Volumen 17 (2015): Edición 2 (December 2015)

This study marks the end of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development that coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Baltic and Black Sea Circle Consortium on Educational Research (BBCC), and aims to analyse the research output performance of BBCC members and other scholars published in the Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability (JTEFS) during this last decade. Using the methodology of bibliometric study and literature review, the authors describe the main bibliographic indicators of JTEFS and provide a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the research paradigms and their developmental changes in the papers published by JTEFS (2005ñ2014). The results of the study show that in general the journal has evolved in line with the advanced trends in educational research, research in teacher education, research in sustainability education and sustainability studies in higher education. The analysis of published papers indicates both the progress and issues of research in teacher education for sustainability. The authors conclude with some visionary insights into the further development of JTEFS and this research field in general.

In this paper the authors briefly present what their theoretical reflections and empirical research has yielded in respect to citizenship education and religious education. The theoretical as well as political and practical questions of the relationship of global citizenship and worldview education are scrutinized. The main focus is on the issue whether there is or could be a connection between the concepts of ‘worldview education’ and global citizenship ‘education’ from the point of view of inclusivity in respect to both concepts. Habermas’s distinction between the concepts of democratic state citizenship and global or cosmopolitan citizenship is conceptually helpful. The authors also take into account the question of whether there is a certain educational, political or religious necessity on a national as well as global level to deal with this possible relationship as viewed through the lens of social sustainability.

The role of analogies as tools for teaching difficult science concepts has been widely discussed in science education. The application of analogies in the context of sustainable education involves richer potential. The purposeful use of appropriate analogies can facilitate analogical thinking and transfer skills, as well as develop abilities which are required for life and lifelong learning, including successful integration into modern society and facility within our technology saturated world. Analogical thinking supports development of students’ higher order thinking skills. The aim of this study was to identify Latvian physics teachers’ views on the importance of analogies and the methodology of their usage in physics education, as well as to discover innovative examples of analogies. The study involves both quantitative and qualitative methodology: survey of 35 secondary school physics teachers and group interviews with 18 experienced physics teachers. The findings reveal that, in general, now and then Latvian physics teachers use analogies in their pedagogical practice, although they are mostly simplistic and with illustrative character. Some teachers use analogies in order to help students build new knowledge through activating, transferring, and applying existing knowledge and skills in unfamiliar situations.

The academic staff of the institutions of higher education plays a key role in the implementation of innovations in the study process. This article aims to analyze the views of students, pre-service teachers, on the role of innovations and traditions in the work of the academic staff at their institution of higher education. The survey data from 192 full-time and part-time first year students at Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy show that readiness for innovative activity and active involvement in the creation, acquisition and implementation of innovations is an essential factor in the work of the academic staff. The results indicate that according to the views of pre-service teachers, in the context of pedagogy, the term ‘innovation’ refers to the process of renewal, educational reforms, selection of the most appropriate teaching material, and the elaboration, adoption and utilization of innovations in the pedagogical practice.

Civic participation, initiative and interest in current events can bridge the alienation felt towards national and municipal institutions, thereby enabling individuals to improve their quality of life and contribute to all-round sustainable development of their resident state. This paper reports on a participatory action research study into civic initiatives for securitability involving novice teachers and youngsters from the Latgale region of Latvia. Research participants evaluated national planning documents, enhanced their knowledge and devised civic initiatives to improve the quality of life. Focus group discussions and reasoned argumentative essays were employed to establish how novice teachers (n = 40) and youngsters (n = 58) make sense of the concept of ‘human securitability’. Data analysis was accomplished by qualitative content analysis. The action research exposed an initial understanding of novice teachers and youngsters regarding the human securitability and the possibilities of improving the quality of life. Moreover, this study provided an environment for the research participants to deepen their understanding of said phenomena and participate in educational events envisioning practical engagement with securitability and civic initiatives. The action research study created initiatives for the development of civic securitability and the participation in setting developmental goals.

The objective of the study was to provide an outline of the values that principals, teachers and parents of preschool child care institutions consider important to be taught to children, and which activities, in their estimation, should be used to implement values education in child care institutions. A total of 978 respondents from all 15 Estonian counties returned the quantitative questionnaire, including 163 principals, 425 teachers, and 390 parents of preschool child care institutions. The statistical data analysis was applied to process the quantitative data obtained. The values that are more important to be taught to children, according to principals, include sense of humour as well as pride and inventiveness, whereas teachers value patience as a significantly more important value to be taught. Compared to principals, parents consider confidence and commitment more important, while, compared to teachers, parents consider it more important that kindergartens teach the importance of a good education. Values education in child care institutions takes place primarily in adherence to the relevant group’s rules in the course of everyday communication and activities. Personal role models are considered to be very important in values education.