Problems of (Self-) education Substantiated by Scientific Research

Abstract

The scientific community members tend to acknowledge that scientific achievements in educational sciences are much slower compared to other areas. However, it is encouraging that in 2014 responding to the challenges relevant to the system of education, the young researchers of Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences searched for and substantiated solutions to a number of problems employing their original scientific research.
 In the Committee of Joint Doctoral Studies (Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences, Kaunas University of Technology, Šiauliai University and Lithuanian Sports University) Kęstutis Trakšelys defended his doctoral thesis on the theme: “Education accessibility within the context of the transformation of Lithuanian society (1990–2010)”. The Committee of the Defence Council consisted of the representatives-researchers from the Joint Doctoral Committee and Prof. Dr. Habil. Alicja Šerlong, Director of the Institute of Pedagogy of Wroclaw University (Poland). All the members of the Doctoral Defence Council unanimously emphasized that the emerging processes of transformations in the global world impose specific tasks on the system of education and oblige the school to organize the process of (self-) education in such a way, which satisfies needs of learners, modern society and the epoch. Therefore, the author of the thesis analyzed an urgent research problem identifying links between social transformations and changes in the system of education from the perspective of accessibility, while solving the problem of accessibility of education in the context of social transformations during the period, which was particularly challenging to the system of education in Lithuania (1990–2010).
 All the members of the Dissertation Defence Council and opponents considered the doctoral thesis “The development of creative writing skills of primary school pupils using interactive whiteboard” by Agnė Saylik as one of the first works in Lithuania, which focuses on development of primary learners’ creative writing skills employing information and communication technologies. The members of the Committee highly evaluated the creativity of the author, i.e., her ability to create original ideas, make insights, manage the collected information, to employ a variety of methods, to cope with a big sample of respondents, to process the data in a reliable way, etc.
 The members of the Dissertation Defence Council and opponents of the doctoral thesis “Expression and development of the learning to learn competence of the adults improving their qualification” written by Vilija Lukošūnienė unanimously recognized the relevance and particular innovative character of the thesis, which is said to be timely and answering the urgent challenges of today: ability to approach the competence of learning to learn through the prism of multidimensionality, autonomous learning is analyzed, internal and external factors are singled out, which result in the competence of learning to learn, the hypothetic model for development of the adults’ competence of learning to learn was designed.
 Analyzing the theme “Developing entrepreneurial capacities of pupils in 9th–12th forms applying coaching in technology lessons” and being a professional teacher-practitioner, Oksana Kietavičienė perceived technological education as a continuous process and understood the necessity to integrate teacher’s and learner’s creation as well as their creative ideas and to apply them in practical pedagogical activities. The thesis was evaluated as a timely, relevant and significant scientific study, which enriches educational powers of all the social sciences and educational science in particular, targeting at nurturance of an initiator and a responsible personality, who is capable of creation, rather than on development of an executor.
 Kristina Viršulienė used the time of her doctoral studies for scientifi research on pedagogical communication and her efforts were finalized by the written doctoral thesis “Student-teachers’ instructional communication skills and their development”. The Chairperson of the Dissertation Defence Council pointed out that the relevance of the theme is obvious as education is a focused development of individual’s powers on the basis of the created interaction. Pedagogical communication is a basic component of the latter and an essential area of teacher’s professional activity. Empirical testing of efficiency of the programme of educational project is one of the main advantages of this doctoral thesis and this is a new contribution to the treasure trove of the educational science.
 In his defended doctoral thesis “Pedagogical substantiation of social educator’s educational environment enriched with information and communication technologies”, Rokas Gulbinas theoretically and empirically substantiated the educational environment of a special needs teacher enriched with information and communication technologies (ICT) as a prerequisite for fulfilment of special needs teacher’s functions at new quality level. This is a particularly significant empiric study, which contributed to designing of the hypothetic model of special needs teacher’s activity in the educational environment enriched with ICT, which is relevant not only as the construct of development of methodology of quantitative research but also as a model for improvement of special needs teacher’s activity under changing technological conditions.
 Giedrė Misiūnienė wrote the doctoral thesis “Modelling of socio-educational activities of multifunctional center in rural (territorial) community”, which aimed to substantiate the hypothetic model of socio-educational activity of multifunctional center in rural territorial community. The Dissertation Defence Council highly evaluated the capability and commitment of the young researcher to addressing severe problems of our time, whereof scientific research, substantiation, forecasting as well as strengthening of positive socio-educational activities in rural communities and their dissemination may not only help an individual and the society but also eliminate illiteracy, exclusion and decline in value-based principles. The initiative of the author of the thesis and her academic supervisor to implement one of the fundamental goals of Dr. M. Lukšienė, i.e, to expand the network of rural and basic schools (10 forms), their activity and, thus, to enhance the national identity, culture and the image of the state, is of particular value. This objective is also outlined in the National Education Strategy for 2013–2022; therefore, the scientific interest of the young researcher to model the emerging multifunctional centers is particularly timely and significant. This is the first unique research of such kind in the country.
 All the doctoral theses discussed above were defended in Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences in 2014 and their authors were conferred the degree of doctor of Social Sciences (Educational Science (07S)).