Today education in Lithuania is going through the period of changes. The conception of school is defined in the General programs of Lithuanian Secondary schools, which bases on the law of Lithuanian education. The direction drawn by the conception of Lithuanian education defines, that a secondary school of Lithuania is self-dependent, organized democratically, bases its life on the principals of humanism and the general human values, the community of pupils, their parents and teachers that seek their set upbringing aims. Teacher is a stimulator of the upbringing process in such school, a tutor of all working community (class or group). However, it is defined in “Educational landmarks for years 2003-2012” that, in the society of knowledge the very role of the teacher is changing: the teacher – a holder and a conveyer of knowledge is changed by a teacher – an organizer of learning, a creator of learning opportunities, a helper of learning process, an advisor, a partner, a go-between among a pupil and various sources of modern knowledge. The aim of the research is to ascertain what peculiarities of change of professional abilities of gymnasium teachers are revealed in nowadays dynamic conditions. The terms to fulfill the aim are: to become acquainted with scientific pedagogical and psychological literature on the topic, to find out what characteristics and abilities of teachers are important in the work of gymnasium teachers, to evaluate the tendencies of change of professional... [to full text]

One of the aims of Lithuanian schools is to develop the pupil‘s perception of their aethetic abilities. Negative cultural phenomena have some influence on the communication in the sphere of art. Stamps can help to avoid negative aspects. It is very important in the 10th – 12th forms, because the teenagers are very receptive to different crises. Collecting stamps is an activity based on the communication which can broaden the knowledge of the art. First stamps were published in 1840, and were quickly used in all over the world. The stamps became the representatives of the country, and its history, culture. The stamps are created by well – know artits, and are considered as the works of applied graphics. The basic aspect of the communication for teenagers is to create their own identity and to find what they are really like. In due course, the communication with others became the main task for the teenagers, because the ability to associate with others allows to feel the sense of the maturity. The interest in stamps is a good way to expand the communication among teenagers. Both, the teachers from Lithuania and from other countries wrote about the use of visual aids at the history lessons. All the authors stress the importance of the visual aids. The post stamps may be considered as pictures of applied works having the principle of the visual art. The principle of the visualizations is advisedto combine with the principle of the activity it... [to full text]

The process of adult teachers’ professionalization through the development of andragogical practice is analyzed in the dissertation. The need for professionally working adult teachers in current years is growing very rapidly not only due to European Union policy in adult education and economical and social development of the country, but also due to coming huge investments into human resources through European structural funds in the country. The dissertation is seeking for such answers: what kind of adult teachers’ abilities are essential for their profession; what is the most effective way in development of those abilities. In the development of the set of abilities for andragog practitioner there was made both profound analysis of andragogical theories and professional requirements for adult teachers. The set of abilities was divided into general and special abilities groups. The dissertation examines various professional development forms. The structures for optimal developmental programs are discussed also. The model, based upon the pre-set abilities of andragog practitioner, for non-formal adult teachers learning, which covers self-assessment of abilities, non-formal learning module, practice and assessment is developed. Empirical research shows how were developed adult teachers abilities due to their participation in the model’s activities. There is discussed influence of non-formal adult teacher model for professionalization of adult teachers’; conclusions and... [to full text] / Disertacijoje analizuojamos suaugusiųjų mokytojų profesionalizacijos procesas tobulinant pastarųjų andragoginę veiklą. Profesionaliai dirbančių suaugusiųjų mokytojų poreikis pastaraisiais metais auga nepaprastai sparčiai ir tai susiję ne tik su Europos Sąjungos politiniais sprendimais suaugusiųjų švietimo klausimais, bet ir su ūkio bei socialine plėtra šalyje, o taip pat ateinančiomis gausiomis investicijomis į suaugusiųjų žmonių mokymą ir lavinimą Europos struktūrinių fondų dėka. Disertacijoje ieškoma atsakymo į tokius klausimus: kokie suaugusiųjų mokytojų gebėjimai yra svarbiausi apibrėžiant jų profesionalią veiklą; koks būdas yra efektyviausias lavinant šiuos gebėjimus Disertacijoje, remiantis išsamia tiek andragoginių teorijų, tiek profesinių reikalavimų suaugusiųjų mokytojams analize, išskiriami andragogo praktiko gebėjimai. Pastarieji skirstomi į dvi grupes: bendrieji ir specialieji gebėjimai. Disertacijoje nagrinėjamos įvairios profesinio tobulinimosi formos, aptariamos optimalios tobulinimo programų struktūros. Remiantis išskirtais gebėjimais yra formuojamas neformaliojo suaugusiųjų mokytojų mokymosi modelis, apimantis gebėjimų įsivertinimą, neformaliojo mokymosi modulį, praktinę veiklą ir vertinimą. Atliktas empirinis tyrimas parodo kaip kito suaugusiųjų mokytojų įsivertinti gebėjimai dėl jų dalyvavimo modelio veiklose. Aptariamas sukurtojo neformaliojo suaugusiųjų mokytojų mokymosi modelio poveikis suaugusiųjų mokytojų profesionalizacijai, pateikiamos išvados bei... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Evidence suggests that employment for women can reduce poverty and inequality resulting in improved living standards. The garment industry is an important source of income for Indian women. This thesis tested the effects of garment work as an income source on women’s health-care utilization practices and decision-making in comparison to both agricultural labourers and general women in India. Cross-sectional data collected from India’s National Family Health Survey-3 was used to generate descriptive statistics. Statistical modeling was used to test the effect of garment work on a) barriers to health care services and b) decision-making abilities of Indian women. Results suggest garment workers are younger, more educated, urban, and wealthier, make more cash earnings, and have more access and control over their own money as compared to agricultural labourers. Results indicate female garment workers report facing fewer barriers to accessing health care services. As well, access to cash earnings increases their decision-making abilities.

Environmental Education (EE) can play an important role in broadening learners’ understanding of their environment. This is of particular importance due to the major adverse impact we as humans are having on the environment, including the loss of biodiversity and global warming. However, many Canadian teachers are not offered EE content in their teacher education programs (Lin, 2002). Therefore, this study investigates, (a) what knowledge and abilities are important for teaching EE, (b) experiences that have influenced educators’ interest and willingness to teach EE, and (c) the preparation educators could receive to better integrate EE into their teaching practices. Data were collected using an electronic survey (n=148) and semi-structured interviews (n=11). Results showed that among 12 major themes to emerge from the interviews, recognizing the importance of outdoor experiences and having the ability to engage learners were viewed as very important by participants. Interviewees’ recommendations for improving the preparation of educators included introducing mandatory EE components in teacher education programs and promoting mentorship experiences. However, there was no consensus among participants regarding the impact or value of implementing a professional EE certification program. Implications of this study include facilitating the sharing of environmental educators’ perspectives. Suggestions are made for further research on preparing educators who are willing and able to instruct EE, so that more students are given an opportunity to learn about their environment and make informed choices about their impact on the earth. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-20 14:27:12.322

Level 6 of the Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities (ABLA) assesses the ease or difficulty with which persons with developmental disabilities (DD) are able to learn a two-choice auditory-visual discrimination. Individuals with DD who have passed ABLA Level 6 are likely to have at least some language skills, and their language is likely to be more complex than those individuals who have not passed Level 6 (Marion et al., 2003). Thus, an individual’s performance on Level 6 of the ABLA may be predictive of the types of language skills he/she will readily learn. Previous research (Verbeke, Martin, Yu & Martin, 2007) demonstrated that an individual’s pass/fail performance on ABLA Level 6 predicted his or her ability to point to pictures of common objects when the tester said the names of the objects. The present research examined whether performance on ABLA Level 6 might predict the ability of a person with a severe DD to learn to say the names of common objects (called tacting). Specifically, this study investigated whether participants who passed ABLA Level 6 (the Auditory-Visual Group – Group 1) would more readily learn object naming behavior (vocal tacts) than those clients who failed ABLA Level 6 (the Visual Group – Group 2). The groups were matched on the Communication Subscale of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS). Results indicated that: (a) Group 1 met mastery criterion for a significantly larger number of naming responses than Group 2; and (b) the mean number of trials to mastery criterion was significantly lower in Group 1 than in Group 2. The implications for language training are discussed.

Researchers have hypothesized that for people with autism, the deficits in learning certain tasks may be a function of deficits in learning the prerequisite auditory, visual and motor discriminations. The Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities (ABLA) Test is a useful tool by which these discriminations are assessed. This study investigated whether performance on ABLA Level 6, an auditory-visual discrimination, predicts performance on a receptive language task with children with autism. Participants included five children who passed ABLA Level 6, four children who passed ABLA Level 4 but failed ABLA Level 6, and one child who passed ABLA Level 3 but failed ABLA Level 4. Standardized prompting and reinforcement procedures were used to attempt to teach each participant to respond correctly on ten name-recognition tasks. During a task pictures of two objects were placed in randomly alternated left-right positions, and a child was required to point to the picture that was named. Training on a task continued until either a pass or a fail criterion was met, whichever came first. Three of the Level 4 participants passed all ten of the picture name recognition tasks, and one passed eight of the ten tasks. The Level 3 participant passed two of the ten tasks. All five of the Level 6 participants passed all picture name recognition tasks. The difference in performance between children at ABLA Level 4 and Level 6 was not significant at the .05 level. These results suggest that children with autism at ABLA Level 4 or 6 are approximately equally capable of learning receptive name recognition tasks.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the amount and patterns of interrelatedness of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and the 1968 revised edition of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA). The study attempted to analyze from both the practical and statistical levels relationships between the two instruments. Further clarification was sought as to the: (1) dimensions measured by the ITPA, (2) concurrent validity of the ITPA, and (3) necessity of administering both instruments in their entirity in psychological evaluations.

Level 6 of the Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities (ABLA) assesses the ease or difficulty with which persons with developmental disabilities (DD) are able to learn a two-choice auditory-visual discrimination. Individuals with DD who have passed ABLA Level 6 are likely to have at least some language skills, and their language is likely to be more complex than those individuals who have not passed Level 6 (Marion et al., 2003). Thus, an individual’s performance on Level 6 of the ABLA may be predictive of the types of language skills he/she will readily learn. Previous research (Verbeke, Martin, Yu & Martin, 2007) demonstrated that an individual’s pass/fail performance on ABLA Level 6 predicted his or her ability to point to pictures of common objects when the tester said the names of the objects. The present research examined whether performance on ABLA Level 6 might predict the ability of a person with a severe DD to learn to say the names of common objects (called tacting). Specifically, this study investigated whether participants who passed ABLA Level 6 (the Auditory-Visual Group – Group 1) would more readily learn object naming behavior (vocal tacts) than those clients who failed ABLA Level 6 (the Visual Group – Group 2). The groups were matched on the Communication Subscale of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS). Results indicated that: (a) Group 1 met mastery criterion for a significantly larger number of naming responses than Group 2; and (b) the mean number of trials to mastery criterion was significantly lower in Group 1 than in Group 2. The implications for language training are discussed.

Researchers have hypothesized that for people with autism, the deficits in learning certain tasks may be a function of deficits in learning the prerequisite auditory, visual and motor discriminations. The Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities (ABLA) Test is a useful tool by which these discriminations are assessed. This study investigated whether performance on ABLA Level 6, an auditory-visual discrimination, predicts performance on a receptive language task with children with autism. Participants included five children who passed ABLA Level 6, four children who passed ABLA Level 4 but failed ABLA Level 6, and one child who passed ABLA Level 3 but failed ABLA Level 4. Standardized prompting and reinforcement procedures were used to attempt to teach each participant to respond correctly on ten name-recognition tasks. During a task pictures of two objects were placed in randomly alternated left-right positions, and a child was required to point to the picture that was named. Training on a task continued until either a pass or a fail criterion was met, whichever came first. Three of the Level 4 participants passed all ten of the picture name recognition tasks, and one passed eight of the ten tasks. The Level 3 participant passed two of the ten tasks. All five of the Level 6 participants passed all picture name recognition tasks. The difference in performance between children at ABLA Level 4 and Level 6 was not significant at the .05 level. These results suggest that children with autism at ABLA Level 4 or 6 are approximately equally capable of learning receptive name recognition tasks.