Tiltai

Scientific journal Tiltai / Bridges / Brücken published by Klaipėda University (established in 1991) is devoted to the issues of social sciences, and seeking academic dialogue, also to other human and society functioning-related humanities and biomedical sciences, with expand and interpret different social phenomena and current issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. The publications attempts at analysing and solving actual problems of economy, management, demography, social geography, geopolitics, political sciences, history, education, religious, regional planning and land use, other social problems. Science has no borders. Therefore scientific cooperation is one of the most important elements in the progress of world’s community. Scientists from different countries of the world are kindly invited to write for and contribute to the journal.Tiltai / Bridges is the scientifical periodical magazine, which publications, by the decision of Lithuanian Science Council, are recognized as convenient for doctoral dissertations and pedagogical scientific names.

Spirituality is a basic human drive with diverse forms of expression that make for unique patterns of thinking consonant with an advanced level of cognition and integration of information. The paper features the Humanistic Spirituality Model, which captures the essential dimensions of humanistic spirituality through three components: self-actualisation, transcendence and ultimate meaning in life. The Humanistic Spirituality Inventory (HSI), a measure of spirituality developed on the basis of the Humanistic Spirituality Model, contains three scales corresponding to the three model components. According to the results of the HSI validation study (N = 331), the instrument has good psychometric properties, i.e. adequate content and construct validity as well as satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliabilities, which makes it a proper spirituality research measure.

The researches justify the importance of using IT in the process. However, the use of IT in the teaching environment is a new challenge in protecting and enhancing the health of primary students. The natural tendency of children, the need of the use of IT in the process of teaching (learning) necessitates the management of this process. Research aim – to examine expanse’s tendencies of IT in primary education and to reveal the features of creating a healthy teaching (learning) environment for pupils. 237 teachers of primary school from the west of Lithuania have been surveyed. The study showed that primary school teachers and students are not yet appointed with a variety of IT tools. Although almost all of the teachers had computers in their classrooms and almost half of the respondents had a digital projector, only a very small part of the teachers had interactive whiteboards and tablets in their classrooms. Primary schools have purchased different IT tools for co-use, but only few of the teachers have those tools in their classrooms. The lack of IT tools in the classroom limits the possibilities of their use in the education process. The study revealed that the knowledge of the primary students about the safe use of IT tools, healthcare while working with IT is not related to their skills. Children lack the ability to learn practical activities, their application in life situations and healthy behaviours. Although a lot of teachers think that primary students are aware of the safe use of IT and the effect of misuse of IT, only one third or less of primary school teachers agreed that primary students are able to properly sit at the desk using IT, to do eye exercises, to protect their eyesight, to adjust eye and hand movements, etc.

The importance of constant improvement of teachers and andragogue organiser’s professionalism is revealed, advantages and issues of the link between teachers’ qualification development and andragogue organiser’s activity is highlighted to analyse and justify the andragogue organiser’s role in the sphere of teachers’ qualification development. The first part of the article discusses the conception of teachers’ qualification development based on the aspects of professionalism, reveals diversity of andragogue organiser’s activities and multi-functionality in the sphere of teachers’ qualification development. The second part of the article analyses educational documents that regulate teachers’ development activity and andragogues’ professional activity, reviews the state of teachers’ qualification development, carried out research and recognition of andragogue’s professional activity in Lithuania. Justified conception of teachers’ qualification development, revealed diversity and multi-functionality of andragogue’s activities and proven importance of andragogue organiser’s professionalism to ensure the quality of teachers’ qualification reveals theoretical novelty and significance of this article.

Naratyvinės terapijos, kaip tarpdisciplininio metodo, socialiniame darbe ir psichoterapijoje ištakos glūdi XX a. pradžioje. Jis svarbus karitatyviniame socialiniame darbe, kai siekiama padėti žmogui ištikus krizei, sprendžiant asmenybės ir socialines problemas. Straipsnyje pristatomas naratyvinės terapijos kontekstas, išryškinant dominuojantį ir alternatyvų naratyvus. Praktinis metodo pritaikymas aptariamas kompleksiškai atskleidžiant eksternalizacijos procesą, kurio metu klientas identifikuoja savo problemą, o terapeutas suvokia savo požiūrį. Naratyvinė terapija gali būti taikoma dirbant su individu, šeima, grupe. Karitatyvinio socialinio darbo praktikoje šis metodas įgalina geriau suvokti asmens tapatumo klausimus.

The article focuses on the emotional aspects of programs performed by institutions of prenatal music education (PME) in Lithuania and reveals how the content of this education helps pregnant women to experience positive emotions, especially joy, and overcome the increased nervousness and fear of childbirth. We conducted a study where fourteen respondents were interviewed: six women who during their pregnancy attended music education classes for future mothers (the musical educational health promotion school “Sveikutis”, Vilnius; and the studio of music therapy and meditation “Dabartis”, Klaipėda) and eight women who practiced musicianship independently. The experiences of these fourteen respondents of different age (from 20 to 45 years old at the time of pregnancy) and from different cities (Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Pasvalys and Šiauliai) has revealed that all women who during their pregnancy practiced musicianship had deep and significant experiences and felt the decrease of fear of childbirth. However, the women who attended music education classes had a larger spectrum of opportunities: they could play various instruments, perform additional and useful exercises, and receive more beneficial information, which allowed them to feel positive emotions more often. In addition, the women who attended PME classes claimed to achieve the connection with their unborn child faster and they rated their pregnancy with a higher grade concerning the smoothness of the period. It is significant that PME classes had a positive impact on the husbands of pregnant women as well – the received information encouraged soon to be fathers to communicate with their unborn children. The results of our study confirm that the PME classes in Lithuania promote the pregnant women’s positive emotions, especially experiencing joy, decrease the fear of childbirth, and also have a positive effect on couple’s relationships.

Internet users using digital diplomacy techniques can generate state soft power on social networks through the promotion of traditional power resources – culture, values and behaviour. In this way, the digital dissemination of information by states becomes an instrument of their power policy. This article analyses the concept of digital diplomacy, the transformation of its characteristics and activities in the digital space. The text examines the interaction between digital diplomacy and soft power, also focuses on the European Union’s digital diplomacy, which has become an important part of the EU’s foreign policy. Due to the novelty of the topic and the lack of research in the public discourse, the article is relevant to research in order to find out what digital diplomacy methods the EU institutions, diplomats, individual Internet users are and how it forms the European information geopolitics.

The purpose of the article is to present a discourse of public health ethics, as a social action, and research development. The following problematic questions have been framed to achieve the above purpose: what are the reasons for multiple meanings of public health concept? How is the concept of public in the context of pubic health understood? What are the possible approaches to the analysis of public health ethics? What are the major differences between public health ethics and healthcare ethics? The first part of the article makes an analysis of multiple meanings of the concept of public health. The second part addresses the concept of public in the context of public health. In the third part, there are analytical approaches to public health ethics reflected (professional ethics, applied ethics, representation ethics, critical ethics). The fourth part of the article focuses on differences between public health ethics and healthcare ethics. A summarising historical discourse on the development of public health ethics reveals the dynamics of theoretical approaches to the purpose of the article.

The theoretical analysis has shown that there is a lack of scientific literature and empirical research in the analysis of possibilities of andragogical leadership expression in the educational aspect, therefore the article discusses the problematic question: how does the andragogical leadership in educational activity manifest? The article reveals and appreciates the importance of andragogical leadership in the educational process (qualitative research) and the importance of andragogical leadership in the process (quantitave study). The significance of the researh is revealed in the use of it’s results in order to improve the performance of andragogue leader in the educational process and the expression of the characteristics of the andragogue leader. The article emphasizes that andragogical leadership is an important factor in educational activities, in andragogue has a positive influence on learners with their personal qualities, personal knowledge and competences, and encourages them to act to achieve their goals. The importance and influence of andragogical leadership the learners group is undiniable, evident in constant communication. Learners not only gain more knowledge, but also focus on the community, reducing their social exclusion and promoting cooperation. The research has revealed that there are a number of important types, characteristics and traits of andragogue leaders from the point of view of adult learners and andragogues, which are not sufficient for andragogue leaders. Therefore the article provides recommendations for the development and potential implementation of these andragogical leadership characteristics.

Straipsnyje atskleidžiama savanorystės fenomeno raiška visuomenėje, akcentuojami savanoriškos veiklos ypatumai nevyriausybinėse organizacijoje (toliau – NVO), teikiant socialines paslaugas. Aptariant NVO veiklos turinį socialinės politikos kontekste pristatomos NVO ir savanorystės ištakos. Remiantis Lietuvos Respublikos įstatymais, aptariama NVO galia vertinant teisinio reguliavimo pokyčius vykdant savanorišką veiklą. Sąsajų tarp savanoriškos, socialinio darbo ir NVO veiklos išryškinimas leidžia modeliuoti įvairių socialinių problemų sprendimo strategijas, siekiant mažinti socialinę atskirtį ir puoselėti visuomenės bendruomeniškumą, rengiant socialinius darbuotojus. Teisinis savanorystės reguliavimas sudaro NVO veiklos profesionalizacijos ir veiksmingo socialinės politikos įgyvendinimo prielaidas.