Tiltai

The journal Tiltai / Bridges / Brücken is devoted to the social sciences, and is published by Klaipėda University (founded in 1991). It publishes articles on current issues in economics, management, demographics, social geography, geopolitics, politics, culture, education, religion, land management, and other social problems. In pursuing academic dialogue, the journal publishes articles in the humanities and biomedical sciences that explore social phenomena from an interdisciplinary point of view. Articles on Lithuania’s regional policy, and the economic and cultural development of border and cross-border regions, are particularly welcome. Since science does not recognise borders, scientific cooperation is a strategy that aims at the progress of the global community. For this reason, scientists from various countries are invited to participate in the work of the editorial board, and to publish articles as authors. Tiltai / Bridges / Brücken is a scientific journal that the Lithuanian Research Council recognises as a forum for defending doctoral dissertations and for obtaining pedagogical and research positions.

The concept of sustainable learning is playing an increasingly important role in today’s educational landscape. In this article, we advocate an alternative approach to how higher education can contribute to this. Against the backdrop of global challenges such as climate change, social inequality and the need for sustainable development, educational institutions, particularly those in higher education, must reconsider their teaching and learning methods. In this context, the pedagogical work of John Dewey and Urie Bronfenbrenner provides valuable insights. Drawing on their experience of sustainable learning processes in numerous international social work programmes, we pose the question: ‘How can the theoretical frameworks of Bronfenbrenner and Dewey improve our comprehension of learning processes within educational settings?’ A leading thinker of the progressive education movement, Dewey argued that education should empower individuals to participate in democratic life and in continuous personal development, rather than merely transmitting knowledge. Furthermore, Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystemic approach provides a profound perspective on learning, focusing on the complexity of human learning within its environment. The concept of a ‘community of practice’ (CoP) by Lave and Wenger, together with Mezirow’s concept of ‘learning as transformation’, integrate the contextual framework for the theoretical discussions.

Creativity is increasingly emphasised as a crucial competence in contemporary higher education. However, little is known about how international students experience its development in classroom contexts, especially in Lithuania. This article analyses the perceptions of 15 international students at VIKO University of Applied Sciences in Lithuania regarding creativity and its role in learning during the course. The study applies a qualitative methodology, drawing on three focus group discussions, and employing a reflexive thematic analysis. Five themes were identified: creativity as a personal and boundless phenomenon; creativity as learnable but dependent on the environment; pedagogical scaffolding and assessment as factors that either encourage or constrain creativity; cultural and linguistic influences shaping expression; and personal growth and confidence gained through creative tasks. These findings highlight the importance of transparent assessments, supportive new teaching strategies, and intercultural collaboration in fostering creativity among diverse student cohorts. The study contributes to discussions on how to enhance creativity-oriented pedagogy in higher education.

This article analyses the diversity of students’ subjective safety experiences at school, based on a phenomenographic research approach. The aim of the study is to reveal different ways students experience and perceive safety, as well as their interactions, in the social and cultural school context. The study involved 56 students (26 boys and 30 girls) from three urban and three rural schools, purposely selected to reflect regional and social diversity. The data were collected in March and April 2024 through written reflections and focus group discussions. The data analysis was based on phenomenographic principles, identifying categories of description and constructing an outcome space. The study revealed that students’ experiences of safety vary according to regional context: urban students associate safety more often with physical measures and technologies, while rural students relate it to community closeness and teacher sensitivity. The findings highlight how social, cultural and regional factors shape the diversity of safety experiences, and offer recommendations for improving the school climate.

Research problem: The study addresses how the application of learning techniques influences students’ acquisition of biological knowledge, and what possibilities exist for their implementation in classroom settings. Research aim: To reveal how learning techniques affect students’ knowledge acquisition and application. Research object: The acquisition of biological knowledge through the application of learning techniques. Research implementation: The study was conducted during the second semester of the 2025 academic year, from January to May, involving students from the 9th to the 12th grades on a gymnasium biology course. The initial analysis revealed that students found it easier to memorise concepts and choose correct answers, while performing more complex, real-life context tasks proved to be more challenging. To enhance knowledge acquisition, active learning techniques were applied in the lessons, including mnemonics, meaningful repetition, and deliberate memorisation. Research results: The findings revealed that the applied learning techniques improved the understanding of biological concepts and phenomena, facilitated the application of knowledge in new situations, strengthened analytical thinking skills, and encouraged active participation in discussions. The application of learning techniques contributed to the deepening of biological knowledge, the strengthening of cognitive competence, and the long-term retention of knowledge in biology lessons.

Over recent decades, urban areas have expanded in number, population and complexity, intensifying governance challenges. In response, local governments have turned to smart governance. This article introduces a new theoretical model of smart governance and applies it to empirical data from 18 Lithuanian municipalities. Using a quantitative survey of local government representatives, the study explores how smart governance dimensions manifest at the local level, and how officials’ tenure influences this. Statistical tools reveal both commonalities and differences across municipalities. The research broadens the concept of smart governance beyond its technological focus, positioning it as a comprehensive analytical tool in municipal studies.

The burgeoning phenomenon of virtual influencers presents conflicting approaches to the taxonomy of virtual influencers, and lacks a unified conceptual framework. This paper presents a systematic review of the literature on the meaning of virtual influencers. It begins by examining and comparing multifaceted definitions, and presents five main characteristics of virtual influencers, based on various definitions by previous authors. The study proposes a comprehensive typology of virtual influencers, based on four key dimensions: design, ownership, sponsorship disclosure, and follower size. Through systematic analysis, comparison and the synthesis of existing literature, the paper clarifies the current state of knowledge, and identifies critical future research directions within each typological dimension.

The current study presents the research and analysis of scientific literature for 2001 to 2025. The article reveals the links and interactions between democracy, health and healthcare, allowing for the possibility to assess the impact of democracy on health and healthcare. It investigates the assumptions and factors of healthcare democratisation at the systemic and organisational levels. The activity of democratic processes in crisis situations (the Covid-19 pandemic, etc), when people’s rights and freedoms are partially restricted, is analysed. In some countries there are trends in declining levels of democracy, including healthcare systems. The article discusses patients’ opportunities to influence decisions related to their health and healthcare, and to choose their doctor and healthcare organisation.

The article analyses the importance of supervision based on anthropological knowledge in the formation of the professional identity of hospital chaplains. It emphasises the problematics of understanding the concept of professional identity and its two main aspects: 1) professional activity, and 2) the anthropological centre of professional identity, which provides for the personal development and quality of spiritual life of the chaplain, in order to answer the question how to become a guide to eternal life for a dying person. The functions of supervision discussed in the article stabilise the chaplain’s personality and the poimenic and mystagogical aspects of the chaplain’s professional identity in the context of hospital palliative care.

With the increasing number of individuals diagnosed with oncological diseases in Lithuania, support measures that promote patients’ quality of life are becoming particularly relevant. International research indicates that art therapy can serve as an effective form of psychosocial support for individuals facing cancer. However, the implementation of art therapy is still in its early stages in the Lithuanian healthcare system. This article presents a single case study exploring the application of art therapy. for a woman diagnosed with cancer. The qualitative research findings suggest that art therapy may function not only as a supportive intervention for individuals undergoing treatment, but also as a transformative space that facilitates the processing of physical, emotional and spiritual changes associated with the illness.