Volumen 23 (2021): Heft 2 (December 2021)

The contradictions of modern human development are related to educational space, which is characterized by globalization and technology-driven changes; therefore, the social dimension of teacher education emphasizes the humane character of education – respectful communication, participation, empathy, flexibility, and the ability to change so that a teacher would be able to ensure an emotionally safe and supervised learning environment.

The aim of the article is to analyze and compare the opinions of students, pre-service preschool teachers, about teacher’s responsiveness in Latvian and Polish institutions of higher education. The research methodology includes the theoretical method – analysis of academic literature – and the empirical method – a survey of 307 Latvian and Polish full-time and part-time students in the period of 2020–2021. The survey was conducted online. Data processing was performed using the SPSS program. The results show that, in general, the understanding of prospective preschool teachers about the importance of teacher responsiveness in pedagogical activities and the need to undertake responsibility and leadership in regulating children’s reactions is positive. However, several differences have been identified between the opinions of Latvian and Polish students.

In recent years, sustainability has been increasingly recognized within the early childhood education and care (ECEC) context. Early childhood educators’ capacities to design meaningful learning opportunities for young children have been underlined. The article reports on a study of student teachers’ learning during a project about multimodal storytelling and sustainability in ECEC teacher education. The study explores how multi-modal storytelling might contribute to the capacity to conduct education for sustainability in the context of ECEC. The participants were first-year student teachers at a Finnish university. The results show that multimodal storytelling can contribute to addressing challenging issues linked to sustainability through holistic learning processes. Hereby, multimodal storytelling opens for the exploration of existential issues and complex aspects of sustainability education. It contributes to the reflection and discussion of values, knowledge and skills that are vital for the capacity to conduct sustainability education in the early childhood.

In Thailand, in-service teachers’ professional development has been implemented through the Professional Learning Community (PLC) program for more than four years to develop teachers’ sustainably. The sustainable development program has spread across the country in the Thai Teacher Council network. The research goals are as follows: (1) to evaluate the causes and results of the Professional Development Program in the form of a Professional Learning Community conducted by the Teachers’ Council of Thailand and (2) to analyze factors affecting success and sustainability of the teacher professional development project. Within the study, 490 samples have been collected from the relevant parties. The respondents have completed the questionnaire and participated in the interview. The research results have revealed that the project is essential for teachers and education personnel. They change the teaching and learning approaches, as well as positive thinking skills; moreover, the students also increase academic achievements.

Doctoral students’ professional identity in higher education institutions is a relevant field of research in the context of education for sustainable development. Higher education institutions face the following challenge: it is very important for the Doctoral students to develop the skills of the researcher during their studies; however, the competencies of the teacher are crucial in order to become part of the higher education institution. Thus, sustainable development of teacher’s professional identity of Doctoral students plays a meaningful role in retaining gifted young scientists at higher education institutions. The article analyzes the psychological, social and academic environmental factors that are important for identification of the teacher’s professional role during Doctoral studies. The sample of the study consisted of 494 Doctoral students from 22 higher education institutions in Lithuania. The study was conducted using Teachers’ Professional Role Identity Scale, Big Five Inventory, Social Support Questionnaire and two scales compiled to measure academic environmental factors. The results revealed that Doctoral students’ external thinking style, personality traits of extraversion and conscientiousness, perceived support of family and friends, material conditions for internships and conferences and other academic environment factors are significant for Doctoral students’ identification with the teacher’s professional role. These results have practical application for Doctoral students’ satisfaction with studies, productivity and career management. This is important for the seeking sustainable development goals of higher education.

The aim of the large-scale research entitled “Exploring Documentary Heritage for Building Synergies between Research and Society” is to investigate previously unexplored aspects of the documentary heritage, including the part of the legacy that has previously been subject to censorship and has therefore not been studied in depth. In order for these layers and stories to reach the public, it should initially be informed of the existence of such information, which, in turn, could create awareness and encourage action. As part of the large-scale research, the present article, using an eye tracking tool, reveals how target groups search for information on the Internet. The usability test indicates that respondents do not go to a specific information resource to search for specific information, but search is primarily started using one of the Internet search engines. The main conclusion is that, in order to ensure the availability of reliable high-quality information to the public, which is one of the key conditions for sustainable development, databases of the National Library of Latvia (NLL) should be designed in such a way that Google search engine can easily index the information contained in them.

The study is aimed to develop the open innovation model of student’s research activities based on the adaptation of modern scientific achievements in the context of transition to sustainable development of the education system. It advances a general approach to the design of the structure and implementation of main components of hybrid intelligent system to integrating a production-frame model of knowledge and neural network algorithm for the formation of an individual learning scenario. The software implemented as a hybrid intellectual environment for organizing student’s research activities is conventionally represented as a combination of blocks: a graphical user interface; technological core of hybrid learning environment, including a neural network classifier and a training data bank; a system for interaction and activation of third-party software and software and hardware. The technological basis for the individualization of the learning trajectory is the automated construction, forecasting of development and interactive correction of competence-oriented and associated models of a subject area. As a technological core, it uses a hybrid system of interaction between an artificial neural network and an expert system functioning based on a database of research projects. The presented innovation algorithm makes it possible to implement the technology of student’s research activities organizing as a process of setting up the generalized constructions of complex knowledge. Further research prospects consist of the program implementation of hybrid intellectual learning environment for the development of student’s research activities and its preparation for trial operation.

In the distance learning process, teachers, students, parents and institutions must continue the teaching and learning process despite the various limitations. During the face-to-face learning process, instructions, concepts and feedback can be verbally communicated within a relatively short period of time; while teachers in the distance learning process must briefly express their thoughts in written form so that every student can clearly understand what is being done. It is not always an easy task. One of the challenges of the distance learning process is to find ways how to provide feedback to students in a timely and meaningful way to help them improve their performance, actively engage in the learning process, and not to lose the link between a student and a teacher. The article, using theoretical (scientific and methodological literature analysis) research methods, analyzes the concept and theoretical models of the distance learning process, describes the preconditions for feedback and the importance of feedback in the teaching and learning process. By analysing the importance of feedback, suggestions for improving the distance learning process have been developed.

This study reflects motivation as one of the most important resources for achieving the goals of sustainable education. Motivation is a challenge as well as an important goal for the sustainability of education. The impact of COVID-19 has reached such proportions that the professional life of educators may never be the same again. Some of the key questions to consider in the context of educational sustainability: What are the most effective tools for motivating educators? What are the most important mechanisms for supporting telework?

The aim of this study was to find out the motivation and challenges of teleworking employees of educational institutions in Latvia during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data of the study were obtained using an employee survey of 495 remote-working respondents in the period from September to October 2020. The main sources of theoretical data were the analysis of literature, policy documents and publications. For quantitative data processing, IMB SPSS and MS Excel software were used.

The authors found remarkable differences and similarities in motivation and challenges between the employees of educational institutions and the rest of the group of employees. The results showed that the main work motivations were salary, good working conditions, social guarantees, stable work, career opportunities, training opportunities and the interesting job.

The ongoing debates about the effects of human population growth (HPG) is one of the concepts in education for sustainable development (ESD). Beliefs toward HPG are an important construct for teacher education because beliefs potentially interfere with their instructional practices and students’ beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. Accordingly, this study focused on developing and validating an instrument to explore pre-service teachers’ beliefs toward the effects of HPG. The instrument was piloted, revised, and the main study was administered to 658 pre-service teachers. The instrument revealed five dimensions: requirements to support HPG; neo-Malthusian environmentalism; population and national economy; quality of human life; and population, resources and environment. Pre-service teachers’ beliefs revealed that they needed additional support to understand multiple and nested interactions among HPG, urbanization, energy demand and national economy within the context of sustainability. This instrument is a promising tool to provide insights when designing courses on ESD for pre-service teachers.

The article continues a broader theme of long-term action research aimed at reorienting education towards sustainability. The study uses a broader, more holistic research perspective, which takes into account the quality of the current relationship between nature and humanity, which is related to the formation of relations in the Anthropocene age and their consequences. The effects of the era put the pressure on the development of individuals’ self-processes, promoting unsustainability in education and other areas, and posing serious challenges to the use of the social communication and technology intensive environment.

The case study is devoted to the examination of the phenomenon of the false self. For the study of the false self, we have used an acceptable approach to action research when it can be used as a research strategy and as a research method. Therefore, we have used the experience of the researchers and the special emphasis from the historical experience of the false self theory as a broader strategic structure for recognizing the phenomenon under study. We have used the structure of youth experience, where action research serves as a method to identify the life experience of young people. This way, the study attempts to combine the two application opportunities of the action research. These are two types of experience gained in different ways, with different structures and where it is possible to combine these structures by integrating or synthesizing them in a way that allows identifying the prospective development of these relationships, leading to a more natural path to more sustainable development.

The case study is designed in such a way as to create a broader insight into the nature of the false self based on the research experience of the authors and their views on the choice of pedagogical solutions that can change the relationship between humanity and nature and improve the viability of both parties. A historically significant explanation of the phenomenological hermeneutic phenomenon of the false self is used, as well as an explanation of the respective method of immersing into the phenomenon proposed by Goethe. The issue of ontological succession is critical in the implementation of educational programs of the Anthropocene age, as the question of the ecological evolutionary basis of the human species is reduced. The current wicked problems of the Anthropocene age are based on the foundation that does not take into account the universal experience of humanity inherent in non-contextual and undifferentiated identities, the importance of which is sometimes underestimated by users of both critical and integral thinking theory.

The discussion section and conclusions suggest using the life experience, restoring ontological succession and studying the non-conceptual perception in contemporary conditions. Proposals are made to seek approaches to transforming Anthropocene thinking and to reduce the problems of the age in education and social behavior in order to revive the issue of the choice and implementation of living approach models in the educational practice through the natural development of human abilities.