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Author(s):
Editorial Board
Page No : 1-2
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COVER
Abstract
ŠVIETIMAS: POLITIKA, VADYBA, KOKYBĖ
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EDUCATION POLICY, MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY
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Author(s):
Editorial Board
Page No : 3-3
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CONTENTS
Abstract
ŠVIETIMAS: POLITIKA, VADYBA, KOKYBĖ
2 0 2 6 , V o l . 1 7 N o . 1
EDUCATION POLICY, MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY
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Author(s):
Daiva Malinauskienė
Page No : 4-6
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TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL WELL-BEING AS A PREREQUISITE FOR HIGH-QUALITY PRESCHOOL EDUCATION
Abstract
In recent years, the topic of teachers’ professional well-being has been receiving increasing attention from researchers, practitioners, and education policymakers. Research by Lithuanian scholars also confirms that the organizational environment of educational institutions, support from administrators, workload, and opportunities for professional growth have a significant impact on teachers’ professional well-being. In the context of early childhood education, teachers’ professional well-being is particularly important due to the specific nature of the work, which involves direct interaction with young children, close collaboration with families, responsibility for children’s education and development, and the need to balance various professional roles.
Although the importance of teachers’ professional well-being is widely recognized in scientific research, the professional well-being of preschool teachers still receives relatively less attention than general aspects of teachers’ professional well-being. Given the specific nature of this stage of education and the particularities of teachers’ work, it is appropriate to conduct research that helps to better understand the factors influencing the professional well-being of preschool teachers, the challenges they face, and opportunities for enhancing it. Such research not only contributes to the advancement of scientific knowledge in this field but also lays the groundwork for evidence-based practical and managerial decisions that help enhance teachers’ professional well-being and ensure high-quality early childhood education.
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Author(s):
Aušrinė Raudoniūtė
Page No : 7-20
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EXPLANATORY IMAGES AND METACOGNITIVE CALIBRATION ACCURACY IN SCIENCE EDUCATION
Abstract
It is common practice to use explanatory images to enhance science texts; however research done with adults suggests that such visual support does not always facilitate accurate judgements of one’s understanding of the process being studied and in some cases even may be associated with reduced metacognitive accuracy. Given that younger students’ self-regulated learning skills are still developing, this mixed-methods exploratory study assessed how the inclusion of an explanatory image below the instructional text was associated with fifth-grade students’ knowledge test performance, judgements of their own understanding and the cues used to make these judgements. The study involved 32 fifth-graders, aged 10-11 years. Students read four of six science texts covering different topics, either without an explonatory image (n= 18) or with one text related image accompanying each text (n= 14). Before completing each knowledge test, students predicted their test scores and related their abilty to explain the concept just read to a friend and draw the topic. They also described the basis for their judgements. No direct association was found between the presence of an explanatory image and students’ actual knowledge test performance. However students in the image condition predicted lower test scores, related their ability to explain the topic less highly, and showed a shift in directional calibration error toward greater underestimation. Some students in the image condition clearly reffered to the explanatory illustration when describing the factors of their judgements. These findings extend the focus from cognitive processes in adults towards how visual instructional materials are associated with younger students’ metacognitive judgements. They also provide a basis for future studies using larger samples.
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Author(s):
Muhammet Usak, Milan Kubiatko
Page No : 21-44
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AN OVERVIEW OF STUDIES ON PLANTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OVER TWO DECADES (2006–2026)
Abstract
While plants are an integral part of terrestrial ecosystems, little attention is given to them in environmental education (EE) research and conservation debates. There is growing awareness of a general lack of plant recognition and appreciation among people that has become a central issue of botanical literacy, contributing to the phenomenon of plant blindness. Despite growing scholarly interest, no comprehensive bibliometric study has yet mapped the intellectual structure, geographical distribution, and thematic development of research focused on plants within the EE domain. This study presents an evidence-based and systematic summary of peer-reviewed research on plants in environmental education from 2006–2026. The Scopus database was searched using a keyword search with the term “plants” AND “environmental education,” and then Web of Science was used for a parallel cross-validation search to evaluate the extent of the coverage robustness. After subjecting the literature to systematic inclusion and exclusion criteria, 93 English-language peer-reviewed journal articles were gathered. To ensure that the coding was reliable, two independent coders were used (κ = 0.91). Keyword co-occurrence, country co-authorship mapping, citation, and co-citation analyses were conducted using VOSviewer (version 1.6.20). There was an overall annual increase in the corpus from 2006 to 2026, peaking in 2019. The main substantive keywords identified were: plant blindness, biodiversity, nature-based learning, outdoor education, and sustainability, all of which were grouped into six thematic clusters. The USA, Germany, and Brazil were the most productive countries. The most influential scientists were Prokop, Strgar, Fančovičová, Tunnicliffe, and Patrick. The journal in the corpus that was most cited was Environmental Education Research. EE with a plant focus is a relatively small yet emerging field, defined by strong theoretical coherence around plant blindness but notable geographic and epistemological narrowness. Gaps found are the lack of studies in the early childhood perspective, Global South perspective and indigenous knowledge perspective, and an emerging, but as yet insufficiently evaluated field of technology-mediated plant education.
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Author(s):
Gabija Čiuplytė, Sergejus Neifachas
Page No : 45-57
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THE EXPRESSION OF INQUIRY SKILLS OF 5–6-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN ACROSS THE PLAY-BASED LEARNING CONTINUUM
Abstract
The research analyses the expression of inquiry skills of 5–6-year-old children in free play and teacher-organised play-based educational activities. The study is based on the premise that play and inquiry constitute an integrated process of meaning-making in early childhood, while the quality of inquiry is shaped by the nature of teacher involvement, the structure of the learning context and opportunities for reflection. A qualitative research design was applied. Non-participant observations were conducted in three groups involving 45 children, and additional data were collected through a focus-group discussion with three early childhood teachers. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings show that during free play inquiry emerges authentically from children’s curiosity, sensory impressions and the play situation, yet often remains episodic. In teacher-organised play-based activities inquiry becomes more purposeful, coherent and reflective: children formulate hypotheses, suggest ways of testing ideas, compare objects according to multiple features, explain causal relations and structure their experiences through language. Teachers’ reflections highlight their role as partners in inquiry, designers of learning contexts and facilitators of reflection. The study demonstrates the complementary relationship between free play and intentional pedagogical support and conceptualises the transition from spontaneous curiosity to more conscious inquiry as a key outcome of play-based learning.
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Author(s):
Rita Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė, Agnė Šimkienė
Page No : 58-73
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PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGES OF BECOMING A TEACHER DURING TEACHING PRACTICE
Abstract
Pre-service teachers’ professional becoming is a complex process that involves not only acquiring professional knowledge and skills, but also perceiving oneself as a teacher and forming professional identity. Teaching practice plays a significant role in this process, as pre-service teachers encounter real educational situations, test their professional skills, build relationships with students and the school community, and reflect on their experiences. Therefore, this study aims to investigate pre-service teachers’ experiences of professional becoming and the challenges they encounter during independent teaching practice. The study used a qualitative research approach. The study involved 38 fourth-year students enrolled in the Subject Pedagogy minor study programme who had completed independent teaching practice. The research data were collected through written reflective essays in which the participants retrospectively reflected on their perception of themselves as future teachers before and during teaching practice and projected their professional “self” into the future. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis, identifying subcategories and grouping them into broader categories. The research results revealed that teaching practice becomes a significant experience in pre-service teachers’ professional becoming, during which their prior perceptions of themselves as teachers are inseparable from actual teaching practice. During the practice, professional challenges emerged related to the assessment of their own abilities, the organisation of teaching, relationships with students, and responsibility for their learning.
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Author(s):
Samanta Valiušaitytė
Page No : 74-92
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DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING IN SCIENCE LESSONS IN 3RD GRADE
Abstract
Critical thinking is one of the most important competencies in today’s world, which is shaped by technology and faces global challenges; therefore, the development of this skill has been a relevant and widely discussed topic in the field of education for some time. Many studies discuss the development of this competency in the context of science education and emphasize the impact of collaborative learning. This article analyzes the issue of how to foster critical thinking among primary school students and whether the use of cooperative learning methods in science classes can contribute to this. The aim of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of educational activities in fostering critical thinking among third-grade students through the use of cooperative learning methods. Research objectives: 1) to review the scientific and methodological literature on the development of critical thinking in primary school, examine different collaborative methods, and assess their potential for fostering students’ critical thinking in science classes, 2) to plan and implement a science educational activity in the 3rd grade that applies the “think-pair-discuss” cooperative learning method, 3) analyze the results obtained and determine the effectiveness of the selected method in fostering critical thinking in third-grade science classes, identify the limitations of this approach, and discuss possibilities for its broader application.The study revealed that 1) the cooperative learning method (think-pair-discuss) can contribute to the development of critical thinking when applied in lessons, organized according to a specific structure designed to improve critical thinking, encompassing the stages of activation, questioning, comprehension, and reflection; 2) these methods can be adapted to the context of the subject matter and the students’ ages; 3) nevertheless, it is important to consider how to assess each student’s individual progress in terms of critical thinking achievements.
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Author(s):
Andrii Breian
Page No : 93-100
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SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADAPTATION OF STUDENTS TO HIGHER EDUCATION: THEORETICAL APPROACHES AND SPECIFIC FEATURES UNDER MARTIAL LAW
Abstract
This article provides a theoretical analysis of students’ social and psychological adaptation to higher education as a dynamic process of entering and functioning within a new system of academic, social, and normative relations. The conceptual foundations and principal characteristics of social and psychological adaptation are examined, with particular attention to its interrelationships with socialization, academic functioning, interpersonal interaction, and professional development. The principal social and psychological, professional, and societal dimensions of student adaptation are outlined. Particular emphasis is placed on the initial period of university study as a critical stage characterized by the restructuring of established behavioral and activity patterns, the formation of new interpersonal relationships, the acquisition of institutional norms, and the development of student autonomy. Active and passive forms of adaptation are analyzed in terms of their psychological content and potential implications for subsequent social integration, personal development, and self-realization. A systemic perspective on adaptation is considered, according to which adaptive outcomes emerge from the interaction of environmental conditions, interpersonal relationships, and personal resources. Findings from Ukrainian and international studies are synthesized with respect to the roles of coping strategies, attachment patterns, academic and psychological support, characteristics of the social environment, and interactions with teachers and peers. Particular attention is given to the specific challenges of student adaptation under conditions of the full-scale war in Ukraine, including heightened social uncertainty, psychological strain, changes in living and learning conditions, disruption of established social networks, and a shift in life priorities toward safety and basic security. The analysis supports the development of an integrated framework of psychological, academic, and social support aimed at strengthening students’ adaptive functioning and sustaining their educational engagement under conditions of prolonged instability.
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Author(s):
Editorial Board
Page No : 101-104
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END
Abstract
ŠVIETIMAS: POLITIKA, VADYBA, KOKYBĖ
2 0 2 6 , V o l . 1 7 N o . 1
EDUCATION POLICY, MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY
2 0 2 6 , V o l . 1 7 , N o . 1
