TEACHER'S READINESS FOR FORMATION OF CIVIL IDENTITY OF SCHOOL STUDENTS AND PATRIOTIC EDUCATION

The article deals with the actual question of the role of teachers in the patriotic education and the formation of students' civic identity. The authors of the article presented the results of a study on the determination of teachers' readiness for the formation of civic identity and patriotic education of schoolchildren, which was carried out using the author’s questionnaire and as a result of which the authors came to a contradiction about the need to educate patriots at a higher, qualitatively new level in accordance with social order and lack the readiness of teachers of general educational organizations to patriotic education in new conditions. Emphasis is placed on the organization of systematic work on the training of teachers of general educational organizations for patriotic education and the formation of the civic identity of schoolchildren in the new conditions for the development of the world community.

SUPERVISION AS A SUPPORT TOOL IN THE PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY OF PEDAGOGUES – CAREER COUNSELLORS

The aim of the research is to determine the suitability and benefits of using supervision as a support tool in the professional activity of pedagogues – career counsellors in Latvia. Supervision is a globally recognised employee training and support tool that provides the possibility of reflecting on their professional experience, analysing their activity and finding some ways for their improvement. The paper provides theoretical grounds for the use of supervision; it also describes the conducted empirical research, whose data have been processed using the SPSS software. The research allows us drawing conclusions regarding the needs of pedagogues – career counsellors and their professional and personal benefits following their participation in the supervisions organised at the beginning of 2018 within the framework of the ESF project “Career Support for Comprehensive and Professional Schools”. The respondents’ attitude to supervisions as a support tool was established. This research has a practical application and its results can be used in the organisation of content and process of any future supervisions.

DISTRIBUTED PARTICIPATION AND RESPONSIBILITY – IN COMPETENCE APPROACH REALIZATION IN EDUCATION

Humankind is facing unprecedented revolutions, all our old stories are crumbling, and no new story has so far emerged to replace them. How can we prepare ourselves and our children for a world of such unprecedented transformations and radical uncertainties. What and how should we teach a child that will help them survive and flourish in the 22nd century? What kind of skills will they need in order to get a job, understand what is happening around them and navigate the maze of life?In the publication topicality of all participants’, involved in the educational process, distributed partnership and responsibility has been raised and characterized in the context of the education reform implementation – in transition to the education based on competences. The need for teachers’ professional activity in efficient provision of cooperation with parents and the society is especially emphasized, as well as topicality for new productive cooperation models, which provide an opportunity to increase the new generation and society’s demand qualitatively for a new education content, knowledge, values and competences that are able to guarantee a purposeful and sustainable development both on the individual and Latvian national level.

SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' TYPES OF THINKING IN LEARNING MATHS

One of the most important tasks of education is to develop research skills aimed at the students' research activity in the study process. Involving students in research activities will enable them to learn to invent, understand and learn new knowledge, to argue their thoughts, to make decisions, to develop their interests and to realize opportunities. The theoretical basis of the study is the learning cognitive and constructivist approach. The topicality of the article relates to the transformations to be made in the education system, as the education system in Latvia and its content have to change. The aim of the article is to raise the issue of the goals of the productive activity of the mathematical school subject and the development of research skills, so that the pupil can transfer the knowledge and skills acquired creatively to solving problem situations of related subjects. The questionnaire of teachers and pupils with open questions, as well as research work in mathematics by students, are used in the article for obtaining data. Data analysis is a case study analysis method.

INSTITUTIONAL CARE SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION: TRENDS AND PERSPECTIVES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILD CARE INSTITUTIONS

This article analyses the transformation of the social childcare system in Lithuania, which aims at eliminating institutional childcare homes by the year 2020 and the placement of parental care for children in families of adoptive parents and carers, and returning them to biological parents. However, during the transition period, patronage impairment is noticeable, and municipalities choose an intermediate option and place children in community homes that provide short-term or long-term social care. It provides social services to a social care institution, in which the community in a separate room (house, apartment) family-friendly environment model houses up to 8 children in the home environment. When providing social services to parental care, it is necessary to understand the importance of deinstitutionalisation in the system of social services and to model their activities towards the home environment, bearing in mind that the process of deinstitutionalisation involves a change in the formation of a permanent custody, the services that best suit the individual interests of each child, taking into account their needs for growth and improve. This can only be achieved by improving the human resources capabilities of social service organizations by providing the right knowledge to provide tailor-made services based on results-oriented work principles.Applied research methods are analysis of scientific literature and documents, interviews with social workers of a community nursing home, analysis and interpretation of research results. The review of scientific literature and research data presented in the article reveal the problems of the institutional care transformation process and the challenges of transforming the children's care homes and developing the activities of community child care homes.

REVIEW OF METHODS FOR WORK WITH CHILDREN WITH COMBINED DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES: REFLECTION ON EXPERIENCE

The research proposes an author's view of the variety of methods and their practical application in work with children with combined developmental disabilities. In the course of professional activity in Rezekne Elementary Boarding School - Development Center (REBS-DC) during the period from 2012 to 2018, the most effective methods for integrating children with combined disabilities into the learning process and promoting their development and future integration into society were selected, analyzed and used in practice.Research objective: to provide insights into the variety of methods and their effectiveness in work with a child with combined disabilities.Research methods: reflection on experience, analysis of scientific literature.

INTERREG LAT-LIT PROJECT “DEVELOPING OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT SERVICE SYSTEM THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF METHOD OF POSITIVE COPING STRATEGIES AND ENHANCEMENT OF SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR PEOPLE IN VULNERABLE GROUPS” POZCOPING LLI-163

In East Latvia and North Lithuania there are common social – economic challenges, poverty, unemployment which lead to social exclusion, as consequence high stress level, which causes difficulties of psychosocial functioning, social inclusion and participation in economic, social, political and cultural life. Besides, in cross-border regions there are challenging accessibility of psychological and social support, well undeveloped accessibility and support content in social services for vulnerable people. Suggested project activities are focused on the creation and efficiency of social services for socially excluded adolescent, youth.The innovations, that the Project suggest is new to all Baltic countries and suggests, that these methods of social inclusion, positive stress coping to use in social services are effective and qualitative comparing to economical investments in application in practice. Project main objective is to develop social psychological support service system with the purpose to enhance social integration of youth at social risk while implementing effective method of developing positive coping with stress strategies. The main objective is related with the Programme objective in two aspects: - the first one calls for the improvement of efficiency of social service. - The other one related with the higher social inclusion of the youth at social risk due to accessible empowering support and enhanced support services.

SCIENTIFIC REPORT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAM “INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR SOCIAL TELEREHABILITATION IN THE SCHOOLS OF LATVIA IN THE CONTEXT OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION”

The main goal of the National Research Program INOSOCTEREHI (Innovative solutions for social telerehabilitation in the schools of Latvia in the context of inclusive education) is related to the research on the issues and problems that are important to our society, as well as it is closely related with the goal of Rezekne Academy of Technologies Research Institute for Regional Studies: to promote interdisciplinarity and innovation transfer in spheres of socialization, re- socialization, human security (including people with special needs).The research is particularly relevant in connection to the NDP (National Development Plan) and Education Development Guidelines and the educational content reform implemented by the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) in general and inclusive education ensuring the introduction of the competence based approach by implementing Specific Goals of Support (SGS) with the help of EU Structural Funds. The practical importance of the outputs is especially high as the findings of the research are being used by being involved in the work of the cooperation partner – the ESF project “The Competencies Based Approach in the Content of Education (Activity 8.3.1.) – as project cooperation partners and as individuals. Therefore the outputs of the NRP INOSOCTEREHI enable the development of the support system for the implementation of the innovations according to the specific needs of the target groups (teachers, learners, etc.).

COMPETENCES AND EDUCATIONAL POLICY-MAKING CONCERNING NATIONAL CURRICULA FOR SCHOOLS

Competence-oriented approach for educational reforms, including national curriculum (NC) development, has been recommended both by the OECD and the European Commission since the beginning of the 21st century. International assessment, especially PISA studies from 2003 onwards have also been using selected competences for comparing academic achievement of the 15-year- olds. The influence of the mentioned recommendations for NC development in Estonia has been analysed and the role of different types of knowledge has been highlighted.

YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN VOLUNTEERS’ WORK

Nowadays the problem of youth participation is one of the most important issues among politicians, scientists, teachers, youth specialists and employees. In the last 10 years, the number of young people in Latvia has decreased by 35 % or 180 thousand. The reasons are: passivity, low motivation and lack of interest among young people; insufficient awareness among young people of opportunities to participate and actively engage in various non-formal education activities; the lack of entrepreneurship and communication skills; the youth policy strategy in Rezekne has not been developed and approved. These challenges slower youth engaging in active participation. Based on previous experience, the author believes that the problem of youth participation in NGO can be solved by purposefully working and improving the factors of youth participation such as learning and improving English as well as involvement in youth projects.