<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN PRESCHOOL AGE AS AN EDUCATIONAL PRIORITY</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ecological awareness</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">environmental education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">preschool age</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2026</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">April/2026</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/search/article?articleId=4843268</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">84</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Preschool age is one of the most sensitive and important periods for the formation of a person's relationship with the world. It is then that a child first begins not only to get to know the environment, but also to understand his place in it. Therefore, environmental education at this stage cannot be perceived as a narrow topic about waste sorting or individual cleaning campaigns. Preschool environmental education is extremely important because a positive attitude towards nature is formed in childhood. Young children more easily acquire values and habits, therefore the development of ecological awareness already in preschool age makes sense. Children who learn to care for the environment (e.g., through waste disposal, water or energy conservation) will carry these habits into adulthood, reducing potential environmental damage in the future. </style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">254-258</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">EDUCATOR’S MISSION IN FORMING A FUTURE HUMAN: A SYSTEMATIC ATTITUDE TO KNOWLEDGE, VALUES, AND TECHNOLOGIES</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational relationships</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational systems</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">rational/scientific cognition</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2025</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">August/2025</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/search/article?articleId=4604130</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">83</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">We will not be mistaken in stating that the education of the future human is an extremely difficult and complex matter, requiring consideration of increasingly rapid changes in society, technology, economy, and other factors. It is important that children develop the abilities and skills necessary to adapt to a world where many familiar norms, rules, professions, and other societal structures may change or simply disappear. 
Understandably, there are various educational systems, forms, models, etc. However, the fundamental questions remain the same: how to understand? How to coordinate? How to predict? Even more apparent is that we are at the crossroads. </style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">456-460</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">HUMAN AND SOCIETY EDUCATION: INTERACTION OF TWO SYSTEMS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">economic development</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational indoctrination</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">human capital</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">political processes</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">social inequality</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2025</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">February/2025</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2023/457-1741761863.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">83</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Education influences the development of society, forms human capital, ensures socialisation and cultural development. At the same time, society determines the direction and goals of education and influences its quality and accessibility. Society and education are two interconnected systems that interact and influence each other. Education performs an important social function in society, determines social mobility, helps maintain cultural continuity, and, of course, is an important factor in economic development. Moreover, education can increase political awareness and promote active participation of citizens in political processes. Well-educated individuals often better understand political systems, their rights and duties, which can contribute to strengthening democracy. In this case, we want to emphasise the word “can” because it works differently in different societies. </style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THE ESSENCE OF MIND STRATEGY IN THE RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE: HUMAN-NATURE-WISDOM UNITY</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">environmental protection</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">natural sciences</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">relationship with nature</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">systems thinking</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2024</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">February/2024</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2023/457-1708676346.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">82</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">A systematic approach requires combining the knowledge of related subjects (e.g., natural sciences) into a whole and making conditions for the learners to research, draw conclusions, process abundant and diverse information, improve and change, complete their knowledge, i.e., eliminate common/traditional subject barriers, refuse narrow empiricism. The field of science education is wide, complex and diverse. It is not only the transmission of natural science knowledge but also ecological, environmental, antidrug, sexual, antinicotine education, healthy lifestyle training, etc. Today’s society is dealing with very relevant issues of nature protection, nature conservation, ecology, environmental protection, and other problems. All this requires a new approach from all of us, the efforts of various field specialists, eliminating all separating barriers. Global problems are a common concern for all of us. This is just because not a single problem is isolated from another, most of them are intertwined, fully determined, united in their nature. Therefore, knowing (clarifying) connections is complicated and hardly achievable. Their solution is possible only when they are comprehensively analysed by closely linking them together. </style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4-6</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">MAN, AS THE MOST IMPORTANT SUBJECT OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY </style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education system</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational technologies</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">technological development</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">technology education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2024</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">April/2024</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2023/457-1715414446.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">82</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">There is no doubt that education creates a man. On the other hand, man is an extremely complex structure. We usually arrive at two opposite but complementary conclusions. On the one hand, all the people we meet, and as far as we can guess, are generally in some way similar to each other. On the other hand, each person is somehow unique, different from others. Commonality and particularity/uniqueness are the two main cognitive categories of any phenomenon. It is understood that man, as a subject of activity, is “an open” system: his existence and development depend on relations with the world around him, in which he lives and works. So, firstly, man, like any living being, is part of the natural world and is rightly considered a biological organism. Secondly, any human being is a member of one or another society, with which he is connected by ties and relations, defined as a social individual. In addition, a person is, in one way or another, related to the socio-historical, cultural, and moral experience of mankind. How to adopt this experience? How to absorb? It is obvious that assimilation of this experience is necessary for a person’s self-determination, growth, and development as a personality.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">158-161</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">PARADIGMATIC SHIFTS IN MULTIPARADIGMATIC EDUCATION REALITY</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational paradigm</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational process</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">multiparadigmatic education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">paradigm shifts</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2024</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">August/2024</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2023/457-1723302651.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">82</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">There is no doubt that education is changing with the times. Our reality is characterised by instability and diversity, globalization/deglobalization, cultural resilience/non-resilience, fragmentation and transformation, etc. Education, in general, is a very complex aspect of human activity; it is a constantly transforming activity. Only comprehensive knowledge of education systems (and education as a system) guarantees effective educational changes in them. It can be understood as the result of the continuous interaction of personal development and experience throughout life. 
Thus, the modern analysis of educational problems is inevitably associated with a multiparadigmatic approach and position. Knowing how the educational system changes (or would change) with the change of one or another educational paradigm, remains an essential matter.   </style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">430-433</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Costin   Pribeanu</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ANTECEDENTS OF THE PERCEIVED USEFULNESS OF AN ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM DURING THE PANDEMIC</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">distance education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">perceived usefulness</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quantitative research</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">university students</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2023</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">December/2023</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2023/457-1702996295.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">81</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The pandemic has posed a number of challenges to university studies. The whole study process, the conditions, the context, the conditions for student mobility, the technical possibilities, and finally the quality of the studies have changed. During the pandemic period, a number of studies have been carried out on how higher education is organised in the context of a pandemic, but there is still a lack of analysis on how students perceive the usefulness of distance learning. 
A quantitative study was carried out with a contingent of 132 prospective preschool and primary education teachers, and students in the field of social sciences at three Lithuanian universities. The aim was to explore possible antecedents of the perceived usefulness of an online learning platform during the pandemic. The sample consisted of 24 first-year, 52 second-year, 28 third-year and 28 fourth-year students. The data obtained during the study were processed and analysed using SPSS software. In addition, structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with Lisrel 9.3 for Windows has been used to test the model.
Three factors were extracted. All constructs have a very good convergent and discriminant validity. These factors are important for analyzing the effectiveness of distance learning in general. It was found that the most important contributor to the perceived usefulness is the ease of access. It was also found that content adaptation has a positive influence on the perceived usefulness. 
</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">6</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">861-868</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">EDUCATION FROM THE SYSTEMIC POINT OF VIEW: THE CONTEXT OF (NON) - CONSTANT TRANSFORMATIONS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">complex system</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational systems</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">effective educational changes</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">systemic approach</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2023</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">August/2023</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2023/457-1691443609.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">81</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">It is generally undeniable that education is a complicated and complex system. Moreover, it is an integrated and integral system of teaching and learning at different levels and in different contexts. In the public academic educational discourse, the need to search for modern teaching and learning methods is constantly expressed so that educational institutions can better respond to the changing educational needs of learners and society. However, there is no unequivocal answer to what is “modern”. Complex knowledge of education systems (and education as a system) guarantees effective educational changes in them. If we are talking about scientific knowledge of educational phenomena, it cannot be otherwise. Based on this point of view, most educational phenomena and processes can be called systems. </style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">422-430</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SYSTEM AS A WHOLE AND EDUCATION AS A SYSTEM: RELEVANT THOUGHTS AND CONSIDERATIONS </style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">complex system</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">methodological issues</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">self-related elements</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">whole knowledge</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2023</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">December/2023</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2023/457-1702995627.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">81</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">It is obvious that the World is the largest and most complex system. It is obvious that the essence of the World cannot be known without analysing it as a system.  System (gr. system - connected, composed of parts) – a collection of elements components) that are interconnected by certain connections; this forms a whole in one form or another. The whole can be understood quite differently (various contexts), but basically, three important moments can be distinguished: a system as a certain whole (a certain organised and interacting set of components, performing a certain function (s) and having a purpose (s)), a system as philosophy (simply all things in the world are connected), a system as technology (technological system or systems act as certain entities). Of course, the goal here is not to discuss deep methodological issues of systematics (systemology).</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">6</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">723-728</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">A FEW POINTS ABOUT AXIOMATICS OF EDUCATION </style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">classical Euclidian geometry</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational statements</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">empirical confirmation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">mathematical statements</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2022</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">October/2022</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2022/457-1667682412.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">80</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Postulates and axioms have been used as a means of knowledge since ancient times. The well-known ancient Greek thinkers Aristotle, Plato, Euclid, and others used this cognitive tool. As an example, we all know – Euclid’s postulates. Although mathematicians consider him the pioneer of mathematics, one of the most famous mathematicians, nevertheless, it is more appropriate to consider Euclid as a Greek philosopher, who presented the most important postulates and axioms in his book &quot;Elements&quot;. The prevailing opinion is that in essence it is exactly enough to prove all mathematical statements. Even though that the most perfect axiomatics is classical Euclidian geometry, there is an alternative here, i.e., modern non-Euclidean geometry. </style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">624-629</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SYSTEMOLOGY OF EDUCATION: SOME THOUGHTS ON THE CONCEPT AND DEVELOPMENT</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">career pedagogy</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational (pedagogical) terminology</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">peace pedagogy</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">success pedagogy</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">systemology of education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">theatre pedagogy</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2022</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">December/2022</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2022/457-1672600435.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">80</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Systemology of education is the field of general systemology. On the other hand, systemology of education can reasonably be considered a structural part of contemporary education. There are many different arguments to substantiate such a position. For example, during the last two decades, educational (pedagogical) terminology has changed extremely rapidly. Education science has become more diverse than ever. Such branches as cooperation pedagogy, nonviolence pedagogy, pedagogy of the oppressed, peace pedagogy, success pedagogy, career pedagogy, theatre pedagogy and many others have appeared in educational scientific literature, not to mention the level of education. On the one hand, we do not deny the existence of these branches, on the other hand, the question arises about the scientific system in education in general (Lamanauskas, 2012). It is obvious that the development of education is characterised by two opposite trends – differentiation and integration. In such an abundance of currents, branches, directions, etc., it is not only easy to get lost, but it is even easier to lose the ability to identify mutual relations and define the place of each of them in the common stem of education science.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">6</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">744-749</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">WRITING A SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE: FOCUSED DISCUSSION AND RATIONAL CONCLUSIONS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">publishing policy</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">scientific article</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">scientific writing</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2021</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">February/2021</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2021/457-1612638492.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">79</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Writing a scientific article does not end with a description of the summarized results. Conclusions and implications remain a crucial part of the article. The previous papers portrayed the most important aspects of the title, summary (Lamanauskas, 2019a), accurate introduction (Lamanauskas, 2019b) and research methodology (Lamanauskas, 2020a) of the article and discussed the features of the presented results (Lamanauskas, 2020b). Discussion is also accepted as an equally important structural part of the scientific article (particularly in the case of describing an experimental / empirical study). Thus, this section summarizes the results of the conducted study. However, this piece of writing is not intended to provide all possible options for discussion and drawing conclusions due to the fact that the specificity of article preparation varies in each field of science. In addition, it depends on the requirements set by scientific / research journals (or other publications) and publishing policy. Therefore, this editorial more concentrates on the general aspects of preparing the above mentioned parts of the article.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4-12</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE PREPARATION: METHODOLOGY DESCRIPTION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">analytical reading</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">scientific (academic) writing</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">scientific community</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2020</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">April/2020</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2020/457-1587022083.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">78</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Scientific (academic) writing is continuous activity of every scientist (researcher), and therefore needs to be regularly advanced. Thus, it should be wrong to assume that writing proficiency is achieved once and for all. The skills of academic writing are essential for the independent acquisition of scientific knowledge and for disseminating the acquired information, i.e. sharing knowledge with others. On these grounds, it is worth remembering that a fully completed research paper, the clear results of the conducted research and specific and valid conclusions act as prerequisites for writing a good scientific article etc. Another trivial but important point is that writing an article (or other research paper) is barely a study itself, but only the presentation, dissemination and publicity of the findings. Consequently, even properly carried out research (exploration, examination etc.) and the obtained significant results may fail to be appropriately presented, and the importance of the produced results may simply ‘disappear’ in a poor description.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">136-146</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Gabriel Gorghiu</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Costin   Pribeanu</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Violeta Slekiene</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">USEFULNESS OF MOBILE TEACHING AND LEARNING AS PERCEIVED BY ROMANIAN AND LITHUANIAN SCIENCE TEACHERS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational usefulness</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">learning motivation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">mobile learning</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">mobile teaching</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">pilot research</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2020</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">October/2020</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2020/457-1600951632.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">78</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">With the explosion of mobile technologies, mobile teaching and learning became an important educational challenge. Since both teachers and students are increasingly using mobile devices in their everyday life, the question is why so little progress has been made in this direction. Clearly, the initiative of introducing mobile technology in class should come from teachers. Existing research shows a large diversity of factors that are influencing their perception as regards the usefulness and opportunity of mobile teaching and learning. This research aims to understand the extent to which the expectancy of increased students’ motivation and better understanding are influencing the perception of mobile teaching usefulness. A structural model has been developed and tested on two samples of science education teachers, one from Romania and the other from Lithuania. The results show that the expectancy of a better understanding of lessons by students has an important effect on the teachers’ perception of mobile teaching and learning.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">719-733</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">WRITING A SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE: DESCRIBING RESULTS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">research results</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">reviewer-author communication</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">scientific writing</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">visualizing results</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2020</style></year></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2020/457-1596902185.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">78</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The presentation of research results is definitely an important part of any scientific article. On the one hand, the findings of the conducted research should be explained in as much detail as possible, whereas on the other, the obtained results must be clear, understandable and relevant. The previous editorials analysed the elements of a scientific article such as the title and summary (Lamanauskas, 2019a), introduction (Lamanauskas, 2019b) and the description of methodology (Lamanauskas, 2020). This editorial briefly discusses the optimal presentation of research results treated as one of the most interesting stages in preparing a scientific article and requires effort, intensive work and creativity. Alternatively, both methodology and research results (empirical research in particular) are considered the most important parts of a manuscript (Fox &amp; Jennings, 2014). As expected, many important points related to the description of research results are given in APA 7th. ed. (2019), and therefore are not intended to be discussed in detail. Although APA standards are widespread, other criteria are also admitted by scientific community and focus in this editorial is more oriented on the practical subjects of academic writing and the most common mistakes.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">472-485</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE PREPARATION: A COMPREHENSIVE INTRODUCTION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">academic publishing</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">comprehensive introduction</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">scientific writing</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2019</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">December/2019</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2019/457-1575642232.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">77</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Writing and publishing scientific articles (research, review, position etc. articles) are referred to as responsible academic activities. Any scientist/researcher is somehow involved in scientific writing. Thus, this is a technique assisting the researcher with demonstrating individual performance. Most of the main scientific/research journals are published in English, and therefore scientific information is made internationally available by a wide audience and actually becomes accessible to every scientist and/or researcher. On the other hand, a valid point is that scientific/research journals are published in different national languages. Nevertheless, it should be noted that science policy has recently become one-dimensional and resulting in a blind orientation towards support for scientific/research journals published in English. As noted by Poviliunas and Ramanauskas (2008), national languages face a legitimate risk of becoming domesticated and to one degree or another being excluded from scientific, cultural, education and public areas of life. However, this is material for another discussion.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">6</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">688-694</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE PREPARATION: TITLE, ABSTRACT AND KEYWORDS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">academic activity</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">academic environment</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">academic literacy</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">scientific writing</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2019</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">August/2019</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2019/457-1566969025.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">77</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Scientific article writing is undoubtedly an inseparable part of academic activity. Every researcher/scientist, in one way or another, has to declare scientific research activity results, i.e., to publish in scientific press. If this is not done, it is considered that a scientific work is not finished regardless of the size of the research/experiments carried out and so on. Such information has to be completely understandable not only in the academic environment but also in society. Publications in the international and independent science journals acknowledged in the academic community show the real value of the scientist and his works. This does not mean in any way that the other level publications are not necessary (Lamanauskas, 2013). Every publication has its auditorium, purpose, aims and so on. Regardless of the type of publication broadly speaking, it has to be appropriately prepared. </style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">456-462</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Gabriel Gorghiu</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dragos Daniel Iordache</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Costin   Pribeanu</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL OF ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS: GENDER AND CROSS-COUNTRY ANALYSIS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">cross-country differences</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational opportunities</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">gender differences</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">invariance analysis</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">online social networks</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2018</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">October/2018</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2017/457-1540320007.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">76</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The social media technologies are blurring the boundaries between formal and informal/non-formal learning and provide new educational opportunities. Recent work shows that online social networks provide various kinds of educational support, such as social learning, informal/non-formal education, information, interaction, and collaboration. The aim of this research was to analyze the gender and cross-country differences in the perception of the educational opportunities provided by Facebook. The educational opportunities have been specified as a global factor that manifests along four dimensions: information, collaboration, personal development, and professional development. The model has been tested on two samples of university students, one from Romania and the other from Lithuania. An analysis of invariance has been carried on that shows that the educational opportunities model is invariant across groups. The results showed that female students have a higher perception of the educational opportunities provided by Facebook.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">620-632</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">TEACHER HEALTH LITERACY: WHY DOES IT MATTER?</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">health competence</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">health education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">health literacy</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2018</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">February/2018</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2017/457-1519987761.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">76</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">It is obvious, that education is one of the main social factors having influence on health. Health education is most effective at school, because it reaches a man at his most receptive period of life - childhood and adolescence. A demand to live a healthy life is formed not only by family, but also by school. Teachers’ role in health education process is very significant, therefore, their health literacy and health competence are the main components realising health education at school. During the studies at university pre-service teachers in one way or another develop health competence, however hopefully not enough attention is paid to this, and study process poorly contributes to health literacy improvement, health competence formation. </style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4-6</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dragos Daniel Iordache</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Costin   Pribeanu</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND DEPENDENCE IN THE FACEBOOK USE BY ROMANIAN AND LITHUANIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">e-learning process</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Facebook dependence</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">invariance analysis</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">social influence</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2017</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">August/2017</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2017/457-1503750787.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">75</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The time spent on Facebook by university students is continuously increasing. This fact is raising many questions as regards the relation between the social networking websites and the university. The educators are challenged to understand the factors that are driving the adoption of social networking websites, the characteristics of the daily use as well as the positive and negative effects on the university work. The social influence has been recognized as one of the factors that are driving the adoption of information systems. On another hand, the excessive use may lead to addiction. The first objective of this research is to explore the correlation between the social influence and the Facebook dependence. A model with these latent variables has been specified and tested on two samples of university students, the first from Romania and the second from Lithuania. The second objective of the research is to comparatively discuss the measures in each country. A multi-group confirmatory factor analysis has been carried on to test the configural and metric invariance. The comparison of means shows that university students reporting higher social influence have a higher risk of Facebook dependence. The comparative analysis revealed that for both variables, the mean values are higher for the Romanian sample.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">354-365</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Gabriel Gorghiu</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Costin   Pribeanu</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ON THE FACEBOOK DEPENDENCE AND ITS NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ WORK: A MULTI-GROUP ANALYSIS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">e-learning process</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational value</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">formative measurement models</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">motivation to learn</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2016</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">October/2016</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://journals.indexcopernicus.com/abstract.php?icid=1224699</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">73</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Discontinuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The explosion of social networking websites in general, and Facebook in particular, impacts the educational context both positively and negatively. Too much time spent on Facebook leads to negative effects on the university work of students. The objectives of this research are to measure and analyse the relationship between the Facebook dependence and the negative consequences of the excessive use of Facebook on the university work of students. In this respect, a conceptual model has been tested that has two inter-correlated latent variables: the withdrawal syndrome, measuring the Facebook dependence and the negative consequences onto the university work. The analysis of results has been done onto three groups featuring the user’s profile according to the network size (number of Facebook friends) of students. The findings show that the larger the Facebook network, the higher the frequency and duration of Facebook use. The analysis of measurement invariance shows that the model exhibits factorial, metric, and scalar invariance on the three user profiles. The comparison between groups shows that students having larger networks and spending more time on Facebook have a higher level of dependence and their university work is more affected.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">62-74</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">TEACHER-EDUCATOR VERSUS TEACHER-LEADER</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational discourse</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">leadership phenomenon</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">teacher education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2016</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">August/2016</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://journals.indexcopernicus.com/abstract.php?icid=1221614</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">72</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Discontinuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Recently, in Lithuanian educational discourse there has been a lot of discussion about leadership. This has become so popular phenomenon that quite often one even does not go deep into the most important parameters of this phenomenon. Leadership phenomenon is not a very new thing, having started to be investigated more exhaustively as far back as the second half of the 20th century, however, over the last decade a lot of attention has been devoted to this in Lithuania. One can reasonably assert, that this is even a matter of fashion. During the aforementioned period, various questions such as teacher leadership, leadership development in schools (as if everyone has to be only a leader), leadership influence on organisation management and other have been investigated in one way or another. On the other hand, quite a lot of attention has been devoted to school managers, having in mind that they should not be just managers, but real managers – leaders. There is no intention to discuss various leadership concepts or to give any recipes how to turn teachers and managers to leaders. Moreover, there exists a vast diversity of concepts. It is obvious, that poor, ineffective and unsuitable management affects the teachers and the teaching learning process itself. It is logical, that this aspect has to be evaluated, and only people suitably prepared and ready for this should become managers of educational institutions. On the other hand, it wouldn’t be fair to identify managers and management with leadership.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4-5</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">PEACE PEDAGOGY OR/AND EDUCATION FOR PEACE: SOME ACTUALITIES</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">continual process</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education for peace</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education process</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">peace pedagogy</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2015</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">February/2015</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2015/457-1430136706.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">63</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Discontinuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">It seems, that education questions and problems are analysed rather intensively. Educational researches of various sizes and on various subjects are constantly carried out - both at national, regional and international levels. There wouldn’t probably be a country on this planet, in which such theme researches in one way or another wouldn’t be carried out. Education is not only interdisciplinary, but a very diverse sphere. Where the man is in action, education is inevitable. If one could have a look at the publications of the education field, one could see that diversity is enormous. Leaders are brought up, career preparation is going on, creativity is encouraged, modern media and ICT are taught to be used, so - called 21st century skills are sought to be educated and so on. To tell the truth, hardly anyone could tell what these 21st century skills are, because hardly anyone could bring oneself to tell what skills will be necessary, let’s say, in 2050. However, education is such a sphere, that very often various insights, opinions, positions etc. are spread. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4-6</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SCIENCE AND MATH TEACHERS’ COLLABORATION: HOW TO DEVELOP IT SEEKING PUPIL’S SUCCESS AT SCHOOL</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education practice</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">good educational experience</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science and math teachers’ collaboration</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science and technology education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2014</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">December/2014</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2015/457-1423570289.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">62</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Discontinuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The importance of science and technology is obviously increasing. Such spheres as biotechnology, environmental security, biochemistry, synthetic biology, neurobiology and other have been strongly affected and even changed by science and technology progress. And that affect is growing. It is paradoxical, but over the last decade a decreased youth interest in science and technologies has been observed in many world countries. Speaking about science and math teachers’ collaboration, several important questions arise: • How to develop teachers’ collaboration seeking pupil’s success at school? • How to plan and project collaboration process? • How to successfully collaborate seeking the pupils’ progress? • How to organise collaborative nets seeking teachers’ work and pupils’ educational success? • How to rally collaborating teachers? Science and math teachers’ collaboration in the educational process would strengthen not only professional teachers’ competence, but would develop collaboration abilities, which are very important seeking much more qualitative pupils’ science and technology education. It would be worth promoting more exhaustive educational research studies on this question and on the basis of them to prepare practical recommendations.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-7</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES, EDUCATION QUALITY AND CHALLENGES FOR FUTURE</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education quality</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ICT in education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">psychological consequences</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">technology progress</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2013</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">November/2013</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1420055359.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">56</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Discontinuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The role of ICT in education on the whole and particularly in science education is a very important topic. The growth is characteristic not only at university level but also at other levels of the education system. It is accepted that ICT makes the process of teaching/learning more effective and beneficial whereas the education system starts functioning faster. The implementation of new technologies in the educational process raises new possibilities for both teacher and learner, enhances education quality and makes the educational process more versatile (Lamanauskas, Šlekienė, Ragulienė, 2010).
 The opinion, that prevails in Lithuania is, that part of the problems related to ICT are determined by technical resources, computer literacy, lack of methodics and methodology, wrong attitude to the usage of technologies in general. Speaking about teachers (they are central part of education process), it is important to form an understanding, that ICT is not a thing in itself, i.e., it is necessary to use, because the others do this and do somewhere else and finally, that it is fashionable. ICT, first of all, is a didactic support seeking better education results. Not only nowadays, but in future as well, ICT have to be attractive for the learners, comfortable to use for the teachers and specially made for teaching/learning purposes. Selection process problem, in didactic respect, will get more acute, because market (producers’) pressure on education system will, undoubtedly, increase. Profit seeking in any way and by any means has overshadowed the purposefulness of ICT usage in education field, so far. So, is ICT in reality a bridge to future and higher education quality? Thus, the discussed field remains problematic. New, exhaustive, empiric research studies are necessary. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-7</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Violeta  Šlekienė</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Loreta  Ragulienė</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dragos Iordache</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Costin   Pribeanu</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Martin Bilek</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Bulent Cavas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Tatyana Mazurok</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">comparative analysis</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ICT</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">social networking websites</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">university students</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2013</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">December/2013</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1420056732.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">57</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Discontinuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The use of social networking websites is becoming increasingly popular. While there are many reasons for this, the rapid spread of ICT is one of the most determining factors.  New technologies provide various possibilities for education and in relation to social networking websites it is worth emphasizing their diverse possibilities. The functionality of social networking websites is increasing, and this, in its own way, opens many possibilities for the consumers, a factor encouraging the usage of social networking sites. 
This research relates to the usage of social networking websites. The purpose of the research is to ascertain how university students from a range of European countries (Lithuania, Romania, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Turkey) use social networking websites; how they value them; what opinion they have about various social networking websites; what they know about them. 
A questionnaire, Social Networks, with 16 questions was used in the research. The breakdown of the questions is as follows: 3 questions were allotted to establishing the characteristics of the respondents and 5 open ended type questions were to possible advantages and disadvantages of SNW. The 6th question was assigned to evaluate the frequency of social networking website usage. A list of 23 main networking websites was presented. The 8th question was to evaluate the functions of social networking websites (e.g., communication, advertisement, friend search, information exchange and so on). In addition, the questionnaire also presented 26 various type statements about social networking websites and respondents were asked to evaluate these by applying the interval Likert scale (from “Completely agree” to “Completely disagree”). The original questionnaire was translated into the national languages by the local researchers involved in the study. 
This education research was carried out in 2012-2013, recognizing that it is especially important to understand the essential motives of using social networking websites, to analyze their probable advantages and disadvantages, to make some comparisons among students from the different countries. 
The findings illustrated that the respondents knew a lot of social networking websites, with the most frequently visited and most popular being: You Tube, Facebook and Google+. The most important functions put forward by the university students were: communication, learning and exchanging information, texting. Gender differences were noted in the case of valuing social networking websites.
The university students pointed out the following SN website advantages: 
(a)	the possibility to communicate with many people at one time, 
(b)	to get in touch with the people seen long ago also with the friends and relatives living abroad, 
(c)	the possibility to find proper information and share it, etc.
The respondents also noted that SN website had disadvantages. They indicated: lack of information publicity, a lack of privacy, insecurity in presented data, possible lies, deceptions, etc. 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">61-78</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SOME SKETCHES ON SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational space</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">social networking websites</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">university students</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2013</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">June/2013</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1420053828.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">54</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">It is obvious, that usage of social networking websites is constantly growing. In Lithuania, a rapid growth of usage has been observed in recent years, taking into account local (national) social networking websites as well. Facebook.com is one among 10 mostly visited networks in Lithuania. Lithuanian consumers are not an exception – not a small part of them also use several social networking websites. Both in the world and in Lithuania, business takes an active interest in social networking websites. An evident tendency is the expansion of SNW possibilities in business environment. If earlier it was thought that usage of SNW is a waste of time, in the latter years business finds more and more reasons why social networking websites ought to be used. This is marketing, service and product advertisement, new client search, cooperation development and so on. The other thing – the amount and the flow of information will certainly not decrease and therefore information usage and management in general, will remain urgent (Lamanauskas, 2012a).
 Thus, can social networks effectively perform educational functions? Can they become a proper professional development instrument? We can formulate a lot of questions. The phenomenon of social networking websites is new and complicated, rapidly changing. However, not only the question of the use is problematic. Academic community, being inert, hardly accept any innovations. Researchers should focus not only on the students 'interest in and ability to use the Social Networking Websites, but also lecturers' attitude to the new opportunities. Therefore, exhaustive empirical researches are necessary, seeking to maximally use the SNW providing possibilities for educational purposes.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-6</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">A CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH TO INTEGRATED SCIENCE EDUCATION: TEACHING PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS TO DO SCIENCE</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">constructivist approach</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">integrated teaching</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">pre-service science teachers</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">school teachers</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2012</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">April/2012</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1409839749.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">41</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Learner-centered approaches to teaching and schooling require supportive policies for preparing effective educators. Moving from constructivist philosophy, psychology and epistemology to the characterization of constructivist teaching and learning environments presents a challenge. Constructivist philosophy does not dictate how one should teach; however, it does make it incumbent upon the teacher to deal with each learner as an individual, to value diversity of perspective, and to recognize that the learner's behavior is a direct reflection of his / her life experiences. Bandura (1977, 1986, 1995, 1997), Fullan (1993), and other self-efficacy researchers have concluded that the catalyst for educational reform is the individual teacher and that a teacher's behaviors, values, beliefs, and ambition to act may be enhanced or suppressed during student teaching.
 The competence of natural sciences teachers should be perceived as a system every component of which is fundamental. Natural science literacy is a core that is basically acquired in comprehensive school (natural science education as a component of general education). An appropriate natural science qualification and the level of competence are obtained in higher school. A decisive moment is a permanent improvement of competence during practical activities of the teacher.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-9</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Violeta  Šlekienė</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Renata Bilbokaitė</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Loreta  Ragulienė</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">DIGITAL TEACHING AND LEARNING CONTENT IN NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">digital content</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">qualitative analysis</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">teaching and learning</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2012</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">December/2012</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1419345741.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">50</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Teaching/learning technologies in comprehensive schools are rapidly changing. Increasing amount of information, growing pupils’ learning load raises the need to search for new, more effective teaching/learning methods. For a long time it has been thought, that it is an object of classical pedagogy and further research works are not urgent. However, in the process of rapid development of ICT, traditional pedagogy conception also inevitably changes. So-called “classical pedagogy” shifts to “online pedagogy”. An adjacent educational trend - a &quot;shift from teaching to learning&quot; is also related with this shift. 
 New computer aids for increasing lesson content interactivity are being created in Lithuanian context. In the cooperation of a publishing house, teachers and scientists, a computer aid for the 5th-6th formers‘ biology lessons, was created. Therefore, a complex pedagogical evaluation research was carried out between January and April, 2011. 20 teachers participated in the digital content testing, who totally gave 577 lessons. In the lessons a) an interactive board (IL) was used, and a lesson content was prepared by Power Point (PPT) slide show or Active Inspire (AcIns) programme; b) projector (S), and a lesson content - by PPT or AcIns. The results, obtained on the basis of qualitative analysis, are presented in this article. It is thought, that the results of this research would contribute to implementation of computer technologies in other countries as well. Research results show, that digital teaching/learning content together with arranged lesson scenarios for the realization of the latter is undoubtedly, an innovative phenomenon in the educational practice. 
 It is necessary to assess the context of the country, to accomplish representative evaluations in the population of Lithuanian students and teachers.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">46-55</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">INFORMATION &amp; COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY PENETRATION INTO EDUCATION: SOME THOUGHTS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational needs</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ICT</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">penetration of technologies</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2012</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">December/2012</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1419345484.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">50</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Over the last decade the spread of information communication technologies has been growing very rapidly both in quantitative and qualitative meaning. Not only new, innovative technologies, but also various people communication forms based on these technologies have appeared. Here, it is spoken about so-called social networking websites. Their rapid development raises certain anxiousness as well. Education, as one of society life spheres, can’t stay apart. The penetration of technologies in education is very great. The number of computers and computer technologies is expanding not only in educational offices, but also in the environment of every of us: homes, working places and so on. The youth is a very receptive group of society in this respect, seeking to try the newest technologies as quickly as possible.
 Technological educators were not the centre of attention, are not and don’t have to be. The centre of attention is a man and his universal education – preparation to be a Man.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-6</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES: NEW EDUCATIONAL SPACE</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education science</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">information communication technologies</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">social networking websites</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2012</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">February/2012</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1408437002.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">39</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Over the latter decade the spread of information communication technologies was going on in various directions. Technological possibilities grew up very significantly (Lamanauskas, 2011). Especially rapid was the development of the internet and technologies related with it. A lot of internet service providers occurred in the market, their number still continues to grow.
 Thus, today a consumer can create his profile on the internet, can make friends, communicate in the interest groups and so on. It can be stated, that every human being in his own way contributes to the internet and at the same time to ICT development, in general. It is obvious, that together with technological problems arise social internet problems as well. Social networking websites (SNW) are closely related with economical, psychological, educational, valeological and other aspects.
 Thus, can social networks carry out effectively educational function? Can they become a proper professional development instrument? We can formulate a lot of questions. The phenomenon of social networking websites is new and complicated, rapidly changing.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-7</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Violeta  Šlekienė</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Loreta  Ragulienė</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">USAGE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES: LITHUANIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ POSITION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">social networking websites</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">university students</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2012</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">July/2012</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1413727373.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">45</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Over the latter decade a rapid development of information communication technologies has been going on in various directions. Technological possibilities have increased very significantly (Lamanauskas, 2011). The development of internet and technologies related with it has been extremely fast. A lot of internet service providers have appeared in the market, their number still continues to grow. The internet connection methods are changing - from the ordinary usage of phone line modems (dial - up) to broadband internet technology (DSL) and cable TV internet nets. It can be asserted, that over the mentioned period Web 1.0 internet (static, used for getting information) has been changed to Web 2.0 internet (social). The internet diaries, social portals, technologies allowing live communication on the internet (Internet Relay Chat, IRC), talk programme Windows Live Messenger (MSN), ICQ forums and other have occurred and are spreading. With the appearance of “Skype”, the internet telephony has acquired a qualitatively new characteristic and practically has become a daily routine. Thus, today a consumer can create his profile on the internet, can make friends, communicate in the interest groups and so on. It can be stated, that every human being contributes in his own way to the internet and at the same time to ICT development, in general. It is obvious, that together with technological problems also arise social internet problems. Social networking websites are closely related with economical, psychological, educational, paleological and other aspects. There is a shortage of researches grounding socio-educational social network aspects. It is important to know not only how much time the consumers spend surfing the net, but how much of this time is allotted for communicating in social networking websites, which of them are the most popular and why, how the respondents evaluate social networking website functions, what in general they know about them, what advantages, disadvantages and threats they discern. Finally, it is important to find out whether the usage of social networking websites improves information – communication abilities in some way.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">27-39</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Violeta  Šlekienė</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Loreta  Ragulienė</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Renata Bilbokaitė</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">DIGITAL TEACHING AND LEARNING CONTENT IN NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION: EDUCATIONAL USEFULNESS EVALUATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">digital content</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">factor analysis</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">pedagogical evaluation</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">December/2011</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1408435877.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">37</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">In recent years teaching and learning problems acquire qualitatively new characteristics. It has been thought for a long time that it is an object of classical pedagogy and further research works are not urgent. However, in the process of rapid development of ICT, traditional pedagogy conception also inevitably changes. So-called “classical pedagogy” shifts to “online pedagogy”. An adjacent educational trend - a &quot;shift from teaching to learning&quot; is also related with this shift. Thus, on the one hand, ICT is changing very rapidly, new technologies (not necessarily in a proper educational sense) are penetrating into educational practice. On the other hand, under a great influence of ICT, interrelation mechanisms between teachers and pupils change, also, change educational activities and their characteristics. Thus, a need rises to inevitably observe the current situation, to analyse it and to present adequate educational decisions.
 Therefore, a complex pedagogical evaluation research was carried out between January and April, 2011. 20 teachers participated in the digital content testing, who totally gave 577 lessons. In the lessons a) an interactive board (IL) was used, and a lesson content was prepared by Power Point (PPT) slide show or Active Inspire (AcIns) programme; b) projector (S), and a lesson content - by PPT or AcIns. 
 It can be basically asserted, that digital teaching/learning content is a perspective way searching to improve education process.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">70-82</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THE EVALUATION STRATEGIES OF INTEGRATED SCIENCE TEACHING AND LEARNING</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">evaluation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">models of evaluation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science teaching</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">July/2011</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1406539867.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">31</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">In educational literature we can find different definitions on evaluation. Evaluation is the pay-off of description – it is the synthesis of descriptive information and criterial information according to very strict and difficult rules (Scriven, 1975). Evaluation can be characterised as the process by which people make judgements about value and worth; evaluation is the process by which people make value judgements about things (Oliver, 2000).
 It is obvious that evaluation is a delicate and sensitive task. On the other hand, it is not a simple and obvious process. Usually evaluation has its formal and informal sides. 
 The main questions are:
• what is to be evaluated?
• when and why evaluate?
• how to evaluate?
• whether the process of evaluation is fair and objective?
 For an evaluation of process of science teaching and learning there are different strategy and ways. The main questions are: what is to be evaluated? when and why evaluate? how to evaluate? It is clear that for science teaching success one of the most important resources is feedback from students (Lamanauskas, Vilkonienė, 2008). Teachers can evaluate a whole science course, analyse students’ learning needs, and investigate students’ experiences of teaching. Evaluation should be correlated both with the purposes and to specific educational situations. Also it is very important to strengthen teachers` and students` motivation when evaluating. There are multiple methods for collecting data on science teaching effectiveness. Also it is clear that a key to effective teaching evaluation is to collect data from multiple sources (triangulation).</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-6</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">FOSTERING RESPECT FOR LIFE IN PRIMARY SCHOOL</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">primary school</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">respect for life</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">May/2011</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1405178268.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">29</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The respect for life educational process is extremely important for primary school. Psychologists assert that exactly the early school age strongly requires fostering the feelings of love, sensitiveness and help as the period is important for the mastering and establishing certain standards of behaviour. This is the key for the explanation of the different aspects of the teenager‘s behaviour in nature. If the teenager ravages nature, it means that parents, teachers and other educators have not paid enough attention to that age range when a certain standard of behaviour developed on the basis of some habit (Dzenuskaite, 1975).
 The empiric observations, statistic data and other sources of information confirm that we are experiencing a general decline of moral culture that comes along with increased human immorality, expressed by aggressiveness, cruelty, violence, roughness. These humiliating forms of disrespect are extremely characteristic for the present generation, even for teenagers. It could not be denied that fostering respect for life becomes an overall and highly relevant task for our society.
 An important point is to set out the conditions for the child to correlate with nature and on that basis to foster moral and aesthetic feelings in the junior school age. Presumably nobody could deny that fostering respect for life becomes a universally accepted and relevant objective of our society. It could responsibly be contended that society must reconsider its principles of the correlation with nature. 
 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-6</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">HUMANISATION OF NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION AS A PROBLEM</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">humanistic philosophy</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">humanization of the educational process</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">natural science education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">perception of nature</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">December/2011</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://journals.indexcopernicus.com/abstract.php?icid=971782</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">38</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The present humankind has to solve a number of serious problems. Under the threat of the ecology catastrophe, concern for physical and spiritual health care is felt. All our relations with nature turn out to be problematic. The establishment of a harmonious correlation between nature and society becomes an important task. We cannot exclusively rely on knowledge and mind in any activity as these are not overall dimensions. Enforcement of humanism, democracy and being a good citizen - these are common everyday issues in our schools today. The goal of the education reform is to make a school the place for creating a personality and not only the place to pump with knowledge.
Yet human being perceives aesthetical, ethical or other values only when exceptionally subtly minded. The perception of nature as a value is primarily delimited the material interests. Aesthetical values are versatile and serve everyone. Perceiving and cherishing ethical values and moreover, following them is a more difficult task. A human educational process is a marvellous one as it is able to point out the subtle features of human mind and soul. From this standpoint, natural sciences teaching at school are very auspicious. In this case, the humanization of natural science education can be understood as an undivided action of the basic education principles in the training process. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-7</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THE ”McDONALD‘S-IZATION“ OF EDUCATION: SEARCH FOR FAST RESULTS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educated person</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education system</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">international competition</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">university education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">October/2011</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1406611709.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">34</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The pace of life forces us in getting everything quickly and preferably for free, i.e. the faster – the better. No matter that fast food from McDonald’s simply kills the human organism. The crucial point is that the action itself is fast and cheap. However, I see no sense in discussing the topic of junk food. A better idea is the transformation of the above introduced term into the field of education and debates on “appetite” for learning rather than for fast food. Thus, what are the shown indications? First, it should be noticed that when considering the phenomenon of “fast” training, education fails to retain its purpose, and therefore the systems of comprehensive and higher education appear to be just a blur (Lamanauskas, 2011).
Thus, the international community accepts the idea that more or less the current society is not ready for challenges posed by the 21st century. The activity of being awarded “a rapid” diploma guarantees neither individual nor social progress. The universities supporting the concept of producing similar certificates take a position of self-defeating institutions.
Hence, education is not a game, and universities are not “the playgrounds full of toys”. However, an impression that the number of such “playgrounds” increases along with a growth in the amount of “players” is formed. We can be taught by others; however, education is our personal business. Finally, an educated person who is acclaimed to be a self-determined, independent and strong-minded man the qualities of whose must be inherited by the nation as a whole is our primary goal. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THE SCIENCE EDUCATION TOOLS AND WAYS OF PRODUCING THEM IN THE COOPERATION PROCESS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational process</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science knowledge</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">May/2011</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1405179519.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">30</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The content of natural science education gives a chance to the dynamics and structure of the educational process. However, the adaptation of natural science knowledge system depends on both the teacher (choosing and applying teaching methods and forms, etc.) and the pupil (the methods of learning, motivation, general abilities). The diversity of teaching and learning content, forms and methods, activities are typical of natural science education. All that makes the educational process effective: develop intellectual knowledge and skills, set out conditions for intense pupils’ activities, shape thinking, foster aesthetic feelings, etc.
 There are different strategies and methods for teaching science. Also there are many different ways in which science teachers can effectively teach students. The problem consists in that how to choose the most effective methods and strategy in each concrete situation. It is obvious, that the information itself is known as the content; how that content is shared in a classroom is dependent on the teaching methods. For example, lecture is a way of providing students with basic knowledge. On the other hand it is well known that lecture has the least impact on students as well as the lowest level of student involvement. It is not so good from point of view of constructivistic teaching. The one of the main points of constructivistic approach is to increase the level of impact and involvement for students. It is clear that reflective inquiry has the highest level of student involvement. On the other hand, reflective inquiry offers opportunities for students to use knowledge in a productive and meaningful way. It is important to notice that teachers should recognize from their practice that inquiry-oriented approach brings deeper understanding, better results of students and their higher motivation and interest to study science (Nezvalova, 2011). Different methods can be effectively used in science teaching: lecture, reading information, audio-visual presentation, demonstration, observation, field trips, interviewing, brainstorming, small group discussions, experimenting, problem-solving activities etc.  
 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SOME ASPECTS OF NATURAL SCIENCE LITERACY AND COMPETENCE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">holistic concept</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">primary school</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">primary school teachers</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">scientific literacy</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">December/2011</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1408434804.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">36</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Natural science competence of primary school teachers is one of the constituent parts of general professional competence. It is obvious that the students, would-be teachers (future teachers) of primary school, should receive considerably high education in the field of natural science education in the process of studies. Working primary school teachers should also develop their professional competence.
 One of the most significant types of competence is supposed to be the one of primary natural science. The other types of competence (pedagogic, professional, objective, social, methodic, business, etc.) seem to be also consequential. However, the process of studies, as a rule, devotes much attention to the pedagogic-psychologic issues. The primary school teachers teach all subjects, and therefore their training is complex, specific and requires a carefully considered strategy. Primary school teacher training experience in Lithuania allows to state that natural science competence is minimum developed as it is not given enough attention. Similar problems can be noticed in other countries.
A holistic concept (Holism is an attitude that requires to perceive a phenomenon as a particular single wholeness that is not equal to the total amount of its constituents; it is the evolution theory declaring that the unknowable wholeness of the world determines its creative evolution) of natural phenomena is supposed to be highly important to primary natural science competence of the teacher. Finally, it is important to stress that natural science teaching in primary school be powerful and purposeful. It is obligatory to avoid the marginalization of natural science education (teaching and learning) at the primary school level. Natural science education in primary schools, by contrast, must be consistent and efficient, because it is the basis for deeper study of the natural sciences in secondary and higher education.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-9</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SOME FEATURES ABOUT THE ISSUE OF FALSIFIED EDUCATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education quality</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">falsified education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">transparency</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">July/2011</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1406541275.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">32</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The phenomenon of falsification is becoming more and more interesting and relevant. This phenomenon is related to all educational areas. Such important areas as quality of education, management and funding of education, recognition of qualifications etc. are often susceptible to falsification. 
 Recently, careful attention is paid to the questions of education quality. The systems of quality management are created, services are certified etc. However, along the process of modernization the degradation of education is taking place. Falsification hints are accepted as evidences of degrading education. At present, the problem occurs due to actual insufficient data on the conception of the degradation of education and the actuality of the latter phenomenon in the Lithuanian education system.
From the teachers’ point of view, the conception of falsification can be expressed through distortions in national education policy and bureaucracy. The main factors determining the falsified education are corruption in Government institutions, opaque competition between educational establishments, falsified documentation and ineffective teachers and executives’ attestation. The main factors determining the insufficient quality of education are the wrong use of money, inconsistent educational curricula, complexity of educational content, ineffective evaluation system and too many students at school and in the classroom etc. (Lamanauskas, Aleknaitė, 2008).
Obviously, the problem field of falsified education is rather wide. So, there is the need for open and thorough debate on this issue. Openness and transparency are two crucial keys in this problem solving. Thus, while proceeding with changes in education, publicity and discussions involving the whole society in this process are necessary. On the other hand, education structures are not flexible enough and fail to conform to fragmental changes. Coherent motivated reorganization based on scientific research is needed.  
 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">TEN THESES ON MODERN NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">natural science education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">natural science literacy</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">August/2011</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1406575826.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">33</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Despite of the fact that natural science education questions are constantly discussed, it is necessary to give much more real attention to this area. It is obvious that the spectrum of the topics of natural science education is too wide and one short article should not manage to cover all burning questions. The author has not raised a task to „exhaustively discuss“ the problems of natural science education. The author held the view that it is important to draw attention to some key moments.
The mentioned ten thesis correlate with natural science literacy in one way or another. It is clear that poor attention is paid to natural science education till now. Public natural science literacy is low. In the 21st century, every person encounters pressing problems of environment pollution, nature devastation, health, etc. New socio-ecologic issues become pronounced (for example, air ionization in the room determined by computers). 21st century is the one of technologies, genetics and information. We will be made to live a different life. The present situation is stressful, for example, overwork with computers, TV and other technologies determine a headache, sight problems, claustrophobia, etc. The man has a majestic and powerful mind but often is full of evil spirit. He has a wish and possibility of making. However, he successfully destroys the creation. The scientists have expressed a serious concern over nature. Therefore, natural science education is not the only subject of discussions today. It is more frequently examined in a very broad context which is natural science – technological – noosspheric education. The professionals of natural science education accept personal responsibility for the creation and extension of natural science education which is supposed to be a primary duty and obligation. Consequently, training of the comprehensive school teachers of natural sciences and the permanent development of natural science competence are very important features from this point of view. School cannot effectively work without the teachers and education managers of suitable qualification. Generally speaking, natural science education is an integral part of general education and educatedness. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">TRADITIONAL AND CONSTRUCTIVE NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION PARALLELS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">constructivist education approach</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">natural science education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">teaching activity</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">April/2011</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://journals.indexcopernicus.com/abstract.php?icid=939893</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">28</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">In recent years attention to natural science education is not decreasing. In various information sources we can find a constantly expressed position that natural science – technological literacy of young generation is not only insufficient but also very often inadequate to the time requirements. We can claim with confidence, that the whole last decade (2000-2010) in one way or another was devoted to the discussion of the mentioned problem in various aspects. What is really important today and especially in perspective?
 Thus, we can claim, that constructivist approach teaching natural science subjects is not the only one that is true. It is necessary to search for clear complex, mixed approaches based on systemic thinking and activity. From this point of view, applying of different strategies in teaching activity is an important and desirable thing. However, only good wishes aren’t enough for this. Broadly speaking, a suitable educational environment is necessary; secure working conditions have to be created for teachers and so on. After all, every educational situation is unique. Teacher’s professional skills become a cornerstone and integrating element of the whole educational process.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-7</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">DISAGREEMENTS AND PARADOXES OF EDUCATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational process</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">schooling system</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">system of education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2010</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">April/2010</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1400133907.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">20</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Why the 21st century scholars start raising their voices while facing troubles and difficulties in the field of education. To identify the situation, it is worth having a closer look at the present schooling system. Post-modern life and education more and more frequently are coming into force. Superficiality becomes a common phenomenon. Only available regularly used and easily with no effort achieved attractive things are greatly appreciated. What is more, only minimal efforts are taken to gain a broader educational background. Quite a few countries display similar tendencies. On the other hand, education is frequently treated as a product or a kind of service. The laws of the wild market fail to get round this area of life. The chosen life style (including education) rather than the meaning of life and education itself often play a crucial role.�
 There is no need to be an expert perfectly knowing matters of education to find out not everything works in the system of education. Also, it seems to be clear that the evaluation of those working in the ‘fields’ of education cannot be rejected. I suppose the latter are not the majority as more and more frequently ‘strangers’ gain access to the education system. Discussions with the representatives of other countries have revealed that those currently studying educational subjects at universities usually fail to understand what the school is and what role they are going to play in this institution. The most important point is studying and receiving a diploma. Modern education encounters a large number of different problems the answers to which can be hardly found.�
 Disagreement between an objective need for a continuous improvement on educational content (is there anyone who will dare to say it is needless) and a traditional pedagogical requirement for ensuring the stability of educational content is another field of the initiated discussion. A try at improving things is closely related with the extensive development of education, for example, more and more alternative course books and information sources for learners are prepared which disintegrates the content of education. Disagreement between the increased abstractness of education influenced by growing theoretical knowledge and the necessity of improving practical learners’ training should be mentioned. An opinion that the process of learner/student training is too much theoretically supported can be frequently heard. In this case, a huge number of reasons could be suggested.
 Life and education with no problems is a hardly acceptable idea. However, a wish to stay at a distance in order not to face the existing problems is one of most awful disasters presently seen in the education system. It might be money can solve all problems as according to Marx, ‘They have by no means merely one mode of affirmation, but rather that the distinct character of their existence, of their life, is constituted by the distinct mode of their affirmation. In what manner the object exists for them, is the characteristic mode of their gratification. Wherever the sensuous affirmation is the direct annulment of the object in its independent form (as in eating, drinking, working up of the object, etc.), this is the affirmation of the object... By possessing the property of buying everything, by possessing the property of appropriating all objects, money is thus the object of eminent possession. The universality of its property is the omnipotence of its being. It is therefore regarded as an omnipotent being. Money is the procurer between man’s need and the object, between his life and his means of life...’ (The Power of Money, Marx, 1844) I strongly reject this idea. The problems of education cannot be solved only on financial grounds. Everyone figures out that vast and broad knowledge as well as full understanding are required to overcome the encountered problem. Education is not a stable system made of insecure and poorly defined components. To find it more reliable, it must contain excess supply, i.e. guided by the principle of redundancy. More investments in education are necessary so that to expect at least minimal results and it makes no account that this idea passes over the presently prevailing liberal economic logics. 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-9</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THE DOCTRINE OF DEGRADED EDUCATION: BETWEEN MYTHS AND REALITY</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">criticism of education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">degraded education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education falsification</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2010</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">July/2010</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/search/article?articleId=2594588</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">23</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The title of the article does not promise a positive attitude towards education. The reader can feel impressed that the only purpose of the author is the criticism of education with no positive points. However, this is a wrong position as any vivid detail can be clearly noticed. On the other hand, both positive and negative sides need to be considered and in this case, improvement and modernization are not the only ways. A steady increase in welfare is a myth, thus there is no need to discuss which area of life looks is described. When mentioning progress in education and modernization, we must face the other side of the road full of phenomena of degraded education which is not new in Lithuania. The last decade has generated discussions on this issue at different levels, although this is unfashionable and finally useless from different points of view. The most pressing problem is that the concept of degraded education has not been accepted as reality up to now. Therefore, the above introduced points should be plausibly argued.�
 None of us are Alpha and Omega and thus cannot claim to any ultimate truth and wisdom. Some empathically say that education should solely operate on market conditions (liberal approach), whereas others argue that education should remain the exclusive property state (conservative approach). Both ‘camps’ fail to find a consensus. It seems to be unlikely that education can be developed on the basis of market mechanisms. In this case, education cannot respond to the great expectations of a certain nation, particularly a small one. On the other hand, education cannot be ‘simply dropped’ in the shell of conservatism. How to find the right balance? In any case, we cannot stay away and allow the devils ‘drowned’ positive things. We need to carry on discussing the faced problems. Though the battle between good and evil has been taking place for ages, today, the balance is clearly violated. Famous French philosopher Jean Antoine Condorcet declared that ‘there are two key causes of social turbulence – state / existence inequality band educational inequality’. Thus, save our careful, responsible and public character. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ECOLOGIZATION OF THE WORLD OUTLOOK AS THE KEY PURPOSE OF EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ecologic consciousness</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ecologization of the world outlook</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">environment protection</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2010</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">November/2010</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/search/article?articleId=2594254</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">26</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">It is obvious that the educational model to the XXI century is oriented at goals of Sustainable Development. This topic is becoming very trendy and urgent in and outside Lithuania. Recent correlation with nature carries a problematic character. D.Birnbacher proposes that “bearing in mind the increased people’s possibilities to influence the future of humankind and other conscious beings, responsibility for the future generations… is an incontrovertible duty” (Birnbacher, 1980). None of the environment protection laws could tackle problems of ecology as a huge part of a contemporary society produces a primitive ecologic culture and very often is completely illiterate. Therefore, the tasks of primary ecology education are to foster ecologic pupils’ culture and raise their ecologic consciousness because the past and present life offers a great number of lessons in ecology including ecology catastrophes, anthropogenesis impact on nature (20th century), etc. Moral responsibility for natural (environment) preservation is relevant as never before today. Hence, the ecologization of the world outlook of society is also crucial.
 The achievements of natural sciences are striking today. The Universe, stars, planets, substances and their structure (mega and micro world) are the objects of research. On the one part, everything is brilliant but on the other part, the man and created technologies behave cruelly and remorsefully towards both nature and human being. The inward world is getting poor, the needs of consumerism have grown into compulsion of spoliation (a pragmatic correlation with nature). The youth‘s behaviour changes. They frequently kill and torture animals, act aggressively and sadistically. We simply cannot live and think that apres moi le deluge. We must save the Earth which is our unique shelter for the future generations. Thus, we have to foster respect for everything around us since early childhood. Generally speaking, the ecologization of the world outlook is the key purpose of educational practice today. And finally – the ecologization of all education demands more attention in the 21st century. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ECOLOGY EDUCATION AS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF PRIMARY NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION: SOME RELEVANT ISSUES</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ecology culture</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ecology education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">environmental protection</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2010</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">June/2010</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1400135375.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">21</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">A contemporary environment solves highly relevant issues of environmental protection, natural usage, ecology, etc. In order to overcome all serious obstacles, it all requires our new approach and efforts of the experts’ of different fields. The global matters are our general concern. This is ipso facto because none of the problems is isolated. Most of them are mixed, versatilely determined and originally undivided. Thus, the process of the correlation awareness is rather complex and hardly achievable. The decision is possible only if the points are thoroughly examined in a close correlation. On the other side, the mentioned issues cannot be the only scientists’ concern. This is a business of the whole society and school as “the scale of human activity started reaching the elemental natural processes. The ideal of partnership between nature and human being changed when the latter has become the lord of nature in reality... The ecology era is considered to have been started because neither science nor practice can dispose of ecology problems. The bearing between human being and biosphere is a relevant question for both sides: to be or not to be?” (Minkevičius, 1987). These arguments have to comprehensively be discussed by secondary school pupils. Natural science education, obviously, must solidify the ecology world outlook. Prof. J.Vaitkevičius thinks that one-sided, wrong way of natural science education, the insufficient perception of the phenomenon of nature and human being anticipates the social cataclysms of humankind. Therefore, “the goal of nature comprehension is the development of children’s abilities to aware a natural world and to communicate with it” (The General curricula, 1997). On the other side, it seems to be not enough. A wider point of view would have been helpful. The knowledge of ecology allows us to partially foresee the outcomes of our actions (Pleijelis, 1994). The formulation of a complex concept is acclaimed to be important, i.e. when nature is understood as a cultural value and a tangible property.�
 Ecology education is a permanent process, thus it has to coherently take place in all forms of comprehensive school. Every age range is useful for ecology education. Therefore, we cannot think that if something has been lost in primary school, we will have a chance improve. Full attention should be turned to primary school pupils as they receive propaedeutic, systemized and integral knowledge about nature which is the basis for the adaptation of information and attitudes (for example, environment protection) as well as for humanistic, aesthetic and cognitive motivation. Knowledge (information) about ecology could effectively be implemented only if suitable material facilities of training existed. Primary ecology education is a coexisting part of an immediate interest in nature, fauna and flora care, inhabited locality protection, responsibility for the results of human activity in nature. The sampling, adaptation and implementation of the content of ecology education using particular means (material facilities) are the foremost stages of integration. It could be justly maintained that  ecology is an integral component of primary natural science education. 
The major result of ecology education is individual ecology education that includes cognitive (systemic knowledge), valuable (understanding of values, the models of behaviour in nature etc., a concept of respect to nature), and practice (practical environment protection work, participation in various actions, etc.) fields.�
 Most of the teachers are looking for the so called non-traditional methods as they consider that the existing patterns are very traditional, and therefore are little effective. Basically, it is a wrong attitude because the essence is not the methods or forms that are used. The most important points are the focus, priorities, directions (objective, value, normative, etc.), objectives, tasks and content that we choose. A frequent search for the assumed “innovations” is not effective and even useless in the whole educational process. In this case, the teacher’s attitude and competence in the ecology education field is a fundamental feature. Last of all, fragmentary ecology education is also useless and poorly effective. Ecology education should be coherent and fragmentary in primary school. Individual planning of ecology education for the whole four-year period, the teacher’s disposition to broaden experience and raise qualification in the field, community and parents’ involvement into the activity of ecology education helps to reach the objective. Yasvin and Deriabo (1996) seem to be right that a particular system of ecology education rather than the experts of environment protection will overcome the ecology crisis in our planet. In a broad sense, it must be noticed that the previous ecology-environment protection education is extremely important. On the contrary, the opponents uphold the idea that ecology education is hardly possible in the preschool and primary school period. In fact, an early school age is supposed to be a positive feature of ecology education. Therefore, we cannot refuse the period of individual ontogenesis as it is relevant for effective ecology education. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-11</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Violeta  Šlekienė</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Loreta  Ragulienė</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">EXPERIENCE OF THE FOURTH-YEAR UNDERGRADUATES IN USING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT)</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">fourth-year undergraduates</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">process of studies survey</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2010</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">July/2010</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/search/article?articleId=2594598</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">23</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">It is accepted that ICT makes the process of teaching/learning more effective and beneficial whereas the education system starts functioning faster. The development of ICT and the process of globalization determine alteration in the education system as well as in the whole society. The implementation of new technologies in the educational process raises new possibilities for both teacher and learner, enhances education quality and makes the educational process more versatile.
 A crucial point is that employing ICT must be highly efficient in the process of training would-be teachers of sciences. The students graduated from comprehensive or upper secondary (gymnasium) schools have a broad knowledge of mastering ICT the major part of which are PCs, palmtop computers, mobile phones, different kinds of audio, video and digital players etc. In this case, we encounter a problem of how to properly develop the acquired abilities in the further process of studying.
 Thus, the object of our research is the ability of the fourth-year undergraduates to use information and communication technologies. The aim of research is to gain information concerning the fourth-year students’ opinion on the application of ICT in the process of studies. The research A Student and Information and Communication Technologies was conducted in January – March, 2010. Research sample consisted of 322 respondents who were 4th year university students. To analyze research data, the measures of descriptive statistics (absolute and relative frequencies, popularity/usefulness/necessity indexes) have been applied.
 The surveyed fourth-year undergraduates have almost unlimited possibilities of using a computer, mobile phone, the Internet and an electronic data storage device - USB flash drive. The students almost daily use the basic functions of the mobile phone (writing SMS, calling). However, calling to other people using a mobile phone and sending SMS are a more frequent occupation of females as male students are tend to search for information on the Internet and send and receive e-mails. Considering all aspects of using information and communication technologies among the surveyed fourth-year students that graduated from city or regional schools, no statistically significant deviation has been noticed. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">124-136</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">INTEGRATED SCIENCE EDUCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CONSTRUCTIVISM THEORY: SOME IMPORTANT ISSUES</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">constructivistic approach</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">context of constructivism</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">integrated teaching</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2010</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">November/2010</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://journals.indexcopernicus.com/abstract.php?icid=924376</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">25</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">It is obvious that many scientists nowadays speak about constructivistic approach in education. This topic is becoming very trendy. Is it correct to focus our attention only to the study of this topic? This is a really complicated issue. There are quite a large variety of opinions, as well as controversial. First of all it is obligatory to perceive the idea of integrated science education in the context of constructivism as a theory of learning. Secondly, it is important to understand and name the specificities of integrated science education implemented following the principles of constructivistic teaching/learning. Thirdly, it is necessary to be able to predict the possibilities of integrating the content of different subjects of science related to the specificities of students at different age stage as well as to material and human resources (Lamanauskas, Vilkonienė, 2008). Generally speaking previous studies implied that the development of a constructivist-learning environment could contribute positively to changing student attitudes toward science learning (Oh, Yager, 2004). However, we can not make an one-sided evaluation. Who can deny that the traditional teaching and learning is wrong? </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-9</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS „ARISE“ AND „IQST“ FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF SCIENCE TEACHING</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">augmented reality</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">natural science education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">teacher training</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2010</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">June/2010</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1400514560.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">22</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">An international cooperation is undoubtedly an important issue. Science is science and it has an international character. Moreover, such cooperation is crucially important for scientists from former Soviet Union countries, because they had no possibility to communicate with colleagues from abroad or such cooperation was strongly limited. It is obvious if we want to obtain the necessary scientific information about different things, to enlarge technological possibilities of societies and so on, generally speaking, to make our world more safe and better, international cooperation among scientists is essential. Only all together we will be able to meet a broad range of global challenges today and tommorow.
 It is obvious that all projects are different. For example, large-scale scientific projects are very different to standard scale projects, which can be characterised mainly in four aspects: budget, human resources, time scale, productivity. The projects usually comprises experts from different areas of science and education. Another argument is that the globalization is becoming an international trend making countries open their doors, integrate and participate further in international co-operation activities. Generally speaking, we should recognize the importance of projects to education success. Projects generally are doing something new, innovative and this is very important. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-7</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Renata Bilbokaitė</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Irina Zhikina</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Inna Portjanskaya</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">LITHUANIAN AND ESTONIAN STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS SCIENCE TEACHING/LEARNING METHODS: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">learning process</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2010</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">October/2010</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/search/article?articleId=2594537</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">24</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">A number of the latest investigations specify the necessity of improving science education at all levels of the education system. A decreasing interest in sciences is one of the most acute problems of present education. The purpose of this research is to analyse how students evaluate the current situation on using different teaching/learning methods and means in the process of science education. Research was carried out in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia (Lamanauskas, Vilkonis, 2008). This article presents more exhaustive research results, which were obtained after carrying out comparative analysis between the respondents of two countries – Lithuania and Estonia. It is very important to compare the evaluation, attitudes of the students belonging to the same region country, because earlier carried out researches show that in spite of common natural science education tendencies, rather significant differences exist between countries. It is believable, that they are predetermined by various educational approaches, teachers’ competence and other different reasons. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">66-74</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Renata Bilbokaitė</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Janis  Gedrovics</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">LITHUANIAN AND LATVIAN STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS SCIENCE TEACHING/LEARNING METHODS: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">learning process</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2010</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">March/2010</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1399917272.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">19</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">A number of the latest investigations specify the necessity of improving science education at all levels of the education system. A decreasing interest in sciences is one of the most acute problems of present education. The purpose of this research is to analyse how students evaluate the current situation on using different teaching/learning methods and means in the process of science education. Research was carried out in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia (Lamanauskas, Vilkonis, 2008). This article presents more exhaustive research results, which were obtained after carrying out comparative analysis between the respondents of two countries – Lithuania and Latvia. It is very important to compare the evaluation, attitudes of the students belonging to the same region country, because earlier carried out researches show that in spite of common natural science education tendencies, rather significant differences exist between countries. It is believable, that they are predetermined by various educational approaches, teachers’ competence and other different reasons. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">55-62</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Violeta  Šlekienė</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Loreta  Ragulienė</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">LITHUANIAN STUDENTS` EXPERIENCES WITH TECHNOLOGY: SOME IMPORTANT ISSUES</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">first year students</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">information communication technologies</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2010</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">June/2010</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1400515635.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">22</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The role of ICT in education in whole and particularly in science education is very important topic. It is worth emphasizing that in recent years, a general degree of integrating ICT in the process of teaching has increased in Lithuania as well as in other countries. It is accepted that ICT makes the process of teaching/learning more effective and beneficial whereas the education system starts functioning faster. The development of ICT and the process of globalization determine alteration in the education system as well as in the whole society. The implementation of new technologies in the educational process raises new possibilities for both teacher and learner, enhances education quality and makes the educational process more versatile. The research 'Student and Computer-Based Technologies' was conducted in January – March, 2010. Research sample consisted of 663 respondents who were 1st year university students (freshmen). To analyze research data, the measures of descriptive statistics (absolute and relative frequencies, popularity/usefulness/necessity indexes) have been applied. It has been stated, that respondents have practically unlimited opportunities to use mobile phone, computer, internet and e-data mini storage device - USB stick. Relatively new and rather expensive digital technologies are barely used. The most useful information communication technology for the first year students while studying is compute. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">64-75</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THE PECULARITIES OF THE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES OF PRIMARY NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational system</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">extracurricular activities</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2010</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">March/2010</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1399916909.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">19</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The extracurricular activities of natural science education (EANSE) is one of the most significant fields of natural science education. The field hides inside numerous opportunities of choice. Whatever advanced natural science education is – it omits the functions and do not provide the opportunities that could be offered by the EANSE. Teaching is not and cannot be limited only by classes at any stage of the educational system. Pupils gain new experience in the extracurricular activities that is very important to broadening of creativity and other properties relevant to modern life. The usage of the latest information technologies, communication and cooperation, group work, the change of ideas and a critical approach towards social reality are the greatest abilities of human being in a new century. School has to devote an exceptional attitude towards its development. Hence, the system of extracurricular activities should exhaustively be used as this is a place where schoolchildren can acquire knowledge and experience that cannot be obtained at school, i.e. different methods can be applied and the attitude that they are the users of nature as well as responsible for its evolution and protection can be fostered. It should be remembered that an affective value-based aspect is very important to the correlation with nature. It includes a need to feel concern about the environment, to communicate with nature and to feel being an integral part of it (Makarskaitė, 1995).�
 The extracurricular activities of natural science education can be defined as a part of permanent education that should guarantee the complete development of pupils’ physical, psychical and emotional power. It is an excellent opportunity for pupils to improve their natural science education with a help of different coteries, arranged camps, actions, projects, etc. 
Thus, obviously, the extracurricular activities of natural science education in primary school are an influential field of pupils’ training that is extremely useful to fostering affective value-based relations with nature, to cherishing love for nature and respect for life. In general, the majority of children of this age realize the importance and significance of activities related to nature and this is the main point of the extracurricular activities of natural science education training. Also, there are a variety of ways to create extracurricular activities in science education area at a primary school. In every moment teachers should be ready to implement extracurricular activities in real school life. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THE COMMON GOAL OF ALL EDUCATORS: HOW TO IMPROVE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ICT in education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">innovative techniques</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2009</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">November/2009</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1396706407.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">16</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Science education is an integral phenomenon that can be grasped as a whole science. Science education plays a very important role in broadening pupils` world outlook. The science classes always discuss real, concrete things and phenomena, which are a part of pupils` reality and even every day life. It is very important that natural sciences should help learners to formulate a clear concept of natural history based on the latest knowledge of the world strongly emphasizing the character of the correlation between nature and society, civilization and culture. The world is multidimensional, and therefore we must strive to acknowledge it. This is a winning goal of contemporary science education (Lamanauskas, 2003). 
Science education is playing a crucial role in both developed and developing countries. Quality-based natural science education is necessary for every human living in a modern world. Different investigations show that natural sciences have lost their previous attractiveness in the developed countries. On the contrary, the young generation of the developing countries most frequently has a positive interest in natural sciences. On the other hand, in most of the cases, natural science education in comprehensive school is not popular, inexactly corresponds to the curricula and has no relevance to the learners’ needs. The introduced situation is determined by several common and uncommon factors. The process of natural science education in comprehensive school is one of those not adequate for the present day and achievements in sciences. Such inadequacy first of all, has relation with competence of teachers of natural sciences. Insufficient competence is frequently determined by the inappropriate process of studies in universities training prospective teachers of natural sciences. 
Another main point is connected with the whole public, not only with young people, but also with adults. Public natural science education (sophistication) is a burning question. Apparently, natural science education is crucial for training the present young generation. In this case, there is no difference whether a young person will be engaged in natural sciences in the future. The increase of interest of those not involved in sciences or having a previously formed negative attitude towards the subjects is a more complicated problem to be solved. This is concern and obligation of the whole scientific pedagogical society working in the field of natural science education. 
Generally speaking, all spheres of science education are important in our modern, technologically oriented society. It is impossible to discuss all pressing questions of science education here. However, I can notice that some trends raise a lot of doubts. For example, the great majority of works are linked to motivation, interests, attitudes and so on. We can’t assert that this is not important. In fact, this is the sphere of psychology. How difficult it were to find out the reasons for low interest to science and technologies, the fallen prestige of sciences in comprehensive schools, still they are not essential things from the educational point of view. All the more, inquiry based researches give only a panoramic view of the situation, i.e. have a stated character. It is completely not clear or almost not clear what causes such a situation. The main goal of educators is to change, develop teaching-learning process using educational devices. Some last researches revealed that pupils understand the meaning of sciences and technologies to society in general, but they are not satisfied with school science. The main question till now is why? It is obvious, that we come in touch with deeper didactic problems here, for example, the content of teaching, teaching-learning methods, teacher and pupils relations, scientific research activity (the latter is a very important part of the whole science education process), at last, teaching-learning process management in general. If we concentrate only on psychological parameters (interests, motives, demands, attitudes and so on), essential didactic parameters remain outside. In other words, the essential question – effective pedagogization of the whole science and technological education process hasn’t been solved yet (it considerably deviated towards psychologization and sociologization). Researches of a stated character are not sufficient to reach this. In recent years not only in Lithuania but also in academic societies of other countries, it has generally become a norm to carry out different stated (diagnostic) researches. Very rarely researchers try their ideas and theories in practice. Simply there are no possibilities for this. Then, researchers go along the road treaded by sociologists and psychologists i.e., give questionnaires, tests to pupils, students, pedagogues, only strengthening existing educational practice by this (Bitinas, 2006). Thus, there is one more open question how to rationally change existing educational practice in the direction of development. How to achieve that educational researches were much more effective in the practical applicability of their results? As an example we can mention international ROSE (The Relevance of Science Education) research (http://www.ils.uio.no/english/rose/). Countries having participated in the research carried out exhaustive analysis of the results. Different attitude, interest, motive and other differences and similarities in the population of the 15- year old students were discovered. Without any doubt, it is important. However, these results don’t have direct influence on educational practice and on the changes of this practice, of course. On the contrary, quite often- different changes occur rather spontaneously.
 Another important thing is the role of ICT in education in general and particularly in science education. It is worth emphasizing, that in recent years, a general degree of integrating ICT in the process of teaching has increased in Lithuania as well as in other countries. The growth is characteristic not only at university level but also at other levels of the education system. It is accepted that ICT makes the process of teaching/learning more effective and beneficial whereas the education system starts functioning faster. The development of ICT and the process of globalization determine alteration in the education system as well as in the whole society. The implementation of new technologies in the educational process raises new possibilities for both teacher and learner, enhances education quality and makes the educational process more versatile.
 Therefore, *. We should devote all our efforts to stimulating youth interest in science and technologies and to reinforcing scientific-technological education at all levels. Although hardly anyone suspects that technologies are having a growing impact on our daily life, however, they still remain alienated from the major part of society members and policy makers and what is more, frequently stand outside the door of the education system. Hence, opening the door is the obligation of all of us. We should discuss and try to solve all key problems really using the ICT in everyday school activities.This is not an easy task. ICT is not as panacea for solving all educational problems. As I have already mentioned, modern ICT definitely play a crucial role in developing the teaching/learning processes at all stages and improving the quality of education. Educational advantages of ICT raise no doubts. 
One of the most important requirements for applying ICT and innovative techniques of teaching is a qualified teacher able to professionally use technologies in practice. A modern teacher must know how to employ ICT and adapt them in order to achieve specific goals of teaching. Today we can observe paradoxical situation. In the majority of cases, students` computer literacy remains higher than that of their teachers. Nevertheless, teachers` computer literacy becomes an essential professional work condition. ICT application in teaching/learning process shouldn’t be an end in itself. The essential thing is how to achieve that ICT application increased teaching effectiveness, enriched the work of teachers and pupils. Another important thing follows, that it is not enough to use only computers. It is understandable that the majority of modern ICT in one way or another are related to computers. However, not analyzing ICT classification nuances we can notice that ICT variety is necessary to guarantee teaching effectiveness. Not for one country the question arises how to find financial recourses to guarantee such variety. It is obvious, that not the quantity but the variety of technologies is this crucial factor. For example, in the schools of Great Britain active boards are almost in every classroom. “Active boards” are with the software different for primary and secondary schools; “Smart boards” are spread more in the classes and schools of junior and disabled pupils. It is obvious, that constant pedagogues’ interest in the newest ICT is necessary, on the one hand and formation of suitable conditions in schools, on the other hand. It is without doubt, that teacher’s pedagogic competence, his ability and interest to use ICT are closely related. The situation in Lithuania comparing with other European countries is not exceptional. For example, in 2006/2007 only 49% of teachers were using ICT for teaching their subject. In 2008/2009 their part increased up to 67% (Masaitis, 2009).
 On the other hand, we have different students at school. Their capabilities are so different. This means that modern teaching and learning combines different approaches. It is called “blended learning”. Generally speaking, it should be carefully considered because of possible negative outcomes of applying these technologies. Thus, the question of the negative impact of ICT is gaining more weight. It seems no answers are required. On the other hand, we are still suffering from shortage of information on different aspects having negative impact. When the answer is clear, we start feeling lack of required abilities and knowledge of how to reduce the negative impact of ICT or how to eliminate or at least minimize it. Another important issue is what the real impact of modernization on society in terms of ICT implementation is.
 Finally, some words about international cooperation. It is undoubtedly an important issue. I cannot imagine nowadays scientific research or scientific activity in general without international cooperation. Science is science and it has international character. Moreover, such cooperation is crucially important for scientists from former Soviet Union countries, because they had no possibility to communicate with colleagues from abroad or such cooperation was strongly limited. Another argument is that science education today is the most dynamic part of the science of education (Toshev, 2008). It is obvious, if we want to obtain the necessary scientific information about different things, to enlarge technological possibilities of societies and so on, generally speaking, to make our world more safe and better, international cooperation among scientists is essential. Only all together we will be able to meet a broad range of global challenges today and tomorrow. 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-7</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Violeta  Šlekienė</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Loreta  Ragulienė</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">COMPUTER-BASED TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PROCESS OF TEACHING/LEARNING SCIENCES IN COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL: SOCIO-EDUCATIONAL ASPECTS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">computer-based technologies</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">general schools</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2009</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">November/2009</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1396707347.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">16</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The role of ICT in education in whole and particularly in science education is very important topic. It is worth emphasizing that in recent years, a general degree of integrating ICT in the process of teaching has increased in Lithuania as well as in other countries. The growth is characteristic not only at university level but also at other levels of the education system. It is accepted that ICT makes the process of teaching/learning more effective and beneficial whereas the education system starts functioning faster. The development of ICT and the process of globalization determine alteration in the education system as well as in the whole society. The implementation of new technologies in the educational process raises new possibilities for both teacher and learner, enhances education quality and makes the educational process more versatile.
 On the other hand it is necessary to devote all our efforts to monitor the process of using ICT in general schools. It is necessary to conduct regularly researches of different scale for better understanding of a situation of use ICT in the teaching /learning process. 
Pilot research Student and Computer-Based Technologies was conducted in October – November, 2009. To collect the required data, an anonymous questionnaire was prepared. Research sample consisted of 211 respondents who were 1st year university students (freshmen).
 In the majority of cases, the students learn to use computer independently, whereas next comes help provided by friends and family members. It has been established that computer-based technologies are very rarely used during the lessons of other subjects. The respondents think that using computer-based technologies in the classroom during the lessons of sciences has the highest impact on cognitive abilities (knowledge acquisition, self-sufficient studies etc.).</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">66-73</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THE COOPERATION OF SCIENCE TEACHERS: SOME RELEVANT ISSUES</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">cooperation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2009</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">December/2009</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1399915559.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">18</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Nowadays a large discussion is open on the teaching/learning quality issue. It is clear that “learning is a process of construction in which the students themselves have to be the primary actors” (von Glasersfeld, 1995). By nowadays the view of the learner has changed from that of a passive recipient of knowledge to that of an active constructor of knowledge. It must be taken into account that “learning is a process of knowledge construction, not of knowledge recording or absorption” and “learning is knowledge-dependent; people use current knowledge to construct new knowledge” (Anthony, 1996). Having in mind this it is important to promote the active cooperation of science teachers in teaching process. 
Collaboration and cooperation (there are some important differences between these two terms and we prefer to use the second one) of science teachers are very important components of process of teaching and learning. It is a first step to the constructive, integrated process of teaching. Without adequate cooperation it is not possible to reach the appropriate level of integration, except for internal integration of teaching subjects at a lesson. But in that case a degree of integration is not high enough. Cooperation of science teachers is possibly at all stages of educational process. For example, such cooperation is very effective by preparation of joint teaching/learning programs (curriculum) and concrete plans of activity. Cooperation depends on many factors, for example, the psychological microclimate in collective, motivation of teachers to work better, motivations of pupils and their interest to natural sciences in general. We need teachers to go beyond traditional school science with its emphasis on “key” concepts (Eisenhart, Finkel, &amp; Marion, 1996) and focus also on the processes of learning and thinking about learning (Watters, James, Ginns, Ian, 2000).�
 Finally, I want to point out that cooperation (collaboration) among science teachers undoubtedly raises efficiency of teaching/learning process. It is a first step to the constructive, integrated process of science teaching. Without adequate cooperation it is not possible to reach the appropriate level of integration, except for internal integration of teaching subjects at a lesson. Teachers` cooperation (collaboration) in schools breaks the isolation of the classrooms. Cooperation is an important vehicle through which teachers can plan and carry out an array of services for students. One of the most promising benefits of teachers` cooperation is the increased opportunity it gives teachers to interact with one another regarding different teaching and learning issues. Specifically, teachers who cooperate are more likely to discuss with their colleagues areas of the curriculum they have difficulty teaching. The some more statements on cooperation among science teachers can be mentioned: cooperation has a direct impact on students; cooperation is becoming an essential ingredient in successful schools; cooperation is based on belief in the value of shared decision making, trust, and respect among participants; teachers cooperate only when they share a goal; teachers must make a personal choice to work cooperatively; cooperation is voluntary, not administratively mandated; each teacher participating in a cooperative effort contributes some type of resource; cooperation can only occur when it is associated with some program or activity that is based on the shared goals of the individuals involved etc. Cooperation with colleagues is helpful way for improvement of professional knowledge of science teachers. So, the need for cooperation is evident in the science education arena in both formal and non-formal situations. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-7</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">FROM QUALITY MANAGEMENT TO MANAGING QUALITY: SYSTEMIC APPROACH</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">managing quality</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality conception</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality management</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2009</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">May/2009</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1393266606.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">12</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">There have been more and more discussions going on in recent years about the quality of service provided in different level and different type of educational institutions. It is not one educational institution that characterizes quality as the most important priority of the activity. However, one thing is to characterize and declare and another is to actually strive for this quality. In other words, the priorities of educational institutions can be quite different however, it is inevitably obligatory to try to survive in the market. Quality system is one of the mechanisms helping the institution to organize and fulfill the activity so that to ensure its effective work under competitive conditions. Moreover, no institution should wait for its prestige to start diminishing on the contrary it has to do its best to guarantee successful functioning in the future. Thus, the head of every educational institution today has to care about how effectively its institution functions, what are possible ways and methods of its activity improvement. It is not enough to have practical experience and intuition to do this. Theoretical knowledge is necessary here. It is worth mentioning such a relatively new science field as Qualitology; (квалитология-Russian) which by its nature is triple. The essential parts of it are: quality theory, quality evaluation theory (kvalimetrija) and quality management theory. On the other hand, the analysis of quality management problems is impossible without systemology, management, innovation and theoretical and practical achievements in other spheres. Eventually, the most major are international quality standards ISO 9000:2000. Everything is joined here into a closely related system.
 Several aspects of education quality having been discussed obviously tell us about the importance of systemic attitude. Every educational institution, first of all, has to be able to solve problems itself, look for ways out from certain situations. And this is much more complicated than in business world. In business sphere a defective product made is simply eliminated from the system and doesn’t get to (shouldn’t get to) consumer. In education sphere it is more complicated. It is very difficult to eliminate damage, it is almost impossible. The more, that the emphasis is transferred from external quality control system into internal in other words, institution has to be able to coordinate occurring quality management questions by inner efforts. In general, it can be asserted that any attempt to improve quality means that quality system exists no matter that it is not certified. It is very difficult to implement quality management systems in educational institutions. As it is known, education systems are rather conservative and tend to resist the implementing of innovations. Most frequently they have “we know everything” attitude. Quality management system means, first of all, that processes which are carried out in certain educational institution are managed and forecasted. I would think that duty of any head of educational institution is to seek that quality conception would become a need and virtue of every institution employee. This is a constant work. Constant efforts are necessary for this. Quality management is not a single action. This is a systemic task for the implementation of which a long term, methodical and systematic work is necessary not only for achievement of a certain quality level but for its maintenance and constant improvement. 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THE IMPORTANCE OF STRENGTHENING OF NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION IN A PRIMARY SCHOOL</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">primary school</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">teaching program</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2009</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">May/2009</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392407950.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">11</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">To one who understands at least something about education it is obvious that science education in primary school is very important. Every person’s education fundament is formed here. It is understandable that children before school already have certain knowledge about nature. Pre-school children have to know about animal, plant life, should have knowledge about objects and phenomena of inanimate nature, perceive the essence and meaning of care works. Research works show that pre-school children’s knowledge about nature is not sufficiently exact and exhaustive. We should especially focus on enriching and making the knowledge about animal and plant acclimatization more accurate among 5-7 year old children (Ušeckienė, 2000). On the other hand, it is stated (applying modified Kern test) that in the group of 5-7 year old children cognizing nature and its phenomena an average level of thinking functions and intellect predominates which directly depends on child’s mental maturity level and not on child’s sex and age (Plytnykienė, 2002). It is very important for this knowledge to be deepened and broadened in primary school, i.e., in the 1st -4th forms. In this case, natural science preparation quality largely depends on the teacher, on his competence in natural science. Since 1992 a new subject “The world science” has been introduced in primary school which can be interpreted as one of the components of natural science education. Currently in Lithuanian primary school science education fundamentals are integrated into the world cognition course. Biology, physics, chemistry, technological, ecological problems make the part of this natural science program. The main nature cognition purpose is to educate children’s ability understand the world of nature and communicate with it. So, integration of natural science fundamentals on the one hand and social and natural science components on the other hand will further remain a very meaningful sphere of educational process in primary school.
 It is obvious, in order to understand the peculiarities of natural science education working with junior pupils exhaustive researches are necessary and natural science education in primary school has to be modeled, corrected and developed on their basis (Lamanauskas, 2005). Only high-quality natural science education acquired in primary school can guarantee proper continuation of natural science education in basic and secondary school. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">INTEGRATED SCIENCE TEACHING BY APPLYING DIDACTIC DIFFERENTIATION: SOME ACTUAL CIRCUMSTANCES</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">differentiated teaching</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">schooling system</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2009</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">June/2009</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1393665879.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">13</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The discussion about integration cannot dispense with antithesis (differentiation) which is also of high importance. The default of it is a fairly serious lack of comprehensive school. Both processes have to follow each other as this is the most plausible way of human understanding and knowledge improvement (Vaitkevičius, 1979).
 A public knowledge is always wider than personal information. Ipso facto human cognition and public experience are not differentiated. 
Teaching constricted by undivided educational drafts and curricula frequently ignored personal schoolchildren’s qualities. Pupils unable to satisfactorily adopt teaching material are overloaded while others state that such load is insufficient. This is why a general background of a number of learners recedes and the motivation of all pupils decreases.
 Research indicates that genetically all people differ. Genetic inequality most frequently determines the child’s abilities. Natural differences are highlighted by a different situation of upbringing and an environment.�
 Teaching material is imparted insomuch that all learners should be offered suitable opportunities to develop skills during the class. The objective can be reached by maximum solidification of the child’s self-sufficiency and his/her personal free choice to learn what, how and how much s/he wants. Raising distinctive claims to all pupils, information should be given expediently and definitely. All schoolchildren should achieve at least minimum level (should get satisfactory evaluation) and all willing, engaged and skilful pupils could reach much more. The system of evaluation is not important (a five point, ten point etc. system). One purpose is clear – it also should be differentiated.
 Hence, it is clear that integrated teaching seeks the highest level of knowledge and differentiated teaching points out to every schoolchild. It is obvious, that the main aim of differentiated teaching is to create grounds for the childs structural type of thinking, to form possibilities for a learner to master knowledge according to the degree of abilities (individualized teaching) while teaching separate subjects (subject teaching). The application of differentiated teaching seeks to develop powers of learners. Differentiation can be comprehended and defined in the following two ways: first, as a result of spliting a particular whole into segments, levels etc. or, second, as the formation of new qualitative connections between the separate components of the system due to processes of integration. In the latter case the system acquires a new quality – it becomes more complex. Finally, I want to underline that differentiated teaching (or personalized, individual etc. teaching and learning) is a key component of future teaching/learning process. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-12</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">LEARNERS' INTERACTION WITH NATURE: SOME EDUCATIONAL ISSUES</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">correlation with nature</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">interaction with nature</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">natural science education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2009</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">November/2009</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1399913983.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">17</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Theoretic and empiric research conducted by a number of scientists has indicated that a well-grounded content of teaching and a purposefully planed process of natural science education create opportunities for pupils to better understand an environment, to perceive themselves as active members of the ever-changing world and to take responsibility for the future of our planet. Though there have been plenty of local ecology crises throughout the history of mankind, today we can clearly face a new global ecology crisis approaching. It requires a new organization of the evolutionary process of the world that is the basis for the renovation of the correlation among Human Being, Nature and Society.�
The necessity of creating a new morality and ethics under new conditions was raised in the past century. It should have been based on qualitatively new relations between Human Being and Nature. Hence, it could be affirmed that natural science education is a very auspicious field of individual self-expression. On the other hand, investigations have revealed that the problem of natural science education exists. Frequently the pupils’ knowledge about nature is shallow, insufficient and ineffective at different age range. Moreover, the reaction of behaviour to the same stimulus highly differ (a child can be aggressive, sadistic, pragmatic, practical, cognitive, aesthetic, ethic and indifferent) even in an equivalent situation (for example, children have noticed a creeping beetle on the path).
The following propositions could be specified:
• effective natural science education does not require conformable psychological substantiation;
• the interaction with nature varies and remains specific within the various periods of life;
• the mission of the teacher is to wisely manage an evolutionary process of the “real” interaction with nature/particularly in primary school;
• an important task of the education system is the framing of the world concept on the basis of the contemporary natural science world view (natural science concept of the world). The holistic concept of natural phenomena is a solid core of all levels and stages of the education system. 
• all levels of natural science education system (the aspects of teaching content and practical activities) have to guarantee the continuity of formulation the concept of animate and inanimate nature as the whole system;
• individual responsibility of the young generation for the future of our planet is the essential (prior) task of natural science education; 
• there is a lack of research intended for the interaction with nature in different periods of ontogenesis in Lithuania.�
Finally, I want to point out some actual moments. A child faces nature very early, and therefore s/he needs to acknowledge it. We should help children to know it, to make them engaged in the environment they live, to approve their close interaction with natural phenomena and to explain the complexity of natural objects from earliest childhood. After all, it is not enough to say „I love nature“. S/he has to admire, feel and confess it. The better a man perceives nature, the stronger becomes his/her correlation with the environment. The man turns into individuality. A human personality cannot progress if isolated from an animate environment. This cohesion should be fostered on the basis of peace from the early days.</style></abstract><reprint-edition><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></reprint-edition><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-9</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Renata Bilbokaitė</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">PEDAGOGICAL EVALUATION OF PROTOTYPE 3 OF THE AR LEARNING PLATFORM BASED ON THE RESULTS ACHIEVED DURING THE THIRD ARISE SUMMER SCHOOL</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">augmented reality</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational process</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">pedagogical evaluation</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2009</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">May/2009</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392408707.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">11</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Augmented Reality teaching /learning platform is an innovative technology aimed at implementing links between the real and virtual world. The technology developed by the ARiSE project focuses on offering conditions for customers not only to observe a combined view (real and virtual) but also to directly interact with the real world (real objects). It is likely that the approach learning by doing is more effectively realized in the educational process. 
Creating teaching/learning modules and constructing didactical scenarios of practicing the modules is one of the main conditions to use the above mentioned innovative technology in the educational practice. The primary purpose of the international research project ARiSE (Augmented Reality in School Environments) was to test pedagogical effectiveness of introducing augmented reality (AR) into the comprehensive school and creating remote collaboration between classes around the AR display systems.
 In the given article the results of the pedagogical evaluation of the prototype 3 of the AR learning platform are presented. The students agree that Prototype 3 of the AR platform is a new and useful tool that could be successfully applied for learning purposes in the educational process.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">86-103</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">QUALITY OF EDUCATION: FASHION OR NECESSITY?!</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational organization</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality management</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality standards</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2009</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">November/2009</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1395386501.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">15</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">One of the quality theory models, undoubtedly, is quality management. At the end of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st this model becomes perhaps the most fashionable in management theory. We can say straight away that what can be fashionable it is not always right and reasonable. Is it in reality so? It is hard to pretend to exhaustive analysis in this article however, it is purposeful to pay attention to some things. Another argument – history knows plenty of examples when different theories wouldn’t grow from “infancy” stage, wouldn’t pass on to a practice level, at best they would remain only a mass of pompous slogans. Speaking about quality, such attitude, undoubtedly, has its own positions. Alternative approach has positions as well which claims that quality management ideology and philosophy is not only a common short-term campaign, but a serious universal movement.�
 Different processes are taking place in every educational organization. In some of them, there are more of them, in others less. In some places, they are complicated (e.g. in higher schools), in other places, they can be simpler (e.g. non-formal educational institutions). However, in all places they are relevant and have to be carried out qualitatively, in other words, to satisfy fixed requirements. Some of the processes are important because service (future production) quality depends directly on them, the others don’t have direct influence on service/future production. It is obvious, that all these processes, both basic and secondary are equally important and only acting closely with each other they can guarantee success of organization activity (systematic approach).
 Thus, there is no doubt, that implementation of quality management systems in educational organizations is very urgent. One can ask why it is urgent? First of all, it is because that general quality management philosophy is more and more developing and becoming more acceptable. Quite often one can hear the opponents claiming that ISO standards don’t suit for educational organizations. It is true, that ISO standards are rather universal; therefore, it is not easy to adapt them in the education sphere. On the other hand, such programmed universality gives more action freedom, forms conditions to assess specific character of every concrete organization. Quality management system forms conditions to control not separate, broken up processes or activities, but see them as a whole entirety. Undoubtedly, this is very important seeking to guarantee vital capacity of concrete organization. The second obvious truth is that quality in education sphere is getting worse, competition gets stronger and this in its turn makes organizations search for ways and strategies of making their activities more effective. The third thing is that today in Lithuania and not only in Lithuania, job and education markets do not match. A gap is rather big. Thus, it is not enough to teach, we must know clearly what we teach, how we teach and who for we teach. Undoubtedly, quality management system implementation is a serious instrument to virtually improve the activity of all educational organizations.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SOME IDEAS ABOUT SPECIFICITY AND METHODS OF FOSTERING VALUE-BASED RELATIONS WITH NATURE</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">moral values</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">value-based knowledge</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2009</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">January/2009</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392315008.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">10</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The interpretation of the concept ‘value’ is extremely varied and brings a historic background. Values are fostered since childhood through the process of sharing and analysing individual experience based on certain concepts such as goodness, beauty, love, etc. Rules and standards are also important for value development. All people tend to seek values and their cognition (“When Values Change”, 1999). ‘The Dictionary of Psychology’ explains that value attitudes as if determine all human works, the main patterns of behaviour, different actions or even a single act (The Dictionary of Psychology, 1993). 
The issues of moral values are highly relevant as they are closely related with the human upbringing, fostering of his value attitudes (The Sketches of Ethics, 1984). Secondly, modern education is in a state of global crisis partially because of the absence of a value-based design of its strategic functions (Sankar, 2004). The development of value-based attitudes is a complex process. In general, morality or moral is the most conservative aspect of inner culture, it changes slowly and gradually. However, children and teenagers have less preconceived ideas and habits than adults. Therefore, their relation with the world is in the making, they are more flexible and susceptible to outward influences (Gurevičiūtė, Galkutė, etc. 1997). J.Piaget is sure that the middle childhood (the age of 6-11 years old) is the most suitable period to foster moral issues. L. Kohlberg referring to various research points out three stages in the evolution of morality. The second stage includes children aged from 10 to 13 and is called the self-decided moral agency. The third stage represents the moral agency using all individual moral standards. This kind of morality develops or fails to develop in the period of adolescence (Kliminskienė, 1999). 
The tutors who attempt to develop respect for nature in the values of their pupils should know and utilize the mentioned peculiarities of the age boundaries. Primary school shares a great responsibility in this process while pupils are curious, sensitive to nature, influenced by the processes of the outward world at this age range (Atutienė, 1999).
 Love for nature, the importance of its protection should be instilled since childhood. Experience acquired in the family is further developed at school where value-based attitudes are continually established, a strong individual opinion about the surrounding nature is developed. These considerations presented by Kliminskienė and Kliminskas (1998), Vaitkevičius (2000), Šapokienė (1998), Gajauskaitė (1990), etc. have become extremely important having assessed the data of recent research. The survey of parents conducted by Miltenienė and Mockevičienė indicates that only 36% of the applicants indicates that they taught their children to love nature, involved children into practical tasks: to perceive the world of nature, to take care about animals, 44% of the parents admitted that they paid little attention to the above mentioned factors or agreed they did not pay any attention as they supposed their child would gain this knowledge at school. 20% of the parents stated it was not the main goal of their family. Most of the researchers agree that very often the media ignore the development of positive value-based attitudes and impose many things without any value-based orientation. Hence, in respect of nature, school is mainly responsible for the fostering the value attitudes of the pupils (Miltenienė, Mockevičienė, 1998). Since 1998, active enthusiasts have launched a project “The Animate World and Me” which involves the city pupils who have pets (Bobrova, 2000). L.Bobrova states that the curriculum of this project developing children’s care for their animals is one of the most effective pedagogic and psychologic methods that builds up mental, emotional and physical well-being of schoolchildren, enriches their free time trying to reach harmony with nature (p.10). 
Research carried out in Russia revealed that actually half of the primary school essays reflect a pragmatic relation with nature, ‘Nature is our greatest treasure’, ‘Forests must be protected because pencils and rulers are made of wood’, ‘Dogs are important because they guard houses’, etc. Such pragmatism of the primary schoolchildren is nothing but a result of the pragmatic content of comprehensive educational school. Children simply repeat the clichés mentioned by their teachers (Jasvin, 2000). Most probably, a similar situation can be found in Lithuanian schools (though not enough research have been carried out). In conclusion, it can be said that contemporary school is not yet ready to perceive and instil the shallowness of consumerism (Uktveris, 1997). 
Having reviewed the positions of various authors on the issue of the development of value-based attitudes in respect of nature in comprehensive schools, the following conclusion can be made in diagram form:
 Value-based attitudes and relations
 </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">EDUCATION FORTUNES AND FAILURES: BETWEEN TENDENCIES AND CONTINGENCIES</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education system</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">general education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2008</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">May/2008</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392232594.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">6</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dear Readers,
 It seems to be a paradox that frequently initiated political decisions in the field of education influence the expected alterations as well as a number of negative factors. Recently, the quality of education has been devoted meticulous attention. There is no doubt it is a pressing matter at all levels of the education system. Every stage is specific and encodes the fortunes and failures of the following stage. The one, who obviously failed to succeed at the very beginning, can experience arising problems in the future. First of all, in this particular case I refer to lack of certain education and therefore, probably no one can be blamed as the education system is often found guilty about the situation. The education of the post soviet countries encountered a variety of fortunes and failures. On the one hand, the reforms of the education system were an inevitable and necessary process. A worse point is that in certain cases, they became sustained, ongoing and not preserving the established order, and thus caused discontent at a varying degree. For example, applying the so called modern ICT in the education system was not always a clever idea as only later it was perceived that the technologies themselves brought no success. Skills at purposefully using them, abilities to effectively apply the required equipment in practice etc. are necessary. 
The rejection of the identical programmes of general education in a number of post soviet countries including Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia can be accepted as success. Up to 1990, all Baltic States used the same course books as in the former Soviet Union. After gaining the independence, an underlying update of teaching content at all levels of the education system started. First original (not translated from the Russian language) course books appeared. In a few years time, first course books written by the European authors were published. However, didactically, these were not particularly suitable for Lithuanian students. For example, for more than ten years, the Latvian students of comprehensive school have been provided the possibility of choosing a learning curriculum. Although at previous times, they had a chance of selecting teaching subjects, still the latter principle did not satisfy expectations. A number of disagreements on bringing profiled teaching in practice occurred in the year 2000 (Lamanauskas, 2000b). The prospects and reality of the former education reforms taking place in Lithuania were openly discussed (2000a). It was expected that the then chosen model would ensure the individual possibilities of free choice. However, it can be stated that to a larger extent the implementation of the model in Lithuania did not succeed. After making the major transformations the initial model was withdrawn. It is clear that not all students are equally good at all subjects taught at school. Although the idea of profiling was brilliant, however, the chosen strategy for implementing things in practice had not been properly checked considering the prevailing conditions in Lithuania. Another important aspect is that this seems to be one of the ways to deny the core of comprehensive schooling. Though rather selective education systems exist in a number of European countries (for example, in Germany), too early specialization contradicts the conception of general education as the one graduating secondary school, must receive thorough education. Certainly, an opponent should state that presently, almost there is no country that should not provide a child with the possibility of choosing at least a part of educational content. Even supposing it is true, who can ensure it is a careful, well-balanced etc. choice. Since 2007, controversially evaluated profiled education in the Lithuanian establishments of comprehensive education has been changed to a less elaborated system that allows the learners to individually decide on 40% of the subjects they want to be taught. Following a new requirement, a basic school graduate first of all, must choose not the profile but at least nine subjects from the basic school curriculum and almost the same number of the optional subjects. 
Another failure is that up to now, no equally qualitative education has been guaranteed for students neither in Lithuania, nor in Latvia. Despite the fact, that conditionally the above mentioned countries are quite small, the level of social isolation varies to a large degree in the city site and the rural area. In the majority of cases, financial support for education institutions depends on municipalities as these promote the latter establishments and are responsible for providing the required resources which definitely worsens the quality of education in general. Secondary schools were transformed into the institutions of basic education whereas the former basic schools were either closed or reorganized into the establishments of primary education in the larger part of rural areas in Lithuania. Such situation cannot be explained referring to demographic arguments, for example a decreasing number of learners, which on the contrary, facilitates higher quality education, as having the same financial resources, the number of students remains reduced and therefore more attention can be devoted to teacher training etc. Modern technologies and a smaller amount of students in the classroom create conditions for every learner to work out an individual plan of education that helps with introducing a personal style and pace of studying. In this case, the larger part of countries supports the idea of individualized teaching. 
Strong competition, general instructions on enrolling in the Lithuanian institutions of higher education and students experiencing pressure of their parents ignoring natural children’s abilities to learn have a negative impact on education. To organize the process of total enrolment, all universities in Lithuania have formed an association. A number of young people break studying due to the wrong choice of a subject. For the last few years, the regulations have specified that up to 20 positions pointing out the chosen curricula of studies can be included in the application form. It is an opened lottery. The results of random enrolment are dramatic. Statistics shows that students’ options frequently do not correspond neither to their interests nor individual possibilities. The annual average of people eliminated from higher and vocational schools makes more than 20 000. For example, in the school year 2003/2004, 378 in 10 000 citizens of Lithuania were studying in universities. Under statistics provided by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania, more than 70% the same year secondary school graduates are still studying in the institutions of higher education (44% - in universities and 238% - in colleges) http://www.smm.lt/. Thus, on the one hand, the number of students constantly increases, on the other hand – the required financial support cannot be guaranteed, and therefore the quality of studies remains reduced. The Rector of Vilnius University suggests that if a number of students having no motivation enter the university and study no matter what they get, logically they fail to qualitatively study (Juodka, 2007). Another evident failure of education policy is that the number of managers having a doubtful qualification is increasing while that of qualified workers is decreasing in all three Baltic States. 
The problem of teachers’ social status can be accepted as a serious failure in some post soviet countries. Though education in Latvia and Lithuania is considered to be a priority field, nevertheless teachers’ remunerations remain really poor. Such situation does not attract qualified teachers to work at school. They must work longer hours and sometimes increase work load twice which prevents them from raising qualification, training courses and professional advancement. For the last few years, the trade unions of the above discussed countries have been fighting for their rights so that they would be honestly paid for the work they did. Periodically performed protest actions and strikes do not help with achieving main political decisions. 
A positive point is that all three Baltic States are closely collaborating in the fields of policy and education. The latest statistics and research have disclosed that the achievements of Estonian students surpassed those of Lithuanian and Latvian learners. The Latvian students of upper secondary school (forms from 10 to 12) were provided with new equipment necessary for laboratory experiments in sciences which is a very complimentary decision. During the last 15 years, an interest in natural sciences has remarkably decreased, is negatively evaluated by the majority of people and certainly will have a damaging impact in the future. A relevant task that should be undertaken by the Lithuanian Government is to arrange school network and properly supply schools with necessary equipment. However, a matter of concern is frequently and motivelessly closed schools having a small number of learners. The decrease of schoolchildren is not the major argument about the closure of school. In the majority of cases, the schools located in the rural area are the only focal points of education and culture. Therefore, the space of education in the Baltic States can be more or less treated in a similar way. It is likely that a close collaboration in the fields of education and policy will be central issues in the future. The Ministers of Education and Science of the Baltic States regularly discuss achievements in education in each of the countries.
 The problems of education fortunes and failures have been briefly discussed. Even such a subtle point of view should encourage researchers to more critically analyze the phenomena of fortune and failure in education. Quite a few failures were obviously programmed in the past and retrospectively can be accepted as a tendency. A number of things are being programmed nowadays as this is the way to programme the future of our society. Is it a tendency, contingency or both? Sinergetically, contingency can be accepted as creative constructive antecedent. With reference to education, it has a positive shade because of the power pushing forward the tendencies stimulating the growth of education planning and efficiency. 
The present and future education policy is definitely related to globalization and rapid changes taking place in society which is a real information revolution connected with the use of information communication technologies. It is clear that the countries that intended to change the education system and thus society itself had approved purposes. Some goals were achieved whereas a part of those were not attained. There is no excuse for a strong wish to intercept experience of the Western countries as the latter situation prevented from solving local problems. Therefore, a pertinent question whether we have our own science and education policy and a future project or only blindly follow things occurring in the West and enthusiastically take them over arises. An objective to change things and be changed is welcomed. It can be emphatically affirmed that education is able to change society. However, are the politicians competent enough to change education itself and create the required conditions for changes in education? The increase of reforms at different level is determined by gaining certain freedoms. Nevertheless, the main problem remains the same – how to combine the previously launched various projects on the reforms of education into the wholeness in order to achieve better implementation of the projects through coordinating them and how to succeed in getting the best results. Losses and failures have never been ageless as they can be treated as general systemic regularities. It is the time to take control over, predict and learn from the failures of education. In the end, a controversial question asked by A. Bloom Will future learning be in tablet form? can be repeated. 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">EDUCATIONAL POLICY IN TERMS OF THE CONCEPT OF MODERN LIBERAL EDUCATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education system</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational policy</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">liberal education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2008</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">October/2008</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392284010.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">8</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">At the outset of the 21st century, education evidently faces a number of challenges and transformations (frequently baseless) at all stages including national and international level. Such situation is primarily determined by political, economical and cultural changes in society life. New complex problems are encountered at the crossroads of global and local tendencies. On July 4th 2003, under the resolution No IX-1700 put forward by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, National Education Strategy 2003 – 2012 was approved. The document states that „education should be developing having in the forefront all new challengies and possibilities for a society... (Regulations of National Education Strategy, 2008). What kind of assistance should be given to the members of society? This is the key issue that needs to be clearly defined as we are living in a consumer-centred world based on consumerism and pragmatic morality. In general, modern Western Civilization is a capitalistic and global society mainly focused on consumerism. What is more, the attitude that this is the only universal and approved system is formed. Too many economy factors make impact on the pattern of life and thus on Lithuanian education. Economic logic determines education policy in Lithuania as well as in a number of countries. Education seems to be a sort of service that can be clearly noticed in the sector of higher education. Almost no ordinary life at university has been left – life is more focused on providing services, attracting customers, making money etc. It seems to be that the idea of university has been carefully hidden underground and waiting for more promising future. The students have become customers offering money for universities. Therefore, even a more pragmatic outcome is elaborated as the establishments of higher education are expecting everyone having enough money to pay for studies. Individual ability to study is undeserving and stays out of the way. Universities may vary from providing poor quality services to those very positively valuated by the customers. However, I suppose that slight marking exists which once removed pushes a university towards the nowhere (only a name and signboard of an institution remain visible). More and more university degrees are obtained in Europe and North America as well as in the rich countries of Saudi Arabia, China and Japan. It comes with career opportunities and tells about our imaginary success. Nevertheless, it is only an external aspect including mobility, changes, variety etc. However, such paradigm of global education and production/consumerism contains prior evaluation. The market value of those unable to satisfy the established criteria significantly decreases and thus leads to uncertainty whether they can be appraised in general. In this case, winners and losers are formed in the system ‘prosumer – consumer’. The only question is about the quantity of those and whether the assumed winners are as they have to be. Certainly, it comes true. Still, even the most socialized capitalism (Scandinavian) fails to escape from the ideology of consumerism. 
The young generation encounters the tendencies of society’s growth (or regression?), follows daily life and appropriately develops individual world outlook. It is true that comprehensive school cannot aimlessly foster the values that should be cherished as a part of a schooling mission. The principles and values cherished or encouraged by school environment most frequently appear at a standstill in Lithuania. The world is different outside school walls. The youth experiences severe difficulties in such discrepancy and avoids trusting in school. They clearly distinguish between things declared at school and underlying reality. Axiomatic truth declares that the mission of education is fully accomplished when its evolution goes beyond a general development of society. However, to achieve the purpose, the Government must pay real rather than declarative attention to the education system. Supporting the ideas of modern education, knowledgeable society, the development of information technologies etc. is not enough to fulfil the task. Any state finds insufficient upraising education as a national priority because valuable and regular assistance is required. Nonetheless, the youth in Lithuania is observing other type of ‘concern’. The teachers of comprehensive and the lecturers of higher schools are forced to go on strikes to show they are worth getting more attention than they are presently given. 
Recently, Lithuania and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe very frequently run into a number of problems addressed to the system of higher education. The decrease of the quality of studies, corruption, insufficient financial support, the inadequacy in reality and university mission etc. are the issues in progress. Everyone knows that in order to survive and compete in a knowledgeable society, all countries, especially small ones, must learn how to create, accumulate and manage intellectual property. Knowledge is the only resource to be accumulated when using it. It is extremely important for small countries having insufficient natural resources. Yet in 1999, the rectors of 14 higher education institutions in Lithuania declared that on the 20th of December of the running year, a preventive action Higher Schools against Destructing Education would be performed and that no academic work would be done that day. It seemed to be a matter of great concern. If higher schools are made to go on a strike, obviously, serious problems may occur. Although almost a decade has gone, still the situation remains the same. The sector of higher education in Lithuania is waiting for going out again. A few weeks ago, mainly the same requirements for the Government were presented i.e. the salary of the teaching staff and operating-household personnel should grow 20 percent in 2009. Particular attention is devoted to improve the present situation and achieve that the Government should adequately support the students and allocate necessary finances for studying. Currently, considering different types of methodology, the Government totally spends only 48 percent of the sum of money required for studies. Another concern is the salary of staff as due to low compensation for work, universities may encounter difficulties in recruiting appropriately-qualified staff at all levels. In higher education sector some negative tendencies recently are observed. Many experts of higher education underline that the Western universities get attributes of the original enterprises (clients, services etc.). In the centre of attention the finance, servines, and „the goods“, instead of formation / preparation of well-educated young people. The main mission of any university is positive influence on society development. Despite that the tendency of the estrangement of universities from the traditional value orientations is strengthened. Similar tendencies can be noticed in Lithuania. The universities that have been accepted as the temples of knowledge have become the tools of the powerful market. A.Samalavičius (2003) notices that one-sided orientation is very dangerous when a university becomes an institution of trade and highly specific vocational activity. Hence, following such logic, universities turn into the market and university education becomes a simple item. A customer always feels right in such higher education market. It seems to be clear that customers have different needs and possibilities to be accepted. Consequently, the curricula of university studies will be designed following the concerns of the companies that may appear as the potential employers of students. Bearing in mind that the post- soviet youth is not selective enough, it is likely that one will try to get the required diploma rather than necessary education. After all, in one way or another, the above introduced process is in progress. Besides, the problem is more than pressing. An evident satisfaction of students and businessmen’ needs translate the university not into the force forming society but into a usual market agent playing an invaluable beforehand defined role. Fundamental knowledge is not treated as a marketable product in such political-economical conjuncture. A narrow point of view creates an impression of disengagement. Universities take a flexible position on the market needs. Nevertheless, it seems to be an illusion. Even the satisfaction of the speedily varying market needs shows understanding that in order to effectively design the curricula of studies, a broad theoretical background, for example prognostic, is necessary. Universities carefully observe market fluctuations, and thus become doomed to failure. 
An interesting point is that depending on the number of students per thousand citizens Lithuania falls into the category of the EU member states having the largest number of students, however, considering the average allocation received by a single student of a higher school, we are lagging far behind other European countries. Thus, the system though has limited resources, ‘produces’ a number of graduates. The number of received graduation certificates cannot be an index showing the level of education. Bright students and those having high motivation and ready for further studying choose the universities in Western countries. The process of the so called ‘brain drain’ is taking place. Different onetime actions are arranged to provide improvements on the situation (for example, Design and Implementation of Brain Drain Programme). Therefore, can we accept the present situation as an outcome of democratic education? Taking into account that democratic education is mediocrity-oriented mass education, the situation should not be a matter of great concern as this is a sort of education for the majority. So, the question is if ‘liberal education’ vs. ‘democratic education’ should be the only real way of overcoming the problem? ‘Liberal education’ is evidently not ‘democratic education’. Simple life-based logic confirms that if having one thing, you loose another. Are the contracting parties facing the problems of higher education ready to choose another option? Are universities determined enough to form national policy and at least minimally participate in the process of arranging it or on the contrary, they will start receding from policy and stay ‘shut in’ becoming the blind executers of the beforehand adopted ideology? Several countries of Central and Eastern Europe have already dealt with the above introduced situation? An interesting example is that in 2004, the Chinese Government organized a conference and invited 30 leaders of the most prestigious universities worldwide including the representatives of Harvard and Oxford. The final outcome of all discussions was that China preferred fundamental education as the foremost one at national level. 
Shortly after restoring State Independence, a conception of education at national level was formulated. It is a paradox, however, that in the above mentioned conception, we can hardly find such concepts as liberalism and conservativism. A major objective was to design a concept aimed at national traditions and the needs and interests of a modern society. The core of the conception is an effort to combine the conservative and liberal tendencies of education. Such steps as the renewal of gymnasia, the revival of teaching religion, awakening confession schools, look back at national culture and history etc. are the vital elements of the conservative tradition. On the other hand, a private sector of education, the right to choose educational institutions, competition among educational establishments, the growth of market relations etc. are the apparent elements of liberal policy. Within the period of almost 18 years of regained independency, the Lithuanian Government has changed from the extreme left to the extreme right wing. It can be treated as an objective stage of development in the post-soviet countries. A valid point is that the political forces of both sides have mainly failed to make corrections to the already formulated and implemented concept of education. A number of political decisions in the field of education have been reached in light of the business concerns of narrow political groups rather than taking into account clear value-based political attitudes. This type of behaviour is characteristic of the whole region of Central and Eastern Europe and is frequently narrowly accepted by western countries. I suppose that too liberal (which means cosmopolitan) attitude to education has a destructive character when fostering national traditions and values inherent to small countries. On the other hand, the liberal education system of Great Britain could serve as a good example. This is a tradition of British education. However, it does prevent neither from corruption nor from the fictive organization of studies or receiving diplomas and in general, from plenty of problems encountered by the system of education. As far as you know, education policy was decentralized in the Soviet Union. Some countries have strict regulations issued but a few of those follow very liberal traditions. Both positions, after Aristotle, can be considered as extremities. Education in a modern world has turned into a huge market which means that relations here are not always based on values and common decency. The problems facing the illegal producers of the certificates of higher education, the counterfeiters of scientific degrees, illegal studies and establishments of ‘higher education’ have become burning issues in a number of countries. The powerful market demands not only for knowledge and real qualification but also for ‘paper-based’ pseudo-education. Thus, the conception of real education and background is being obviously devolved.
 Liberal commercialized education in Lithuania is not the exact way to be followed. The approach of cosmopolitism, disorganization and denationalization cannot be acceptable to Lithuanian people as it may cause national decline. In this case, I do not support a position that liberal education acts either as absolute evil or absolute good as much depends on the context and various circumstances. Proper (elite) education apparently brings neither honour nor conscience etc. for a person. Excellent education can be available for dishonest and corrupt people. Therefore, such education can be used for deceiving society on a broader scale. In this instance, the importance of national-value-based substructure in the whole framework of human education can be clearly noticed. Unfortunately, following only the liberal concept of education cannot act as the basis for forming such substructure. Only the citizen of Lithuania having emotional spiritual culture-focused relation with national and human historical experience uncloses new sources of property power for freedom and creatively develops informative and financial (economical) relations with all people (Srėbalius, 2002). Finally, manipulating the concept of ‘citizenship’ is very modern nowadays. However, the situation when citizen, citizenship, civil society, civil nation or civil education based schooling do not reflect even the smallest part of Lithuanian nation can only get to homo sovieticus times and nowhere else (Nainys, 2008). It is expected that Lithuania as well as the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe will find the most appropriate way to develop education and nation prosperity. It is worth making a question whether eudaimonía by Aristotle is somehow reflected in the current education policy? I dare to say it is not. Will we come back to the Aristotle’s Golden Mean formulated in the ‘Ethics’ the essence of which the balance between excess and shortage? The question is still open and every idea about this issue will be accepted to be appreciated. 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">EFFECTIVE ICT IMPLEMENTATION AS A PRECONDITION FOR DEVELOPING GENERAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">general education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">modern ICT</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality of education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2008</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">April/2008</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392223337.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">In the 21st century, the questions discussing background quality became crucial issues having a reflection in the international documents (the Barcelona Declaration, 2002, Lisbon Strategy Implementation Programme, EUROSCENE 2003 etc.) which draw up the guidelines for future education and decisive actions. The documents focus on the relevance of developing teaching methodology and technologies. Shortage of close attention prevents from the process of creating a competent public knowledgeable society (Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development, 2005) that is constructive and highly capable of building democracy in continuously changeable present and future life. Daily growing signs and impact of globalization show that individual steps require greater coordination in the international context. Formally, all the above mentioned subjects are highly relevant to us and closely relate to the dimensions of the Education for Democratic Citizenship in Europe (Education for Democratic Citizenship, 2001-2004). 
Modern ICT definitely play a crucial role in developing the teaching/learning processes at all stages and improving the quality of education. Actively involved information/knowledge-based society offers new opportunities to effectively satisfy students’ needs for teaching/learning. In addition to this, no new teaching/learning environments can be created without ICT. Technological progress and rapid development inevitably touches education sector. The breakthrough in education can be clearly noticed in the majority of European countries. 
Educational advantages of ICT raise no doubts. The use of ICT substantially helps with introducing educational material in a more modern and vivid way. Applying ICT in the teaching/learning process does not object to the basic didactical principles such as visualization, systemization, links between theory and practice, knowledge consolidation, encouragement of student participation in different activities, individualization and differentiation of teaching etc. Recently, Lithuanian teachers have been deeply involved in the Microsoft PowerPoint program which is very useful for preparing lessons as well as for other educational activities. The teachers suppose that such lessons are much more purposeful, interesting and increases motivation for learning. It can be clearly stated that when using the above introduced program, the teachers of different subjects have already made suggestions on different topics which open wide possibilities of integrating various themes, presenting information contained in a few chapters, increasing visualization of teaching etc. The teachers notice that shortage of time is one of the major drawbacks. In order to put forward qualitative suggestions, enough time and appropriate computer literacy skills are required. Gained experience and prepared teaching/learning material are the subjects worth being emphasized. Legal requirements of copyright certainly must be satisfied. A series of recent expert surveys in Lithuania disclosed that some teachers including Lithuanian Association of Physics Teachers (LFMA, 2008) and Lithuanian Association of Geography Teachers (LGMA, 2008) found useful a possibility of using special databases where necessary didactic material should be accumulated (Lamanauskas, Vilkonis, 2006). However, at the moment, Lithuanian Associations of Chemistry and Biology Teachers are not very actively involved whereas Lithuanian Association of Informatics Teachers (LInMA, 2008) is working very effectively. The website of the latter association is particularly useful as it presents different information that embraces conference texts, methodical information, discussion notes, reviews etc. 
Apart from the above mentioned program that focuses on making presentations, Lithuanian teachers widely and effectively use such general purpose software as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel etc. It is worth noticing that Microsoft Excel has a number of qualities, and therefore everyone learning to use a computer can find this software helpful. Microsoft Paint is rather frequently applied in educational practice due to its quality to produce computer graphics. Another virtue of ICT which is saving teacher’s time must be emphasized. Using a computer is convenient as it helps with presenting and organizing different sorts of data whereas the Internet greatly assists in finding necessary information. Collaboration between teachers and students’ parents is an important process of schooling. E-mail helps teachers with contacting learners’ parents as well as the learners themselves. Lately, e-calendars are being widely implemented in Lithuanian schools which offer learners’ parents possibilities of becoming acquainted with schoolchildren’s achievements. The process of applying the Intranet in such educational institutions as comprehensive and vocational schools is slowly progressing. However, even in this case, a rapid development is taking place. The implementation of the Intranet occurs with increasing rapidity. The Intranet presents report forms, annual and long-term educational curricula and other required documents and references which facilitate manipulating information.
 Another apparent quality of applying ICT is inter-cultural collaboration. Lithuanian comprehensive and vocational schools are active in joining international projects and programmes. In case of rejecting ICT, such collaboration should be barely accepted. The employment of ICT can help with organizing audiovisual conferences and expanding other methods of collaboration. For example, a number of Lithuanian comprehensive schools have been participating into the international project ENO-Environment Online (ENO-Environment Online, 2008). 
School life is extensively attacked by virtual teaching and learning environments allowing easily and flexibly organize the processes of teaching and learning. The virtual teaching/learning environment Moodle (http://moodle.org/) is one of the most popular systems. Suchlike environment offers a lot of different teaching and learning activities. Moreover, teachers can introduce teaching/learning material using a simple text, references to different websites on the Internet or hypertexts created on individual basis. Other virtual learning environments including Web CT, ATUTOR, First Class etc. are also being used. It should be mentioned that the establishments of higher education were the institutions that first started implementing and using the above introduced environments. Nevertheless, at the moment, comprehensive and vocational schools are trying` not to lag behind their colleagues from universities. In recent years, in order to adapt vocational training for the needs of labour market and to encourage collaboration between employers and institutions of vocational education, the system of Lithuanian vocational education has been improved. The use of the European Union funds designated for vocational training helps with a rapid implementation of ICT. 
However, ICT implementation covers more than creation and development of virtual learning environments. Practising only a virtual environment is not the most efficient way. For example, taking into account teaching natural sciences, it is worth reminding that sciences are based on experimentation. Therefore, the process of science education requires a practical-experimental approach in real teaching/learning environment. In this case, a burning question how to combine modern ICT and the above mentioned approach arises. One of the methods is implementing teaching/learning technologies of augmented reality. At the moment, five countries of the European Union are participating in the international project ARiSE based on the innovations in the field of ICT. (http://www.arise-project.org). A group of Lithuanian scientists from Science Education Research Centre of the University of Siauliai are involved in the project. The ARiSE project will develop the AR platform and associated pedagogical scenarios of use, enabling teachers to promote new teaching practices for teaching scientific and cultural content in primary and secondary schools. The ARiSE project is carried on in a consortium of seven partners: Fraunhofer IAIS (Germany) – coordinator, Siauliai University (Lithuania), AccrossLimited (Malta) /until 30/06/2007, replaced by University of Brighton (UK), ICI Bucureşti (Romania), Czech Technical University in Prague (Czech Republic), Siauliai City Juventa School (Lithuania) and Rabanus-Maurus Gymnasium Mainz (Germany). The first consumers’ impression about the AR teaching/learning platform is positive. The product is evaluated as highly useful. The AR learning platform creates conditions for a better understanding, and therefore is acceptable for younger learners encountering difficulties with perceiving abstract, invisible processes. The AR learning platform increases students’ motivation for learning. The possibility of learning by doing, touching a real object with hands, monitoring and changing the place of the object has been positively evaluated. The learners’ ability not only to monitor but also to control certain processes has been perfectly evaluated (Lamanauskas, Pribeanu, Vilkonis, Balog, Iordache, Klangauskas, 2007). 
One of the most important requirements for applying ICT and innovative techniques of teaching is a qualified teacher able to professionally use technologies in practice. A modern teacher must know how to employ ICT and adapt them in order to achieve specific goals of teaching. If previous teachers were more focused on technical aspects of applying ICT, recently, educational aspects of employing ICT have gained more weight. Likewise in the majority of countries in Central and Eastern Europe, shortage of young teachers can be noticed in Lithuania. An effective use of modern ICT is difficult for aged teachers. Although they can increase their qualifications in teacher training institutions at different level, still, similar activities do not compensate substantial gaps in the field they are dealing with. An interesting point is that in the majority of cases, students’ computer literacy remains higher than that of their teachers. Nevertheless, teachers’ computer literacy becomes an essential professional work condition. The use of ICT in education offers many new possibilities but the necessary ones are only the latest knowledge and skills of teachers (Bilek, Zemanova, Turcani, 2007). It is likely that these fields of discussion will be paid closer attention. 
Apart from effective implementation of ICT, it should be carefully considered possible negative outcomes of applying these technologies. For example, the premises equipped with a larger number of work stations must agree with certain hygiene standards established individually by every country. However, the standards themselves do not vary. A relevant fact is that in case of a larger number of computers in the classroom, a person might work in a strong electromagnetic field which negatively affects organism. A learner must sit in a comfortable work station that fulfils all possible hygiene requirements. The latter conditions are frequently ignored in schools due to various reasons. Electromagnetic radiation emitted by computers first of all, affect eyes, central nervous, reproduction and heart and vascular systems. It is extremely dangerous for younger learners. If a child spends too much time at a computer, one can start suffering from reduced eyesight sharpness. Though the rays sent out from computer do not cause any particular diseases, however, the human organism is definitely affected. Besides the above introduced valeologic and ergonomic problems, other disorders such as psychological dependence might occur. One of the Lithuanian websites discloses information that the findings of psychological research carried out by the scientists from the U.K. show concern that children under ten years old have nothing to do at computer! Even educational games might have a negative impact on younger children as in that case, maturity is decelerated, interest in child-focused games and communication with peers are decreased, attention is disturbed and imagination is poorly developed (Child Addiction to Computer / Vaikų priklausomybė nuo kompiuterio, 2007).
 A short review reveals that in one or another case, ICT may cause negative outcomes. First of all, it might be users’ health problems. The researchers underline that widespread using ICT has caused necessity to rise up questions about protection of students` health and other categories being taught, for example ergonomical problems (Jarinovskis, 1997, Gedrovics, Lamanauskas, 2006). Thus, the question of the negative impact of ICT is gaining more weight. It seems no answers are required. On the other hand, we are still suffering from shortage of information on different aspects having negative impact. When the answer is clear, we start feeling lack of required abilities and knowledge of how to reduce the negative impact of ICT or how to eliminate or at least to minimize it. Another important issue is what the real impact of modernization on society in terms of ICT implementation is. We are expecting that the coming years will bring us together to solve the above discussed problems and find positive decisions. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">FROM TEACHING TO LEARNING: A NEW PARADIGM IN MODERN EDUCATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education system</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">modern education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">paradigm change</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2008</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">February/2008</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392222415.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">4</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The 4th edition of publication “Problems of Education in the 21st Century” is in front of you. The main idea of this publication, not without reason, is paradigm change in modern education. We can safely claim that the role of education in the global world is, undoubtedly, the biggest comparing with the other spheres of social life. Education dimensions have grown up greatly in almost all countries. Informal education sector has increased immensely. The most modern ICT are being implemented into education system. Perhaps we will not find any scientific conference in which the questions of ICT application in education process were not discussed.
 However, it is obvious that education systems in most countries experience various difficulties. It is clearly seen in Central and Eastern European countries, in which the second decade in turn education system reforms of different level and amount are taking place. So called “Instruction Paradigm / Teaching Paradigm” has been dominating for a long time in education. In recent years the accents are being transferred to learning, to motivation of self learning. It has been realized, that it is impossible to teach if the person doesn’t want to or is not able to do this himself. At present the opinion occurs that it is impossible to teach another person, it is possible only to help him to learn. From this as if directly follows the statement that the responsibility falls on the student first of all, what, how and how much he/she will learn. However, didactically it is a totally wrong approach, especially when it is applied to junior forms of comprehensive schools. The systematization, deepening, formation of general concepts can’t be left for the student himself, because frequently it happens that students master the new things which are related to the old ones without their interrelations, without any system (Vaitkevičius, 1968). Ability to systematize information is one of the most important. As J.O‘Connor and Mc.Dermott (2006) notice, there is a very remarkable tendency in many spheres nowadays, to solve everything „in parts“, i.e. to analyse different phenomena and situations only in separate aspects. From this point of view, transferring education aspects only into learning is not fully grounded. Each learning personality is very different, therefore different approaches should inevitably be applied in teaching process.
 On the other hand, education quality in many aspects is getting worse. We can‘t claim that education quality is getting worse because of former mentioned paradigm change. Lithuania as a post soviet country has a many year experience when education, especially secondary, was unified. However, it is necessary to emphasize that education at that time was also better supervised. We can‘t say that there is no supervision nowadays. It really is. But, everlasting reforms, sometimes even opposing to each other, don‘t make Lithuanian education more effective. As professor G. Merkys noticed, the therapy of shock continues in Lithuania. We not only have to think about this but, of course, solve the problems arising in reality.
 Speaking about Lithuania, it is obvious, that now it is very important for our state what decisions and steps, what ideas and actions in the sphere of education we will suggest and implement. 2006 PIRLS research shows that the ability to read and understand fiction and informative texts of our country 4-th formers has declined very much. 2006 PISA research states that natural science, maths literacy and general reading abilities of our 15 year-older are by statistics significantly lower than OECD countries‘ average result. Though Lithuania is not at the end of country list and it seems that the results are not so bad but the matter is worth of concern. The results of the research highlighted one of the most sore points of education that the preparation of our students for practical life is still poor, the main attention being further concentrated on theoretical education. Theory without practice is not the goal of today‘s teaching. We can discern here another meaning of the mentioned paradigm improvement – from knowledge towards the development of abilities. In the ability development process the learner himself has to take part most actively. The mission of education system is to form suitable conditions for that purpose and give all round help.
 Other countries like Latvia, Estonia, Czechia, Poland and other have serious problems in education sector as well. Obviously, every country has its own traditions and context. Besides, education is a part of culture. In this case we are speaking not only about national cultures but also about common European culture. We are speaking about common European education standards. The question arises how to match national and European aims. Any school has a challenge to create the future of the state. Education reforms have been going on for more than ten years in several countries with the purpose to achieve higher education progress and to implement the latest innovations. However, attitude to changes and innovations is not the value on its own. Changes have to be conciliated with the basic human and nation values. Modernization is a very necessary and inevitable thing, however it doesn‘t have to dwarf the vision of the school mission. Among permanent reforms direction and vision of the whole education purpose shouldn‘t be lost. This applies not only to Lithuania but to all European countries. I would like to go back once again to our mentioned paradigm change. The implementation of innovations into education doesn‘t have to overshadow the good side of education experience. Not everything that is modern is sensible. For example, Lithuania as well as the other countries of central Europe has a many year tradition when the priority was given to strong knowledge and to education basis in general. Lithuania hasn‘t lost this tradition completely and that is good. The main goals of education are: to help to form knowledge system of a learning person and give him basic social communication skills. Knowledge is not everything in person‘s life. Not only knowledge makes the man. However, we have to agree, that without its powerful movement in history, mankind wouldn‘t be as it is. The progress of humanity in many ways is conditioned by the development of knowledge, its expansion and so on. Thanks to it the greatest changes have taken place. School doesn‘t have the right to doom children and youth to ignorance.
 It is not difficult to foresee necessary changes theoretically, to discuss about paradigm changes on a methodological level, but it is much more difficult to put these ideas into practice because of various both subjective and objective reasons. It is necessary to really perceive the mission of education and other questions of education, to analyze them from different perspectives, taking into consideration different theoretical and practical approaches. Education is not a one-day matter. The rule 'Education is in the hands of those who have power' doesn‘t suit here. To develop education is almost to be ready that everything what is moral in your mind will inevitably be overcome by immorality of real world (Butvilas, 2006). Education in the socioeconomical and cultural context is multiform. Therefore, we can‘t one-sidedly accept a statement that moving from teaching to learning is a new paradigm indeed. Its newness is limited by time, amount, content and application aspects.
 This edition contains different articles. I hope that the articles included in this publication will interest the readers by their problematics, content, methodology of research and its methods, will encourage their systematic and critical thought, will make them active in scientific discussions.
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-6</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION AS KEY FACTOR FOR SUCCESS IN A KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOCIETY</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational process</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">knowledge-based economics</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2008</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">January/2008</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392221736.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">3</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">This is the third edition of a new scientific collection Problems of Education in the 21st Century. The articles included in the publication discuss the issues of modern education. It is a great responsibility for writing such an editorial, because it should correspond to the ideas and conclusions expressed by the authors and highlight them from some other points of view of potential readers. On the other hand, it is very important to express the view of editorial board, try to discern certain research trends of modern education and its spheres. The purpose of this publication is unique, that is, try not only to convey, but also synthesize educational experience of East and West. This is a complex and ambitious task, but necessary, trying to perceive similarities as well as differences and also expectable development perspectives.
 The advance of IT has never been as rapid as nowadays. The influence of globalization on ICT expansion is incontestable. However, it is a tremendous challenge to education. The implementation of technologies in education does not mean that they will have only positive influence. For that purpose consistent educational, ergonomic, valeological and other research is necessary, constantly giving information not only to users, but also to ICT producers. We can assert that in Lithuania, as well as in other Central and East European countries, observation of ICT application in education is still carried out episodically. As it was already mentioned, the process of ICT development is so rapid and so socially important that monitoring technologies, having earlier been created in other countries (especially West European), eventually occur to be not full and not compatible with ever changing realities. Thus, as a matter of fact, it is impossible to prepare standard, constant methodology.
 In Lisbon strategy 2000, it was foreseen to seek that Europe would become the most competitive knowledge-based economics in the world. No doubt, to achieve this aim, ICT influence really should be great. Such international organizations as IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement), UNESCO, OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) organized fairly comprehensive research in the application of ICT in educational system. Organizations such as: IOSTE (International organization for Science and Technology Education), ICASE (International Council of Association for Science Education) and other so called professional different sphere scientist organizations are interested in the above –mentioned problems.
 The application of ICT in comprehensive schools as well as in higher educational establishments is, undoubtedly, a positive thing. According to I. Mažulienė (2002), the usage of ICT makes the pedagogues change their settled style of work, raise qualification, develop skills and plan differently their and children’s activities. On the other hand, the aims of creating information society change inner and outer surroundings of schools, therefore information processes and technologies acquire greater and greater significance in modern educational organizations. In addition, interesting research was carried out by specialists from Information Institute in Germany (Munich University). (Woessmann, 2005). The research showed that computers can harm the learning process. It is claimed, that the number of computers at school and the time spent at the computer at home don’t confirm the fact that children learn much more by using IT. The importance of IT in the process of learning is not denied, however, it is stated that those who are using IT at home and at school moderately, besides, the time of its usage is limited, achieve better results than those who spend too much time at the computer.
 However, not only in comprehensive schools some or the other of the ICT application problems arise. One of the biggest problems the majority of universities face is passing from ICT integration and e-learning in the project level onto strategic level when all technologies are implemented all over the institution. The research shows that in EU universities general level of ICT integration into teaching process has increased over the last few years. Nevertheless, application of ICT is still perceived as the usage of computer in traditional pedagogy and didactics. Not many universities use ICT equipment according to principles of innovative didactics and pedagogy. The same can also be said about Lithuanian universities.
 Speaking about general education sector it is necessary to acknowledge that application of ICT depends not only on teacher’s qualification and his preparation to use ICT in the teaching and learning process. The essential questions are as follows: how much does the school administration support the implementation and usage of ICT at school?; What ICT infrastructure (equipment, software, Internet connection and so on) is available at school?; What services connected with ICT do exist for the staff improvement and support?; How much do the schools apply the aims and the way of work emphasizing independent learning, and so on.
 Thus, it is obvious that vast, comprehensive, detailed research in the appliance of ICT in education process is necessary. In the Software &amp; Information Industry Association report of the year 2000 it is stated that so far more than 3500 research studies of ICT application in education process have been carried out, the majority of which are devoted to analysis of infrastructure and computer literacy situation. However, statistics of the latest research studies doesn’t allow to discern some ICT application aspects. Not only strict statistic data analysis is necessary discussing specific questions of ICT application in education, but also a deeper qualitative approach to this phenomenon in order to perceive present situation, its advantages and disadvantages and also further perspective not only on Lithuanian but also on EU scale.
 As a matter of fact, harmonious ICT integration into the teaching process is placed in the centre of all European country strategies, in this way trying to significantly improve teaching and learning in order to correspond to children’s demands. The secondary becomes earlier dominated task of computer equipment supply and teaching about technologies. (Simonson, Thomson, 1990; Plomp, 1996; Sendova, 1994). ICT service development in different education spheres prevails in the European Union and other country strategic directions. .
 A very special attention is devoted to natural sciences and to technological children and youth education. About the concern in this sphere tells one of the newest prepared documents (Science Education Now…, 2007). Constantly going down natural science and technological literacy of our society is noticed in many countries (Lamanauskas, 2003). Opposite and significant tendencies in this sphere were discovered by ROSE research. (http://www.ils.uio.no/english/rose/). In this publication the reader will find urgent articles on this subject. Up-to-date ICT application in natural sciences and technological education is developed most rapidly.
 It is obvious that the implementation of new technologies in the educational process raises new possibilities for both teacher and learner, enhances education quality and makes the educational process itself more versatile. However, education quality still remains insufficient as the content of education and studies is poorly oriented towards developing the new abilities and competencies necessary for people living in an open public society and market conditions. The economy based on information becomes a priority in the European countries. It should be noticed that the reality of an open public society and market conditions is not and cannot be ideal and that qualitative education has to help people not only to accept this reality but also to critically evaluate and advance it. In this case, the most important point is that human must preserve his/her identity, self-sufficiency and to strive for a purport of life. Any action such as the improvement of the education system or implementation of new technologies must be carefully studied and firmly fixed. All possible outcomes, results and impact not only on a further but also on individual development of a young personality must be evaluated (Lamanauskas, Vilkonis, Klangauskas, 2007).
 Thus, on behalf of the editorial board I would like to thank all this volume article authors for their contribution to the development of educational research studies, their ambition to get acquainted with very complicated education, teaching and learning phenomena, ability to develop interdisciplinary, methodological thinking and action. Only such thinking and action approach has decisive significance towards education quality. 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-6</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Margarita Vilkonienė</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Rytis Vilkonis</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">PEDAGOGICAL EVALUATION OF THE PLATFORM BASED ON AUGMENTED REALITY TECHNOLOGY: A POSITION OF THE EXPERTS PROVIDING ASSISTANCE WITH TEACHING/LEARNING</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">augmented reality</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">focus group</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">pedagogical evaluation</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2008</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">January/2008</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392222031.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">3</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The primary purpose of the progressing international scientific project ARiSE – is to test pedagogical effectiveness introducing augmented reality (AR) into the classroom and creating remote collaboration between classes around the AR display systems. ARiSE will develop an AR platform and associated pedagogical use cases, enabling teachers to promote, with a moderate effort, new teaching practices for teaching scientific and cultural content in primary and secondary school. The aim of the project is to offer to the group of students the possibility of ‘playing’ with virtual objects and thereby to perform learning by doing instead of learning by reading.
 The research was carried out at Siauliai University in Lithuania. 38 respondents - experts assisting students with special educational needs in teaching/learning (psychologists, speech therapy experts, special pedagogues and the specialists from the education department) took part in this research. The focus groups were formed requiring indiscretion i.e. the group members were not allowed to make any specific impact on one another (in terms of work place, competence and social status). Thus, 6 groups of respondents were set up. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">56-78</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION: IDEALS AND REALITY</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education quality</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">higher education policy</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality of studies</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2008</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">June/2008</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392234536.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">7</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The recently discussed issues of education quality are devoted full attention. The systems of quality control are developed, services are certified etc. All EU countries point to education quality as one of the most important political priorities. Despite the fact it is an excellent idea, the questions of how to ensure adequate education and how to achieve equally ranked education certification in all countries of the European Union arise. From the perspective of Lithuania, it is essential that university education gained at national level should be internationally accepted. Therefore, different legal and political documents approved by Lithuanian authorities in one way or another emphasize that ensuring quality education is a priority field. 
Yet in the last decades of the past century, the universities worldwide closely focused not only on the quality of studies but also on the other services provided by modern universities. Every country of the European Union owns certain structures concentrating on the above introduced problems. For example, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education was established in Great Britain in 1997. The Netherlands has two organizations - Association of Universities and Association of Universities of Professional Education. Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council looks at the situation in Finland etc. In this case, Lithuania is not an exception as since 1995, this field has been maintained by the Centre Quality Assessment in Higher Education (CQAHE). This organization implements the external quality assurance policy in research and higher education in Lithuania and contributes to the development of human resources by creation of enabling conditions for free movement of persons (http://www.skvc.lt/en/?id=0). 
In regard to university life, it can be firmly stated that the problems of studying quality are given scrupulous attention. An apparent focus entirely on ensuring the quality of studies can be noticed in Lithuania. The classical principle of unity of science and studies cannot be considered as a suitable solution. The quality of studies and the process of studying are integrated and therefore determinine one another (Lamanauskas, 2007). Finally, the world practice shows that the concepts of quality management are developed in at least four major fields including the processes of studies and scientific research, administration, designing curricula of studies and teacher training. The central point is the understanding that quality cannot be bought in the market and is not something beyond institution boundaries. Everything will be determined by awareness that quality in a broad sense is conditioned by the quality of management (administration). Only professional management leads to qualified processes (institution work) whereas the latter ensure high-quality service. Otherwise, we can face a situation frequently encountered in the system of Lithuanian higher eduction. For example, after regaining independence, Lithuania suffered from lack of managers and lawyers, and thus national universities started implementation of the required curricula of studies. Presently, all universities in Lithuania train would-be managers. However, the problem is that the quantity of professionally prepared experts in the field is decreasing while at the same time, a total number of professional managers is increasing. Similar problems can be observed in a number of Europen countries. 
As the understanding of quality may vary, a general agreement on the issue discussing quality is very important at least inside the institution. Quality is differently treated by academic staff, students, employers, social partners of institution, authorities and society in general. No special investigation is necessary in order to find out that the position of Lithuanian society on the quality of higher education and studies is not favourable enough. During the last decade, a number of young and gifted Lithuanian people have entered the universities and started working in the neighbouring countries. The process has been given a sound name Brain Drain. A free people’s movement in the open world should be a natural process. However, the careless government’s position on the analogous situations in some countries seems to be a surprise. When the situation becomes really complicated, the programmes aimed at ‘recovering losses’ are created. Nevertheless, similar measures can hardly be sufficient for making a substantial impact. Thus, the Overseas Lithuanians’ Support Centre is responsible for running the project Design and Implementation of Brain Drain Programme the purpose of which is creating a programme for Lithuanian people studying and working in the foreign scientific centres. The programme encourages Lithuanian citizens moving back and implements a competitive financial mechanism that will be applied for arranging scientists’ visits to Lithuania. A serious problem is that up to now, no official statistics on the degree of graduent students, scientists and other researchers’ emigration from Lithuania has been prepared. Moreover, there is lack of information on national scientific research and available vacancies in the institutions of science and education. Frequent discussions under a negative shade lead to appropriate society’s reaction. 
It seems, not much is required in order the quality of higher education should become more outstanding and satisfy not only personal needs but also the requirements imposed by a certain country. However, increased financial support (which is a very important factor) cannot change the existing situation. Education is a complex system having different levels, sub-systems etc. that closely correlate and determine one another. It should be stated that training of secondary comprehensive school graduates is still not sufficient enough. Though, at a later stage, a number of students enter the institutions of higher education. After all, the learners having a certain level of knowledge, abilities and values are treated as the main staff for universities. Logically, if graduates’ education is not good enough, a university fails to train high quality specialists. Meanwhile, worlwide practice shows that universities own high potential that is not always appropriatelly used. Statistics indicates that only 21% of the EU citizens capable for work are graduates from universities, whereas the latter indexes in the US and Canada are 38% and 43 % respectively. The communiqué of the European Commission declears that ‘Europe needs modernised universities. The main question is how to increase our universities’ contribution to the Lisbon Agenda for more growth, and more and better jobs’ (Education and Training..., 2006). The document examines the quality of higher education provided by the European universities. 
During the recent decade, due to reduced complexity, the programmes of social rather than natural sciences and technologies have been the most popular subjects studied. On the one hand, it is a common position, on the other– due to various reasons, the young generation in Lithuania and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe is not sufficiently focused on choosing sciences as subjects to be studied as in this case, in order to ensure the development and quality of programmes, apart from declarations, real financial and intellectual resources are required. Natural and technological sciences are primarily devoted to the development of manufacturing and technologies. Analogical sciences must be competetive under the circumstances of rapid globalization in the economical and informational space worldwide. However, only universities cannot improve the situation as a general clear national policy is required. It is worth pointing to the international ROSE research which disclosed that the youth’ interest in sciences and technologies was markedly decreased in the so called developed countries (ROSE, 2008). Certainly, teaching sciences and technologies in comprehensive schools should be enforced.
 High quality higher education is a solid basis of individual and public intellectual property. Finally, the mission of higher education is to offer competitive priority to its receivers now and in the future. Not everything can be controlled by the existing market as higher education first of all, is an individual property. Therefore, it is not necessarily must be related to the labour market. Higher education is essential to a person him/herself (for young people in particular) in order to consider a personal model of life, to form a unique world outlook and to grow up as a personality and citizen. In this particular case, university implicitly orientating towards the needs suggested by the market, is not suitable for such mission. To save the idea of university worldwide, the latter aspect is exceptionally meaningful. Higher education cannot be treated as a purchase sold in the market. 
Higher education policy becomes a key point. In any case, the quality of higher education cannot be independent neither from science and studying policy of a certain country nor from a policy of a particular university. University autonomy and administration and implementation of science policy at national level are two closely integrated components having a direct impact on higher education. The European Union has established high and ambitious standards. One of those is a steady increase of Europeans’ education. Thus, Lithuania must be ready to meet this challenge. The number of educated people cannot enlarged. The quality of higher education is an integrated part of standard of living and citizens’ welfare. 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SOME IDEAS ABOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION ACTUALITIES AND PERSPECTIVES</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education textbooks</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">scientific-research pupils’ activity</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">social education research</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2008</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">November/2008</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392297814.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">9</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Science Education (hereafter-SE) actuality in the world is not only not decreasing but on the contrary, it is constantly increasing. As you know, very interesting and contradictory results were received in 2004 having carried out international comparative ROSE research. Once again I’d like to encourage all who are interested in science education actualities and problems to get familiar with already mentioned research. This is also important for the reason that Lithuania didn’t take part in this research, therefore we can approximately judge about our position according to the results shown by the pupils of neighboring Latvia. However, these results are not enjoyable because 15 year old pupils’ preferences with respect to science disciplines in many aspects are negative. This is a common tendency of so called developed countries. You can find detailed information about this research on http://www.ils.uio.no/english/rose/. There are lots of publications and other interesting material related to research and its perspectives. It is foreseen to carry out a similar research once again this year and to compare the results of 2004 and 2008. It is difficult to predict how the situation will have changed. However, it is obvious that in the last decades the results of pupils’ tests in most developed countries are not getting better despite big investments and constant efforts to improve the quality of education. The conception of science education changes, much higher requirements are set for the youth science literacy. In the change of science education understanding the necessity arises to prepare new teaching devices, both traditional devices and the devices which are realized by the help of modern ICT. All this undoubtedly has direct influence on the quality of education. Quality imperative is especially emphasized in the report of UNESCO EFA, 2005. Those who are bringing up youth generation have to be interested in this.
 National Lithuanian native language, mathematics, science and social education research of the 4th and 8th form pupils was carried out in 2007. It was found that pupils succeed better in completion of the tasks requiring knowledge presentation. The hardest appear the tasks requiring application of practical abilities. The research also showed that there was not sufficient pupils’ research planning and task completion experience, the abilities of conclusion formulation, measurement device indicator reading, using of various sources of information. Pupils lack deep understanding of phenomena, processes and concepts, application of theoretical knowledge and its relation to practice (Bigeliene, Uginciene, 2008). These results are not surprising, in fact, because in the education process not much attention is given to the formation of practical research abilities. This situation is caused by different reasons, e.g. poor material equipment of science subject rooms (laboratories, appliances, chemicals for doing experiments and so on.) too little time (lessons) is allotted to science subjects, inadequate teachers competence and so on. By making social education significant and sometimes unreasonably integrating the latter with science education the second component remained impoverished. Such pseudo- integration didn’t give any positive results as well as unreasonable profiling of teaching in the higher comprehensive school forms. The possibilities of informal education are also quite often used not for the benefit of science education. Here we can mention neighboring Latvians who became seriously concerned about the situation of science education. Science education modernization project on strengthening the material basis of science education has been going on for several years (the leader dr.Dace Namsone). At the moment the project is being carried out in more than 50 pilot schools therefore we hope that the other schools will share the accumulated experience too.
 On the international level concern was given to science education textbooks. With the initiative of international science and technological education organization IOSTE an International meeting on “Critical Analysis of School Science Textbook” was organized in Tunisia, in February, 2007. It was emphasized that every country has a great variety of textbooks from totally traditional textbooks and their appliance to modern approaches. For example, African countries and Malta usually use old British and French textbooks. Only recently new original textbooks started to be prepared (Clement, 2008). Despite the variety in every respect (e.g. the quality of textbooks, supply, their usage and so on) it is stated that science education should be more common, similar because science knowledge is universal and every country is seeking to strengthen so called knowledge society. Scientists from more than 35 countries participated in the above mentioned meeting. A very important attention was paid to such topics given in the textbooks as Sex Education, Health Education, Human Genetics, Human Brain, Ecology and Environmental Education and other. During this seminar the scientists returned to still existing and becoming urgent –the problem that in our textbooks you can still find quite a lot of subject mistakes and old conceptions which are incompatible with modern science education achievements. Without any doubt, we should give much more attention to this problem in Lithuania than we did up to now. 
Teacher qualification question remains urgent. The majority of the researches both national and international in one way or another reveal direct link between children’s achievements and teachers’ competence. Teaching is not a simple thing. On the contrary, the complexity of teaching points out the necessity for deeper research into the relations between the different elements that constitutes teacher knowledge, and how these are developed and integrated during teacher education (Nilsson, 2008). In this context the suggestion of Lithuanian Education leaders to justify Education law amendments allowing the students of higher schools to work in schools is totally not understandable. This is perhaps J. A. Komenskis times (Lamanauskas, 2008a). According to statistics, there is a lack of science teachers in Lithuanian schools. So called “retrained” pedagogues don’t solve the problem. Nevertheless, not a small part of teachers still work without proper qualifications. Therefore, more attention should be paid to teacher training problems. The science teacher training is a very important part for the future quality of science education (Nezvalova, 2007). Not without reason, in recent years a lot of international projects on science teacher training, analysis on competence issues are being carried out. One of them is international project IQST (Improving Quality of Science Teacher Training in European Cooperation). The project results you can find on http://www.iqst.upol.cz. One of the purposes of the project is to analyze science teacher training practice in some European countries and to prepare possible teacher training development mechanisms on the basis of constructivism theory. 
The question of using the newest information communication technologies remains problematic. We can’t assert that teachers don’t use ICT in the teaching process, however, their usage remains inadequate, e.g. inefficiently are used opportunities from the internet in science education (Lamanauskas, Vilkonis, 2006). On the other hand, particularly innovative technologies, such as augmented reality technologies for learning penetrate into schools. Since 2006 international project “ARiSE” has been carried out to reveal the possibilities of augmented reality technology application in education process. You can read about this on http://www.arise-project.org or on Siauliai University Science Education research centre website http://www.gutc.su.lt/ariselt.htm. Application of ICT in science education is inseparable from teaching and learning visualization, implementation of knowledge, perception problems. This sphere should be analyzed in detail, broadening the basis of empiric research. Technologies should not alienate from human being and reality. We should devote all our efforts to stimulating youth interest in science and technologies and reinforcing scientific –technological education at all levels. Although hardly anyone suspects that technologies are having a growing impact on our daily life, however, they are still remain alienated from the major par of society members and policy makers and what is more, frequently stand outside the door of the education system. Hence, opening the door is the obligation of all of us (Lamanauskas, 2008b).
 All mentioned problematic questions are in one way or another related to scientific-research pupils’ activity in comprehensive school. We can safely assert that especially in primary school practically not an appropriate attention is paid to formation of scientific-research abilities. It is obvious, that modern teaching process is not favorable orientating pupils for scientist (researcher) career. It is very important to analyze in detail which factors disturb/encourage to train pupils’ interest in scientific-research activity. Finally, teacher’s competence and also personal interest are very important while forming and developing pupils’ scientific research abilities in teaching- learning process. From the managerial point of view, incentive program is necessary for such teachers. The formation of scientific research activity abilities in comprehensive school is undoubtedly, a very important sphere still awaiting of particular attention. Current teaching and learning process has basically changed looking from the paradigmatic point of view. Teaching subjects become the means of realization of learners’ demands and interests. Scientific research activity is not an entertainment but a very responsible, thorough work requiring great self- independence. During this activity children’s analytic thinking becomes stronger, information search and usage abilities are being developed, they can learn to analyze the accumulated material, make presentations, prepare research reports and so on. It is important to make more pupils interested in this activity. This shouldn’t be the privilege of gifted pupils only. However, talking about the developing of scientific research activity at school, several essential questions arise:
 • Is it possible to teach every child to perform research activity?
 • What to do if a pupil wants to take up scientific research activity but school can’t provide elementary conditions for this purpose (for example, there is no equipment, no competent leader and so on.)?
 • How to integrate effectively scientific research elements into teaching content?
 Scientific research activity in comprehensive school is undoubtedly a meaningful, integral sphere, however, for developing such kind of activity in Lithuanian comprehensive schools not an adequate attention was paid up to now. Comprehensive school teachers seeking to form scientific research abilities and to develop such activity in the training process face various difficulties: lack of administration support, lack of pupils’ motivation, shortage of material and financial resources, etc. factors disturbing pupils’ interest in scientific research activity in the teaching process are: a) lack of teachers’ motivation, b) pupils’ orientation to choose an easier, less effort demanding way, c) poor material basis of schools, d) lack of methodology how to organize pupils’ scientific research work, e) insufficient teachers’ preparation for scientific research work. essential encouraging factors in the pupils’ interest in scientific research activity are such: a) teacher’s personality and activity, b) pupils’ curiosity, their wish to develop knowledge, to show themselves, c) pupil’s abilities, d) different teaching subjects’ pupils scientific conferences, seminars and other similar arrangements, e) trips, excursions to scientific establishments, meetings with scientists (Lamanauskas, Augienė, 2008). 
Recently in Gothenburg (Sweden) one week course took place for PhD students in science education sphere (Goteborg University, November 16th –November 21st, 2008).The subject of the course was “The Role of Theory in Science Education”. The focus of the course was on the role of theory in developing doctoral theses in the context of science education. The event took place according to a common project of Baltic and Scandinavian countries “NordForsk”. During the course the students presented their researches, shared experiences, listened to interesting lectures, such as: “Theoretical perspectives on science learning: an overview” (P. Scott), “Science learning in a socio-cultural perspective” (R.Saljo), “Theory: who needs it?”(J. Donnelly), “Appeal to reason, appeal of reason: fostering argument in science education (S. Erduran) etc. Students’ presented works were interesting as well. Their subjects are various indeed, e.g. “Personalized learning for the most able learners in science” (B.Knutsen, Norway), “A design-based research on motivation: learning materials with science inquiry” (A.Loukomies, Finland), “The development of science achievement motivation in Iceland: longitudinal quantitative study based on social cognitive theory” (K.K.Stefansson, Island), “Establishing learning demands about biological evolution-exploring the constituents , actors and communicative processes”(C.Olander, Sweden), “Science education outdoors-effects and attitudes”(E.Fagerstam, Sweden) etc. In general, the importance of such courses can be evaluated as a positive contribution into training of young generation of scientists and as an obvious contribution into science education development. However, after analyzing at least minimally the works of doctorates becomes evident that the latter are ready to choose a rather pragmatic and simple way. I mean, such spheres of researches are chosen which are popular at the moment. The great majority of the works are linked to motivation, interests, attitudes and so on. We can’t assert that this is not important. In fact, this is the sphere of psychology. However difficult it were to find out the reasons for low interest to science and technologies, the fallen prestige of sciences in comprehensive schools, nevertheless, they are not essential things from the educational point of view. All the more, inquiry based researches give only a panoramic view of the situation, i.e. have a stated character. It is completely not clear or almost not clear what causes such a situation. The main goal of educators is to change, develop teaching-learning process using educational devices. Already mentioned ROSE research revealed that pupils understand the meaning of sciences and technologies to society in general, but they are not satisfied with school science. It is obvious, that we come in touch with deeper didactic problems here, for example, the content of teaching, teaching-learning methods, teacher and pupils relations, scientific research activity (the latter is a very important part of the whole science education process), at last, teaching-learning process management in general. If we concentrate only on psychological parameters (interests, motives, demands, attitudes and so on), essential didactic parameters remain outside. In other words, the essential question – effective pedagogization of the whole science and technological education process hasn’t been solved yet (it considerably deviated towards psychologization and sociologization. Such conclusion can be made from the experience acquired during the course in Gothenburg.
 The actualities of science education discussed in this article make one take up research, analytic, expert job. There are no drawn limits for the development of science education. More serious theorists and practitioners efforts are simply necessary. There is a hope that this issue remains one of the main science education efficiency catalysts not only in Lithuania but also in the international arena. 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-8</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">EDUCATION DIVERSITY AS AN INDICATOR OF SOCIETY POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education diversity</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">education market</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">globalization</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2007</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">September/2007</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392219627.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">In the present age, education plays a crucial role. Globalization, challenges of the knowledgeable society and the breakthrough of technological development are the main factors stimulating the diversification of education systems in a number of countries. Society and education become more variable. On the other hand, education may have a significant impact on society i.e. to provoke and promote its alterations. Recently, a strong need for new competencies has shown up. Preparations for changes, modern information management, skills in general science management and strategic planning, the need for permanent learning etc. are accepted as extremely important competencies. New tasks are allocated for all types and levels of schools concentrating on comprehensive school the basic mission of which is to train a personality having a broad academic knowledge, capable of lifelong learning, able to find his/her own place in life and be an active member of the community. First of all, new education goals require rearranging the educational process and content. 
After restoring the independence in 1990, different alterations have been taking place in the Lithuanian education system. This period has faced plenty of changes in schools and the whole system of education e.g. school decentralization and management, reformation of schooling net and structure, new methods of financing, a changed system of Secondary Education Examination, new methods regulating the entrance to higher schools, new educational content and standards, the systems of teachers and executives’ attestation etc. The educational establishments have seen endless possibilities of cooperation with foreign partners. Joining various international scientific, collaboration, mobility etc. projects opens up excellent opportunities to increase competencies of all education system participants. It can be affirmed that a similar situation can be met in the majority of countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The fundamental reforms of the educational system have been introduced in Latvia, Estonia, Poland and other countries of this region.
 The free market conditions, globalization of production, rapid changes in technologies, market liberalization and building an information-based society create a highly competitive environment in all countries and make an immediate impact on employee qualification requirements and work methods. Training a qualified expert focused on the needs of the work market and aimed at developing practical skills can be accepted as one of the priorities of the education system. Ensuring high quality education has become a burning problem. Qualified education embraces not only internal business of the educational establishments; it is also a concern of the whole environment. To be satisfied with quality assurance, the society and social partners are actively involved. Quality management in education is admitted as a priority. To be certain about the society members’ education that corresponds to the time requirements, the representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations, enterprises, traditional religious communities, mass media as well as education experts, politicians, employers and other concerned people need to be summoned. Everyone must feel responsibility for the young generation and the future of the country. A similar form of collaboration is extremely important and most frequently produces positive results. M.Lang states that collaboration in educational reform assumes an atmosphere of professional autonomy realized through discourse, decentralization, and professional self-improvement in communities of practice. This implies a participatory process in a common information space that is different from the traditional view in a bureaucratic or expert hierarchy. It has to be discussed and justified in a social context of some sort of commons with shared meaning, values and rules (Lang, 2007). 
However, it seems likely that progress in education is impossible without degradation which is an antipodal phenomenon. Along progress in education and its modernization, the degradation processes take place. Educational literature calls it The Doctrine of the Degraded Education. Despite all the efforts taken, the level of education is kept down in some countries. The number of preschool education institutions has gone down; the children’s state of health and the quality of knowledge have considerably decreased. The prestige of higher schools is under damage. Unfortunately, the scopes of education financing cannot ensure qualified education. The phenomenon of falsified education frequently emerges. The factors determining the latter happening are under discussion. The expert inquiry carried out in Lithuania in 2006, revealed such unfavourable circumstances of falsified education as a negative public attitude to school, lack of competencies of the executives dealing with education policy, bureaucracy, exaltation of learners’ rights etc. (Lamanauskas, Aleknaitė, 2007). 
An inescapable fact remains that an individual market of education exists. An axiom that the market easily accepts ‘high’ mastership is known. Another truth is also notorious – teachers (apart from rare exceptions) broke checking their personal educational activity and science (do the latter fields conform to one another). The process of broadening personal theoretical knowledge is very slow. What role does an uncompetitive teacher/lecturer play nowadays? Who is responsible if a teacher/lecturer fails to properly express him/herself under the circumstances of competition in the education market? Why a part of the universities are chosen by a large number of students whereas the other higher schools feel shortage of learners? There are plenty of questions to be fully answered. 
Society and the education market gain greater diversity. More and more educational establishments appear in order to offer a wide spectrum of education services. A net of informal education institutions is actively progressing not only in Lithuania but also in other countries of the above mentioned region. The education ‘field’ is supported with the new theories that help with expansion of a modern education panorama (Lamanauskas, 2004). Obviously, such variety can be confusing, moreover, the barely accepted objects most frequently do not succeed in becoming the treasure of the educational society. The acknowledgement and investigation of the systemic education reality grow into a burning issue. Nevertheless, variant education is admitted as an index measuring how a certain political unity is focused on different educational needs and possibilities of society and its groups. 
A few produced ideas will serve as a pretext for everyone interested in discussing the problems of education and thinking of the present education situation. Notwithstanding, this issue of serial publication includes articles dealing with different topics and formats i.e. from works displaying empirical research on methodology (Olga V. Balachevskaya etc.) to those debating the questions of youth intelligence and self-determination (Tatyana V. Masharova, Elena L. Syrtsova). This is a purposeful objective. The geopolitical situation in Lithuania has performed a role of a bridge between East and West. During the recent seventeen years, the one-way direction has predominated and been targeted on the West traditions in Lithuania. It is clear that education encountered a similar situation. The state of education in the region of Eastern Europe has been poorly discussed. Different international conferences held in Russia and Belarus disclose the need of exchanging information, experience, problems etc. The pedagogical traditions of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine considerably differ from those cherished in the West. The fact that only a small number of scientists working in the field of pedagogy in these countries publish their works in English proves that the real problems of communicating with one another exist. Life under similar conditions limits the possibilities of acknowledging the educational theory and practice in these countries. 
It is believed that this volume of scientific articles will assist in solving the above introduced problems in one or another way and thus will have a positive impact on education development. We are expecting that this issue will be equally useful for the readers and writers of Eastern as well as of Western countries. 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-6</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SCIENCE EDUCATION AS A CORE COMPONENT OF EDUCATEDNESS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educatedness</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2007</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">August/2007</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392217250.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">This is the first edition of a new scientific compilation Problems of Education in the 21st Century. The articles included in the publication discuss the issues of modern education. Professor A.Broks clearly defines that ‘scientific and technical literacy for all and high quality science and technologies education for a coming new generation of specialists is the main task for the corresponding development of general as well as professional modern science and technologies education (Broks, 2007)’. The latter statement can be an argument that teaching science faces problems in the majority of countries. The investigations reveal that in comparison with other subjects, those of science (particularly chemistry) are the most complex and boring ones in comprehensive school. 
There are plenty of different scientific research on recent science and technology education carried out across Europe. We need to know the diversity and findings of the conducted investigations in order to more carefully coordinate further research. According to Eurobarometer opinion polls, the EU instrument for the analysis of public opinion, in comparison with the older generation, the younger Europeans generally have a positive attitude towards science and technology. However, less and less students are interested in scientific studies and careers. The fundamental question is addressed to stimulating young people interest in science studies and science in particular. We can state, that crucial to any learning is motivation and interest – perhaps the most valuable thing a science teacher can do is to demonstrate enthusiasm for learning science (Goodwin, 2006). We are clearly targeted at primary and secondary school learners as well as at those studying in colleges and universities. Obviously, more attention in the field of natural science education should be devoted to the preschool age children on the one hand, and to the adults, on the other. The result to which we are expediently aspiring is development of a real and rather strong interest in science. We must intensify the efforts to make natural science education more effective at all levels of education. Due to a huge amount of specific information, natural sciences are very hard to be properly mastered.
 Another important argument for improving science education is awareness that scientific knowledge in modern societies is one of the key elements of economic and social success. In this context, modern science education must be accepted as a bridge between scientific research and society. 
The above mentioned statements are underpinning for our new scientific edition Problems of Education in the 21st Century. In general, European countries have totally different schooling practice and apply a number of specificities in the field of science education. It seems logical to accumulate this experience in order to show links between Western and Eastern traditions in the field of modern science education. Volume 1 Science Education in the Changing Society is dedicated to the problems encountered by science education. We hope that the next volume will cover more topics. 
I believe that this edition will have a high (theoretical and practical) impact on the development and advancement of public natural science and technological education not only in the region of Central and Eastern Europe but also in a number of other countries worldwide. As we all are full of interesting and useful ideas and experience I’d like to invite you to share your knowledge on the pages of this new scientific compilation. I am expecting to see all scientists and teachers including those from Eastern European community to be both - readers and writers. 
</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Editorial</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">5-6</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SOME FEATURES OF INITIAL SCIENCE TEACHER TRAINING IN LITHUANIA</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educatedness</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">teacher training</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2007</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">September/2007</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392220022.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">After gaining the independence, well-grounded, qualitatively new and intensive changes took place in the education system of Lithuania. The issues of science education became even more burning and though more complex. One of the directives requires solving the problems of science education on the grounds of a general culture rather than separately as the questions should be treated as a part of culture. A teacher of sciences must fully master different training technologies and have a thorough preparation for teaching sciences. Obviously, science pedagogical education undergoes serious changes. The majority of the recent international studies face an alarming situation in the field of science education. A critical situation has been encountered by the ROSE project (Sjøberg, 2004). It is obvious, that preparation of the qualified science teachers is actual and difficult task.�
 In conclusion, we can maintain that: 
• After restoring independence, the new teacher training curricula using experience of Western countries and considering national needs were developed.
 • The teachers of natural sciences mainly have to meet new social, pedagogic and subjective requirements. They are treated not only as providers imparting knowledge and facts but also as those helping the learner with choosing the required information on an individual basis. The changes in society and the process of teaching show that higher schools must take into account these facts while training would-be teachers. 
• The training curricula of teachers of natural sciences are designed on the basis of the regulations of the field of studies and standards of teacher training and are aimed at training teachers able to teach a few subjects of natural sciences. 
• The curricula focused on preparing teachers able to teach natural sciences integrated into other subjects taught are designed.
 • The curricula of natural sciences include education management, an introductory course on Educology, didactics and hodegetics that are involved into the process of competence development; however, it is not enough to gain general competence in pedagogical practice. 
• The training curricula of teachers of natural sciences encounter a problem pointing to the recession of the parallel teacher training model. In this case, the prospects of professional studies that proceed receiving a bachelor’s degree are confirmed by the new curricula of professional studies scheduling a general core section of the subjects developing pedagogical competence and didactical subjects of different fields of science that will be applied for the purposes of improving didactical competence of a certain subject.`
 • Lack of specific methodology, examples of good practice and recommendations for solving the problem of integrated education can be noticed in Lithuania. 
• No detailed systemic recommendations and methodical and organizational tools of how to integrate modern Information Communication Technologies (ICT) into the processes of teaching/learning natural sciences are created. 
• The teachers of natural sciences are not experienced enough in the field of general competence in modern ICT and suffer from shortage of methodical experience of how to effectively apply ICT in the educational process. The teachers should gain relevant experience in the seminars in methodology, training courses and accepted pedagogical practice at school using the latest Lithuanian versions of natural science training aids based on ICT. </style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">45-53</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vincentas  Lamanauskas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Rytis Vilkonis</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THE USAGE OF THE INTERNET IN TEACHING PHYSICS IN LITHUANIA: THE ANALYSIS OF A SITUATION AND PERSPECTIVES</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">science education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">teaching physics</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2007</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">August/2007</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392218228.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">A vision of a modern world can be hardly conveyed without Information and Communication Technology (ICT) recently having a powerful impact on all areas of life. The application of the latest ICT in the educational process raises new possibilities for both a teacher and a learner, enhances the quality of provided education and makes the educational process more adjustable.
 Effective source of the information nowadays is the Internet. It has to be stated that the Internet possibilities in the teaching process are insufficiently used. On the other hand, in principal there are no reliable studies, which would reveal the actual situation in this field. Therefore, the object of our study is the usage of the Internet for teaching physics. The main aim of the study is to analyse the situation of the usage of the Internet for teaching physics and highlight the hindering/encouraging factors of its usage in the teaching process.
 The study employed expert inquiry. The type of expert inquiry – “Delphi study”, containing several experts’ inquiries (stages). Research has shown, that the Internet in teaching physics is not used in due volume. The majority of problems are connected with material (including information) resources (lack of websites, computers, etc.) and the competence (methodical, information, etc.) teachers of physics.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">63-72</style></section></record></records></xml>