CAPACITY BUILDING OF WOMEN LEADERS VIA MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

Despite of women advancement in politics, business, and other spheres of life, women are largely absent from senior position and are marginalized in terms of power and resources. In Latvia women set up and lead vibrant and successful governmental and private organizations. The purpose of the article is to explore cultural roots of gendered inequality in leadership and economic power positions by the literature review and as reviled in interviews.  Interview data reveal the obstacles women need to overcome in their career advancement and their stories of success. Methodology: The study presents a qualitative study on women’s leadership as defined in legislation and recent research and is supported by the qualitative inquiry of life stories of seven women engaged in the education’s management programs. These women undertake leadership positions in their organizations. Conclusions: To conclude, the goal of equal participation for both male and female players in all significant spheres of life as declared in the international legislation and the United Nations, declarations will strengthen democracy and will promote its proper functioning. The authors assert that higher education through management study programs can also build women’s capacity for leadership by assertiveness training and encouraging independent and critical thinkers

THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE JOURNALS: JTEFS AND DCSE ON A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGION

The report reveals the contribution of two international UNESCO/ UNITWIN Chair’s peer-reviewed journals – “Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education” (DCSE) and “Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability” (JTEFS) to sustainable development of Latgale. They are international, cross-disciplinary, scholarly and open access journals focusing on diverse aspects of environmental, cultural, economic and social sustainability thus enabling one to constructively and creatively address present and future global challenges in creating more sustainable and resilient societies. Both journals aim to respond to the priorities set by the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and the Global Action Programme as implemented in LATGALE and in the partner countries. The study reflects on the thematic scope of the two journals that centres on reorienting education towards the goal of sustainable education and sustainable community in Latgale, Latvia, Europe and beyond. In order to respond to the challenges of global community that we are facing today, the research published in both journals suggests how education can contribute to overcoming the current crises in education and community, as well as offers strategies and ways of dealing with it sustainably and responsibly in Latgale. Education for sustainable development (ESD) includes more than knowledge related to the environment, economy, culture and society. It also addresses learning perspectives, strategies and values that guide and motivate people to seek sustainable livelihoods, participate in a democratic society and live in a sustainable manner. ESD also involves studying both local and global issues. The research offers the study of JTEFS contribution to meeting different views, ideas and research to promote further development of studies and practice of teacher education in all areas of formal and non-formal education in relation to sustainability. DCSE is an international, peer-reviewed journal that provides a platform for examination of policies, theories and practices related to the discourse and communication for sustainable education. Since contemporary discourse study has extended its field to the study of multifaceted contexts of discourse, it integrates a broader study of the phenomena of communication in relation to sustainable education. The diversity of the journal is apparent in the variety of its theories, methods and approaches, thus avoiding the frequent limitation to one school, approach or academic branch

THE DIMENSIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF CUSTOM EMPLOYEES DURING THE PANDEMIC

There has been a significant increase in interest about a psychological well-being among the researchers, politicians, media and general public. This study focuses on a measurement on a psychological well-being of the custom employees. For the purpose of measurement of a psychological well-being of custom employees, the authors have used Ruff’s scale that includes such components as positive relationships with others, autonomy, competence, personal growth, a purpose in life, and self-acceptance. According to Ryff (2014), well-being has been investigated in relation to one’s career pursuits. The purpose in life and personal growth were found to contribute to career commitments. In the case of the Latvian custom employees, among the essential elements of a psychological well-being are economic factors, favourable work environment and career opportunities in the organization. The study focuses in a psychological well-being of custom employees during the pandemic that leads to conclude that custom employees were in the forefront alongside with the doctors in stabilizing the situation in the county and have experienced a burn out, thereforethey  need a psychological support and a recognition of their efforts at work.

Measurement of psychological entitlement in 28 countries

This article presents the cross-cultural validation of the Entitlement Attitudes Questionnaire, a tool designed to measure three facets of psychological entitlement: active, passive, and revenge entitlement. Active entitlement was defined as the tendency to protect individual rights based on self-worthiness. Passive entitlement was defined as the belief in obligations to and expectations toward other people and institutions for the fulfillment of the individual’s needs. Revenge entitlement was defined as the tendency to protect one’s individual rights when violated by others and the tendency to reciprocate insults. The 15-item EAQ was validated in a series of three studies: the first one on a general Polish sample (N = 1,900), the second one on a sample of Polish students (N = 199), and the third one on student samples from 28 countries (N = 5,979). A three-factor solution was confirmed across all samples. Examination of measurement equivalence indicated partial metric invariance of EAQ for all national samples. Discriminant and convergent validity of the EAQ was also confirmed

Cultural Dimensions of Entitlement (Kulturowe wymiary postaw roszczeniowych)

W oparciu o dane z prób studenckich z 27 krajów (N = 6192) sprawdzano uniwersalność trójwymiarowego modelu postaw roszczeniowych - zarówno w obrębie badanych prób krajowych, jak i na poziomie ponadkulturowym. W artykule przedstawiamy model teoretyczny umożliwiający porównania międzykulturowe w odniesieniu do postaw roszczeniowych oraz związki wyróżnionych postaw ze wskaźnikami rozwoju socjoekonomicznego społeczeństw (w tym funkcjonowania demokracji i gospodarki) oraz wartościami kulturowymi Schwartza. Uzyskane wyniki omawiamy w odniesieniu do modelu ekokulturowego Berry’ego oraz teorii rozwoju ludzkiego Ingleharta.On the basis of findings obtained from students samples from 27 countries (N = 6192) applicability of three-dimensional entitlement model on individual and cultural level were tested. In the article we present theoretical model allowing for cross-cultural comparisons of entitlement attitudes and its relations to socioeconomic development of societies (including functioning of democracy and economy) and cultural values by Shalom Schwartz. Obtained results are discussed in the terms of John Berry’s eco-cultural model and Ronald Inglehart’s human development theory

An ecological model for religious education in Latvia: An ecofeminist perspective

This study presents an ecological model for religious education designed for Latvia that incorporates the principles and insights of ecofeminist theologians and religious educators. It is not only concerned with reclaiming women\u27s place in the educational realm of the school through teaching religion, but with presenting a wider ecological perspective that is inclusive to women, men, and the Earth. Therefore the study presents a view of women\u27s role and place in the school and considers the influences of larger ecological, political, economic, educational contexts on defining women\u27s place. The research contends that when women have no place in polics, education and religion, the devaluation of women\u27s lives and experiences occurs, and the whole field of educational thought is diminished. The study presents an analysis of women\u27s place in the current models of religious education in Latvia, and proposes the principles of an ecological model for religious education. The choice of an ecological and, particularly, ecofeminist perspective for this study was determined by the following factors: First, an ecological perspective has impressed itself upon a contemporary understanding of the world. It has become difficult to think of persons and events as disconnected. The world is an interconnected web of life that is better understood by reference to complex relationships rather than by detailed description of its isolated components. Second, feminism is a movement which originated in discontent with patriarchal and hierarchical relationships and which has emerged as the constructive imagining of new forms of relating towards God, Earth, others, and self. An ecofeminist ecological model for religious education is crucial for liberating domineering relationships in all spheres of society and for building interrelating and interdependent patterns of partnership relationships. Third, ecofeminism is a movement that recognizes and makes explicit the interconnections between all systems of oppression. Fourth, ecofeminism, as a political movement encourages the building of a sustainable and inclusive classroom community that extends towards a sustainable model of society that honors the self-determination of women, as well as men, and locates the well-being of human societies within the well-being of the entire Earth community. It seeks to transform political and social orders that promote human oppression embedded in social practices