About Dialectology Lessons at Lithuanian Schools: a Qualitative Study

The article presents a quality research – a interview performed in 2018, which involved representatives of general education school management and teachers, as well as 7-12 grade gymnasium students and their parents. To analyze the interview, the content analysis was adapted, (Krippendorff, 1980, Mayring, 2000, Bitinas, Rupsienė, Žydžiūnaitė, 2008,) which allowed to make conclusions based on the analyzed text. The current study is a part of the research “The Conception of School Community of General Education School Progress in terms of the Good School Concept”. The article addresses the scientific problem that the There is a lack of research, concerning the general education school community‘s approach towards student’s education results, as a significant sign of progress. Addressing the scientific problem, whether the community members of the school admit the student’s results as the main sign of progress. What is the concept of education results? The research object - general school education school community’s viewpoint towards student’s academic results as the main sign of progress. The purpose of the research – to reveal the general school education school community’s viewpoint towards student’s academic results as the main sign of progress. To summarize, it can be said that general school education school community members differ in approaches towards student’s academic results as the main sign of progress. Based on the analysis of school administration’s opinions, there have been distinguished subcategories such as disapproval, connected to the misinterpreting of the research results (viewed as academic achievements), disapproval (agrees, that is important, but not the most important), and approval. The opinions of parents and teachers were also uneven: approval and disapproval, connected to misinterpreted research results (viewed as academic achievements). Some students agreed, that education results were the main sign of school progress, but in most cases, this question was complicated.

The family, school, and the general field of public culture affect the formation of pupils’ attitudes towards the value of the Lithuanian language. Studies into linguistic attitudes of different age pupils allow observing the trends of pupils’ values regarding the Lithuanian language and the factors affecting them. The aim of the article is (1) to analyse the prestige of the Lithuanian language in groups of schoolchildren and teenagers based on the 2018–2019 survey of pupils’ language and attitudes towards the Lithuanian language in Lithuanian schools and (2) discuss the trends in the policy of Lithuanian language teaching as one of important factors shaping the language prestige. In order to analyse the attitudes of Lithuanian schoolchildren and teenagers towards the Lithuanian language, a comparative study was carried out in the 2018–2019 academic year. In order to guarantee the reliability of the data, the study involved the major part of Lithuania; schools from six municipalities – those of Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Panevėžys, and Druskininkai – took part in the survey. The article presents the analysis of questionnaire data obtained from 360 respondents: 105 third-formers, 128 fifth-formers, and 127 eighth-formers. Respondents of these particular ages were not selected randomly: they were primary school pupils, pupils in the first year of the basic school, and pupils completing the progymnasium. Responses obtained from the representatives of different age groups allowed observing shifts in their attitudes towards the Lithuanian language. Thus, the study material consisted of questionnaires completed by pupils in 2018–2019 and of the legal acts forming the Lithuanian language education policy. The survey was based on qualitative analysis, while the trends, correlations, and interfaces of the survey results were assessed using the quantitative method. The work is synchronic, analytical-descriptive. The study into the pupils’ attitudes towards the Lithuanian language and its prestige shows that as a deep motivating belief, the perception of language as a value is formed at younger school age. The third-formers already demonstrate a strong attitude towards the Lithuanian language concerning its usage and social value, and the impact of family, school, and teachers on the prestige of the Lithuanian language. The family has the strongest impact on the attitudes of primary school pupils’ towards the Lithuanian language, the general cultural field influences the attitudes among basic school pupils, and school influences pupils of all ages. The study revealed that the older the pupils were, the more dominant the English language they use online was. As for the after-school activities, reading books fills the major part of the Lithuanian language experience – regardless of their age, the majority of the respondents read books in Lithuanian. Thus, literature has a great impact on the development of pupils’ language and their linguistic sense. The survey results suggest that positive attitudes towards the value of the Lithuanian language of most of the pupils, especially the younger ones, are formed by parents: in the opinion of over a half of the third-formers and fifth-formers, families pay attention to the Lithuanian language used for communication. The survey results show that the pupils’ most sustainable linguistic attitude is the relationship of identity with the language: the majority of the pupils (three-fourths of the survey participants) are proud of the Lithuanian language and consider it a part of their identity regardless of their age. The comparison of the data of different-age respondents shows that the social prestige of the Lithuanian language decreases with the respondents’ age – the higher the form is, the fewer pupils think that it is necessary to know the Lithuanian language in order to enter a good gymnasium, university, or to find a good job. The analysis of educational documents regulating the process of education, the assessment of academic achievements, and the requirements for teachers’ qualification and competences shows that the provisions of the Law on Education to guarantee the quality of Lithuanian language education are not implemented through the legal acts that regulate Lithuanian language education, assessment of academic achievements, and the requirements for teachers. To sum up, it is evident that the state’s attitude to the sustainability of the Lithuanian language, the guarantee of its continuity, and the enhancement of its prestige is insufficient. It is worth noting that the pupils’ attitudes towards the Lithuanian language are influenced not only by education policy but also by the attitude of the society. Their linguistic attitudes reflect those of their families and the general public. Thus, the prestige of the language also reveals society’s attitude to itself: the status of a linguistic community closely correlates with the prestige of its language.

The already scarce and further dwindling natural resources, increasing environmental pollution, and other environmental, economic, and social challenges that transcend national boundaries necessitate the continuous pursuit of the more responsible implementation of the principles of sustainable development in the public and business sectors, especially in general education schools, as the future and welfare of the society depend on education results. Therefore, the implementation of knowledge management practices in general education schools is one of the efficient ways of achieving the principles of sustainable development and their positive outcomes for society and the state. This research aimed to evaluate the peculiarities of applying knowledge management practices in general education schools for sustainable development. Research methods such as analysis of scientific literature, multiple-criteria assessment, survey, and expert evaluation were used to achieve the goal of the study. The results of the study showed that there is a high potential in general education schools for the application of knowledge management practices to achieve sustainable development. However, general education schools still face a lack of teachers’ motivation and a lack of financial resources to apply knowledge management practices and improve knowledge infrastructure for sustainability.

Changes shaping the labour market in the 21st century mark new guidelines for general education schools. Transformation of the education system of the state is defined by variable social and economic conditions in Latvia, Europe and the world. In that context, it is important to ensure the implementation of career guidance in schools. In various general education schools of Latvia, the implementation of career guidance is distinctly different. The availability of career guidance for students is insufficient, the guidance is not rendered systematically and purposefully, there are differences among city schools and village schools and it is also affected by the number of students in educational institutions and by the availability of various career specialists. The aim of the research is to examine the diversity of career guidance in various general secondary education institutions. The research explores, analyses and evaluates the data acquired from general secondary education schools of Latvia. The results of the research will provide the basis for elaboration of career guidance models, their experimental approbation and implementation in various Latvian schools. Research took place in the framework of European Social Fund 2014-2020 Operational Programme “Growth and Employment”.

Children and students with functional disorders are one of the target groups of the inclusive education. Students with functional disorders can adapt in general education schools faster if their intellectual development is within the normal range. This group usually consists of disabled students, but they are able to master general education programmes successfully with an assistant’s support. The purpose of the article is to explore the problems of assistants’ support for students with functional disorders in general education schools. Adaptation of these students to general education schools would facilitate their development and enable them to undertake further studies not only in vocational education, but also in higher educational institutions. Assistant’s support would promote the adaptation of these students to the class environment and ease the daily life of their parents. Having assessed the current situation, the authors conclude that the assistant’s support will be effective if the assistant’s functions and roles are recognized and if training of assistants for students with functional disorders in general education schools is ensured.

Introduction . The study of self-attitude and attitude to the future among adolescents with disabilities is relevant and can be useful for organizing psychological assistance. Positive self-esteem is the basis of self-respect, positive self-awareness of everyone, including people with disabilities. Adolescents with disabilities often exhibit clearly expressed and consistently reduced self-esteem and self-respect, negative self-awareness, which weakens the individual’s ability to actively adapt in life and realize personal potential, as well as forecast future plans. The novelty of the research lies in identifying the features of self-attitude and future orientation among adolescents with disabilities studying in a general education school. Objective. To study the features of self-attitude and attitude to the future among adolescents with disabilities. Materials and Methods . The study involved 60 adolescents aged 12 to 15 years with various types of health impairments and without impairments, studying in a general education school. To assess self-attitude, the self-attitude test questionnaire was used (V.V. Stolin, S.R. Pantileev), the methodology for studying the features of the self-concept and self-attitude (E. Pierce, D. Harris, A.M. Prikhozhan). To measure the attitude towards the future, the Dispositional Optimism Test (DOT) was used (T.O. Gordeeva, O.A. Sychev, E.N. Osin). Results . Indicators on the scales of expected attitude from others, attitude of others, and self-interest are significantly higher among adolescents with disabilities compared to typically developing adolescents. Adolescents with disabilities show more pronounced indicators of anxiety, positive perception of the school situation, and satisfaction with the family situation. Adolescents from both groups express more negative expectations, focusing on the anticipation that bad events are more likely to happen in the future than good ones, accompanied by certain difficulties and trials. Discussion . The data obtained in the study can be used in the psychological support of adolescents with disabilities studying in a general education school, particularly in group correction aimed at forming adequate positive self-esteem and level of aspirations, as well as optimal socio-psychological adaptation.

The study compared socialization and personal values of teachers in general education schools, special education schools, and music schools that offer extracurricular education. A total of 401 teachers in Estonia filled in the Portrait Values Questionnaire. The results showed that teachers’ socialization and personal values were similar across different schools, but teachers in special education schools differed from general education and music school teachers. Teachers in schools for students with emotional-behavioral difficulties ranked achievement much lower and considered hedonism more important to socialize in children. Teachers in schools for students with disabilities rated self-transcendence values less important to develop in children than general educators and music school teachers. Regarding personal values, teachers in schools for students with emotional-behavioral difficulties considered hedonism more important and security less important than teachers from other schools. Overall, the findings suggest that teachers adapt their values to the school’s context and children’s characteristics.

After restoring Independence in Lithuania, there has not been a separate research carried out which would contain an in-depth analysis of the quality of activities presented in history textbooks used in general education schools. Therefore, the following research problem is raised in this article: whether the activities presented in the history textbooks for 5th–8th grades that are currently in use in Lithuanian general education schools are suitable for developing the achievements in history subject which are defined in the General Curriculum Framework.
 The aim of this study is to investigate the suitability of history textbook activities for 5th–8th grades for developing pupils‘ achievements delineated in the General Curriculum Framework 2008. To reach this aim the following objectives were raised: 1) to discuss the key achievements in history subject as well as the requirements for history learning process that are highlighted in scientific literature and educational programmes; 2) to reveal the role of a textbook and its activities / activities system for improving pupils’ achievements in accordance to Lithuanian education documents and scientific literature; 3) to analyse the suitability of history textbook activities for 5th–8th grades for improving pupils’ knowledge and skills delineated in the General Curriculum Framework for Basic Education 2008 for the subject of history. Methods of research: analysis of education documents and scientific literature, analysis of textbook content.
 Data of the analysis revealed that more than half of the tasks in the investigated history textbooks for 5th–8th grades require from pupils knowledge and understanding of historical figures, events or cases depicted in a textbook. Fewer than a quarter of the analysed history textbook activities are designed to developing pupils’ ability to put knowledge into practice. Very few tasks presented in textbooks are intended for developing the capacity for more complicated reasoning.
 Whilst analysing the adaptation of activities in history textbooks for 5th–8th grades for developing pupils‘ competencies in the subject, it became clear that the activities are only partially suitable for developing the competencies delineated in the General Curriculum Framework. The greater part of tasks is designed for developing an understanding of historical evolution and ability to engage in historical analysis and interpretation. Only 4.3 percent of tasks induce the pupils to develop an ability to orientate in historical time and space. The analysed textbooks contain few activities that would motivate pupils to take an integral approach towards Lithuanian and world history.

The article presents the results of the analysis of various models of pedagogical management in general education schools, gymnasiums and lyceums in terms of comparison and identification. The need to organize effective pedagogical management in educational institutions is becoming more relevant due to the increasing requirements for the quality of modern education. In this regard, the authors of the article set a goal to identify the features of the models of pedagogical management of schools, gymnasiums, lyceums and substantiate their improvement in practice. During the study, the similarities and differences of management models in schools, gymnasiums and lyceums were comprehensively considered, and their impact on the quality of education and the effectiveness of students and teachers was assessed.As research methods, an expert survey was conducted and some modern methods of pedagogical management were considered. The article presents recommendations and approaches aimed at increasing the effectiveness of management models used in various educational institutions. The authors show ways to develop and improve pedagogical management at the school, gymnasium and lyceum levels, identify the main areas of increasing the impact and effectiveness of the management system on the learning process. The results of the study can serve as an aid to specialists in the field of education, including heads of educational institutions and teachers, in the effective use of management models in order to improve the learning process. The information presented in the article can serve as a basis for the future improvement of pedagogical management in the field of education. Key words: Pedagogical management, general education schools, gymnasiums, lyceums, management models, comparative research, educational management.

The organization of the educational-upbringing process in general education schools represents a multifaceted challenge encompassing pedagogical, psychological, socio-cultural, and administrative dimensions. This article investigates the specific features that characterize the organization of this process in general education schools, with particular attention to the integration of classical Islamic-Uzbek pedagogical heritage and contemporary educational frameworks. Using a mixed-methods research design involving document analysis, structured classroom observations (n = 45), and teacher interviews (n = 30) across 15 general education schools, the study identifies five core organizational features: (1) the unity of instructional and upbringing components, (2) age-appropriate developmental sequencing, (3) value-based content integration, (4) quality of teacher-student relationships, and (5) institutional-family-community collaboration. The findings indicate that schools successfully implementing an integrative approach drawing on both classical pedagogical wisdom from scholars such as Ibn Sina, Al-Ghazali, and Yusuf Khos Hojib, and modern educational science demonstrate significantly higher student engagement and character development outcomes. These results carry implications for curriculum design, teacher preparation, and school management policy in post-Soviet Central Asian educational contexts.

The article studies the various attention properties of students in the general education school and children who have deviations in mental development with different types of higher nervous activity. The study revealed significantly low differences in all indicators of students' attention with deviations in mental development, in comparison with children from the general education school.

The educational system occupies a special place in the structure of socialist society and fills a multifunctional social role. "Education is a vital part of our country's life," Comrade L. I. Brezhnev has emphasized. "It is specifically the school that lays the foundations of a person's knowledge and world view, that shapes his character. All the qualities that determine the personal makeup of the Soviet man — communist consciousness, love of work, patriotism, humaneness, and a feeling of internationalism — are instilled under the influence of, and with active participation by the school" (The Leninist Course [Leninskim kursom], vol. 2, p. 220). Unlike previous social orders, socialist society prepares for its future deliberately, purposefully, and in a planned way, not only with regard to the development and improvement of the material and technological foundation of society, but also with regard to improvement in social relations and the development of the new man. V. I. Lenin always considered the school and the cause of public education as a most important factor in developing and strengthening the entire social system and in expanding and consolidating new socialist social relations among people. In a talk with A. V. Lunacharsky, he once said, "Don't worry, Anatolii Vasil'evich, some day we will have only two large people's commissariats: the People's Commissariat of Economics and the People' Commissariat of Education, and there will not be even the slightest friction between them" (A. V. Lunacharsky, On Public Education [O narodnom obrazovanii], Moscow, 1958, p. 368). The decree of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, "On Further Improving the Teaching and Social Education of General Education School Pupils and Their Preparation for Labor," notes that during the years of Soviet power, "the general education school has made an inestimable contribution to inculcating all generations of Soviet people with communist convictions, lofty feelings of Soviet patriotism and proletarian internationalism, and a readiness to work and defend the accomplishments of their socialist homeland. The school maintains continuous ties with life, with the great accomplishments of Soviet society, and with the selfless labor of the people to fulfill the historic decisions of the Twenty-fifth Congress of the CPSU. The general education school is truly a school for all the people, a school that consistently implements the Leninist principles of a unified, labor, polytechnical school" (Pravda, December 29, 1977).

The purpose of the article is to analyse the needs of general education schoolteachers’ data literacy skills that are important for the effective use of learning analytics in the teaching-learning process. The theoretical part of the article presents the idea of big data in education, highlights the aspects of pedagogical value of learning analytics technologies, provides the overview of learning analytic tools. Some overview and comparison of spread of learning analytics tools in general education schools in Lithuania and Germany is presented in the context of data-driven education. The empirical part of the article presents some results from a big qualitative study of teachers’ experiences applying learning analytics tools in teaching - learning process. The main question of the current research is what data literacy skills teachers need in order to use learning analytics tools and make data based pedagogical decisions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 Lithuanian and 9 German teachers from general education schools, who already have had experience in working with learning experience platforms (digital learning platforms that integrate learning analytics tools). Interview data were analysed by means of content analysis. The results of the qualitative study showed that in order to use learning analytics tools it is important for teachers to have such skills as: digital literacy, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, etc. Comparative analysis of informants’ answers showed that teachers in Lithuania and Germany expressed similar needs for data literacy skills.

The main aim of the article is to study the organization of the Nature subject in the competence-based teaching at schools. In recent years, the active participation of our Republic in various research programs on the assessment of student achievements has led to positive changes in textbook policy. In such programs (such as TIMSS and PISA), the reading, mathematical, and scientific literacy skills of students are studied and evaluated with specially designed tools. It should be noted that according to the results of the latest TIMSS study, our students were able to demonstrate high mathematical literacy skills. Unfortunately, their scientific literacy scores were lower than the average research score. However, the formation of scientific literacy in the natural sciences is extremely important in training competent young people for the future. In the countries whose students show high results in the TIMSS and PISA research programs (Singapore, China, South Korea, Finland, etc.), the formation of scientific literacy competence in the teaching of Natural Sciences is the main goal of national education. In the article, the way to solve the problem related to the formation of scientific literacy competence in our students at the general secondary education level with the teaching of the integrative "Nature" subject was studied; the importance and necessity of studying this subject were justified. The results of Azerbaijani students in the field of Natural Sciences in comparison with international studies are not satisfactory, the reason for this is that students do not have enough knowledge of scientific concepts and laws in Natural Sciences, and they have difficulty answering real-life situational tasks. Application importance: this theory can be implemented in general education schools.

The focus of the article is on school meal programs that are common throughout the world and are implemented to promote students’ healthy eating habits and bring added value to their learning outcomes. In recent years there has been increasing emphasis on the possibility of improving school meals by including locally grown products, thus contributing to the development of local economic systems. This model has acquired the name "Farm to School" in practice of some countries and, according to its supporters, emphasizes public procurement of locally grown food as a key market opportunity for farmers. The article has been prepared within the BSR Food Coalition project (funded by Interreg Baltic Sea Region Program, contract #S002). The project seeks to create the conditions for the emergence of the "From farm to school" model in the Baltic States. The study presented in the article aims at disclosing the conditions and opportunities for the promotion and use of foods produced by local farmers in general education schools in Klaipeda region, Lithuania as well as at defining necessary educational efforts to increase healthy nutrition, develop general health habits, and agricultural and food system literacy within general education schools and their communities. To achieve the aim the surveys with project target groups (school administration, students and their parents) have been carried out in Klaipeda region. The objectives of the survey were to gather data on target groups’ perceptions of local school food procurement and to disclose their opinion, needs and expectations related to model development. The findings of the study would be helpful for designing the further steps of collaboration between schools and local farmers in Klaipeda region. .