Initial teacher education guideline for teacher educators in inquiry‐based science teaching

This guideline comprises a set of arguments in support of Inquiry‐based Science Teaching, supported by a number of references, apposite quotes and exploratory small‐scale research. The intention is that the guideline will serve as a realistic pedagogy for beginning teachers of science in courses of Initial Teacher Education that, with some experience of teaching and support from tutors at school and university, it can help them to develop a disposition that favours opportunities for pupils to engage in inquiry in one way or another. The text of the guideline will also form the basis of a website that will have a range of links to, for example, video examples of inquiry in action, published papers from research, policy and practice and other sources of advice and ideas

Lietuvos bendrojo ugdymo turinio kaita: siauras ar platus ugdymo turinys

The curriculum in general education schools is the primary educational element connecting theoretical educational ideas with their practical implementation. Due to constant scientific, political, social, and cultural changes, curriculum transformation is an integral part of its development. Therefore, analyzing the curriculum requires an examination of the factors influencing its evolution as an inseparable element of the educational process.This article explores two dominant curriculum perspectives – specifically, the narrow (traditionalist) and the broad (reconceptualist) approaches – in the context of the current changes in the Lithuanian general education curriculum. The traditionalist approach is based on a standardized, outcome-oriented curriculum, whereas the reconceptualist perspective emphasizes curriculum dynamism, individualized learning, and a contextualized educational process. The article analyzes how these two perspectives manifest in the development of Lithuania’s general education curriculum, particularly in relation to competency-based learning, inclusive education, and the flexibility of the curriculum.Bendrojo ugdymo mokyklos ugdymo turinys – pagrindinis ugdymo elementas, suteikiantis ugdymui atpažįstamą formą ir priartinantis prie skirtingų ugdymo kontekstų, nes juo sujungiamos dvi ugdymo dimensijos – teorija ir praktika – ugdymo idėja ir jos praktinė išraiška. Dėl ugdymo turinį veikiančių mokslinių, politinių, socialinių ir kultūrinių įtakų, kaita yra neatsiejama ugdymo turinio dalis. Todėl, siekiant suprasti ugdymo turinį, svarbu tirti ir jo pokyčiui turinčius įtakos veiksnius kaip neatsiejamą ugdymo turinio elementą, t. y. jo kontekstą. Straipsnyje pristatomos vyraujančios ugdymo turinio sampratos – siauroji (tradicionalistinė) ir plačioji (rekonceptualistinė) – kontekstualizuojant jas su dabartinio Lietuvos bendrojo ugdymo turinio pokyčiais

Būti pabėgėlių vaikų mokytoju: teorinės įžvalgos

The refugee crisis is not a new concept in Europe, but it has become well-known in Lithuania in the summer of 2021 when a large number of illegal migrants entered the country across the border with Belarus. According to the Illegal Migration Monitor, in 2023, 24 percent of the refugees consisted of minors. Following Russia’s invasion in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the number of refugees across Europe increased to one million. Within the first 10 days of the Russian – Ukrainian war, 4,611 Ukrainian refugees entered Lithuania, and, according to the latest data from the Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania in 2023, 76,607 war refugees from Ukraine are registered in Lithuania. While the European education system has accrued significant experience in educating children of ethnic minorities, there is still very little research which would analyze the education of refugee children. The education of refugee and immigrant children is very different, as highlighted by Pastoor in 2016. This is the first time Lithuania has faced such an influx of refugee families with children, leading to a lack of experience and research in the education of refugee children in Lithuania. The main focus has been on the integration and socialization of refugees, with hardly any attention paid to the education of refugee children. This raises the following research questions: What are the experiences of preschool teachers working with children with the refugee status? What challenges are preschool teachers facing? How are preschool teachers working with refugee children without official descriptions prepared by the State of Lithuania?Straipsnyje analizuojama ikimokyklinio ugdymo mokytojų patirtis dirbant su pabėgėlių vaikais ne tik Europos Sąjungos, bet ir kitose šalyse, kuriose mokytojai susidūrė su pabėgėlių šeimų, turinčių nepilnamečių vaikų, antplūdžiu. Analizuojant mokslinę literatūrą rasta, kad mokytojams tiek Lietuvoje, tiek kitose pasaulio šalyse trūksta profesinio pasirengimo darbui su pabėgėlių vaikais, o esamos ugdymo programos nėra pritaikytos užtikrinti kokybišką pabėgėlių vaikų ugdymą. Tyrimo tikslas buvo atskleisti ikimokyklinio ugdymo mokytojų patirtį dirbant su pabėgėlių vaikais. Taikyta teminė analizė. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad mokytojai, dirbantys su pabėgėlių vaikais, kasdien susiduria su skirtingomis situacijomis, kurios jiems yra visiškai naujos, o pabėgėlių vaikų ugdymas mokytojui tampa nauju ir niekada prieš tai netirtu fenomenu

Jūratė Baranova ir filosofijos kelias į Lietuvos bendrojo ugdymo mokyklą

The article analyses the contribution of Professor Jūratė Baranova to the introduction of philosophy teaching into the Lithuanian general school. There is a discussion about the need of philosophy teaching, the initiatives of Baranova and her colleagues’ mutual activities preparing textbooks and other teaching tools. The courses initiated, the philosophy education programmes for teachers and teacher re-skilling programmes, as well as students’ Philosophy Olympiads are presented.  The educational projects of Baranova and her co-authors are reviewed, focusing on teaching cultural literacy at school whilst using dialogue, argumentation and multimodality. The author concludes that Baranova was one of the key contributors amongst Lithuanian professors and teachers, who made an input to the introduction and development of philosophy education at schools.Straipsnyje tyrinėjamas filosofijos profesorės Jūratės Baranovos indėlis į filosofijos mokymo Lietuvos bendrojo ugdymo mokykloje tradicijos kūrimą. Aptariama filosofijos mokymo poreikis, Baranovos ir jos kolegų keltos iniciatyvos, bendros veiklos pradedant rengti vadovėlius bei kitas mokymo priemones. Pristatomi inicijuoti kursai ir filosofijos rengimo programos mokytojams bei mokytojų perkvalifikavimo kursai, taip pat organizuotos filosofijos olimpiados. Apžvelgiama Baranovos individualiai ar su bendraautoriais vykdyti mokslo projektai, skirti bendrojo ugdymo mokyklos kultūrinio raštingumo tyrimams ir plėtotei, taikant dialogą, argumentavimą ir multimodalų ugdymą. Konstatuojama, kad Baranovos indėlis yra vienas didžiausių tarp tų Lietuvos mokslininkų ar pedagogų, kurie vienaip ar kitaip prisidėjo prie filosofijos mokymo mokykloje kūrimo

Mokyklos estetinės ugdymo(si) aplinkos ir mokinių meninės saviraiškos sąsajos

 For a child, the school is like a separate “state” in which they are fully educated and influenced by a variety of environments, including aesthetic education. The significance of the environment in which the learner lives, matures, and creates has been found to be enormous. In Lithuania, there is a well-established “package” of environmental requirements for general education schools – educating, safe, functional, ergonomic, aesthetic. This article analyzes the relationship between the aesthetic education environment of the school and pupils’ artistic expression. Is it possible to develop the artistic self-expression of pupils in schools when creating an environment for aesthetic education? And is this a problematic question? The purpose of this article is to reveal the link between the aesthetic education environment of schools and pupils’ artistic expression.The following methods were used in the article: (1) an analysis of educational documents and scientific literature and (2) a review and comparative analysis of the realized projects. The educational document analysis method was used to review and analyze Lithuanian educational documents on school education environments. The analysis of educational documents on the educational environment of schools has led to the conclusion that a great deal of attention is paid to the ergonomic, functional, and aesthetic planning of educational spaces. The aim here is to create high standards for school education. The creativity of students, as well as the contribution of artistic self-expression, are identified as important aspects in creating an aesthetic education environment. The link between the creation and development of such an environment, and the involvement of the educational process participants in the creation of such spaces are emphasized. The creation of an aesthetic education environment in schools is more associated with visual and applied art.In applying the method of scientific literature analysis, this study includes a review of research conducted by Lithuanian and foreign authors about various school education environments, the influence of school education(s) on pupils’ learning, the aesthetic relationship of pupils with school education and the aesthetic education of schools; links between environmental and artistic activity are established. This article discusses the peculiarities and possibilities of modernizing the educational spaces of Lithuanian schools.After the analysis of scientific literature on the educational environment, it was concluded that the topics of the school educational environments were relevant to Lithuanian and foreign scientists. The environmental impact of school education was proven on the basis of a multi-faceted study; the concept of an aesthetic education environment has been revealed, its significance for personality development emphasized. The conclusion is that the aesthetic educational environment of a school can influence the formation of the students’ aesthetic attitudes. The active artistic expression of pupils can be provided by educators with certain conditions for their activities, or pupils can develop joint initiatives contributing to the creation of an aesthetic education environment. After discussing the modernization of the educational spaces of Lithuanian schools, an important link was identified between the creation of educational spaces and pupils’ artistic expression.The analysis of educational documents and scientific literature scientifically substantiated the link between the aesthetic environment of a school and pupils’ artistic expression. Examples of certain “dream school” projects in Lithuania and abroad were analyzed using the sample review method. This article contains an overview of the Lithuanian Primary School of the Veršvų Gymnasium in Kaunas (2018) and the Balsių Progymnasium in Vilnius (2011). Chosen for the review of foreign schools were the “Wish School” in Sao Paulo, Brazil (2016), We Grow and Blue School Preschool and Elementary Schools in New York, USA (2018), Lake Wilderness Primary School, Washington, USA (2017), Heart in Ikast International School and Multifunctional Center in Ikaste, Denmark (2018), Vittra Brotorp, Vittra Telefonplan, Vittra Södermalm School in Brotorp, Stockholm, Sodermalm, Sweden (2011–2012).An overview of architectural examples (analogues) implemented by Lithuania has revealed that Lithuanian architects can perfectly design schools that are modern, technologically equipped, ergonomic, etc. In the reviewed examples (analogies), the learning environment is safe and modern; they promote communality, creativity. The corridor system and the “four-walled” classrooms were retained in the design of Lithuanian schools. Pupils are encouraged to create and to participate in the creation of an aesthetic education environment through visual and applied art. Artistic self-expression is promoted by dancing, musical activities, and the like. Communality and a variety of after-school activities are promoted.An overview of architectural examples (analogues) implemented by foreign countries has revealed the latest architectural trends in global school design practice. It is noted that the design of new school buildings has been important for cities, societies, and education for decades. In many cases, the design process of the schools discussed was developed in conjunction with the needs of the community and adapted to the local architectural context. In the examples of foreign countries discussed, the functional zoning of premises was combined with modern design, educational principles, and the latest technologies. School interiors have been designed with a new concept of education and learning in mind. When designing the school spaces, it was emphasized that students are active subjects and space changers. In some of the examples of the discussed schools, the idea of a “class without borders” has been implemented. Non-formal seating, colorful furniture, and bright-colored walls are accentuated. Classrooms are modern and flexible and easily adaptable in accordance with the educational needs of the pupils. A diversity of activities, communication, and an atmosphere of creativity are promoted. Common spaces are easily adaptable and inspiring. Pupils’ artistic self-expression, curiosity, and the aim to “awaken” creativity are encouraged. Functional zoning allows students to work successfully together and independently. Attention is paid to communality and a diverse spectrum of activities.An overview of implemented Lithuanian and foreign architectural examples (analogues) has revealed the connection between the aesthetic environment of a school and the artistic expression of the pupils: 1) Students are encouraged to create and participate in the creation of an aesthetic education environment through visual and applied art; 2) Music, dance, and self-expression are promoted in school spaces; 3) The community is involved in the school design process.By comparing Lithuanian and foreign (analogous) examples, it may be stated that Lithuanian schools are well-planned and meet high standards. The interior spaces could be more colorful and playful. In the cases of foreign (analogous) countries, internal spaces are more characterized by informal seating places, vibrant and colorful furniture and walls. The corridor system is more boldly eschewed, and the concept of “classes without walls” is implemented.Lietuvoje yra gana nusistovėjęs visos bendrojo ugdymo mokyklų aplinkos reikalavimų „paketas“ – ugdanti, saugi, funkcionali, ergonomiška, estetiška. Straipsnyje analizuojamas mokyklos estetinės ugdymo(si) aplinkos ir mokinių meninės saviraiškos santykis. Keliamas probleminis klausimas – ar kuriant estetinę ugdymo(si) aplinką mokykloje galima ugdyti mokinių meninę saviraišką?Šio straipsnio tikslas – atskleisti mokyklos estetinės ugdymo(si) aplinkos ir mokinių meninės saviraiškos sąsajas. Straipsnyje apžvelgiami ir analizuojami Lietuvos švietimo dokumentai apie ugdymo(si) aplinkas ir Lietuvos bei užsienio autorių tyrimai apie įvairias mokyklos ugdymo(si) aplinkas, mokyklų ugdymo(si) aplinkos įtaką mokinių mokymuisi ir estetinį mokinių santykį su mokyklos ugdymo(si) aplinkomis. Išryškinamos mokyklų estetinės ugdymo(si) aplinkos ir meninės saviraiškos sąsajos. Straipsnyje aptariami Lietuvos mokyklų ugdymo(si) erdvių modernizavimo ypatumai ir galimybės.Taikant pavyzdžių apžvalgos metodą analizuojami įgyvendintų „svajonių mokyklos“ projektų pavyzdžiai Lietuvoje ir užsienyje. Apžvelgtos lietuviškos Veršvų gimnazijos pradinė mokykla Kaune (2018 m.) ir Balsių progimnazija Vilniuje (2011 m.). Užsienio mokyklų apžvalgai pasirinktos: „Wish School“ mokykla San Paule, Brazilijoje (2016) ; „We Grow“ ir „Blue School“ ikimokyklinio ir pradinių klasių ugdymo mokyklos Niujorke, JAV, (2018); „Lake Wilderness“ pradinė mokykla Vašingtone, JAV (2017); „Heart in Ikast“ tarptautinė mokykla ir multifunkcinis centras Ikaste, Danijoje (2018); „Vittra Brotorp“, „Vittra Telefonplan“, „Vittra Södermalm“ mokyklos Brotorpe, Stokholme, Sodermalme, Švedijoje (2011–2012).&nbsp

Scientific Research in Education, Vol 3 (2020)

Peer reviewed scientific publicationLeidinys parengtas Lietuvos edukacinių tyrimų asociacijos (LETA) iniciatyvaRecenzuojamas mokslo leidiny