Švietimas: politika, vadyba, kokybė /Education Policy, Management and Quality

8-26

Authors: Sergejus Neifachas

The research deals with theoretical and methodological policy-making problems with regard to changes in the teaching and learning environment. In the conditions of the rapidly globalizing world and in the course of change processes in education the learners’ community encounters new challenges. Emerging trends of lifelong learning necessitate to conceptually rethink and theoretically ground goals and objectives of the policy of changes in the teaching and learning environment, arising to the system of education, draw new or revise guidelines of the strategy of its formation and implementation. Looking for new ways of formation and implementation of policy of changes in the teaching and learning environment, it is particularly important to fully perceive the context of its functioning, to adequately assess the type and scope of new objectives arising to it, and to reflect on contexts of manifestation of new trends in the teaching and learning policy. The article deals with issues of the policy of changes in the teaching and learning environment in two key aspects. First, it is aimed to disclose links between theoretical discourse and the current policy of the teaching and learning environment, demonstrating how the postmodern shift in education transforms the conceptual model of the teaching and learning environment. Second, it is sought to discuss the state of the current discourse on changes in the teaching and learning environment in Europe and Lithuania, analysing how various preconditions for changes function in the public domain of the educational policy and in the educational area, and the type and content of their manifestation. The shift of scientific thinking to the area of narration about change processes visualized the discursive narrative. This originates from the refusal of essentialist concepts of politics, which directly led to political deconstruction-reconstruction procedures of changes in the teaching and learning environment.

43-58

Authors: Sergei Teleshov, Elena Teleshova

The unique material returning us to the history of a question on possible primogenitors of the Russian State Pedagogical University, the long years, was a smithy of the best teacher's staff of the Russian empire and then the USSR is offered to attention of readers. Whether it is lawful to adhere only to one version of the occurrence of the pedagogical university? The reader can find some answers to an asked question in an offered material. And all of them, probably, have the right to existence. Scientific researchers are guided first of all by the facts (the facts, as speak, a stubborn thing). However, the facts powerless before politicians who interpret history randomly. Nevertheless, we insist that the history of pedagogical university, began in 1903 with the creation of Women's teacher training college.

8-17

Authors: Marija Ropič

The findings from the PISA studies in 2009 and 2012 reveal the results of the reading achievements of 15-year-olds which are not satisfying. The fact is, the reading is influenced by several factors. One of the factors is the ability of phonological awareness, since the early teaching of phonological awareness has a major influence on the development and achievements of the reading abilities of children. Studies have found that the strategies for the development of phonological awareness in kindergarten are crucial for a child's success in literacy (Tafa, 2008). Nevertheless, in Slovenia, there is not enough emphasis on the early development of phonological awareness, even though we have good chances, because many children in the preschool period are included in kindergarten. This study has detected the impact of the exercise of phonological awareness in kindergarten which is accurately presented in this article. In the entire model, a certain proportion of children who detect neither the initial nor the final sound before entering the school is included. With children who have lower levels of phonological abilities, there is a greater risk that they will have reading difficulties. Therefore, it is no wonder that we draw the attention to the urgent changes in the activities and tasks in kindergarten.

26-33

Authors: Tilen Smajla

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) as an educational approach has a dual focus in which an additional language is used for the learning and teaching of both content and language (Coyle, Hood and Marsh, 2010, p. 1; Criado and Sánches, 2012). The research focuses on early foreign language learning (EFLL) through CLIL. A small scale research has been carried out in year three in an elementary school analysing parents’ perceptions and attitudes regarding EFLL, the implementation of the CLIL approach, and wellbeing in class. The results were obtained by administering an anonymous questionnaire to parents of children in the aforementioned class and showed a high appreciation of the CLIL approach, further, the parents deem EFLL as a very important factor for the future work and study of their off-spring. In addition, the research showed the appreciation of parents for the wellbeing of their offspring in a foreign language class. The latter is of great importance, since it significantly lowers anxiety levels and boosts the learning impact.

44-46

Authors: Agnaldo Arroio

Organizing to the 2nd INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF SCIENCE EDUCATION for academic teachers, researchers, teachers from secondary and high schools as well as postgraduate students with major theme offers challenges for Science Education. During four days, from 27 to 30 August 2014, with some 700 participants representing a huge variety of institutions from more than 20 countries, the Conference venue, Foz do Iguaçu - Brazil, was abuzz with ceaseless activity and discussions from the Opening to the Closing Ceremony, due to celebrate 15 years of the Journal of Science Education. It was inspired by the attendees’ high degree of interest and involvement to discuss problems of Science Education (physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc.) in the university and secondary (high school) education with experts and other specialists from America, Europe, Asia and other parts of the World, which highlighted their desire to address the equally important issues of Science Education.

8-27

Authors: Aušrinė Gumuliauskienė

Children’s socialisation centres that have been operating since 2008 execute a double mission, i.e. they provide comprehensive education and ensure supervision as well as re-socialisation of delinquent juveniles. High-quality implementation of the integrated mission of children’s socialisation centres is mostly determined by strategic management of these institutions. Results of the survey of administration representatives and other staff of chil-dren’s socialisation centres carried out from November 2012 through February 2013 revealed that all groups’ employees of children’s socialisation centres positively assessed strategic management of their institutions and also acknowledged the demand for its perfection. Statistically significant differences in assessment of strategic management of children’s socialisation centres and the need for its improvement in separate groups of respondents have been found out. The most visible differences concerning assessment of strategic management of children’s socialisation centres have been estimated among representatives of administrative staff and class tutors that took part in the survey. Respondents’ opinions mostly differed concerning the need to improve the incentive system for staff, the changes in the objective policy concerning staff selection and constant care of the administration about social and psychological safety of employees. It has been found out that respondents’ socio-demographic variables (sex, age, duration of employment, work experience in other institutions) make a low statistically significant impact on assessment of the need for strategic management of children’s socialisation centres and its improvement. When assessing strategic management of children’s socialisation centres, administrative staff are mostly sure that they promote and implement changes in culture of children’s socialisation centres, give priority to high-quality implementation of the purpose of children’s socialisation centres, ensure accessibility to information necessary for employees, maintain matter-of-fact relationships and constant dialogue with staff, regard their opinions when making decisions; however, they agree that these areas of strategic management of children’s socialisation centres should be perfected. It is proved by participated administrative staff who are focused on constant improvement of management processes, even though they are not completely convinced that they constantly develop their managerial competences which are a very important precondition for qualitative changes in management processes. It has been found out that class tutors at children’s socialisation centres, even though positively assessing strategic management of their institutions, are more critical about such areas of strategic management, in comparison to another group of respondents: human re-sources management, complex planning of performance of children’s socialisation centre and involvement of employees into planning processes, distribution of functions and responsibilities of staff, assessment of quality of activities of employees and the making of important decisions concerning its improvement, etc. First of all, class tutors relate the changes in quality of strategic management of children’s socialisation centres with the area of human resources management. Some one fifth of class tutors that took part in the survey agree that administration of their institutions have a clear strategy of development of the children’s socialisation centre and treat high-quality implementation of the purpose of children’s socialisation centres as the major aim. Pedagogues of children’s socialisation centres who took part in the research positively assess strategic management of their institutions; nevertheless, they are more sure about effectiveness of some of strategic management areas than their colleagues do, and more tend to suppose that there is no need to improve such areas of institutional management as creation of positive psychological climate, stimulation of collaboration among employees, strategic planning of performance of the centre, involvement of employees into such processes, orientation towards the priority aim, i.e. quality of performance of the children’s socialisation centre, stimulation of changes in culture of children’s socialisation centres, assessment of quality of activities of employees, etc. It is likely that pedagogues do not treat quality of various activities, processes, management of children’s socialisation centres as a finite process. Expression of assessment of strategic management of children’s socialisation centres and the demand for its expression demonstrates that managerial potential is not maximally used to implement qualitative changes in the purpose of children’s socialisation centres.

46-52

Authors: Natalija F. Zakharchenia

Marketing introduction in the field of education is capable to make a beneficial im-pact both on experts of education, and on consumers of their production. Marketing application for education is represented as an actual scientifically reasonable way of ensuring successful activity of an educational institution. Having established interrelation between labour market and needs of the personality, the educational institution is able to create a complex of competitive services demanded by the market of educational services. The development of the market of educational services foregrounds the problem of the definition of aspects of formation of educational marketing and carrying out market researches in the field of education. For producers of services, including educational, the degree of commitment to marketing as a market philosophy is embodied in the degree, transition step supply-side orientation of the company to market, marketing orientation. The necessity to increase the effectiveness of management in the sphere of education, search of innovative methods led to the use of marketing as a way of integrated management of production and sale of educational services which are understood as a complex of the services focused on realization of main objectives of education that allows to give the definition of educational marketing as the process of production and realization of educational services in the system of education, the demand based on consumers’ needs and satisfaction of this demand. The realization of marketing technologies assumes focusing on such factors as the demand in educational services, the latest achievements in science and technology, the use of effective methods, technologies and tutorials, individualization of training, the mobility of training allowing to change character quickly, the contents and terms of training and quantity of students. In this article some aspects of realization of the policy in the field of educational marketing are considered. The model of formation of marketing culture of future specialists of preschool institutions on the example of a special course "Marketing in preschool education" which approbation was carried out in 2012-2014 in educational establishments "Baranovichi State University" (The Republic of Belarus) is offered.

8-27

Authors: Aušrinė Gumuliauskienė, Laura Martusevičienė

In 2013, a research on gymnasium teachers’ and students’ leadership expression in education practice was conducted. The results of the research on gymnasium students’ lead-ership expression were presented in the international scientific–methodological journal “Ed-ucation: Politics, Management, Quality” Vol. 2 (2013, No. 2 (14), P. 7–30). The results on gymnasium teachers’ leadership expression are presented in this edition of the journal. In “The model of Leadership Development” (2011), it is emphasized that “systemic development is possible only in case of effective leadership at school and school leadership. The basis of successful teaching and learning is school leadership. Leadership for learning – purposefully acting in education system leaders who by their own activities, posed aims for themselves and others and concentration on learning promote everyone’s potential” (2011, p.14). “Education Leadership Development Guidelines” (2012) indicate that “an education leader is a responsible, creative, focused on principles of sustainability, continuous education and development professional, whose activities are based on solid values, who actively and publicly concentrates personal and communities’ attention on the assurance of teaching and learning quality. (2012, p. 1). Modeling of leadership development at school is related to creating preconditions and conditions for all school community to take part in the processes of leadership culture education, the development of leadership competences and the implementation of leadership models, seeking effective systemic and qualitative school changes. The need for teacher leadership development is associated with the complexity of this group activities (a teacher takes part in various school internal and external processes, performs a lot of functions and roles) and significance (teacher personality, personal example, activities that have direct or indirect impact on teaching/learning results, colleagues, pupils’ parents, social partners, school processes and their quality, school culture, school development, etc.). An empirical research (N=100) on gymnasium teachers’ leadership expression re-vealed prevailing affirmative gymnasium teachers’ attitudes towards leadership. Gymnasium teachers are more oriented to professional leadership and are less likely to take the role of a formal leader (having a position in administration), to develop actively their leadership competences at in-service training events. Teachers positively assess leadership expression in the following areas: self-evaluation, reflection, continuous education and ability to study, and chances of leadership development at school. The variables of these leadership expression areas are rated at high scores. A little less obvious, but also positively assessed leadership expression features are indicated in team work area. They depend on teachers’ qualifications and duration of pedagogical experience. Psychological condition working in a team is influenced by gymnasium teachers’ age. Gymnasium teachers positively, though not unanimously, evaluate the preconditions for leadership development at their schools; this leads to the idea that each gymnasium has a different context for leadership development.

42-45

Authors: Judita Stankutė

An interview with a principal of Siauliai Julius Janonis Gymnasium Rimas Budraitis, Siauliai, Lithuania.

7-30

Authors: Aušrinė Gumuliauskienė, Laura Martusevičienė

Recently students’ leadership education has become one of the aims of Lithuanian education policy. Development of leadership at all levels in school is related not only to stu-dents’, teachers’, and school leaders’ activities efficiency, their expression of initiative, crea-tivity, innovation, responsibility and other important traits and abilities, quality of education, better education results, school improvement, but also to more intensive changes in educa-tion system and society. An empirical research (N=111), conducted in 2013, revealed affirmative gymnasium students’ personal and learning-oriented attitudes towards leadership as well as positive evaluation of leadership expression opportunities at school. Gymnasium students tend to think that school provides possibilities for their leadership expression; students see them-selves as self-sufficient, self-confident, taking responsibility for their actions, being not afraid of unfounded critics, finding out solutions to tricky situations; however, they admit that they lack initiative and clearer vision of their life. Though, according to students, democratic relationships, positive administration and teachers’ attitude towards students’ initiatives, ambition to implement innovations prevail at school, the demand for motivation system on leadership teaching and learning at school has emerged. Statistically significant correlations exist between separate gymnasium students’ fea-tures of leadership expression and socio-demographical variables (gender, class, academic progressiveness). Boys more eagerly participate in school events than girls do, they also are less afraid of making mistakes while answering in the lessons. Teachers are more fond of working with very well-learning students than with average ones. The latter receives less encouragement than very good learners. Students who are active and participate everywhere think that teachers expect from them more than they can, they like more to work in teams and strive to develop traits typical of a leader. Form 1 students tend to think that teachers treat all students fairly and tend to trust their class teacher more than students in Form 4. The scores of research data on personal leadership variables reveal that only part of gymnasium students like to be leaders, while majority tends to work individually rather than in a team; the need in leadership self-directed learning is not clearly expressed. The students, who identify themselves as leaders, have more capacity in initiative, enterprise, and creativi-ty than those who do not want to be leaders or think that it is relevant for them to foster qualities typical of a leader. The scores on gymnasium students‘ initiative, enterprise, and creativity are lower than the scores on self-confidence, responsibility for their actions, and self-sufficiency. However, a more exhaustive investigation is needed for disclosing the more thorough characteristics of these abilities and the identification of their relationships with leadership. For the analysis of students’ (as well as other groups of education actors) change in leadership expression, it is still urgent to investigate and analyse the factors that influence leadership expression and agree among education community on the defining of the leadership concept. The conceptualization of such notions as leadership “development”, “education”, “advancement” is still an open issue. Prevailing affirmative gymnasium students’ personal and learning-oriented attitudes towards leadership and positive evaluation of opportunities for learning leadership are signif-icant preconditions for students’ leadership expression. Identified evaluation of gymnasium students’ leadership expression along different dimensions actualize the demand for leader-ship teaching / learning at school, which is firstly related to democratic relationships, positive administration and teachers’ attitude towards students’ initiatives, development of their am-bition to implement innovations, promotion of students’ self-sufficiency and responsibility.

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Authors: Birutė Railienė

The topic of citation, input by country and other scientometrical indicators are widely discussed by Lithuanian scholars, though academic librarians still recall the questions about impact factors and “which are THE journals” to send the articles to, and so to obtain the required scores for the scientific certification. The scientometrical ideas become more popular in Lithuania when “Social functions of science” (1939) by John Desmond Bernal (1901–1970) in 1965 and one year later – a “Little science. Big science” (1963) by Derek John de Solla Price (1922–1983) were translated to Russian language (they were almost unavailable in the original language for scholars in Soviet Union). These world famous monographs were followed by other monographs in scientometrics by soviet scholars, subject of scientometrics discussed at conferences and journal articles. “Scientometrics” was the first article (1969) published in a popular journal Mokslas ir technika by Stasys Poškus. The role of Lithuanian institute of Information science and the board of “Kibernetics” at the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences were outstanding in this field during early 60’ies. Lithuanian scholars were investigating citation impact on science development and information service, information theory, connection between scientometrics and history of science, etc. The scientific school of scientometricians in Lithuania was raised by Ona Voverienė, a famous professor of Vilnius University. O. Voverienė worked as an information officer at the company of chemical industry, investigated information theory, extended the investiga-tion of scientific communities in Lithuania. The science on science policy, main achieve-ments and personal structure of Lithuanian scholarship were presented in a trilogy: “Bibli-omertrija” (Bibliometrics, 1999), “Mokslinės mokyklos Lietuvoje” (Scientific schools in Lithuanian, with co-authors, 2002) and “Žymieji 20-jojo amžiaus Lietuvos mokslininkai” (Famous Lithuanian scholars in 20th century, 2009). O. Voverienė encouraged a “Bibliomet-rical seminar” for problems of information theory and bibliometrical investigations (1999–2001 at the Wrobelwski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences), though professor’s idea to establish a centre for Scientometrics is still unaccomplished. The history of scientometrics (the former term „science on science“ is considered as outdated in the scholarly writings in English language, though in some other languages it is still well accepted) from both historical and regional perspective is presented in the latest monograph „Mokslotyra“* (2013) by professor Ona Voverienė. The contents cover devel-opment of scientometrics in East Europe and Lithuania, theory and methodology are docu-mented using the literature analysis. The biograms of outstanding scientometicians are pre-sented together with Lithuanian specialist.