Klaipėdos universitetas

The article analyses teachers’ experiences of the use of digital tools in the development of pre-school children’s language skills. Findings from the qualitative research revealed that the use of digital tools helps to open up these possibilities for preschoolers’ language development: improving children’s speaking and active listening skills; meeting children’s different educational needs; developing fine motor skills; developing reading skills; facilitating spontaneous learning; helping teachers to plan educational activities; individualising and differentiating the content of education; ensuring quality parent-teacher cooperation; etc. Teachers face the following difficulties when using digital tools to develop pre-school children’s language skills: a lack of funds to purchase digital tools; inaccurate information in digital space; inappropriate educational content for children; lack of methodological hours to create interactive tasks; etc. In the opinion of the informants, the success of the use of digital tools is determined by the teacher’s personal qualities, motivation, and the ability to apply effectively innovative educational methods. This is why teachers regularly participate in seminars and conferences, share best practices on social networks, etc.

In scientific sources that deal with the activities of headmasters in educational institutions, the headmaster is considered to be one of the most important people in an educational institution, with the greatest authority, and on whom the success and smooth functioning of the institution depends. Every education system and educational institution needs a sufficient number of teachers to ensure that the demand for educational services is met. In face of the declining number of teachers, both in Lithuania and in Europe, strategic documents set targets to ensure a sufficient number of teachers by the end of the decade. The article analyses actions by headmasters of general education institutions directed at attracting new teachers, and the reasons for choosing a general education institution as a workplace for new teachers. It presents a study which found that headmasters attract new teachers by creating an organisational culture, and retain them by providing the support they need. Heads of educational establishments believe that attracting new teachers is not dependent on managerial decisions, and that better financial opportunities for the establishment would attract new teachers.

The Covid-19 pandemic posed new challenges and opportunities for participants in education. The following article reveals the experiences

The 21st century is identified in the country’s strategic documents as a century of rapid technological, climatic and economic change, and countries must not be afraid of innovation and knowledge of the world through information technology. According to strategic documents, the education of gifted children is also one of the country’s priorities. Gifted pre-school children need to develop and continuously improve their abilities, and the stimulation of these abilities can be enhanced by information and communication technologies. The article analyses the educational possibilities for gifted pre-school children using information communication technology, the characteristics of gifted pre-schoolers, and the possibilities for the identification of gifted pre-schoolers. The study suggests that gifted pre-school children are educated in an individualised way according to their needs, they are identified by their abilities which stand out from their peers, information communication technologies are used to diversify the education of gifted pre-school children, and that the biggest problem educators face while developing gifted children is the lack of information and the lack of communication tools.