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In the doctoral dissertation, the learning to learn ability in childhood from the conceptual and praxiological points of view has been studied for the first time in Lithuania. The relevance of the learning to learn ability and the need to start developing it at the preschool age have been highlighted. Problematic aspects related to the use of the concept of learning to learn in Lithuanian language have been revealed. In the dissertation, the construct of the holistic concept of learning to learn has been theoretically grounded, the dynamism of this ability and the trajectory of its development in preschool education have been emphasized. Referring to the systematic approach, the components of the learning to learn ability, their features and essential preconditions have been discussed. During the empirical research, the methodology of qualitative research and hermeneutic phenomenology were followed. After the analysis of teachers’ and children’s experiences and preschool education programmes, the expression of the learning to learn ability in preschool education was revealed. The experiences of teachers highlighted the problematic nature of the concept of learning to learn. This is also reflected in the analysis of curricula, which shows an insufficient emphasis and lack of a systematic approach to the development of the learning to learn ability. In teachers’ experiences, the prerequisites supporting the development of the learning to learn ability have been identified: encouragement of setting the learning goal and activities, aspects of the environment that makes the development of the learning to learn ability meaningful, expression of children’s reflection and the roles of education participants. The limitations of the development of the learning to learn ability in the preschool institution and the need to increase the competence of teachers have also been revealed. In children’s experiences, the expression of their metacognition can be seen: self-perception as a learner, ability to design and reflect on their learning process. The children’s ability to freely choose learning activities and tools, learn individually and collaboratively and the need for help were highlighted. The dissertation presents a model of successful development of children’s learning to learn ability, which provides an opportunity to purposefully design and organize the development of this ability in the preschool institution.

In the doctoral dissertation, the learning to learn ability in childhood from the conceptual and praxiological points of view has been studied for the first time in Lithuania. The relevance of the learning to learn ability and the need to start developing it at the preschool age have been highlighted. Problematic aspects related to the use of the concept of learning to learn in Lithuanian language have been revealed. In the dissertation, the construct of the holistic concept of learning to learn has been theoretically grounded, the dynamism of this ability and the trajectory of its development in preschool education have been emphasized. Referring to the systematic approach, the components of the learning to learn ability, their features and essential preconditions have been discussed. During the empirical research, the methodology of qualitative research and hermeneutic phenomenology were followed. After the analysis of teachers’ and children’s experiences and preschool education programmes, the expression of the learning to learn ability in preschool education was revealed. The experiences of teachers highlighted the problematic nature of the concept of learning to learn. This is also reflected in the analysis of curricula, which shows an insufficient emphasis and lack of a systematic approach to the development of the learning to learn ability. In teachers’ experiences, the prerequisites supporting the development of the learning to learn ability have been identified: encouragement of setting the learning goal and activities, aspects of the environment that makes the development of the learning to learn ability meaningful, expression of children’s reflection and the roles of education participants. The limitations of the development of the learning to learn ability in the preschool institution and the need to increase the competence of teachers have also been revealed. In children’s experiences, the expression of their metacognition can be seen: self-perception as a learner, ability to design and reflect on their learning process. The children’s ability to freely choose learning activities and tools, learn individually and collaboratively and the need for help were highlighted. The dissertation presents a model of successful development of children’s learning to learn ability, which provides an opportunity to purposefully design and organize the development of this ability in the preschool institution.

Gamtamokslinė kompetencija ugdant ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikus šiandieną vis dažniau akcentuojama, kadangi jos ugdymo eigoje yra įgyjama ne tik gamtos pažinimo patirtis, bet taip pat skatinamos ir vaikų tyrimo, stebėjimo, eksperimentavimo veiklos, ugdoma tinkamas vaiko ir gamtos santykis. Įvairių žaidimų taikymą vaiko ir gamtos sąveikai organizuoti, gamtamokslinei kompetencijai ugdyti išryškina tiek mokslininkai, tiek pedagogai praktikai. Atliktus ikimokyklinių įstaigų pedagogų tyrimą paaiškėjo, jog didžioji dalis pedagogų nuomone gamtamokslinės kompetencijos ugdymas yra labai svarbus, o gamtamokslinės kompetencijos reikšmingumas siejamas su gamtos reiškinių, gyvūnų ir augalų pažinimu, gamtos grožio pajautimo skatinimu, gebėjimo stebėti gamtą ugdymu. Pedagogų patirties analizė išryškino, jog daugelis gamtamokslinei vaikų kompetencijai ugdyti taiko įvairius žaidimus, tačiau tarp labai palankių aukščiausiai vertinami žaidimai su įvairiais gamtos daiktais; didaktiniai žaidimai; stalo bei ekologiniai žaidimai. Dauguma pedagogų dažnai žaidimus taiko įstaigos (kiemo) arba grupės aplinkoje, rečiau netradicinėje vaiką ugdančioje aplinkoje. Žaidimo atitiktis gamtamokslinio ugdymo tikslams, vaikų amžiui ir patirčiai, vaikų poreikiai, interesai ir idėjos bei pedagogų kompetencija žaidimų atžvilgiu yra tie svarbiausi veiksniai, kurie lemia sėkmingą jų taikymą gamtamokslinei kompetencijai ugdyti. Nowadays natural science competence in education of preschool age children is increasingly highlighted as it gives not only the cognitive experience of nature, but also encourages children’s study, observation, experimentation activities; educates the right relationship between a child and nature. Both scientists and teachers promote the application of various games in order to organize interaction between a child and nature as well as to educate natural science competence. The observation study of preschool teachers showed that the education of natural science competence is very important, and the significance of natural sciences is associated with the knowledge of natural phenomena, animals and plants, the promotion of the feeling of natural beauty and the ability to observe nature. According to the majority of the respondents, very important aspects of natural science competence are the cognition of natural phenomena, plants and animals; the feeling of natural beauty, and the ability to observe nature. In addition, such expressions of this competence were pointed out as important: the understanding of plant growth and animal life, the education of environmental protection activity skills, the ability to use a variety of means of natural science, the perception of communication between the living and non-living nature. The experience of the vast majority of teachers showed that they describe the game as an activity where the child himself has the opportunity to discover, experience new and deepen existing knowledge of nature. According to them, while playing a child’s ability to think (to analyse, compare, classify) helps to build up the experience of living and non-living nature. The analysis revealed that many games are applied to educate the competence of natural science, but the most popular ones are games with various natural objects; didactic games; table and ecological games. Most teachers often play games in the group’s or institution’s environment (yards), sometimes in the unconventional environment. Game’s compliance with natural science education purposes, child’s age and experience; children’s needs, interests and ideas, and teachers’ competence in relation to games are the most important factors that determine the successful application of games in order to educate natural science competence. In relation to the importance of natural science competence and based on the results of the research analysis, it is possible to forecast the development of this competence through the greater variety of games of natural science content.

Straipsnyje aktualizuojamas šeimos ir ikimokyklinės įstaigos bendradarbiavimas, būtinybė stiprinti tėvų dalyvavimą bendruomenės veikloje, siekiant vaikų gyvenimo, jų ugdymo(si) kokybės. Aptariamas socialinės partnerystės teorijoje išryškintas institucinis lygmuo, kuriame tėvai apibrėžiami kaip vidiniai socialiniai partneriai, akcentuojant partnerystei būdingus veiksnius ir atliekamus vaidmenis. Analizuojami ugdymo dalyvių – ikimokyklinių įstaigų pedagogų ir vaikų tėvų – atliekami vaidmenys bendradarbiavimo procese, pristatomos pedagogų ir tėvų nuomonės apie problemas, su kuriomis susiduriama siekiant veiksmingesnio tėvų įsitraukimo ir vaidmenų realizavimo bendradarbiaujant su ugdymo įstaiga, kas įgalintų prognozuoti pedagoginės veiklos nagrinėjamoje srityje tobulinimo aspektus. The paper deals with home-preschool institution collaboration by placing emphasis on parental involvement seeking to improve the quality of children’s life and education. The theory of social partnership defines parents as an internal social partner of an institution. The aim of the study was to identify and compare the opinion of teachers and parents about the role of parents as a social partner of a pre-school education institution and/or community member. 80 pre-school teachers and 114 parents were surveyed. 96 The majority of the respondents noted that parents sponsor various events, assess activities, educational content, etc. The majority of the surveyed teachers and a big part of the surveyed parents were of the opinion that parents are rarely involved in the decision-making process, help the teacher organize educational activities, rarely (or never) take an active part in developing activity programmes, the institutional strategy, rarely come up with ideas for (extra) curricular activities, volunteer, etc. A big part, even one-third, of the surveyed teachers thought that parents are passive observers. Both, the surveyed parents and teachers, noted that parents lack information about pre-school education, are rather indifferent to information about the life and needs of the institution, events, meetings, presentations, festivals, projects, etc. The respondents focused on parental engagement, they stated that activities and results should be discussed together, parents’ opinion should be taken into account, home-school communication should be improved. The majority of the surveyed parents noted that they trusted the educators and had no doubt about their competence. It was found that parents played a more important role as a social partner of an institution than as a community member. The opinion of the surveyed about home-preschool institution collaboration was analysed with the aim to improve the quality of education provided by preschool institutions.