Vilnius Pedagogical University

VILNIUS PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Final Assessment Report

Programme under assessment:

EDUCATIONAL SCIENCE (PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION)

MASTER

Title of study programme / Educational science (Pre-school education)
State registration code / 62107S116
Kind of study / M (PG)
Mode of study (duration in years) / F(2)
Volume of study programme in credits / 80
Degree and (or) professional qualification to be awarded / Master of Educational Science,
Educator
Programme registration date, order Nº. / Order of Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania, ‘Registration of Higher Education study programmes’ May 19, 1997, Nº. 565
Head of the group
Members / Gillian Lesley Scott Hilton
Jesus Maria Angélica Fernandes Sousa
Marika Veisson
Christopher Bezzina
Grazina Seibokiene

2005

1. Introduction

Vilnius Pedagogical University has presented four self-assessment reports of its Educational Science study programmes in the specialisations of Pre-school education and Primary Education, at the level of Undergraduate/Bachelor (U) and Master (M) Courses, in their variations of full-time, part-time and extra-mural studies.

The Educational Science (Pre-school education) report was led by the Department of Childhood Studies while the Educational Science (Primary Education) one was run by the Department of Basic Education.

We decided to refer to all the reports at this initial stage in order to bring about some aspects we consider necessary for a global comprehension of all the work done.

1. Despite the fact that each report has been made by different self-assessment teams, constituted by different members (one led by Doc. Dr. Ona Monkevičienė, Head of Childhood Studies Department, and the other by Doc.Dr. Aušra Žemgulienė, Head of Basic Education Department), it is clear that there is a shared philosophy about teacher education in both Departments responsible for these study programmes. In fact, we can have an idea of a great reform operated within the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology of VPU, since last visit in 2003, attested not only through the establishment of new Departments but also significantly through the change of the names of these two Departments. Department of Pre-school Education Pedagogy turned to the broadly called Childhood Studies Department; and the Department of Primary Education was renamed to the more European called Department of Basic Education.

2. From the meetings with the administration staff and the staff responsible for the self-assessment report, we confirmed the idea that this big structural change, and the debate occurred beforehand for the delimitation of borders of each Department within the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology of VPU obliged people to analyse their own specificity, the links with other Departments at the level of the Faculty and the links with other Faculties within the University. This process has resulted in the reinforcement of the identity of both Departments responsible for the programmes we are analysing.

3. Both the reports of pre-school education and the reports of basic education have presented us, in the introductory part, the evolving context of this situation and the departmental and faculty net of interactions aiming at the consolidation of a study programme, on the basis of cooperation of different units in the University: the pre-school education report showed it through a graph (Picture 1), while the primary education report used a table (Table 1); the pre-school education report stressed the advantages, while the primary education report referred both the advantages and disadvantages of the new scenario.

4. The reports of both areas (pre-school and basic education) were launched from a platform constituted by the diagnostic formulated by the international experts’ team in 2003. The systematisation now of the recommendations made at that time clearly signalled the way and the itinerary the Departments have gone along these two years. It seems to us that there was a real effort to firstly well realise what the international experts’ team meant then. And from what we saw, both study programmes have changed a lot in a positive way. So we want to underline the openness of the teaching staff of VPU to the critics made in 2003, conductive to the philosophical change already operated.

5. Another general aspect in terms of introduction has to do with the logic similarity of the curriculum organisation of both study programmes, which denotes again the dialogic interaction between these two Departments. In fact, the first year of pre-school education is exactly the same as for the primary education.

6. From the self-assessment report, we became aware that the dual model of teacher education (university and non-university) for pre-school education is going to disappear, from a law (Educators training conception) approved in 2004. Pre-school educators are going to be trained in the universities only until 2008, what we are completely in disagreement. On the other hand, the report states that parents and some education institutions prefer to have and employ educators with university studies.

7. This fact made the Department reflect about the university education of a childhood educator. In what aspect shall it be different from the non-university education? On the basis of the “Standards of pre-school educators training”, and the draft of “Qualification requirements for teachers”, new different specific competences related to specific groups of children (with special needs, immigrants, with social exclusion, etc.) were drawn; more solid theoretical ground and research development were two other specific areas of investment. Among some of the advantages for a university study programme, we underline the following ones as positive: “An educator with skills of theoretical thinking and learning from practical experience is able not only to adopt an ordinary education practice but also to renew it and change it according to the needs of a changing society;”

“[…] he is able to work not only in kindergartens and pre-primary groups but everywhere where there is a child: centres of child’s competence development, entertainment parks, institutions of support to child and family, child’s rights protection institution, families, hospitals, etc.”.

8. Beyond the discussion about the difference between university and non-university studies for the education of a childhood educator in VPU, we saw through the self-assessment report and the meetings we had with the staff that the Department considered also important to make a clear distinction between a Bachelor and a Master course. “… a Bachelor gains experience of researches in educational practice while a Master develops competencies of scientific research; a Bachelor learns to develop education programmes for a child or a group of children, while a Master is able to consult educators on programme development, etc.”. That is why we also consider that both study programmes, either Bachelor or Master one, have also taken advantage of this reflection, because they do not appear isolated from each other. It seemed to us that they were faced in a continuum, as two phases of an academic development process, thus having more chances to prevent unnecessary repetition of subject-matters, for example. The personal involvement of the same leader in the restructuring process, in this case, the Head of Childhood Studies Department, Doc. Dr. Ona Monkevičienė, who was the Head of the self-assessment group of both programmes (Bachelor’s and Master’s) assured the desirable unity for a smooth progression.

2. Aims and goals of programme

The self-assessment report points out two general aims: the first one is related to education policy making, from the capacity of analysis, research, openness to the change and improvement of education. The second one is related to an attitude of life-long learning and awareness of his/her place in the labour market. “To develop an educator who identifies education priorities, takes an active part in formation of education policy and who is able to analyse, investigate, change and improve education as well as to evaluate its quality establishing new conditions for child’s education and development in constantly changing global information society and who implements principles of life-long learning, initiates development of constantly learning community, is able to find his/her place, to compete in labour market and to establish new working places”.

According to these aims four objectives are drawn: to train an educator analyst-researcher able to find new solutions to challenges of modern education situation; to train a reflecting educator and intellectual who is able to think critically and to responsibly and meaningfully select, act and learn from experience as well as to foresee changes in education and development; to train an educator who is able to assess and model social, psychological and educational factors ensuring quality education and development to every child; to train a strategist initiating changes in education policy and education quality as well as a consultant of education programmes development and organisation of education process.

The report also presents 5 categories of competences to be developed: Common cultural competence, Competence of scientific-investigative activity, Competence of education organisation consultant, competence of education programmes development consultant and competence of education management consultant.

Aims, objectives and competences seem to be appropriate to this particular postgraduate study programme.

3. Analysis of the Programme

3. 1. Structure, contents and study methods

The study programme lasts for 2 years (80 credits).

The Department of Childhood studies renewed the postgraduate study programme of educational science (pre-school education) on the basis of new requirements to postgraduate studies.

The number of subjects taught was reduced from 18 to 12 theoretical study subjects and the academic value and volumes of the subjects were increased to 4 credits. These are very positive changes. There are now only 3 obligatory core study subjects (which are the same for several postgraduate study programmes of educational sciences of the faculty) and 3 obligatory speciality-related subjects. It is quite good, that students may have a choice from 3 subjects for the acquisition of scientific research competences (which also are taught to students of several postgraduate study programmes) and from 3 for professional specialisation, according to the competences of Educational process consultant, Education organisation consultant, Education programmes development consultant, Education management consultant, and Strategist of research in educational practice.

Blocks of subjects of choice are quite good and interesting. Students have the possibility to model one third of the study programme due to the subjects of choice. The second third is modelled when the student chooses the research problem that meets his/her scientific interests.

The study programmes comprise aims and competences to be developed among students in terms of knowledge and comprehension, skills related to theoretical thinking, research, and practice. It also mentions value principles, fostering positive attitudes for the development of students’ personalities and regarding this profession. It also has references to learning methods and strategies, and also evaluation and assessment methods, in order to orient students for independent learning. After mentioning the contents in terms of main notions and topics, it comprises a list of some recommended literature.

The orientation of the study programme seems to be coherent with the principles related to the analysis, comparison, generalisation and interpretation of different attitudes, approaches, trends and education models.

The study programmes are also focussed on independent learning through information research with ICT, aiming at fostering a critical approach to contemporary situation of children’s education in Lithuania, in the search of new educational ideas and innovative technologies.

The main focus is the development of research skills and abilities, for continuous learning and personal development. Teaching practice was withdrawn from the programme as a result of the 2003 experts’ visit, unless it is absolutely necessary for research.

According to the international expert team recommendation in 2003, the total number of self-study hours increased and contact hours decreased by a similar amount.

3. 2. Execution of studies and support for students

The implementation of this new curriculum design aims at changing a teaching culture into a learning culture. Individual meetings of several students and a teacher at a fixed time have been implemented. This study programme is implemented in 10-day sessions every month of the school year. Students are assigned self-study tasks between the sessions, the results of which are discussed in the groups during the session time. They also organise mini conferences, deliver lectures, write reports and implement seminars, dialogues and debates.

The accumulative grade (not only based on examinations) has been adopted for the assessment of the study process and results show a distinct trend towards independent learning.

Students have to write a final thesis and defend it publicly before a Commission of Final Examinations, Theses Defence and Qualification of FPP at VPU. The FPP also took into consideration the international experts’ team recommendations regarding the depth and the volume of research (theses with no less than 20000 words).

Meanwhile, after consultation of the dissertations, we consider that they should have a better balance between the theories supporting their theses (revision of literature), the methodologies applied, and the critical analysis of their findings. This last part seemed to be so superficial (around one to two pages), when we think this last part constitutes the most important piece of the work done, where the students have the opportunity to show what they have discovered, confirming or eventually going against their first presuppositions. The themes chosen by the students also seemed to be so broadly scoped to be researched in such a short time.

The participation of postgraduate students in scientific events is remarkable:Research data is presented in scientific conferences of VPU and in international conferences abroad. Postgraduate students publish their researches in cooperation with academic supervisors and the number of such publications increases every year, showing the development. They actively cooperate with scientists from other countries, attend defences of doctoral theses, and participate and make presentations in seminars organised by Lithuanian Teacher Qualification Development Centre and work on projects. For example, the research data of educators and postgraduate students are of high importance to the state programmes implemented by the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Lithuania, such as ‘Dissemination programme of pre-primary education ideas’, ‘Modelling of pre-school education programmes’, ‘Educator training and professional development reform programme for 2005 – 2008’, etc.

Postgraduate students like undergraduate students are provided with constant academic and consultative support. Each year students get a teacher-tutor, for example.

3. 3. Variation in the number of students

The decrease of state-financed places and the too high prices for proceeding for Lithuanian studies were at a certain extent responsible for the rise of competition for funded admission and the decrease of entrants. There has been a decrease of 20% in total number of students in the last 5 years. The number of state-financed places has gone down from 100% to 36%. The state should consider giving more possibilities for professional development of highly motivated persons, who are oriented to life-long learning, possibly as a repayable loan.

The wastage of students who have not managed to finish the study programme is due to the difficulty for the students to find sources of financing their own studies. Another reason is failure to meet the terms of final thesis preparation.

3. 4. Academic staff

Academic staff working in the programme are highly qualified: about 33% of lectures of all the theoretical subjects are delivered by professors, and about 11% by docents. Thus, contribution of professors to the study programme has significantly increased in the last 2 years.

We consider the scientific production of the academic staff very good. The curricula vitae gave us an idea of the programme teachers’ fields of academic research, their professional experience, their participation in conferences and scientific events not only in Lithuania but also abroad, a complete number of publications along their professional life and during the last five years. In general they seem to be actively engaged in their scientific and academic progression.

3. 1. 5. Advantages and disadvantages of the Programme

The self-assessment report was not so detailed in the self-analysis of these questions.

The external team would like to share the following points we consider to be the positive aspects behind our experience both after reading the self-assessment report and the various meetings we had during our one-day visit at Vilnius Pedagogical University.

1. It is evident the great change operated within Vilnius Pedagogical University, the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology and the Departments of Childhood Studies and Basic Education, in terms of structural organisation;

2. We witnessed a deep reformulation of this particular master study programme, in articulation with the undergraduate programme aiming at the development of new required competences;

3. The curriculum is coherent, preparing students for new competences on the basis of a solid scientific and research attitude.

4. The administrative and academic staff share the same new philosophy of changing a teaching culture into a learning culture aiming at a professional used to independent work.

5. There is an attempt to improve the quality and volume of the final theses.

6. The academic staff is very participative in national and international scientific events.

7. The graduates feel proud of having been educated in Vilnius Pedagogical University.

8. The employers value the teacher education implemented in Vilnius Pedagogical University.

In the meantime, we would like to suggest some aspects to be considered: