CRITICAL THINKING IN HIGHER EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAMS: CASE STUDY

Social work in its essence has direct relation with critical thinking what is expressed in the Global definition of social work. It is one of the professions which need immediate reaction to unexpected changes in uncertain situations; therefore, it is relevant to discuss critical thinking contribution to the development of social work profession and its presence in social work education. The aim of the article is to discuss importance of critical thinking in higher education and to present data of case study, which reveals how critical thinking is expressed in social work education. Case study was done in country’s one university. Descriptions of all social work study programs subjects’ descriptions were analysed using quantitative and qualitative content data analysis. The analysis of social work study programs at selected university revealed that critical thinking is more expressed in master level than bachelor level social work study programs and it is more described as domain- specific then domain-general, is mentioned in learning outcomes and assessment and very rarely – study methods. The case study identified the gap between formality and reality. Theoretically critical thinking should be part of social work study programs; however, it is wide possibilities for enhancing critical thinking manifestation in the reality of teaching and learning.

ADULT EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE WITH EPILEPSY - MODIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TO NATIONAL NEEDS

The aim of the article is to discuss the process of piloting and modification of educational program for people with epilepsy, to present its implementation and country-specific evidence-based modifications which were influenced by sociocultural situation in the country and were made based on course’s participants experience. The article is grounded on the theoretical, legal documents analysis and data of participatory research with reflection of professional experience.The changes in the program in Lithuania were caused by specific sociocultural context in the country: there was lack of specialised psychosocial services for people with epilepsy, domination of biomedical model in treatment and services, recognition of disability in relation to working capabilities, high permanent unemployment, dependency of people with epilepsy on medical staff and family, lack of reflection skills, etc. The main modifications were: prolonged duration of the training and slowing the intensity of the training what gave possibility to train reflection skills; added new topics to the Program; the Program was complimented with participatory research. Participatory research revealed that made changes during the Program’s testing and modification process allowed participants to learn new skills, to tell illness narratives, to express hidden feelings, to take bigger responsibility for own illness, to formulate life goals and to plan next steps in life. The methodology of social pedagogy was used for the implementation of the Program, that it could meet the needs of the training participants and correspond to the national context.

Case Manager as a Leader in Providing Social Support for Families and Children

Case management as a new model started in Lithuania in 2018 after changes in the Law on the Fundamentals of the Protection of the Rights of Child. According to Lithuanian legal documents case management is the organization and provision of comprehensive social support to the child and his/her representatives, coordinated by the case manager in order to help overcoming social difficulties, the successful resolution of which would prevent possible violations of child’s rights. Theoretical definitions of case management emphasize that it is a client cantered model, and case managers exercise many functions, roles, apply various methods in order to lead a case management process successfully. In this process case managers face many occasions to take leadership position. The goal of the presentation is to find out possible interconnections between case management and leadership

NEED ASSESSMENT FOR DESIGNING TRAINING COURSE FOR PARENTS IN PREVENTING VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN

Lithuania prohibited by law any kind of violence against children, however, reported cases as well as previous and resent representative research show that the problem still exists. The state takes various measures to prevent violence against children, and parents’ training is one of such possibilities, however, the parental training in Lithuania is not effective and one possible reason could be that various courses are not based on parents’ needs. The goal of this article is to present data of need analysis which was done as a prerequisite for training course development. The article is based on qualitative study by interviewing parents about their knowledge, perceptions and need for training. Research participants have knowledge about violence against children, they name and discuss physical violence, corporal punishment, neglect, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, however, do not differentiate them strictly. They see the need of parental training in preventing violence against children. The most wanted topics are reasons of the violence, knowledge about child development as they understand that children in different development stages have different needs and parents’ reactions to misbehaviour should be adequate to the development stage. Also, general topic of parenting – what does it mean, how to become a good mother/farther – is named during interviews

Applying monocausal, bicausal and primary therapeutic intervention models in the Lithuanian children’s rights protection system

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0In 1992, Lithuania joined the Convention on the Rights of the Child, thus committing to ensuring children’s rights by all possible means. Parents take primary responsibility for the implementation of children’s rights, but in cases where a parent uses their authority against the interests of their child, the State has the power to intervene in a family. T. Furniss (1991) distinguished three basic models of intervention: Primary Punitive Intervention (PPI) (the monocausal model); Primary Children Protective Intervention (PCI) (the bicausal model); and Primary Therapeutic Intervention (PTI). The goal of this article is to discuss reforms in the children’s rights protection system in Lithuania by applying T. Furniss’ theoretical model. For a long time, the monocausal model dominated in the country. In 2017, corporal punishment was prohibited by law, which provided an impetus for the further reorganizational development of the children’s rights protection system. In 2018, new interventions and methods of social assistance such as case management and mobile teams were established, and these methods became responsible for the protection of children’s rights when a family faces challenges. Thus, the principles of the bicausal model were introduced, and further changes in 2020 added traits of the PTI model

Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) loci mapping in the genome of perennial ryegrass

The aim of this study was to identify and characterize new ISSR markers and their loci in the genome of perennial ryegrass. A subsample of the VrnA F2 mapping family of perennial ryegrass comprising 92 individuals was used to develop a linkage map including inter-simple sequence repeat markers (ISSR). Twelve ISSR fragments out of 29 were mapped to the linkage groups (LG) LG1, LG2, LG4, LG6 and LG7. The total map length was 250.7 cM. Selected ISSR fragments were cloned by transformation into plasmid pTZ57R and sequenced. For four ISSRs, BLAST search revealed a significant similarity to coding regions of known sequences within the current DNA databases. An ISSR fragment of 580 bp, produced by the (GACA) 4 TC primer present on LG6, showed a 95% identity to the Avena sativa L. transposon and repetitive DNA linked to the receptor kinase gene. A 780 bp fragment generated by (TG) 8 RT primer demonstrated a 70% similarity to the Hordeum vulgare germin gene GerA. Inter-SSR mapping will provide useful information for gene targeting, quantitative trait loci mapping and marker-assisted selection in perennial ryegrass. Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) loci mapping in the genome of perennial ryegrass

Genetic Variation in Safflower (Carthamus tinctorious L.) for Seed Quality-Related Traits and Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) Markers

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorious L.) is an oilseed crop that is valued as a source of high quality vegetable oil. The genetic diversity of 16 safflower genotypes originated from different geographical regions of Iran and some with exotic origin were evaluated. Eight different seed quality-related traits including fatty acid composition of seed oil (stearic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid), the contents of, oil, protein, fiber and ash in its seeds, as well as 20 inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) polymorphic primers were used in this study. Analysis of variance showed significant variation in genotypes for the seed quality-related traits. Based on ISSR markers, a total of 204 bands were amplified and 149 bands (about 70%) of these were polymorphic. Cluster analysis based on either biochemical or molecular markers classified the genotypes into four groups, showing some similarities between molecular and biochemical markers for evaluated genotypes. A logical similarity between the genotype clusters based on molecular data with their geographical origins was observed

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on characteristics, extent and trends in child maltreatment in 34 Euro-CAN COST Action countries: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction While the factors commonly associated with an increased risk of child maltreatment (CM) were found to be increased during COVID-19, reports of actual maltreatment showed varying trends. Similarly, evidence regarding the impact of COVID-19 on CM within the European Cooperation on Science and Technology and Network Collaborative (COST) Action countries remains inconsistent. This scoping review aims to explore the extent and nature of evidence pertaining to CM within the countries affiliated with the Child Abuse and Neglect in Europe Action Network (Euro-CAN), funded by the COST. Methods and analysis Key electronic databases were searched to identify eligible papers, reports and other material published between January 2020 and April 2023: PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Social Policy and Practice, Scopus and Web of Science. To cover the breadth of evidence, a systematic and broad search strategy was applied using a combination of keywords and controlled vocabulary for four concepts: children, maltreatment, COVID-19 and Euro-CAN countries, without restrictions on study design or language. Grey literature was searched in OpenGrey and Google Scholar. Two reviewers will independently screen full-text publications for eligibility and undertake data extraction, using a customised grid. The screening criteria and data charting will be piloted by the research team.The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews will be followed to present the results. Results will be summarised in a tabular form and narratively. Ethics and dissemination This review will identify and summarise publicly available data, without requiring ethical approval. The findings will be disseminated to the Euro-CAN Network and reported to the COST Association. They will also be published in a peer-reviewed journal. This protocol is registered on Open Science Framework

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on characteristics, extent and trends in child maltreatment in 34 Euro-CAN COST Action countries: a scoping review protocol

Introduction While the factors commonly associated with an increased risk of child maltreatment (CM) were found to be increased during COVID-19, reports of actual maltreatment showed varying trends. Similarly, evidence regarding the impact of COVID-19 on CM within the European Cooperation on Science and Technology and Network Collaborative (COST) Action countries remains inconsistent. This scoping review aims to explore the extent and nature of evidence pertaining to CM within the countries affiliated with the Child Abuse and Neglect in Europe Action Network (Euro-CAN), funded by the COST. Methods and analysis Key electronic databases were searched to identify eligible papers, reports and other material published between January 2020 and April 2023: PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Social Policy and Practice, Scopus and Web of Science. To cover the breadth of evidence, a systematic and broad search strategy was applied using a combination of keywords and controlled vocabulary for four concepts: children, maltreatment, COVID-19 and Euro-CAN countries, without restrictions on study design or language. Grey literature was searched in OpenGrey and Google Scholar. Two reviewers will independently screen full-text publications for eligibility and undertake data extraction, using a customised grid. The screening criteria and data charting will be piloted by the research team. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews will be followed to present the results. Results will be summarised in a tabular form and narratively. Ethics and dissemination This review will identify and summarise publicly available data, without requiring ethical approval. The findings will be disseminated to the Euro-CAN Network and reported to the COST Association. They will also be published in a peer-reviewed journal. This protocol is registered on Open Science Framework

Deinstitutionalization of the child care system in Lithuania

The reform of the child care system in Lithuania started with the Ministry of Social Security and Labor approving the Strategic Guidelines for Deinstitutionalization in 2012, followed by the Transition from Institutional Care to Community-Based Services in 2014. The strategic aim of the reform was to create a system including a comprehensive range of services that would enable every child and their family or guardians to receive individual services as well as community assistance according to their needs. The process of transformation of institutional care was designed in two steps: creation of the necessary conditions for the transformation, which took place in 2014 to 2017, and development of infrastructure in the regions, planned for 2017 to 2020, but now extended to 2023. The goal of this article is to discuss the deinstitutionalization process by presenting legal regulations, information about the conceptualization and scope of the project, and evidence based on documents and statistical and secondary data analysis. I will also discuss possible contradictions between analytical and political discourses, and quantitative and qualitative evidence