Founded in 1991 and dedicated to analysing theoretical and methodical issues in education and education policy and cultural analysis. Indexed in the Scopus (Q4) database since 2019.
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Contours of Identity: The Concept of the Teaching Profession in the Light of Biographical Narratives
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">Based on a qualitative study and an analysis of a teacher’s narratives, this article seeks to highlight the key contours of identity: value orientations, self-perception, moments of learning from life, and the notion of professional ‘calling’ (i.e., professional vocation)). In this context, teacher identity is understood as an open, dynamic structure formed not only through studies or work experience, but also through personal, family, and cultural experiences. The aim of the article is to reveal the process of constructing a teacher’s professional identity in biographical narratives by identifying significant personal, social, and professional experiences. The analysis and results of the qualitative data draw on the theory of biographical learning (Alheit and Dausien, 2005), the concept of reflective practice (Schön, 1983), and the perspective of social constructivism (Berger and Luckmann, 2004). The study contributes to a more profound understanding of the teaching profession and encourages education policy and teacher training programs to focus on the wholeness of the individual, inseparable from their biographical context. The findings reveal that ‘becoming a teacher’ is not merely a professional career, but rather an existential journey, in which, each experience becomes a meaningful element in shaping the professional identity.
An Ecological Perspective on the Contexts of Novice Teachers’ Agency
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The number of older teachers in Lithuania has been increasing significantly, thus making the recruitment and retention of beginning teachers particularly important. However, the early years of teaching are often described in the literature as a ‘reality shock’, which may negatively affect novice teachers’ well-being and prompt them to leave the profession. This study examines the contexts experienced by beginning teachers from an ecological perspective.<br style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The study is based on a narrative methodology and interviews with beginning teachers. The analysis highlights past, present, and future contexts that these teachers considered most significant in their journey to becoming teachers and in their teaching experiences. These contexts function as conditions for agency. The findings reveal that close familiarity with inspiring teachers, particularly through family experiences, contributes to reflection and motivation to pursue a teaching career. In the present ecological context, the participants identify significant challenges related to lack of experience, classroom management, and organizational conditions, which increase feelings of uncertainty at the start of their careers. Beginning teachers emphasize the importance of connecting with students and engaging them in the subject matter. Educational policy measures show uneven effectiveness: mentorship often remains superficial, while decisions regarding the workload and remuneration are generally viewed positively. However, teachers’ future prospects remain unclear. Some plan to combine their work with studies or other positions and tend to avoid discussing long-term plans for their teaching careers.<br style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The study highlights the interplay between personal, institutional, and policy-level factors in shaping beginning teachers’ experiences and underscores the need for coherent and sustained induction support within the education system.
Respect for Differences Among Children, Parents, and Preschool Teachers: A Quantitative Study
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The rapid changes in the World (wars, epidemics, forced migration, earthquakes or desire to live in better conditions, etc.) have increased the need to respect differences in societies compared to the past. The aim of this study<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">1<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"> is to examine the tendencies of respect for differences and tolerance levels of young children, their parents, and preschool teachers, as well as the relationship between the tolerance levels of parents and teachers and children’s respect for differences. Conducted by using a quantitative research method, the study followed a relational screening model. The study group consisted of 320 children aged 54–72 months, 320 parents of these children, and 151 preschool teachers. Data collection tools used in the study were the “<em style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Respect for Differences Scale<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">” and the “<em style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Tolerance Tendency Scale – Adult Form<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">”. The findings of the study indicate that the children’s level of respect for differences is at a moderate level, while the tolerance tendencies of parents and preschool teachers are at a good level. Furthermore, no significant relationship was found between the children’s respect for differences scores and preschool teachers’ tolerance tendency scores. A low-level, negative significant relationship was found between the children’s respect for differences scores and their parents’ tolerance tendency scores.
Teachers’ and Parents’ Perspectives on Character Education in Latvia: A Comparative Study
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">This study explores 1,240 Latvian parents’ and 542 teachers’ views on character education, its value, impact on achievement, and prioritised virtues. A survey highlights shared belief in its importance and positive academic effects but reveals differing virtue priorities. Parents emphasise good judgement, confidence, curiosity, and civility, while teachers focus on civility, good judgement, honesty, and curiosity. Both groups undervalue the other’s emphasis on character education. An improved family-school dialogue could enhance collaboration and foster balanced development in pupils.
School Achievement of Primary Education Pupils in Parents’ Reflection
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">In the school environment, pupils’ achievement represents a specific result of their work at school. Nowadays, it is commonly expressed in terms of grades intended to indicate pupils’ academic success. The main research instrument was a Focus Group based on active group interaction. The participants were parents of students of a younger school age (n = 12). The collected data were analysed by using the software <em style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Ethnograph 6.0<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">. We displayed the research results through text tables which revealed each participant’s statements, thus clearly summarising the research findings. The research results showed that the concept of school achievement represents the primary indicator of pupils’ success. Parents perceive their children’s behaviour and activity in class, or the fulfilment of school duties in the context of home preparation, as other indicators of school achievement. Parents’ perception of their children’s achievement is determined by the tendency of society and teachers to express pupils’ achievement in ‘numbers’, i.e., grades, and to see them as criteria for school success. From the parents’ point of view, school achievement is an indicator of a child’s performance and is a strong predictor of their future, which explains why parents perceive achievement through this point of view.
Forms of Cooperation between Preschools and Families from Socially Disadvantaged and Ethnic Minority Backgrounds: A Systematic Review
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">This qualitative systematic review provides an empirically grounded synthesis of the forms, facilitating factors, challenges, and effects of cooperation between preschools/kindergartens and families from socially disadvantaged and ethnic minority backgrounds. The review is based on the analysis of ten empirical studies published between 2020 and 2024 and identified through the Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases. Drawing on Epstein’s partnership framework, the study identifies key mechanisms of cooperation, including transitional educational programmes supporting children and parents during entry into kindergarten and transitions to primary school, as well as approaches grounded in collaboration between schools, families, and communities.<br style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The identified forms of cooperation are analysed with regard to their transferability and potential applicability to different contexts of social disadvantage and cultural diversity. In particular, the findings are interpreted in relation to Roma communities in Slovakia, which serve as a key reference context for discussing the relevance of international evidence. The review highlights the importance of trust-building strategies, parental engagement, home-based support, and the involvement of community mediators as critical components of effective cooperation supporting children’s development and educational inclusion.
School-Family Cooperation in Perspective of Parental Expectations about Educational Objectives
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">In the realm of primary education, the relationship between schools and families is fundamental to the holistic development and academic success of children. This research study investigates the perspectives of school-family cooperation and its significance in achieving education objectives while addressing parental expectations, which leads to answering the question of the study – <em style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">What are the opportunities for school and family collaboration? <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The objectives of this study encompass understanding parental expectations, evaluating the impact of cooperation on student outcomes, identifying barriers to cooperation, examining effective communication channels, and studying conflict resolution mechanisms. By conducting theoretical literature analysis, document analysis, and survey for parents, this research aims to shed light on the intricate dynamics at play in the collaboration between schools and families.<br style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The theoretical framework of the study consists of theories describing the importance of cooperation between educational actors in a successful educational process (U. Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, 1979; L. Epstein’s Model for Parental Involvement, 1995, 2001, 2011; Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler’s theory of parental involvement, 1995, 1997, 2005; Christenson & Sheridan’s Families and Schools Partnership, 2011; and Garbacz et al.’s Family – School – Community Partnership Model, 2017), and describes parent-school partnerships by analyzing research by John Dewey and other authors on the crucial role of collaboration in a successful learning process.<br style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The case study of mixed methods evaluates the philosophical assumptions and stances, guidelines for practice, and socio-political commitment of the study question: (1) data collection method – document, literature and source analysis and survey for parents, evaluating theory concerning practice using the mapping review strategy (Petticrew & Roberts, 2006); (2) data analysis method, survey analysis using the factor analysis system, analyzing parental expectations from predefined criteria; (3) data synthesis method merging and interacting results, learning for data contradictions, synthesis of documents, literature and source analysis, and factor analysis (McCloy, 2013).<br style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on improving education by illuminating the importance of school-family cooperation, which, when effectively nurtured, creates a conducive environment for students to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.<br style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The results of the study reveal a significant contradiction between a parent’s scrutiny of educational goals, as well as a lack of school-parent collaboration and problems. This issue is important at the international level, as it is only through a single stream of collaboration between education actors that the objectives of education can be achieved in a changing modern world.
Contours of Citizenship Education in Lithuania: Between the Pursuit of Truth, Community Values, and Political Freedom
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">This article analyses how citizenship education is prioritised in the Lithuanian education system by examining which topics are emphasised and which remain largely ignored. Drawing on qualitative interviews with citizenship education experts, the study examines expert perceptions of current priorities, silences, and tensions in citizenship education. The analysis is guided by Sant’s (2021) model of three dimensions of citizenship education curriculum: pursuit of truth, community values, and political freedom.<br style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The findings reveal an imbalance between these dimensions. Citizenship education is predominantly oriented towards pursuit of truth (political literacy, legal knowledge), and normatively defined community values, while the themes related to political freedom – such as engagement with controversial public issues, political disagreement, and forms of participation beyond institutionalised frameworks – receive limited attention. As a result, citizenship education in Lithuania tends to be framed as a pedagogical space oriented towards stability and consensus, prioritising knowledge transmission and social cohesion over opportunities for political subject formation.<br style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The article argues that a balanced integration of all three dimensions is crucial for citizenship education that not only informs and socialises learners, but also enables them to develop autonomy, engage with disagreement, and participate meaningfully in democratic life.
Students’ Mathematics Performance in Rural Schools: Results from OECD Pisa 2022
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">This study examines rural educational institutions with the objective to identify student-level factors associated with student mathematics performance. By using data from the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) by the OECD, rural schools were categorized into three groups based on their students’ mean mathematics achievement. Binary logistic regression was applied to the highest- and lowest-performing groups to analyze student-level factors associated with academic outcomes.
Self-Reported Programming Learning Difficulties Among Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers: Evidence from an Algerian Teacher-Education Context
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">This study examines self-reported programming difficulties among 247 pre-service mathematics teachers in Algeria. By using a context-adapted Arabic questionnaire, the paper found that difficulties were better described as conceptual and application/debugging-related patterns. Debugging, theory-to-practice transfer, and coding frustration were the main challenges. The findings point to guided practice, explicit debugging support, mathematics-linked tasks, and differentiated support. The study contributes to teacher education and programming education research by highlighting how programming difficulties in non-specialist mathematics teacher education are shaped more by application and debugging challenges than by conceptual understanding alone.
Learning to Prove by Exploring Sequences of Mathematical Statements in the 5th Grade
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The article analyses the specifics of introducing students to mathematical proving. Based on the results of testing purposefully designed proving-learning activities, it examines how 5th-grade students learn to construct sequences of statements and how they perceive the concept of mathematical proving. Qualitative content analysis of the data showed that 5th-grade students construct exclusively informal proving from the mathematical statements known to them. They verify a statement by examining examples or by creating a proving for a generic example. Due to a lack of knowledge regarding relevant mathematical concepts, relationships, and the representation of abstract sequences of statements, some students fail not understand the aim of purposefully ordering mathematical statements. The variety of proving created by students is characterized by a fluctuating level of complexity related to the task formulation. Therefore, when preparing for the study of mathematical proving, it is essential to clarify the features of proving that students should know, and to outline in detail the stages of the proving-learning process.
Exploring Parental Involvement, Beliefs, and Student Self-Regulation in Online Mathematics Learning: A Multivariate Analysis
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">Parents’ involvement and beliefs in their children’s learning are external factors which can influence students’ online mathematics learning experiences and success. Student self-regulation, encompassing the capacity to monitor, seek feedback, and reflect on learning, plays a crucial internal role in success of learning mathematics online. This study employed multivariate analysis to examine the complex relationships among parental involvement (control and support), parental beliefs (instrumental and relational), and student self-regulation in online mathematics learning. The participants were 125 upper elementary students (grades 4–6, ages 9–12) and their mothers from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Students completed measures of perceived parental involvement and self-regulation; whereas, mothers reported their beliefs about mathematics learning. Exploratory factor analysis has revealed a two-factor structure for self-regulation, that is, feedback-seeking behavior and self-reflection, while confirmatory factor analysis has validated the two-dimensional structures of parental involvement and beliefs. Meanwhile, path analysis indicates that parental support fully mediated the relationship between instrumental beliefs and self-reflection (<em style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">β<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"> = 0.135, <em style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">p<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"> = 0.038), thus indicating that instrumental beliefs enhance reflective capacity specifically through supportive behaviors. Both control and support strongly predict self-reflection (<em style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">β<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"> = 0.471 and 0.645, respectively, both <em style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">p<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"> < 0.001). Relational beliefs negatively predict FSB (<em style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">β<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"> = -0.210, <em style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">p<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"> = 0.026). Moderation analysis has revealed no significant interaction between parental beliefs and involvement. Covariate analysis has shown a significant gender difference in perceived parental beliefs (<em style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">p<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"> = 0.029), with females reporting higher levels than males. The findings highlight the importance of examining specific dimensions of parental involvement and beliefs, and suggest that interventions should focus on helping parents translate instrumental beliefs into supportive behaviors that foster students’ reflective capacity in online mathematics learning.
Copyright (c) 2026 Yoppy Wahyu Purnomo | Pasri | Mohammad Archi Maulyda | Achmad Salido | Azza Ilvana Mas’ud https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Learning Beyond the Lesson: Lifelong Learning Tendencies and Strategic Learning in Violin Education
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">This quantitative correlational study examines how lifelong learning tendencies relate to strategic learning behaviors among undergraduate violin students in Turkish higher music education. Forty participants from two universities completed validated instruments assessing lifelong learning dispositions and violin-specific learning strategies. The results indicate that students demonstrated high motivation and persistence alongside minimal deficiencies in learning regulation and curiosity. They reported frequent use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies – particularly, organization, monitoring, and rehearsal – and moderate use of elaboration and affective strategies. Motivation and persistence were strongly associated with strategic behaviors, especially organizational and monitoring processes, underscoring the interdependence of dispositional and self-regulatory dimensions in instrumental learning within the feedback-intensive and self-regulated context of violin practice. No significant differences were observed between universities or grade levels, thereby reflecting consistent pedagogical approaches across institutions. Theoretically, the findings extend self-regulated and lifelong learning models to the domain of music education, illustrating how motivational and regulatory constructs interact within instrumental pedagogy. Practically, integrating structured self-regulation activities and guided reflection into violin instruction may enhance both artistic performance and the development of sustainable lifelong learning capacities among future educators and performers.
Copyright (c) 2026 Şenol Afacan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
From Classroom to Screen: Digital Transformation of Physical Education Through the Lens of Traditional, Blended and Mobile Learning
In response to the challenges of digital transformation in education, a study was conducted to develop and evaluate criteria for digitally–based physical education (PE) courses. The bibliometric analysis revealed three thematic clusters in the field of e–learning in PE: Cluster 1 («Technology») reflects the transition to e-learning and blended learning formats. Cluster 2 («Pedagogy») emphasizes the human dimension of PE in a digital context and inclusiveness. Cluster 3 («Human interaction») focuses on the intersection of digital learning methodology and learner well–being. Based on the bibliographic analysis of the sources corresponding to the clusters, a criterion framework for comparing PE learning formats was developed. To evaluate the feasibility of these criteria, a confidential survey was conducted of 36 physical education and sports professionals who met the inclusion criteria, in particular, had experience in teaching PE in both traditional and mixed/distance formats. The factor analysis of the 19–item questionnaire identified four distinct components: «Feasibility of implementation» (logistical and resource issues), «Clarity and pedagogical design» (clarity of objectives and quality of materials), «Relevance and compliance» (compliance with standards and requirements of the educational institution), and «Engagement and Support» (student motivation and teacher support). The results show generally positive assessments of the criteria and confirm that technological, pedagogical, and engagement factors are key elements of the PE assessment framework. Inadequate professional development and lack of technical support can lead to ineffective or misunderstanding of the nature of teaching PE with technology. Teachers need to learn how to design e–learning–appropriate tasks and interpret digital feedback correctly. The findings emphasize the need to integrate digital pedagogy and inclusive practices into teacher training, as well as to ensure that curricula are aligned with national standards and ethical frameworks for data use.
Copyright (c) 2026 Andrii Yefremenko | Serhii Lebediev | Sviatoslav Koval | Alfiia Deineko | Ivan Kofanov https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Issues with Using Artificial Intelligence in an Educational Environment: Implications for the Training of DevOps Professionals
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">This study examines the impact of artificial intelligence on the learning process in the field of DevOps, in particular, regarding its role in developing critical thinking, independent analysis and the ability to solve complex technical problems. The findings suggest that AI can improve the learning efficiency for students with medium and low levels of preparation, while reducing the motivation for independent thinking among high-achieving students. The use of AI in DevOps education accelerates task completion, but may lead to a reliance on automated solutions, which negatively affects the assimilation of complex concepts and long-term cognitive development.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mykhailo Luchkevych | Viktoriia Luchkevych https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Legal Regulation of the Application of Formative Assessment and the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Schools in Lithuania: Insights from Thematic Analysis
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The article analyses the legal regulation of the application of formative assessment and the use of <em style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Artificial Intelligence (<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">AI) in general education schools in Lithuania. The study was conducted by using document analysis and thematic framework analysis. The sample consisted of currently valid legal acts adopted by state authorities regulating the implementation of formative assessment in general education schools (n = 11) and the use of AI in the education sector (n = 4). The findings indicate that formative assessment is established in legal acts as a continuous, learning-oriented form of assessment grounded in teacher–student interaction, feedback, and the monitoring of individual student progress; however, its regulation lacks full coherence. The use of AI in general education schools is regulated in a fragmented manner, with a lack of clear definitions, implementation guidelines, and principles explicitly linked to formative assessment. It is concluded in this paper that while the existing legal framework provides conditions which are conducive to formative assessment, it insufficiently addresses the challenges posed by the integration of AI in the educational process, thus necessitating targeted improvement of the body of legal regulation.
Copyright (c) 2026 Rūta Gedminienė | Julija Melnikova https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0