@article {126,
	title = {THE PROBLEMS OF SUPERVISOR{\textquoteright}S TRAINING IN LATVIA},
	journal = {Problems of Education in the 21st Century },
	volume = {6},
	year = {2008},
	month = {May/2008},
	type = {Original article},
	chapter = {211-216},
	abstract = {Nowadays, supervision gradually becomes as an integral, or even obligatory part of the professional operation, especially in areas, in which a human is placed in the middle {\textendash} in the environment of health, or social care. Problems that concern both the client / patient, and relationships between the specialist, and client / patient, and about possibilities of the specialist to observe professional demands, ethics, as well as hardship with a client / patient at work are reflected in the supervision, where the supervisor and supervisee participates.
 Supervision in Latvia has become as an obligatory demand during the training both of specialists (psychologists, psychotherapists, art therapists, social employees, pedagogues, health persons) during studies, and the further professional operation. Right the supervisor must undertake the responsibility for the client / patient and specialist, if the supervision happens in the framework of study praxes. It means that determined general knowledge, skills and attitudes are required from the supervisor, as well as professional knowledge, skills, attitudes, qualities of personality, morally ethical maturity. In addition, the context must be taken into consideration where the supervision, focus of organization, profession, social, economic and work factor happens.
 The target of article is to actualise the issue on training problems of supervisors in Latvia, analysing the existing situation and regulation that is a pre-condition for the qualitative development of supervision system in the state. 
The analysis of experience of scientific literature and supervision education is in the basis of article. 
In 2006, a following definition of the term supervision was included in the Law on Social Services and Social Assistance that respectively determines the operation of social work system in Latvia: the {\textquotedblleft}a consulting support for the specialist of social work (supervision) is the total of methods provided for the operation of social employee to improve his professional competence and to provide him a psychological support to increase the quality of work{\textquotedblright}.
 Therefore, the issue of the lack of supervisors is actual for the development of profession, and their potential training. Therefore, at the moment a new conception in the training of supervisors is developed in Latvia: to develop and license the program of professional improvement (presupervisor), in which professionals of different areas with Master Degree in a respective specialty and at least with the experience of 2 years would start studies in the area (specialty). This program should provide the possibility to obtain general knowledge, skills and attitudes, necessary for the supervisor, understanding the specifics of supervision in different work environments. For example, any supervisor must acquire different forms, kinds, focuses, dimensions of supervision, must acknowledge functions of supervision, must orient in his rights and duties, must conform to standards of ethics, etc.
 In turns, the development of specific knowledge, skills and attitudes of the sphere of professional operation is the task of professional associations.
 Thus, with the help of interaction of formal and non-formal education it is possible to solve an essential problem {\textendash} the lack of supervisors and to warrant the development of new specialists in the future. Simultaneously, one of the strategic tasks of higher education systems of Latvia {\textendash} to develop a cooperation of higher education and professionals (professional associations) {\textendash} will be solved.},
	keywords = {education of supervisors, formal and non-formal education},
	issn = {1822-7864},
	url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392234267.pdf},
	author = {Kristine Martinsone and Ivans Mihailovs and Maija Zakrizevska}
}
@article {149,
	title = {QUALIFICATION PRACTICES IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION OF LATVIA: THE SITUATION OF PERSPECTIVES OF DEVELOPMENT},
	journal = {Problems of Education in the 21st Century },
	volume = {7},
	year = {2008},
	month = {June/2008},
	type = {Original article},
	chapter = {192-199},
	abstract = {Qualification practice is an essential and obligatory component of higher education programs of the Republic of Latvia, one of pre-conditions to obtain a professional qualification, as well as professional skills. However, till now, the regulation of qualification praxes and implementation mechanisms are unsatisfactory that usually makes obstacles to reach the target of qualification practice, reduces the efficiency of component of this education, respectively influencing common quality of education and potential possibilities of students in the work market. It must be accentuate that the target of qualification practice is the acquisition of professional skills and basic knowledge in connection with a profession out of the respective higher education institution for targets of practice in a respective environment. 
An analysis of normative acts regulating scientific literature and education is in the basis of article, as well as control materials of education of Latvia.
 The target of article is based on investigation performed beforehand and results of control of higher education of the State Inspection of Education of Latvia, to provide analysis on implementation of qualification practice problems at higher education establishments in Latvia. 
After establishing the independence of the Republic of Latvia in (1990), as a result of reforms of more higher education systems, a qualification practice has become as a compartment of obligatory programs of higher professional education, and its amount fluctuates depending from the level/kind of the program from 6 to 26 credit points (average from 13\% to 20\% from the amount of study program and respectively from 9 to 39 ECTS). Possibilities of practice are provided also in the framework of some academic programs, however, the implementation of practice in these programs is not obligatory.
 However, despite of the sufficient time of experience in implementation of qualification practice, a higher education establishment and students studying there face more problems:
 An imperfect legal regulation of qualification practice. 
Still discussible content of practice, as well as the attitude of employer to the content of practice and practicant himself.
 The implementation of practice is usually burdened with the condition that the remarkable part of students are in work relationships with other employer, respectively trying to enter own work experience as a practice. Also the employer is not interested in creation of own potential competitor. 
Potential managers of practices (mentors) usually perceive the practice as an additionally unpaid duty that bothers everyday duties.
 In the process of implementation of practice, desires of higher education establishments, studying ones and employers differ essentially; the educational establishment perceives the practice as a compartment of developing professional competency and acquiring study program, the student wants to obtain new skills and experience, but the employer has a practicant with good communication and cooperation skills, as well as a motivation for his job, who is able to join in the work environment and really to operate in the team.
 4 parties must be involved actively in the development mechanism of qualification practices at higher education establishments: the employers {\textendash} participating more actively in the development of standards of profession and making unified demands for organizing and implementation of qualification practices, in such a way warranting the attachment of potential qualified employers, for higher education establishments {\textendash} improving the system of qualification practices, making and implementing in the life unified evaluation and comparing criteria of qualification practice, more precisely, working out the content of practice itself and controlling the implementation of provisions of practices from the side of employers. In turns, state governing institutions in the area of education management and interested in social partners must activate the work on the improvement of legal regulation of qualification practice, especially taking into consideration the necessity to transfer to framework structure of qualifications, as well as the reform of content and status of provided higher education programs. But the main in the development of the practice system is the responsible attitude of students to the practice as an essential component of studies, acquiring new and valuable experience. Proposals: To include as an obligatory demand the conclusion of qualification practice agreements of three parties between the employer, practicant and the higher education establishment, providing mutual rights of parties, duties, responsibility;
 Licensing, but later accrediting the study program of higher education, the description of qualification practice, coordinated with the employer must be included as a demand. Before the start of qualification practice, to organize obligatory an introduction seminar for managers (mentors) of qualification practices on the specification of specialty chosen by practicant, tasks, targets, content, evaluation criteria of qualification practice;
 An active co-participation of professional unions must be obtained in the development of standards and in the implementation mechanism of qualification practice, understanding that practicants are next professionals of the area and their qualification is one of pre-conditions of existence and development of the area.},
	keywords = {agreement of practice, higher education study program, qualification practice},
	issn = {1822-7864},
	url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392235748.pdf},
	author = {Ivans Mihailovs and Maija Zakrizevska}
}
@article {82,
	title = {STUDIES AND INVESTIGATIONS OF THE THEORY OF SOCIAL REPRESENTATION IN LATVIA},
	journal = {Problems of Education in the 21st Century },
	volume = {4},
	year = {2008},
	month = {February/2008},
	type = {Original article},
	chapter = {82-88},
	abstract = {The target of this article is to analyze theoretically the understanding and interpretation of the theory of social representations of S.Moskovici, investigating them in a society of Latvia and preparing psychology specialists in higher education establishments.
 In the first part of article {\textendash} the development of the theory of social representations the commencement of the theory of social conception is shortly described, and the analysis of the term of E.Durkheim {\textquotedblleft}collective representations{\textquotedblright} is performed. In the second part {\textendash} the essence of the theory of social representations of French psychologist S.Moskovici is described. The root point of conclusions of S.Moskovici is his thesis about the world of representation {\textendash} a peculiar {\textquotedblleft}kind of the reality{\textquotedblright}, with which the individual comes into the contact in the daily life. The anchoring and objectification make mechanisms of social perceptions that connect with the categorization, language, verbalization, and memory.
 In the third part of the article {\textendash} the mentioned investigations that are performed in Europe are investigations of social representations, starting with the investigation of S.Moskovici psychoanalysis of S.Moskovici till nowadays. However, the analysis of social representations are not widespread in Latvia due to different delaying factors. However, as one of the main important investigations can be named the promotion work of A.Ruza on European Community states.
 In the fourth part of the article {\textendash} the theory of social representations in education - the multi-side use and inclusion of the theory of social conceptions in Europe in study programs, as well as the use of this program in other Universities of Latvia, implementing studies not only in the area of psychology, but also in the area of other sciences.
 In the last fifth part of the article conclusions and proposals are given that are essential for the development of studies and investigation of social representations in Latvia:
 1) The development of new investigation projects, uniting the total scientific potential;
 2) The translation of works of representatives and critics of social representations in Latvian must be promoted, as well as the study course options must be developed and proposed where students of Latvian Universities could participate;
 3) Investigation processes must be promoted, including the new generation in them, expanding publishing possibilities, including, solving issues in the level of state about the support to magazines of professional areas;
 4) In the context of searching new ideas and approaches, the mutual cooperation of scientists must be promoted, including representatives of other social and humanitarian sciences in an investigation of social representations, that conforms basically to the inter-disciplinary access, popular in the world, letting to look at already known things with a new view.},
	keywords = {investigation of social representations, social psychology, social representations},
	issn = {1822-7864},
	url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392222883.pdf},
	author = {Maija Zakrizevska and Ivans Mihailovs}
}
