Klaipėdos universitetas

The paper presents the discourse of the social work professionalization from the viewpoints of practice, research, academic activity, and professional identity, by revealing the expression of social worker competencies in the changing society. By means of evaluating the 20-year-experience of social worker training in Lithuania, the authors reveal the identity of social work at two levels: professional (academisation and practice) and legal (profession and study status). For the purpose, a novel approach to the formation of the social work theory, study methods, and the education of intercultural communication and lifelong learning is employed.

This article presents the aspect of the social work professionalization which responds to the new challenges of a global society that is the refugee migration. The refugee problem in the European Union has recently become one of the important social problems. Due to the political situation in Africa South European countries are already unable to manage the daily flow of refugees. EU Parliament is trying to solve this problem. Lithuania has to be ready to solve this problem as well. The country which receives refugees not only has to have the legal regulation of this process, but also the professionals who could ensure the success of their adaptation. The authors, using different empirical research materials which were conducted in Lithuania in the years 2011–2014, reveal the depth of the needs and the possibilities of the social work services while implementing these needs in the context of social services in Lithuania. This is the presentation of the experience available. This article can help you to assess the situation and the opportunities that are ahead for the Lithuanian society when helping to solve the problem of today’s refugees in the European Union. At the same time this article reveals one more aspect of the identity in the social work profession, revealing the depth of the social worker’s competencies in a changing society and his ability to operate in unspecified situations.

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.

The article aims to justify the relevance of communication competence in the process of professional development. There is taken into consideration the connection of concept “social” with trends and priorities of economy and policy, changes in social work practice, emphasizing the communication as possibility and source for professional action and experiential learning. On the basis of theoretical and empirical results of analysis there is discussed the helping process for the risk family and the possibility to develop the communication competence in the process of individual intervention or group intervention. At the first part of article the learning paradigm and social empowerment methodological guidelines, which emphasize the position of active and responsible character and the meaning of collaboration, which determine the success of professional activity. There is discussed the context of the social work, which impact interpersonal communication obstacles and arising problems, the necessity to develop communicative competence is emphasized. Analyzing theoretical assumptions for learning in practice construction with aim to develop empowering relationship with family, there is discussed experiential learning process, definition of its structure, reciprocal communication, construction of practice content, the creation of new knowledge. The results of qualitative research revealed the problems of communication between social worker and family as a client. Social worker with sufficient practical activity experience usually remains in the primary phase of help process – contact establishment. In one case family proactiveness is expected but it remains “invisible”. The research revealed the individual process of experiential process the necessity of practitioner-expert or supervisor coaching in the experiential learning process by self-assessing and combining practical knowledge which were gained by acting in practice placement, theoretical knowledge and created professional knowledge. Such coaching enables to systematize elements recurring in situations, develop their professionalism of social worker with the help of reflection.