EUMETNET AutoPollen Programme “Developing an automatic monitoring network for real-time pollen and fungal spores observations

EUMETNET AutoPollen Programme “Developing an automatic monitoring network for real-time pollen and fungal spores observations”

Project period 2023 –2028

The AutoPollen Programme started in 2018 under the auspices of the grouping of European meteorological services, EUMETNET, in response to the need for coordination of activities around automatic pollen monitoring. AutoPollen aims to grow the automatic monitoring network across the continent, covering all aspects of the information chain – from the initial measurement through to products and services co-designed with end-users. AutoPollen programme seeks to take full advantage of the large potential for progress that automatic pollen and fungal observations provide. It brings together a consortium from across Europe with the multidisciplinary expertise needed to address the challenges along the entire information chain – from the actual observation through to the final end-user defined product. The programme favours convergence with the aerosol and air quality monitoring communities, which should lead to improved service provision and additional savings.

For more information, please visit https://autopollen.net

Project coordinator at the VU Šiauliai Academy, Institute of Regional Development: Prof. Dr. Ingrida Šaulienė. Project participant Assoc. Prof. Dr. Laura Šukienė.

HORIZON-CL6-2022-GOVERNANCE-01 project „A SYstem for reaL-time obserVation of Aeroallergen“ (SYLVA)

Start: 2023-01-01

End: 2026-12-31

Primary biological aerosols (bioaerosols: mainly pollen and fungal spores, but also bacteria and viruses) released into the air by plants, fungi, and other biota, are strongly impacted by climate change. Simultaneously, they also directly affect the climate through interactions with clouds and precipitation. Many bioaerosols, especially pollen and some fungal spores, have allergenic effect on humans. Such aeroallergens affect over 80 million Europeans, reducing their quality of life and costing well over €50 billion/year. Information on bioaerosols is also vital for agriculture and forestry, where timely data about plant development, abundance of pathogens and parasites, as well as invasive species, are necessary for precision-agriculture and knowledge-based technologies. The demand for timely, free, and objective information is currently not met.

The overall goal of SYLVA is to achieve a radical improvement and fill gaps in temporal resolution, timeliness, coverage, and availability of information about aeroallergens and other bioaerosols. SYLVA technological innovations will be accompanied with new infrastructure, distribution and exploitation pathways, and links with stakeholders to ensure technology uptake and sustainability beyond the lifetime of the project. To achieve this goal, the project will:

• Develop cutting-edge bioaerosol monitoring technologies.

• Create bioaerosol monitoring ICT infrastructure and software following open-source principles and connect it to European environmental observing systems.

• Validate the operational maturity and added-value of bioaerosol monitoring technology through Demonstration Pilots in three European regions.

• Maximise impact by demonstrating SYLVA innovations to key stakeholders related to climate, health, agriculture, silviculture, and the environment.

• Ensure the long-term sustainability of bioaerosol technology and infrastructure across Europe.

Vilnius University SYLVA project team (led by Prof. Dr. I. Šaulienė) consists of researchers from Šiauliai Academy and CHGF Institute of Geosciences. Vilnius University supervises the key activities of the project: the formulation of new monitoring standards and the analysis of the project's impact. Vilnius University also plays an important role in implementing other work packages of SYLVA: improving bioaerosol monitoring methods by developing devices and new research methodology (use of eDNA), performing data integration with information provided by satellite observations and digital models. Vilnius University team will prepare educational materials and training aimed at introducing the innovations created during the project to researchers and end users in the field.

HORIZON-CL6-2021-GOVERNANCE-01-16 poject AI-augmented ecosystem for Earth Observation data accessibility with Extended reality User Interfaces for Service and data exploitation (EO4EU)

HORIZON-CL6-2021-GOVERNANCE-01-16 poject „AI-augmented ecosystem for Earth Observation data accessibility with Extended reality User Interfaces for Service and data exploitation“ (EO4EU)

VU Šiauliai Academy is one of 16 partners in this project.

The head of the Vilnius University part of the project: Prof. Dr. I. Šaulienė.

Project period: 2022-2025.

Project researchers: Prof. Dr. G. Daunys, Assoc. Prof. Dr. L. Šukienė and L. Vaitkevičius.

This project is European Commission funded innovation project bringing forward the EO4EU Platform which will make access and use of EO data easier for environmental, government, and even business forecasts and operations. The project will promote pre-operational European services like DestinE and will utilise existing platforms and services through the extensive use of disruptive technologies. EO4EU is made up of 16 consortium partners from 11 countries. The consortium that will bring the platform and its initial use cases forward is led by the University of Athens. The EO4EU Platform, which will be available at www.eo4eu.eu, will connect already existing major EO data sources such as DestinE, GEOSS, INSPIRE, Copernicus, Galileo, among others and offer several tools and services to help users find and access the data they are interested in, as well as to analyse and visualise this data. The platform will leverage machine learning to support handling of the characteristically-large volume of EO data as well as a combination of Cloud computing infrastructure and pre-exascale high-performance computing to manage processing workloads. Specific attention is also given to developing user-friendly interfaces for EO4EU allowing users to intuitively use EO data freely and easily, even with the use of extended reality. More information about project can be found here: https://www.eo4eu.eu/about

Horizon Europe project „GENDERACTIONplus: Gender Equality Network to Develop ERA Communities To coordinate Inclusive and sustainable policy implementatiON“ (ERA)

Horizon Europe project „GENDERACTIONplus: Gender Equality Network to Develop ERA Communities To coordinate Inclusive and sustainable policy implementatiON“ (ERA)

Project period: 2022-2025.

Gender Equality Network to Develop ERA Communities To coordinate Inclusive and sustainable policy implementatiON project was hosted by the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic.

The consortium consisting of 26 organisations operating in 21 European countries will, in line with the new ERA Policy Agenda, focus on five thematic areas, including gender based violence in academia and inclusiveness and intersectionality with other diversity categories and potential grounds for discrimination, such as ethnicity, disability or LGBTQI+. The overall goal of GENDERACTIONplus is to contribute to advancing gender equality in the European Research Area through capacity building, policy exchange and coordination, as well as the provision of strategic policy advice. Through these activities the project will contribute to supporting GE policy coordination and integration in the new ERA. To organise this work, two Communities of Practice (CoPs) will be created, one consisting of representatives of national authorities and the other of representatives of Research Funding Organisations. The five thematic areas that the project will address are: 1) intersectionality and inclusiveness; 2) genderbased violence in academia; 3) the gender dimension in R&I; 4) the monitoring of gender equality actions at the MS level in the new ERA, including the development of a monitoring mechanism and indicators; 5) the development of a system for monitoring and evaluating the implementation and impact of gender equality plans (GEPs) as the main instrument to promote inclusive institutional changes in the new ERA. Lithuania is represented by Research Council of Lithuania (RCL) and Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy (VUŠA) in the GENDERACTION plus project. Ministry of Education, Science and Sports plays role of associated partner.

In the first year of the project, a benchmarking study was carried out with the participation of 15 national institutions responsible for science and innovation policy and 20 national science funding agencies (such as the Research Council of Lithuania, RCL). The results show that most countries (except Spain, Ireland, Sweden, Norway), like Lithuania, have national legislation and policies that cover most aspects of equal opportunities, but implementation is lagging behind in universities and research centres. Lack of a common understanding of concepts and lack of clarity in terminology hinder the development of inclusive funding policies. In addition, countries lack differentiated data, human and financial resources and coordinated national policies. Another finding is that significant contextual differences exist in Europe in the work toward inclusive gender equality. For many, gender equality is a struggle. The issues of inclusion and intersectionality are at a starting phase in European research and innovation policies. There is a need and an interest to lift the intersection of gender with other equality dimensions.

VUŠA team is leaded by Research Professor Virginija Šidlauskienė.

More information about project can be found here: https://genderaction.eu/.

Project Neologisms of Lithuanian Authors: Formation, Semantics, Usage (No. K-2/2025)

The State Commission on the Lithuanian Language funded the Scientific research project "Neologisms of Lithuanian Authors: Formation, Semantics, Usage" (No. K-2/2025)

Project period: 2025-02-03–2027-12-31

The aim of the project is to investigate the neologisms found in the works of Lithuanian authors: to analyse them in terms of word formation and semantics, to discuss their usage, stylistics, as well as the functions they perform in the text, and to describe the systematised knowledge in a monograph. Derivatives not included in the Lithuanian Language Dictionary and its Supplement Catalogue, in the Contemporary Lithuanian Language Dictionary and in the Dictionary of the Standard Lithuanian Language are considered neologisms. Prose and poetic works by Lithuanian writers of the second half of the 20th century and the 21st century were selected for the research. It is planned to collect neologisms from at least 60 books by at least 50 authors and to collect 1500–23000 derivatives for the study. The method of synchronous word formation analysis is used to study the empirical material, as well as the methods of semantic, stylistic, text analysis, interpretation, substitution, comparison, quantitative methods. It is hoped that the monograph will reveal a comprehensive picture of the neologisms used in the works of Lithuanian authors, as well as show that neologisms are created by almost every writer, and at the same time will encourage all users of the language to take an interest in the creative possibilities of the Lithuanian language and to create new words for themselves.

The leader and researcher of the project Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jolanta Vaskelienė

COST ACTION CA22150 Comparative Research on the Executive Triangle in Europe (CoREx)

CA22150 - Comparative Research on the Executive Triangle in Europe (CoREx), MoU - 060/23, 2023-10-25–2027-10-24.

Action Chair - Prof. Dr Thurid Hustedt (Hertie School, Germany). Working group 2 "Career patterns in the executive triangle" (WG2 Leader Prof. Dr Jan-Hinrik Meyer-Sahling (Nottinham University, UK)). More about the project: https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA22150/

Period: 2023-2027.

Researchers - Assoc. Prof. Dr Vita Juknevičienė and Assoc. Prof. Dr Jurgita Joniškienė.

CoREx bridges currently disconnected research on the top civil service and ministerial advisers, as well as disparities in geographical coverage and research capacities. CoREx will generate comparative datasets and analyses on the institutional set-up, career backgrounds, roles and interactions in policymaking, and accountability and transparency of the executive triangle across regions and over time. In an innovative way, CoREx will provide systematic comparative knowledge about trends, causes, and consequences of different configurations of the executive triangle. CoREx contributes to a better understanding of democratic governance in times of increasing political polarization and populist politics. The unprecedented results will be relevant for the scientific community, stakeholders, and the public at large.

Internationalizing Nordic and Baltic Teacher Training in Visual Arts and Craft Education

 

Internationalizing Nordic and Baltic Teacher Training in Visual Arts and Craft Education

Program – Nordplus Higher Education

EDDA Norden Network’s Development Project “Internationalizing Nordic and Baltic Teacher Training in Visual Arts and Craft Education”

Project duration: 2024.05.01 –2025.10.01

Projekt ID: NPHE-2024/10117

Coordinating institution– Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Finland

Partners: University Siauliai Academy, Lithuania; University of Agder, Norway; HDK-Valand Academy of Art and Design, Sweden; Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design, Sweden; Umeå University, Sweden; University College Copenhagen, Denmark; Iceland University of the Arts, Iceland.

Project objectives: The goal of this development project is to establish a sustainable model for Nordic and Baltic collaboration that allows EDDA Norden network members to integrate international collaboration into the yearly cycle of their study programs. This development project aims to explore and share a broader range of perspectives, knowledge, ideas and practices between Nordic and Baltic teacher education institutions, contributing to the current debate on the future of arts education and the importance of intercultural exchange in promoting creativity, sustainability, diversity and innovation. It is foundationally and holistically integrated into teaching and research at partner institutions.

Main research areas:

• Comparative analysis of national education policies in arts education and higher education studies, including standards for visual arts education programs, teacher training and assessment practices, focusing on the interaction between national education policies and visual art education programs.
• Analysis of common themes and practices in art education related to national culture and global issues such as sustainability, diversity and artificial intelligence. Identifying research topics and priorities in arts education, outline new directions for developing arts education, for the improvement art education in teacher training programs, and strengthen their national and international role in educational development.
• International cooperation initiatives, exploring existing partnerships between universities, art schools and cultural institutions, including student exchange programs, joint research projects and teacher collaboration.

Project coordinator and researcher at the VU Šiauliai Academy, Institute of Educational Sciences: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Edita Musneckienė

Lithuanian research council funded postdoctoral fellowship project Assessment of the interrelationship between innovation, productivity, growth, and unemployment (No. S-PD-24-97)

 

Lithuanian research council funded postdoctoral fellowship project Assessment of the interrelationship between innovation, productivity, growth, and unemployment (No. S-PD-24-97).

Project period: 2024–2026.

Each new wave of technology has driven economic growth, productivity, and business opportunities for over two centuries. Increased productivity leads to economic growth, and as the economy grows, unemployment falls. However, the economy can grow without new job opportunities if productivity increases. Thus, the scientific question is: what is the effect of innovation on both labour and capital productivity and subsequent economic growth, and does innovation-driven productivity growth mitigate unemployment reducing effect of economic growth? This project aims to assess the impact of innovation on both labour and capital productivity and the resulting economic growth and to determine whether the impact of economic growth on unemployment is mitigated by innovation-driven productivity growth in EU countries.

Postdoctoral fellow: Dr. A. Aleksandravičienė. Supervisor: Prof. Dr. M. Butkus.

Lithuanian Research Council funded the Scientific research project Predicting Regional Economic Resilience Using Machine Learning Algorithms (REAPI) (No. P-MIP-24-118)

Lithuanian Research Council funded the Scientific research project Predicting Regional Economic Resilience Using Machine Learning Algorithms (REAPI) (No. P-MIP-24-118)

Project period: 2024-09-01–2027-08-31

Abstract: Research on regional economic resilience is of paramount importance in the field of economic sciences, as it pertains to the capacity of regional economies to endure, recover, adapt, and transform in response to a changed environment, thereby restoring economic stability to pre-crisis levels. Therefore, the primary objective of this project is to develop an instrument that predicts the resilience of regional economies using machine learning algorithms. The research endeavours to uncover the framework of regional economic resilience by examining current instruments that promote evolutionary and transformative resilience development. Furthermore, it aims to construct a tool that predicts regional economic resilience development paths, employing a machine learning algorithm to forecast individual indicators' impact on regional economies' resilience. Supplying data-driven insights about how distinct factors contribute towards the development of regional economic resilience would provide a more accurate comprehension of the depth, duration, and pace of crisis recovery in the regions. Consequently, this aids in forecasting the course of future crises and preparing for their mitigation in the regions. The foresight instrument derived from this research will assist researchers and decision-makers in obtaining recommendations regarding the regional situation during crises and devising solutions guided by data. A thorough investigation within the project will enhance our comprehension of the regional economic resilience phenomenon, assess the situation at the European Union NUTS 2 level, and appraise the influence of diverse factors on the resilience of regional economies. Furthermore, the project seeks to progress the understanding of regional economic resilience theories and methodological approaches. This involves adopting a multi-dimensional and interdisciplinary factor assessment approach implemented by machine learning algorithms.

The leader of the scientific project: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kristina Matuzevičiūtė-Balčiūnienė. Project researchers: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ilona Bartuševičienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Irma Šileikienė, PhD candidate Greta Mockevičienė

Lithuanian Research Council funded the Scientific research project Co-creation of the urban green space ecosystem services' value in a living laboratory (CITYlab) (No. S-MIP-24-18)

Lithuanian Research Council funded the Scientific research project Co-creation of the urban green space ecosystem services' value in a living laboratory (CITYlab) (No. S-MIP-24-18

Project period: 2024 09 01–2027 03 31

The idea of the project „CITYlab“ (lith. „MIESTOlabas“) is to investigate the phenomenon of co-creation of ecosystem service value in urban green spaces by applying the Living Lab methodology for more sustainable urban green infrastructure decisions. The aim of research – by using the Living Lab methodology to conceptualise the process of co-creation of the value of ecosystem services in urban green spaces for sustainable urban green space development. The project will be carried out by a team of 7 researchers in the social and natural sciences, together with two master students. The project will include exploratory research (analysis of municipal administration documents, interviews with a municipal administration specialist and a representative of an active citizens' environmental NGO); a questionnaire survey of the city's residents to determine the perceived value of ecosystem services in the city's public green spaces; and the initiation of a living laboratory where the co-creation phenomena of the ecosystem service value of the city's public green spaces will be analyzed. The expected scientific contribution of the project: 1) development of an interdisciplinary research approach, integrating knowledge and methodologies from social and natural sciences in the study of complex phenomena and problems; 2) deepening and development of knowledge in management science on the processes of the value co-creation, by studying the value co-creation in the context of complex systems theory and by applying the living laboratory approach; 3) the developed methodology of the living laboratory for the co-creation of urban green spaces will expand the existing knowledge of the living laboratory approach.
Practical vision of the future - the Botanical Garden of Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy acts as a living lab for sustainable urban development decisions.

The leader of the scientific project – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Milda Damkuvienė. Project researchers: lecturer Sigitas Balčiūnas, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jurgita Joniškienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Martynas Kazlauskas, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Evandželina Petukienė, Prof. Dr. Ingrida Šaulienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jūratė Valuckienė and students: Darija Bučienė, Kipras Merkelis.

Sectoral Innovation scoreboard: Development of a methodology for a complex assessment of the innovation potential at the sector and company level in the field of agribusiness

Scientific project “Sectoral Innovation scoreboard: Development of a methodology for a complex assessment of the innovation potential at the sector and company level in the field of agribusiness”

2023-12-07–2026-12-06

Project budget – 181 000 BGN (92543.83 Euro) Funded by the National Science Fund, contract No. КП-06-Н75/8.

Project aims to develop a comprehensive methodology for assessing innovation potential within the agribusiness sector and at the individual company level.

Project coordinator - prof. Dr Teodora Georgieva (Sofia University, Sofia, Bulgaria).

Participants from VU Šiauliai Academy are Assoc. Prof. Dr Vita Juknevičienė and Assoc. Prof. Dr Rita Toleikienė.

Local-level democratic performance and quality of government in Central and Eastern Europe at time of multiple crises and democratic backsliding

A grant project “Local-level democratic performance and quality of government in Central and Eastern Europe at time of multiple crises and democratic backsliding”

2024-01-01–2026-12-31.

Project budget: 4 493 000 Kč (176 715 Euro). Funded by the Czech Science Foundation, Grant No. 24-10612S.

The project analyzes democratic performance and quality of government at the local level of governance in CEE countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). To explain the variance in democratic performance, changes of governance at a time of multiple crises and democratic backsliding will be analyzed in three dimensions of political legitimacy: input, throughput, output. The main research goal is: (1) to develop a conceptualization of a multidimensional Local Democratic Performance Index; (2) to produce a comprehensive dataset for measuring democratic performance; (3) to show which factors (socio-economic, socio-demographic, political, institutional, historical, related to ongoing crises) can explain changes in local democratic performance; and (4) to determine whether there is a form of vertical spill-over of democratic performance between the national and subnational levels of governance, and hence whether development in national arenas (e.g., democratic backsliding, ongoing crises) impacts local-level development and vice versa.

Project coordinator – assoc. prof. Dr Pavel Maškarinec (University of Jan Evangelista in Ústí nad Labem (UJEP), Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic).

Participant from VU Šiauliai Academy - Assoc. Prof. Dr Vita Juknevičienė.

Teacher Professional Development Ecosystem Transformation Strengthening Future-Oriented Competences and Teacher Agency

Teacher Professional Development Ecosystem Transformation Strengthening Future-Oriented Competences and Teacher Agency

Educational research project title: Teacher Professional Development Ecosystem Transformation Strengthening Future-Oriented Competences and Teacher Agency

Research project number: P-EDU-23-16

Period of implementation: 1 April 2025 – 3 April 2028

Principal investigator: Assoc. prof. dr. Asta Meškauskienė

Research team:

Dr. Asta Meškauskienė, an associate professor at the Institute of Educational Sciences and the Head of the Teacher Competence Development Centre at Faculty of Philosophy of Vilnius University (VU);
Christopher Bezzina, a professor at Malta Universitety and the Head of Learning Leadership and Innovations Department;
Dolors Canabate Ortiz, an associate professor, the Dean of the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the University of Girona (Spain);
Prof. Dr. Remigijus Bubnys, professor at VU Šiauliai Academy; Dr. Tatjana Bulajeva, an associate professor at the Institute of Educational Sciences at VU Faculty of Philosophy;
Dr. Daiva Lepaitė, an associate professor at the Institute of Educational Sciences VU Faculty of Philosophy;
Dr. Šarūnė Nagrockaitė, an assistant professor at the Institute of Educational Sciences at VU Faculty of Philosophy;
Agnė Girkontaitė, a lecturer at the Institute of Sociology and Social Work at VU Faculty of Philosophy;
Karolina Levanaitė, a doctoral student at at the Institute of Educational Sciences at VU Faculty of Philosophy;
Guoda Kliučinskaitė, a teacher at Vilnius City Queen Martha School.

Research aim:

The proposed research project seeks the qualitative breakthrough in the transformation of Teacher Professional Development (TPD). It represents an endeavor in the realm of educational research, addressing the profound and multifaceted challenges posed by the 21st-century industrial revolutions. The central research topic of the project revolves around the development of future-oriented teacher competences. These competences are pivotal in enabling teachers to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of education and technology, where paradigm shifts and transformations occur at an unprecedented pace. The complexity of the research lies in bridging the existing gap between competences teachers possess today and those required to meet the ongoing future challenges. This complexity arises from the rapidly changing VUCA context characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, which demands a profound rethinking of the teacher's role, skills, and professional development. 

The project aims at a qualitative breakthrough in transformation of teacher professional development (TPD) by revealing a roadmap of competences needed for the future at exploring the existing competence gap, at identifying effective TPD models strengthening teacher agency, leading to defining of theoretically justified future-oriented TPD framework, designing a model of future-oriented TPD ecosystem (EduLab) for schools, and piloting it.   

Research activities:

Developing of the future vision of the school in Lithuania based on the meta-analysis of most recent educational research in Lithuania. 

Operationalization of future-oriented teacher competences development substantiating its significance for the school of the future. 

Exploration of the competence gap between current and future-oriented professional teacher competences and theoretical justification of the ways this competence gap could be bridged, providing the guidelines for future competence development of in-service teachers in Lithuania. 

Conducting of a comparative analysis of TPD systems (vertical vs horizontal) in Lithuania and abroad, identifying the effective model(s) of future-oriented TPD focused on strengthening school and teacher agency. 

Definition and theoretical justification of future-oriented TPD framework for designing a model of future-oriented TPD ecosystem (EduLabs) for schools (based on teachers-researchers partnership) and piloting it in schools. 

Expected outcomes:

Based on the results of the project research, a horizontal TPD ecosystem model (EduLabs) for schools will be constructed, focusing on bridging the gap between teacher's current and future-oriented competences by strengthening teacher agency, and piloted in schools; and recommendations will be developed and presented to national and regional policy makers, teacher trainers, teachers, school principals, school leaders and teacher professional development providers. 

The main research project outcomes will be presented and dissiminated at national and international research conferences, in research journals‘ publications and in research monograph.

Continuity of learning to learn in early childhood (4-8 years)

Continuity of learning to learn in early childhood (4-8 years)

Educational research project title: Continuity of learning to learn in early childhood (4-8 years)

Research project number: P-EDU-23-26 

Period of implementation: 1 April 2025 – 3 April 2028

Principal investigator: Associate Professor Rita Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė

Research team:

Assoc. Prof. Rita Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė, Institute of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University;
Assoc. Prof. Dalia Nasvytienė, Head of Centre for Child Development and Psychoeducational Research, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University;
Assoc. Prof. Emilija Alma Sakadolskis, Institute of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University;
Assoc. Prof. Vaiva Schoroškienė, Institute of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University;
Assoc. Prof. Aušra Žemgulienė, Institute of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University;
Assoc. Prof. Sergejus Neifachas, Institute of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University; Kindergarten Principal;
Professor Daiva Malinauskienė, Institute of Educational Sciences, Šiauliai Academy of Vilnius University;
Lecturer Jurga Sidabrienė, Institute of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University;
Lecturer Vaida Padgurskytė, Institute of Educational Sciences, Šiauliai Academy of Vilnius University;
Assoc. Prof. Ramunė Žilinskienė, Director of the VU Health and Sports Centre, Department of Rehabilitation, Physical and Sports Medicine, Faculty of Medicine;
Assistant Prof. Goda Stonkuvienė, Institute of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University, Kindergarten Vice-principal for education;
Lecturer Nadia Venskuvienė, Institute of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University;
Assoc. Prof. Greta Kaluževičiūtė, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University;
Professor Anna Klim-Klimaševska, Institut Pedagogy, Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities, Poland.

Research aim:

The aim of the study is to describe and empirically verify the factors promoting and hindering the continuity of children's learning to learn skills development as children transition from preschool to pre-primary (kindergarten), and from pre-primary to primary education.

Project overview / Introduction:

The priorities of education, including preschool and pre-primary education, set out in state documents encourage research-based decisions regarding the educational process. Learning skills acquired in early childhood are significant for later stages of learning. The diversity of learning-to-learn strategies and the combined activities of teachers and children are insufficiently researched in Lithuania. The experiences of other countries cannot always answer the questions pertaining to early education that are important for our country. In order to fill this gap, we intend to describe and empirically verify the factors that promote and hinder the continuity of children's learning-to-learn in the transition from preschool to pre-primary education, and later to primary education. A mixed methods research model was chosen. Expected results - an evidence-based account of the methods and conditions needed for children's learning-to-learn as well as recommendations for teachers.

Research activities:

The following research activities will be carried out: A systematic literature review of the work done by international researchers on the education of 4-8-year-old children's ability to learn; identification of opportunities and challenges in Lithuania; Taking into account various factors, assessment of how teachers working in diverse Lithuanian schools develop, strengthen and continuously improve children's learning abilities at the preschool, pre-primary and primary education levels; Identification of methods for developing learning abilities that teachers apply in their group or class activities; Summarisation of the practices of teachers in developing children's learning abilities at the above-mentioned levels; Children's learning abilities are to be assessed by examining: acquired competencies and achievements, general intellectual abilities and beliefs about their development, children's opinions about their learning abilities, the continuity of children's learning abilities when moving from one level of education to another (from preschool to pre-primary, from pre-primary to primary). Based on the results of the literature review and the conducted research, effective educational activities which promote children's ability to learn are to be created and tested in situ; Recommendations are prepared for teachers on the development of children's learning-to-learn skills of 4-8 year olds.

Expected outcomes:

A completed research study; Preparation of recommendations for early childhood, preschool and primary education teachers on the learning-to learn skill development of 4-8 year old children; Five publications in high-level research journals; Methods seminars on play-based learning organised for doctoral students in the field of education, led by an experienced international researcher; Two national dissemination events, one research seminar; Dissemination is guaranteed to teachers, municipal representatives, education strategists, teacher preparation and professional development centres, the academic community, and the general public; Participation in academic internships, international research programmes/networks in the field of education; The main results of the study will be presented at national and international research conferences, research application publications, in the media, and announcements on social media.

DigiMaths4All: Strengthening mathematical problem solving using technology-enhanced learning and computational thinking

DigiMaths4All: Strengthening mathematical problem solving using technology-enhanced learning and computational thinking

Educational research project title: DigiMaths4All: Strengthening mathematical problem solving using technology-enhanced learning and computational thinking

Research project number: P-EDU-23-13

Period of implementation: 1 April 2025 – 3 April 2028

Principal investigator: Professor Valentina Dagienė

Research team:

Valentina Dagienė, Professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Institute of Data Science and Digital Technologies, Vilnius University;
Aušra Kazlauskienė, Professor at the Institute of Educational Sciences, Vilnius University;
Eglė Jasutė, Teacher at Vilnius Jesuit Gymnasium;
Jurgita Bagdonaitė, PhD student at the Faculty of Philosophy, Institute of Educational Sciences, Vilnius University;
Marika Parviainen, PhD student at the University of Turku, Finland;
Mikko-Jussi Laakso, University of Turku, Finland;
Daranee Lehtonen, University of Turku, Finland;
Jo Lieve Mieke Van Hoof, University of Turku, Finland;
Rimantas Žakauskas, Junior Research Fellow at the Faculty of Philosophy, Institute of Educational Sciences, Vilnius University;
Vaidotas Kinčius, Junior Research Fellow at the Faculty of Philosophy, Institute of Educational Sciences, Vilnius University.

Research Aim and Objectives

The main aim is to investigate the potential of technology-based learning to improve the mathematics skills of fourth-grade students of Lithuania across all achievement levels. The project objectives are outlined to contribute to improving maths learning:

1. To build a model for developing gamified analytics-based maths learning materials and education with computational thinking (CT) integration.
2. To develop novel gamified educational materials integrated with CT.
3. To integrate tasks that foster CT, linking them to fourth-grade maths topics.
4. To empower teachers to effectively incorporate gamified analytics-based learning tools into their lessons.
5. To establish a framework for evaluating the impact of digital learning on maths problem-solving skills.
6. To create a network for sharing methodology and resources in maths problem-solving with gamification and CT.

Implementation of the Research

The project will explore the impact of gamified learning environments on pupils’ maths problem-solving skills by integrating computational thinking (CT). Problem-solving skills are essential but difficult to acquire. Our interdisciplinary team (educators, mathematicians, computer scientists, technology and statistics experts) will combine expertise and methodologies from various fields to achieve this ambitious goal. The developed digital maths teaching/learning material will be tested with fourth-grade students in Lithuanian schools.

To assess pupils’ maths skills, multi-step maths problems will be used: word problems and arithmetic or algebraic equations. Solving word problems (non-symbolic) and arithmetic or algebraic equations (symbolic) is a complex task for pupils. The former requires the ability to extract key information from the text, transform it into a mathematical expression and solve it; the latter requires the ability to generalize, represent, justify, and reason about abstract mathematical structures and relationships.

Despite global evidence of the positive impact of technology-based learning on maths achievement, motivation, and attitudes, the empirical results of previous studies are mixed. Most studies involve small target samples, do not use control groups, or fail to compare different teaching methods.

To determine whether technology-based learning is worth implementing in maths classes, this project is the first to use a randomized controlled trial with a large sample (sufficient for statistical generalization), systematically comparing the effects of different technology enhancements on learning outcomes. Moreover, this is the first study to apply computational thinking (CT) development to enhance maths problem-solving skills.

Control groups following the national general education curriculum will be compared to two intervention groups applying gamified and CT-based teaching methods. We expect that CT training will strengthen pupils’ higher-order cognitive skills: analytical thinking and decomposition, algorithmic thinking, hypothesis testing, debugging, and abstraction through extracting essential information, collecting, analysing, and visualizing data, recognizing patterns and templates, and modelling processes.

The DigiMaths4All” project requires schools with primary classes. Before the project began, we reached out to various schools to ask whether they would like to participate, in consultation with future fourth-grade teachers, and to plan interventions and training for the autumn (minimum 16 weeks). We are pleased that as many as 45 schools from various Lithuanian towns and regions expressed interest. It is truly remarkable how many enthusiastic principals and active teachers we have in Lithuanian schools.

Workshops for teachers participating in the project are planned for September 2025. School principals and teachers will receive all necessary information about the intervention procedure and tools. Control group participants will have regular maths classes. The intervention groups will carry out gamified tasks once a week during regular maths lessons (16 lessons in total), using the ViLLE learning environment developed by the University of Turku, Finland. The first intervention group will complete gamified exercises aligned with the Lithuanian general curriculum. The second group will complete some gamified math tasks, while others will focus on developing computational thinking. Pupils’ arithmetic fluency, multi-step problem-solving skills, and attitudes toward maths will be assessed before the intervention, after it, and one year later. Teachers’ attitudes toward digital learning technologies will be assessed before and after the intervention using questionnaires and focus group discussions.

The research results will be used, together with machine learning, to develop a model for adaptive exercises to promote maths problem-solving skills. The findings will also inform recommendations for the scientific community, schools, teachers, teacher educators, and policymakers on how to improve maths learning for fourth-grade pupils.

Planned Outcomes and Impact

Research activities are divided into 4 phases:

Preparation: A literature review and an investigation of existing maths and CT exercises will be done to identify theoretical insights on the impact of gamified analytics-based learning with integration of CT on maths problem-solving skills, develop exercises for the interventions, and prepare research instruments. Then, the exercises for the fieldwork will be developed in ViLLE. All research instruments will be prepared primarily by using/adapting existing instruments. Pre-activities for the fieldwork (e.g. participant recruitment, informed consent obtaining) will be done.

Fieldwork: Workshops will be arranged to provide the participating teachers all needed information about the interventions. Pupil-, home-and school-related variables will be collected via questionnaires and assessment instruments. Then the control group will have regular math lessons. The intervention groups will do gamified analytics-based exercises in ViLLE once a week during regular maths class, 16 lessons in total. Intervention Group 1 teachers will select curriculum-based math exercises in ViLLE to supplement their teaching. Intervention Group 2 teachers will select curriculum-based math exercises in ViLLE but only for a half lesson; the other half, pupils will do CT exercises. Pre-, post- and delayed post-assessments of pupils’ arithmetic fluency, multi-step math problem-solving skills and attitudes will be conducted before, after and one year after the interventions respectively. Teachers’ attitudes towards digital technologies in education prior and after the interventions will be measured via questionnaires and focus groups.

Data analysis: The linear regression analysis will be conducted to examine the effect of the interventions on pupils’ arithmetic fluency, maths problem solving skills and attitudes (pre-, post- and delayed post-assessment results) at individual (pupil-, home- and school-related variables) and group level. The impact of the interventions on pupils’ national assessment results in reading and math will be also examined. Teachers’ changes of attitudes towards digital technologies in education will be examined via statistical and content analysis.

Preparing for the future: The research results will be used 1) together with machine learning to develop a model for creating adaptive exercises for promoting maths problem-solving skills of different learners 2) to provide theoretical, practical, social and political implications 3) recommendations for the scientific communities, schools, teachers, teacher educators, policy makers and the general public.

A randomized controlled trial-based intervention study will help teachers effectively integrate analytics-based tools into lessons and develop an assessment system to monitor their impact on students’ problem-solving abilities in maths.

The developed model for creating adaptive exercises to promote problem-solving skills will make it possible to create a network for sharing maths problem-solving methodology and resources enriched with gamification and CT elements.

Eight scientific articles based on the project’s research will be published in international peer-reviewed journals, presenting the findings nationally and internationally.

Two international doctoral schools, a national scientific seminar, six guest lectures by international experts, three internships, and ten related projects involving DigiMaths4All team members will be organized and reported.

The main scientific findings will be presented at national and international research conferences, in popular science publications in the media, and through posts on social media.