Turinys / Contents

COVER

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Cover page, Vol. 12, No. 1, 2020, SPVK/EPMQ

CONTENTS

Abstract

Contents, Vol. 12, No. 1, 2020, SPVK/EPMQ

IKIMOKYKLINIO UGDYMO POKYČIAI: EUROPOS IR LIETUVOS KONTEKSTAS [CHANGES IN PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION: THE EUROPEAN AND LITHUANIAN CONTEXT]

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Reviewing the significant changes that have taken place in the pre-school education sector in European countries and Lithuania in recent years, we notice that a lot has been achieved in implementing the goals and objectives set in the strategic education documents for the development of this sector. Of all levels of education, investment in education from birth to 5 years has been shown to provide the highest economic return. Pre-school education can also be defined as a professional institutional education and care service for a family raising a pre-school child. Pre-school education provides a basis for a child's early physical, social, cultural, emotional and cognitive abilities, increases social integration, and creates conditions for a child's successful education now and in the future. Pre-school education services are especially important for children growing up in conditions of social risk and social exclusion. European countries, including Lithuania, are intensively and purposefully striving to improve the quality of pre-school education. In Lithuania, pre-school education has been and is considered a priority area of education, and quality assurance of pre-school education is the most important strategic direction. There is also a need to place more emphasis on the role of parents as key partners in the context of quality pre-school education. Recently, the nature of the pre-school institution's relationship with the family has changed significantly. These two institutions become active participants in the pursuit of quality child education from an early age.

REFLECTIONS OF STUDENTS’ PEDAGOGICAL INTERNSHIP IN PRIMARY SCHOOL: THE CONTEXT OF IMPROVING PEDAGOGICAL INTERNSHIP

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First cycle students’ pedagogical internship in primary school helps to improve the preparation of future pedagogues – teachers, social pedagogues, organisers of extracurricular activities. Three cycles reflecting a consistent change of roles of students who do pedagogical internship are distinguished in the model of pedagogical internship of Šiauliai University – from the observer, or pedagogue assistant under the supervision of mentor and the head of internship, to independent teacher. Pedagogical internship is not only a part of the study process, but also the factor encouraging the professional progress of a student and school where s/he is appointed for internship to and the higher school preparing the future pedagogue. Following internship, students are prompted to reflect their experience, notice its negative and positive sides, successes and failures they faced, reconsider acquired competences and foresee the ways of their professional improvement. The aim of the research is to reveal the experiences and insights of first cycle students of Šiauliai University who did a pedagogical internship in primary school that are significant for improvement of internship arrangement. The written reflection method was applied to reach the aim and collect the research data. Empirical data are analysed in the way of content analysis. The experiences and insights of first cycle students of Šiauliai University, who did a pedagogical internship in primary school, significant for improvement of pedagogical internship implementation are analysed at the time of the study. It is established that students apply their theoretical knowledge in practice during their pedagogical internship, elucidate the expediency of their profession choice and motivation for pedagogical activity. The advantages and the aspects of the pedagogical internship in primary school to be improved are revealed.

THE EVALUATION OF MANAGERIAL ACTIVITY OF EDUCATION INSTITUTION MANAGERS

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Activity evaluation questions of education institution managers have been and are the focus of attention of education policy strategists not for one year already. Seeking concrete changes in Lithuanian education system, quite a lot of political decisions were legislated in the latter years, which became very important for the education institution managers’ activity and its evaluation. This increased not only delegated responsibilities for the managers, but also foresaw bigger accountability for every year cadence. A written survey was carried out for the data collection of the managerial activity evaluation of the managers. 11 education institution managers from Vilnius, Šiauliai, Panevėžys districts, who work in general education schools and pre-school education institutions, participated in the research. The respondents differ in the aspect of gender and age, have different managerial work experience according to length. Since every manager’s experience was analysed as an individual case, their demographic characteristics did not have influence on the results. A carried out qualitative data content analysis allows asserting that the respondents justify school community expectations, which are to see managers – leaders, who evaluate their managerial activity as successful. However, there happen to be difficulties in the activity of managers as well. Prior to becoming an education institution manager, many of them face competency assessment difficulties, which is a national problem in education sector, requiring clearer decisions for many years. Being an education institution manager, one has also to face internal, external and personal difficulties: lack of bilateral trust, lack of managerial experience, managerial stereotypes, community split and other mentoring activities, which are not the primary functions of a manager, however, become an inseparable part of manager’s activity.

ROMA AMONG STUDENTS ENDANGERED AND UNENDANGERED BY SCHOOL FAILURE: CZECH REPUBLIC STUDY

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The research was focused on monitoring the differences between primary and lower secondary school pupils in the Czech Republic in terms of their needs “to be successful” or “to avoid failure”. Its aim was to analyse the motivation of pupils divided by teachers into two groups: students endangered and those not endangered by school failure. The research approach was based on the application of the standardized School Performance Motivation Questionnaire. Through its twelve indicators, the differences between the above-mentioned groups of students were analysed with a special respect to the students belonging to the Roma ethnic group. The research used indicators of descriptive statistics (arithmetic mean, mode). The process of comparation of the acquired data confirmed differences in motivation of the group of students endangered by school failure as compared to that of unendangered by school failure. Pupils at risk of school failure showed a lower need to be successful than their classmates from the group at risk. Students at risk of school failure showed a lower need to be successful than their classmates from the other group. Also within these groups were found differences between the motivation of Roma pupils and their classmates. The Roma preferred the need to avoid failure much more strongly. The findings are important for educational practice because the ratio of the two needs identified affects pupils' learning strategies and affects not only the effectiveness of their learning, but also their relationship to cognition and school in general.

END

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End page, Vol, 12, No. 1, 2020, SPVK/EPMQ