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The globalization and migration processes are typical features of our societies that affect policy, economy and the culture of each country. Migration involves many challenges: identity issues and well-being of migrants in negotiating new... more
The globalization and migration processes are typical features of our societies that affect policy, economy and the culture of each country. Migration involves many challenges: identity issues and well-being of migrants in negotiating new roles and values. At the social level, migration involves demographic, educational, sociological and employment aspects. The reasons of migration are numerous, including the economic as the major one. The authors employ a multidisciplinary approach by drawing on the geographical, sociological and anthropological disciplines in disclosing the narrative of returnees. The methodology employed in this study is based on semi structured interviews with seven returnee women. The study focuses on the transcultural and transnational positionality of the Latvian returnee migrants who are trying to settle down in Latvia, by revealing their hopes and struggles while relocating in a new cultural context. In this study, the authors place a particular focus on th...
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The article analyses the aspects of personality traits as well as their role in the choice of one’s employment, field of work, and a career. The theoretical framework is based on the theories of different authors who have studied... more
The article analyses the aspects of personality traits as well as their role in the choice of one’s employment, field of work, and a career. The theoretical framework is based on the theories of different authors who have studied individual’s adaptation skills to the surrounding world and the work environment, and the decision-making aspects in the process of choosing a career depending on human nature, character, temperament, and other personality traits. The topicality of the study is based on the idea that attitudes, views, values, and lifestyles differ for various social and ethnic groups as well as for different nations and religions. Therefore, the personality characteristics of the inhabitants of Latvia and Bulgaria in different regions aged 19 to 64 were studied and compared during the survey. The study was organized with the aim to assess the personal characteristics of respondents in two countries and their impact on their career choices.
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Values has been explored in connection to a deeper understanding of human behavior. Values provide the answer to the basic existential questions, help to provide meaning in one’s life. Values are the key aspects of one’s self-esteem. They... more
Values has been explored in connection to a deeper understanding of human behavior. Values provide the answer to the basic existential questions, help to provide meaning in one’s life. Values are the key aspects of one’s self-esteem. They reflect diverse aspects of one’s social identity. According to a number of scientists, ethnic identity is a part of social identity. A number of studies in psychology has a focus on the connection between ethnicity and ethnic values. There are two main approaches towards the study of values can be distinguished. On the one hand, there are values that have the existential basis for the existence of people. On the other hand, the information about ethnic values can have applied aspect. The aim of this study is to identify differences in value orientation among representatives of two main linguistic groups that live in Eastern Latvia: the group of Latvian and Russian-speaking participants. The second goal is to explore the influence of religion, age a...
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The issue of a human person, and his/her development, and particularly in connection with a social sphere is extremely relevant for our times. In psychology, this issue has been developed through developmental periods, theories of... more
The issue of a human person, and his/her development, and particularly in connection with a social sphere is extremely relevant for our times. In psychology, this issue has been developed through developmental periods, theories of personality identity and conditions that contribute to a self-actualization of an individual. In this regard, interest is how these ideas evolved in the process of cultural and historical development of humankind, how they were understood by previous generations of scientists and philosophers, how theoretical views of past generations are interpreted by the researchers of our time. This determined the objectives of this research. The authors applied the method of content analysis of the text with the aim to discover the concept of an ideal, or perfect person in works of Aristotle, to compare this concept with the corresponding views of Plato, to determine the influence of Aristotle's concept of an ideal person on modern theories of personality. The res...
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Sustainability is becoming an integral part of vocational schools since schools are called to respond to the environmental crises and unsustainability issues in the community as well as to an unsustainable economic development. Vocational... more
Sustainability is becoming an integral part of vocational schools since schools are called to respond to the environmental crises and unsustainability issues in the community as well as to an unsustainable economic development. Vocational schools have to play a significant role is re-orienting students’ frames of reference towards sustainability for a well-being of the Earth. The aim of the article is to explore teachers’ views on their gains of integrating sustainability and the use of sustainability pedagogies as a result of participation in three years long international project. The article reflects on teachers’ efforts of reorienting the curriculum of a vocational school towards sustainability within the framework of the international Erasmus+ project “Methods for ESD – competencies and curricula” (MetESD), led by Vechta University.
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Considering the gender identity as a crucial aspect of the culture that shapes our daily life and recognising the research gap on this topic in the context of sustainable education, the paper describes the quantitative cross-sectional... more
Considering the gender identity as a crucial aspect of the culture that shapes our daily life and recognising the research gap on this topic in the context of sustainable education, the paper describes the quantitative cross-sectional study on gender identity of students and teachers comparing the respondents by their age and sex. Three age groups (106 female and 62 male) participated in the study: 18-19-years-old pupils from comprehensive and vocational schools (n=59), 20-15-years-old university students (n=52) and 24-64- years-old teachers working at respective schools and universities (n=57). The original Bem Sex Role Inventory was administered to measure the individual gender identity types of masculinity, femininity, and androgyny. The majority of respondents from all age and sex groups described themselves as androgynous. Male and university students featured the scattering of scores more toward masculinity, while the scores of female, pupils, and teachers were more inclined t...
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Sustainable education and education for sustainable development (ESD) have witnessed a deserved number of research studies in the recent years. The present article proposes a holistic research framework for the research on sustainable... more
Sustainable education and education for sustainable development (ESD) have witnessed a deserved number of research studies in the recent years. The present article proposes a holistic research framework for the research on sustainable education and education for sustainable development in the 21st century. The article aims to choose a more holistic research perspective by avoiding a piecemeal approach in education research. Moreover, it proposes some strategically important ideas about the use of approaches and methods for sustaining the generational readiness for sustainable development. The paper proposes a general framework for pedagogy and practice for ESD research which is open, holistic, strategic, sustainable, and integrated. A broader perspective has been developed as the relation of the ecological–cultural–social environment aspects seen in a broader adaptive evolutionary sense as a condition necessary for the development of a human species and the development of these cond...
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Teachers are being identified as key actors for ensuring quality education, therefore they need to receive a proper professional support during their first years of work in overcoming initial challenges. As the preliminary research... more
Teachers are being identified as key actors for ensuring quality education, therefore they need to receive a proper professional support during their first years of work in overcoming initial challenges. As the preliminary research indicates, support that they gain is systemic and fragmentary. The aim of the study is to explore the sustainability and unsustainability aspects of integration of novice teachers in the secondary school system. The research methods employ are semi-structured interviews with fourteen teachers on their adaptation experience in the school system, considering both obstacles and factors of success. Research indicates that novice teachers leave their work within the first three years of teaching by finding demands too high and workload sometimes unmanageable. The authors offer suggestions for a more efficient and coherent process of mentoring and professional development of novice teachers.
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To analyse the similarities and differences in personal meaning of academic experience associated with intrinsic and extrinsic academic motivation, the conceptual ideas of Self-Determination theory were blended with methodological... more
To analyse the similarities and differences in personal meaning of academic experience associated with intrinsic and extrinsic academic motivation, the conceptual ideas of Self-Determination theory were blended with methodological elaborations based on the Dialogical Self Theory. The Academic Motivation Scale to identify intrinsically and extrinsically motivated graduate students and the Self Confrontation Method to disclose the important experiences in past, present and future related to the graduate studies were administered to 128 graduate students at the Daugavpils University. Both the quantitative and qualitative data analysis contributed to the understanding of relationships between the types of academic motivation and personal meaning of academic experience. The main differences in students’ personal meaning of academic experience, expressed in narrative themes were following: self-development, ideas about the further studies and factors inhibiting graduate studies were more ...
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Teacher is one of the most responsible professions in the world because the teacher builds a sustainable society. There is an ongoing discussion about a professional competency of the teacher and changes in the requirements for teachers... more
Teacher is one of the most responsible professions in the world because the teacher builds a sustainable society. There is an ongoing discussion about a professional competency of the teacher and changes in the requirements for teachers in the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes required from teachers. There are numerous researches being carried out about the professional competency of teaching competency. The professional teaching standard that was ratified in 2004 is outdated but the new teaching standard is not designed yet because policy makers cannot come to an agreement about what a good teacher needs to know. For the changes to take place, the main aim of the study is to explore and to analyze societal opinion about the notion of a good teacher and competencies required for a good teacher. The research was carried out from May, 2016 until September with a participation of 160 respondents from different age groups. To ensure the validity of the study the authors use...
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The need to focus on a transdisciplinary approach in education for sustainable development (EDS) has been reflected in research and especially action research as a possible solution, which can open a new perspective for understanding and... more
The need to focus on a transdisciplinary approach in education for sustainable development (EDS) has been reflected in research and especially action research as a possible solution, which can open a new perspective for understanding and interpretation of the complex phenomenon of sustainability as well as for developing new open continuing education programmes by integrating research and learning activities in the context of open transdisciplinary research. The content structure of the article: (1) it describes the experience that has evolved at one faculty and its subordinate scientific institute and has been proposed to be used within the entire institution; (2) it generalises issues arising from the extensive experience, which in action research manifest themselves as issues relating to the appropriate perspective choice in terms of sustainability, approaches that in education make it possible to understand the sustainability phenomenon, as well as features that help identify su...
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During the social distancing, an increasing number of people use communication applications, various types of digital tools and programs. Various video conferencing platforms are regularly used in the educational environment. The study... more
During the social distancing, an increasing number of people use communication applications, various types of digital tools and programs. Various video conferencing platforms are regularly used in the educational environment. The study presents the analyses how intensive is the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the educational environment and how it can change cognitive-behavioral gender differences. This is particularly important to pay a special attention to the analysis of gender as a dynamic category, to take into account the processes of gender socialization and transformation of gender identification in the changing social environment. The research methods also included a set of additional methods, such as a focus group on different aspects of gender-specific behavior in the digital learning environment, putting together collages, as well as the method of the unfinished sentence related to the impact of ICT on teachers' professional development and...
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Objective - In this research, gender differences of Latvian males and females in the stage of adulthood are determined and distinguished on the grounds of a theoretical analysis of socio-psychological, scientific and methodological... more
Objective - In this research, gender differences of Latvian males and females in the stage of adulthood are determined and distinguished on the grounds of a theoretical analysis of socio-psychological, scientific and methodological literature and legislative documents as well as empirical findings. Methodology/Technique - A survey by Bem (1974) has been adapted in this study for measuring how an adult individual sees him-/herself from the gender perspective. This was done with an aim of determining the place of gender in the cultural context rather than in the personality of a separate individual. 109 women and men from different regions of Latvia aged 20 to 64 took part in the study. The data were processed with the 23.0 version of SPSS, the data processing program. Findings – The obtained results indicate that the gender patterns on male and female behavior are similar. No differences in male or female behaviour were established. The behavioral peculiarities of male and female gen...
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There has been a significant increase in interest about a psychological well-being among the researchers, politicians, media and general public. This study focuses on a measurement on a psychological well-being of the custom employees.... more
There has been a significant increase in interest about a psychological well-being among the researchers, politicians, media and general public. This study focuses on a measurement on a psychological well-being of the custom employees. For the purpose of measurement of a psychological well-being of custom employees, the authors have used Ruff’s scale that includes such components as positive relationships with others, autonomy, competence, personal growth, a purpose in life, and self-acceptance. According to Ryff (2014), well-being has been investigated in relation to one’s career pursuits. The purpose in life and personal growth were found to contribute to career commitments. In the case of the Latvian custom employees, among the essential elements of a psychological well-being are economic factors, favourable work environment and career opportunities in the organization. The study focuses in a psychological well-being of custom employees during the pandemic that leads to conclude ...
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Topicality of the study is related to the in-depth study of the art of works of Van Gogh, Velázquez and Repin by relating art to the biography of these authors. The aim of the study is to explore the symbolism and the biography of the... more
Topicality of the study is related to the in-depth study of the art of works of Van Gogh, Velázquez and Repin by relating art to the biography of these authors. The aim of the study is to explore the symbolism and the biography of the painters using the examples of analysis from the works of Van Gogh, Velasquez, and Repin and also to determine the conditions that contribute to the awareness of the process of perception and understanding of paintings. The methodology of this study is figuratively symbolic method used with the purpose to compare the plots of the art and to relate them to the life experience of their creators. Results obtained and the most important conclusions: This is important for the author of a painting to convey his/her thoughts and feelings to the viewer. Still, there remains a problem. The author uses the language of the image and symbol, which the viewer needs to reveal. Psychology of art offers two main options for solving this problem. The essence of the fir...
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Despite of women advancement in politics, business, and other spheres of life, women are largely absent from senior position and are marginalized in terms of power and resources. In Latvia women set up and lead vibrant and successful... more
Despite of women advancement in politics, business, and other spheres of life, women are largely absent from senior position and are marginalized in terms of power and resources. In Latvia women set up and lead vibrant and successful governmental and private organizations. The purpose of the article is to explore cultural roots of gendered inequality in leadership and economic power positions by the literature review and as reviled in interviews. Interview data reveal the obstacles women need to overcome in their career advancement and their stories of success. Methodology: The study presents a qualitative study on women’s leadership as defined in legislation and recent research and is supported by the qualitative inquiry of life stories of seven women engaged in the education’s management programs. These women undertake leadership positions in their organizations. Conclusions: To conclude, the goal of equal participation for both male and female players in all significant spheres ...
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The paper presents a study of focus groups conducted in schools of Latvia involving teachers of grades 1 – 6 (n=76). The first stage of research presents the analyses of teachers’ discussion what a contemporary learner is like, while... more
The paper presents a study of focus groups conducted in schools of Latvia involving teachers of grades 1 – 6 (n=76). The first stage of research presents the analyses of teachers’ discussion what a contemporary learner is like, while at the second stage of the study focuses on finding of what the future society will be like when the present-day primary school learners have left the school, what teachers must change in their work in the process of learning to meet the needs of the future.The data and outcomes of this study are based on the outcomes of focus group discussions and the analysis of the experience in other papers. According to the acquired outcomes of the study, contemporary learners on the one hand are braver, ready for an active action, they use various opportunities, they are aware of their worth, on the other hand, they accept diversity, spend much time watching TV, using the global network, that does not facilitate social communication. Conclusion: For the pro...
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The paper reviews current tendencies in making sense of the concept of holism as well as analyses relevant theoretical studies in social science about the substance and significance of holistic approach to shaping the content of primary... more
The paper reviews current tendencies in making sense of the concept of holism as well as analyses relevant theoretical studies in social science about the substance and significance of holistic approach to shaping the content of primary education and to facilitating the acquisition of musical cultural values. Analysis of scientific literature germane to this topic suggested the following research aim – to ascertain the expediency of holistic approach to facilitating the acquisition of musical cultural values in primary school with due concern for enriching learners’ spiritual and physical experience. The empirical study reported on in this paper draws on survey data obtained from primary education teachers in different regions of Latvia. The survey allowed for evaluating and comparing the views of primary school subject teachers on holistic approach to facilitating the acquisition of musical cultural values in Latvian primary schools
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Teacher-Carried Research as a Tool for Teachers' Professional GrowthInquiry among the schoolteachers' needs to be embedded, cultivated, sustained and nurtured as a tool for a better understanding of the processes in the education... more
Teacher-Carried Research as a Tool for Teachers' Professional GrowthInquiry among the schoolteachers' needs to be embedded, cultivated, sustained and nurtured as a tool for a better understanding of the processes in the education and for fostering teachers' ongoing professional growth. This study explores teachers' self-evaluation of their competency to conduct research and to incorporate it in the classroom. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed to seek answers about teachers' engagement with research and to explore the factors of resistance for carrying out research in the classroom setting. This study also dwells upon some mechanisms that lead teachers to carry out research. The focus group interviews which were conducted reflect on the factors that encourage teachers to become more involved in the research and point to the advantages they perceive as emanating from the research. The qualitative part of inquiry reflects teachers'...
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The objective of the research is to elaborate on changing research traditions in one of the institutions in Latvia. The choices of research traditions highlight changes towards more qualitative research traditions: collaborative action... more
The objective of the research is to elaborate on changing research traditions in one of the institutions in Latvia. The choices of research traditions highlight changes towards more qualitative research traditions: collaborative action research and narrative research methodologies. Action research tradition opens new horizons for the research as an active, open - minded and cooperative research that affirms the importance of experimentation, and emphasizes a continual growth in researchers’ awareness leading to ‘phronesis’. By the qualitative research methodology the authors attempt to explore the role of the researcher, what University researchers view as significant in framing their professional landscape as a result of the use of collaborative action research and other types of qualitative research. The results: Research highlights changes and tensions in researchers’ willingness to accept greater ambiguity, uncertainties, and practice of exercising judgments within the qualitati...
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A number of studies are focusing on interrelations that exist between teachers’ subjective well-being and financial well-being, occupational stress and other factors that influence teachers’ happiness at work. The aim of this study is to... more
A number of studies are focusing on interrelations that exist between teachers’ subjective well-being and financial well-being, occupational stress and other factors that influence teachers’ happiness at work. The aim of this study is to explore the factors influencing teachers’ psychological well-being. This involves teachers’ engagement with their professional development. Psychological well-being is conceptualized as a psychological state of mind of teachers in balancing expectations and ability to meet those requirements, a desire for a mindful and meaningful involvement with their work, as well as resilience and competency to deal with the challenging requirements at the workplace. Teachers’ well-being and happiness at work positively influences their performance and a well-being of pupils as well. As a rule, teachers’ profession is associated with high stress, heavy workload, high demands on management in the classroom, high demands on pupils’ academic achievements, and the ad...
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The report reveals the contribution of two international UNESCO/ UNITWIN Chair’s peer-reviewed journals – “Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education” (DCSE) and “Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability” (JTEFS) to... more
The report reveals the contribution of two international UNESCO/ UNITWIN Chair’s peer-reviewed journals – “Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education” (DCSE) and “Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability” (JTEFS) to sustainable development of Latgale. They are international, cross-disciplinary, scholarly and open access journals focusing on diverse aspects of environmental, cultural, economic and social sustainability thus enabling one to constructively and creatively address present and future global challenges in creating more sustainable and resilient societies. Both journals aim to respond to the priorities set by the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and the Global Action Programme as implemented in LATGALE and in the partner countries. The study reflects on the thematic scope of the two journals that centres on reorienting education towards the goal of sustainable education and sustainable community in Latgale, Latvia, Europe and ...
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Education is a future-facing activity. Therefore, universities need to engage students in building alternative and preferable future scenarios and reveal features of unsustainability, as well as open spaces for students to participate in... more
Education is a future-facing activity. Therefore, universities need to engage students in building alternative and preferable future scenarios and reveal features of unsustainability, as well as open spaces for students to participate in discussions and negotiate new meanings. This paper reveals the future visions bachelor’s and master’s degree students from one of the regional universities in eastern Latvia have of education and focuses on a sustainability analysis (sustainable and unsustainable) of societal aspects and education. The authors conclude that thinking about preferred futures make students more aware of the positive changes that could be made and their personal responsibility to contribute to these changes. In this connection, the need to take a broad, integrated and holistic view of the future and its social and personal significance is of utmost importance.
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The present study investigates the career choice of 8th graders in the context of reform processes in Latvia and changing demands of the job market. Career planning in this article is seen as a spiralling and dialectic process that is... more
The present study investigates the career choice of 8th graders in the context of reform processes in Latvia and changing demands of the job market. Career planning in this article is seen as a spiralling and dialectic process that is influenced by multiple factors, the process that involves planning, generating options, evaluation of options and making decisions. Reform processes in Latvia requires career counsellors to help young people to maintain an attitude of acceptance while choosing a career path, and in addition to develop meaningful and professional life changing discussion on available career options in order to become significant adviser while guiding pupils on adapting to changing requirements of a job market. The aim of the study is to explore the main influences determining the career choice of the 8th grade pupils as well as to explore the sources of information that determine them on making such decisions. Research methodology: For the purpose of this study the auth...
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The article focuses on a discourse of resilience and remembering and its interconnectedness in teaching contested historical narratives. History mainly consists of events, remembrance, narratives, rituals, discourses, and stereotypes... more
The article focuses on a discourse of resilience and remembering and its interconnectedness in teaching contested historical narratives. History mainly consists of events, remembrance, narratives, rituals, discourses, and stereotypes which can facilitate or prevent resilience. Since such purposes are part of religious and values education, a multidimensional approach is needed, which combines historical, psychological, religious, sociological, educational and literary aspects in a kind of ‘grammar of remembrance’, in order to motivate and facilitate autonomous and supervised research with discussions and sharing of experiences in different projects. The aim of this conceptual study is to facilitate interdisciplinary research and educational projects concerning memory cultures and conflict management.
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The meaning of a term “family” differs from one group of people to another and changes over time. The definition has important political, economic, social and ecological consequences, often determining family members’ roles, rights and... more
The meaning of a term “family” differs from one group of people to another and changes over time. The definition has important political, economic, social and ecological consequences, often determining family members’ roles, rights and obligations. Maintaining and fostering the value of strong families ensures a sustainable development of a country. Strong family with stable values is an excellent instrument of resistance and adaptation to the external world and pressures. The study presents the survey done on bachelor program students’ view on sustainability and how they maintain family values throughout the generations. This helps to build bridges over the traditional and the modernity aspects that emerge in the society’s contemporary understanding of a family as a structural and spiritual unit. The methods of the research employed are the following: the study presents a qualitative research that comprises the content analyses of fifty six essays on a perception of a family by the...
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Abstract: Current global tendencies in education highlight the need for a balanced and sustainable system of general education. The present paper summarises the findings from theoretical and empirical inquiry into the application of... more
Abstract: Current global tendencies in education highlight the need for a balanced and sustainable system of general education. The present paper summarises the findings from theoretical and empirical inquiry into the application of holistic approach to education, which is construed as a way of increasing the sustainability of the latter. Thus, the paper exposes the views of primary education teachers on the application of holistic approach in real and ideal pedagogical situations in Latvian primary schools as well as illuminates the teachers’ perspective on the components of the teaching and learning process that are indicative of a holistic approach to the two above-mentioned types of situations. Quantitative empirical inquiry draws on survey data. The study involves 676 primary education teachers from different regions of Latvia, including rural and urban areas. Findings about Latvian primary education teachers’ views on the application of holistic approach to shaping the teachin...
Teachers as Agents of Societal Change This article discusses theoretical and practical aspects of transformative learning that can become a way for adults to critically evaluate and essentially comprehend themselves and their input in... more
Teachers as Agents of Societal Change This article discusses theoretical and practical aspects of transformative learning that can become a way for adults to critically evaluate and essentially comprehend themselves and their input in education, whose goal is to create action towards a sustainable society. The review of contemporary literature focuses on sustainability as a holistic concept linked to the idea of vision as significant in engendering alternative transformative power. The framework of a sustainable development has a potential to stimulate teachers' engagement with educational and societal processes with respect to the future development of a society within an ethical framework around values of democracy and active societal engagement. The aim of the research presented here is to explore the effect of critical transformative learning process for revitalizing adults' societal action brought about by engagement with in-service course for adults, aiming to graduall...
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The article focuses on a discourse of resilience and remembering and its interconnected-ness in teaching contested historical narratives. History mainly consists of events, remembrance, narratives, rituals, discourses, and stereotypes... more
The article focuses on a discourse of resilience and remembering and its interconnected-ness in teaching contested historical narratives. History mainly consists of events, remembrance, narratives, rituals, discourses, and stereotypes which can facilitate or prevent resilience. Since such purposes are part of religious and values education, a multidimensional approach is needed, which combines historical, psychological, religious, sociological, educational and literary aspects in a kind of ìgrammar of remembranceî, in order to motivate and facilitate autonomous and supervised research with discussions and sharing of experiences in different projects. The aim of this conceptual study is to facilitate interdisciplinary research and educational projects concerning memory cultures and conflict management.