GEBĖJIMO VEIKTI SAVARANKIŠKAI RAIŠKA UNIVERSITETINIŲ STUDIJŲ METU (SOCIALINIŲ MOKSLŲ SRITIES ATVEJIS

The main function of higher education institutions is to prepare students for their future activity, to develop their creative strengths, critical thinking, problem solving and constructive communication skills. One of the most important abilities of an active, responsible individual who can act independently is self-management, i.e. being able to plan and organise one’s learning process and ability to reflect. A university research has revealed that some 1st -year and 4th -year social science students describe learning independence as student’s participation in planning, monitoring, correcting, and assessing one’s own learning process and results. The emphasis is put on creativity, ability to make right decisions in a new learning situation when putting the present and new knowledge together, search for more diverse solutions, taking responsibility for the learning process and future outcomes. Socialinių mokslų (edukologija) daktarė docentėVytauto Didžiojo universitetoSocialinių mokslų fakultetoEdukologijos katedraK. Donelaičio g. 52-402, LT-44244 KaunasTel.: +370 37 327 827El. paštas: [email protected]ų mokslų (edukologija) daktarė lektorėVytauto Didžiojo universitetoSocialinių mokslų fakultetoEdukologijos katedraK. Donelaičio g. 52-402, LT-44244 KaunasTel. +370 37 327 827El. paštas: [email protected]ė aukštųjų mokyklų funkcija – rengti studentus būsimai profesijai, plėtoti jų kūrybiškumą, kritinį mąstymą, problemų sprendimo ir bendravimo įgūdžius. Atliktas tyrimas rodo, kad dalis socialinių mokslų srities studentų gebėjimą veikti savarankiškai studijų metu apibūdina kaip paties studento dalyvavimą planuojant, stebint, koreguojant ir vertinant savo mokymosi procesą ir pasiektus rezultatus. Akcentuojamas kūrybiškumas, gebėjimas priimti tinkamus sprendimus naujoje mokymosi situacijoje, derinant turimas ir naujas žinias, įvairesnių problemos sprendimo variantų ieška, atsakomybės už vykdomą veiklą ir būsimus rezultatus prisiėmimas. Kaip pagrindiniai veiksniai, skatinantys veikti savarankiškai studijų metu, įvardijama savikontrolė, motyvacija ir atsakomybė. Dėstytojai, studentų manymu, turėtų suteikti jiems daugiau laisvės ir atsakomybės priimant sprendimus, galimybę išsakyti savo nuomonę ir turėtų naudoti įvairesnius mokymo metodus

EMANCIPATION OF PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES OF A TEACHER ASSISTANT IN THE PROCESS OF MENTORING AT PRE-SCHOOL INSTITUTION

When discussing the assistant's emancipated participation in the educational process, it is important not to forget the pre-school teacher who often becomes a formal or informal mentor to the teaching assistant. It is the role of the mentor, his/her influence, that is one of the most important factors in the process of emancipation of the teaching assistant. Interrelationships based on support, respect, tolerance, sharing of experience and responsibility, constant help to each other, and support turn mentoring into a high-quality process that ensures emancipation. It is important that the mentor clearly defines what he/she expects from the assistant and is willing to help him/her to develop. Otherwise, it will not make sense to talk about the emancipation of the teaching assistant's professional activity. Relying on the qualitative research findings it is possible to state that a teacher assistant is supposed to provide a qualified support to an educator and a pupil in ordinary and inlusive educational process. It requires from teacher assistant vide range of competences,enabling him/her to demonstrate rationality, clear value system, professionalism, i.e. to be an emancipated personality. The process of emancipation takes place when there is the harmony among the set of emancipatory legal, philosophical, social, and educational aspects and the personal reality perception, activity and will. In order to develop the emancipation of a teacher assistant's, the competence of the mentor plays the key role, especialy his/her abilities to encourege and empower the mentee‘s independent, still community - directed solutions. Thus, the reversity of the mentoring process comes to the focus of the attention. The proof of the teacher assistant's emancipation success is considered to be the process of reverse mentoring. The qualitative content analysis of the interviews of the teaching assistants working in pre-school education institutions revealed that the emancipation of teaching assistants is observed in the answers of all informants, but the emancipation of their activities in the mentoring process is only partially ensured.

INTEGRATED LITERACY METHODS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL – EMOTIONAL SKILLS: PRE-SCHOOL GROUP CONTEXT

Preschool years are a significant period of a child's life, characterized by a unique social, artistic, cognitive, emotional expression of the child. In the preschool age, children go through a rather difficult period of development, which largely determines the success of their subsequent education at school. At this stage of development, children should feel the need to read and write and thus get to know the world (understand people's relationships, feelings, actions, intentions, etc.); should start reading and writing and feel the joy of reading and writing while successfully interacting with the surrounding world. Having mastered literacy skills, a child can express what he/she feels, hears, and sees. The received data were analyzed while using thematic content analysis. During the observation, it has cleared out that it is quite difficult for children to express their emotions. Practical tasks, such as acting situations, drawing emotions, activities with sand, discussions with parents and researchers when children try to express emotions, practically teach different ways to overcome everyday changes and difficulties and thus acquire social-emotional skills. An attractively equipped book reading area, interestingly used print encourages easier recognition of words and application of reading skills. The application of integrated literacy methods in the implementation of a preschool program is a suitable context for strengthening social emotional skills, which are crucial for recognizing and managing one's emotions, being empathetic, creating and maintaining positive relationships, setting and pursuing positive goals, and making responsible decisions. Literacy techniques such as printed environment, reading books, marking emotions, interactive writing and drawing, social stories, acting situations, and discussions are effective tools and ways to achieve these goals.

A MODEL OF FAMILY AND CAREER RECONCILIATION

The article focuses at these elements of family, work and career reconciliation which are relevant for seeking harmony and satisfaction in family and work settings. Presented theme refers to the analysis of work-family or family-work conflict, causes for role conflicts, facilitation strategies, conception of dual and individual career within a family, internal and external factors which influence start-up of conflicts and reconciliation strategies. This article presents results of data, collected during conduction of narrative interviews with young parents (both mother and father), semi-structured interviews with employers, focus group with career guide/human resources specialists and quantitative research with young families. The aim of research was to determine the needs and opportunities of young families who seek to balance family and career by highlighting influence of work activities. Research results identicated reconciliation for young families and career, possibilities for facilitation that is closely linked to dual and single career design couples, trends for career development, aware ness of parent hood and changing roles

Innovative methods for implementing interdisciplinarity in career counseling (IMATEII) No. 016-LV01-KA201-022681

The project proposal objectives are most relevant to the facilitation of learning and employability of school children in the way that new innovative approaches will be developed for a better professional orientation and higher motivation to reach the necessary higher education and focus on relevant subjects in school education

Revisiting educational potential of the industrial heritage tourism: Ruhr area in Germany and Ignalina power plant region in Lithuania

The main topic of the chapter is related to the changes that took place during the historical stage of the industrial period. The changes are analysed through the preservation and revitalisation of objects, the perspective of landscape reconstruction, and the renewal of the urban city. The main keywords in the chapter are related to the preservation of industrial heritage, the meaning of historical events, the determination of the value of remembrance based on the theory of the scar, the importance of identity, and the principles of educational tourism. In this work, the case study method is applied. The underlying principles of this method allow to devise certain characteristic strategies in constructing the new face of an industrial heritage object, post- industrial landscape, or urban city. The case study discusses the example of the Ruhr area in Germany through which certain trends on how problematic and specific objects are transformed into part of the cultural heritage and places of interest are shown. The obtained results are presented in connection with the challenges posed by the closure of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) and the search for the new identity in the city of Visaginas. The study report also presents elements of a sustainable and long- term industrial heritage analysis scheme including the uniqueness of the site, its significance to society, value potential, approaches to demonstrating objects based on constructivist philosophy, educational tourism, and new learning experiences

Mokslų daktaro kvalifikacijos projektavimas: edukologijos doktorantūros atvejis : daktaro disertacija : socialiniai mokslai, edukologija (07 S)

Bibliogr.: p. 173-187 ir išnašoseVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Methodology for preparing a qualification descriptor : case study of the doctor in education studies

Apžvelgiant pastarųjų metų aukštojo mokslo tendencijas, pastebima, kad universitetas suvokiamas kaip institucija, teikianti darbo rinkai reikalingas kvalifikacijas. Bolonijos proceso dokumentuose pabrėžiami trečiajai studijų pakopai keliami nemaži reikalavimai, todėl labai svarbu kalbėti apie kvalifikacijų laipsnių skaidrumą, gebėjimų pritaikomumą profesinės veiklos srityse, o profesijoms rengiami kvalifikacijų aprašai turėtų būti siejami su studijų rezultatais. Kuriant nacionalinę kvalifikacijų sistemą, aukštajam mokslui skiriamas ypatingas dėmesys, kadangi universitetai užtikrina mokslo, praktikos ir švietimo sąveiką bei kuriamos kvalifikacijų sistemos intelektinį potencialą. Aukštasis mokslas ne tik tenkina profesinės veiklos sistemos ir kvalifikacinius bei intelektinius studentų poreikius, bet ir kuria naujas žinias. Taigi universiteto parengtame ugdymo turinyje, organizuojant doktoranto studijų veiklos procesą, atsiranda dvigubas turinys: bendrasis aukštasis lavinimas (bendrasis universitetinis turinys) ir aukštasis profesinis lavinimas (profesinis universitetinis turinys), kuris susijęs su kompetencijų įgijimu. Edukologijos daktaro kompetencijų nurodymas, aprašo parengimas ir jo parametrų įtraukimas į turinį atsako į klausimą: kokios kompetencijos yra būtinos edukologijai? Šio aprašo pagrindu gali būti suvienodinta edukologijos doktorantūros samprata. Aprašas leidžia vienodai vertinti doktorantūros tikslus, kurti doktorantūros studijų ir disertacijos rengimo turinį, siekti edukologijos doktorantūros kokybės visuose Lietuvos universitetuose. Reikšminiai žodžiai: Edukologijos daktaro kvalifikacijos; Edukologijos daktaro kvaligikacijos aprašas; Edukologijos doktorantūros studijos; Kvalifikacijų ir kompetencijų tyrimai; Mokslų daktaro kvalifikacija; Descriptor of the doctor in education studies; Doctor's degree programme in education studies; Doctoral studie in education; Qualification descriptor of the doctor in education studies; Qualification of the docteur of sciences; Qualification of the doctor of sciences; Researches into qualifications and competenciesThe review of higher education tendencies in recent years results in the notice that the university is perceived as an institution which provides labour market with necessary qualifications. Bologna process documents emphasize high requirements raised to the third studies cycle; therefore, it is very important to speak about transparency of qualification degrees, applicability of abilities in professional activity areas, whilst qualification descriptors for professions should be related to study results. Creating a national qualification system, higher education is given particular attention because universities ensure the interaction between science, practice and education and intellectual potential of the qualification system under creation. Higher education both meets the needs of the professional activity system, students’ qualification, intellectual needs and creates new knowledge. Thus, the education content prepared at the university regarding the organisation of doctoral studies is double: generic higher education (generic academic content) and higher professional training (professional academic content), which leads to acquisition of competencies. Selection of competencies of the doctor in education studies, preparation of the descriptor and inclusion of its parameters into the content answers the question what competencies are essential for education studies. Based on this descriptor, the conception of the doctor’s degree programme in education studies can be uniformed. The descriptor enables uniform assessment of the objectives of doctoral studies, designing of the content of doctoral studies and thesis preparation, and striving for quality of the doctor’s degree programme in education studies at all universities of Lithuania

Interpretation of doctoral students' activity in the context of education science

The analysis of the European documents makes it evident that the major component of doctoral programmes has been research based advancement of science; however, it has been emphasised that preparation of doctoral students should meet market demands which are broader than university demands as a young researcher needs to acquire transferable skills together with research competencies. Doctoral student's as researcher's qualification is the highest level (level eight) qualification, it manifests itself in the ability to use the acquired knowledge properly in various complex situations, to be able to plan and implement complicated projects taking into account the changing nature of knowledge. As the evidence of the achievement of the highest level, a doctoral student must demonstrate broad range skills at the end of the doctoral studies, presenting the outcomes of the research work, i.e. the dissertation; the assessment of the research work takes into account the doctoral student's ability to reveal the complexity of the research problem, to prepare research design and implement it, choosing appropriate research methods, to interpret the research findings and present proper research conclusions preparing the research findings for dissemination