| Abstract [eng] |
A variety of alternatives concerning education and career options is developing fast in Lithuania, therefore many young people as well as adults are incapable of finding a balance between their goals and opportunities in the society, and the changes are so rapid that educators‘ professional development, career planning and organization last a lifetime. A career increasingly becomes a personal life companion and an important part of collective life. The basis of our knowledge on education is fast growing, for this reason educators of all levels need a new type of experience and constant self-improvement in order to achieve good results in career, therefore it is important to understand how professional development affects further success of educators‘ activity and their career planning. The object of the research – organization of professional development and career planning of educators. The aim of the research – to investigate the organization of professional development and career planning of pre-school educators. Methods of the research: theoretical: analysis of scientific and other literature related to the theme of the thesis; empirical: quantitative (survey) method; qualitative (questionnaire) method. Calculation and analysis of the results. Research scope and organization: the research was carried out in six pre-school establishments of Plungė town. The present research involved 5 managers and 102 educators (pre-school and pre-primary education educators) of these establishments. The research was carried out in January 2015. Results of the research. Scientific literature analysis demonstrated the significance of professional development to career changes. This continuous process is extremely powerful for an individual and as well as for the realisation of further life goals. The analysis of empirical research results demonstrated the attitude of the educators and the managers of the establishments towards organization of professional development and career planning in a pre-school establishment. The research helped to determine that the managers of the establishments contribute towards planning the career of the educators and ensure their continuous development. It became clear that the planning of horizontal career takes place, however, career aims of the establishment and the educator are not always coordinated. Having evaluated the significance of professional development and career planning to one another, the results of the research indicated that these two processes affect each other: personal competencies are strengthened, each variation of planning requires new knowledge and skills, and training reveals educators‘ strengths and aspects to be improved when organizing and renewing a career plan. During professional development the educators improved the realization of their career aims. |
