Justinas Sadauskas

The article assesses the legal possibilities of protecting teachers from violence in Lithuanian educational institutions. It analyses how the legal framework ensures the right of teachers to protection from violence at work and to assistance. It is concluded that the concept of violence against teachers is not clearly defined in legislation, the legal framework does not sufficiently protect teachers from violence and is more oriented towards the protection of pupils.

Global pandemic, Covid-19, started at the end of 2019 and until today we are facing the consequences of it on a daily basis. The Covid-19 virus has made the situation more difficult for both social workers and refugees and the ignorance has been more visible both theoretically and practically. On the other hand, professional activities of social workers were significantly influenced during Covid – 19. It made their job harder and more challenging than before. Research goal – To disclose Austrian social workers ‘experience working with refugees during Covid – 19. Research strategy - qualitative research. The study was conducted in November - December of 2021 among social workers in Austria. Data collection method - semi-structured interview (8 social workers). Data analysis method - content analysis method. Main findings - the restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the isolation and vulnerability of refugees and created confusion. During the Covid -19 pandemic, social workers working with refugees faced the following challenges - significant alterations in routine of social workers and struggling to preserve and keep clients.

This manuscript deals with the problematic question of how students’ critical reflection is manifested when reflecting on their experiences of learning critical thinking in higher education. Critical reflection is understood as the fusion of personal experience with new knowledge and study content, leading to a new understanding and a new sense of the meaning of oneself, one’s learning, studies, and phenomena in the wider environment. A qualitative research method was chosen to reveal the extent of critical reflection. Sixteen students participated in the research: aged 19–49 at the time of the research, from six higher education institutions, representing eight fields of study. A semi-structured interview was chosen for the research and the qualitative content analysis method for the research data analysis, allowing for valid conclusions upon an objective and systematic review of the transcribed interview text. The findings show that in reflections on the critical thinking teaching and learning experiences, students emphasize the process of interaction with others and interaction with themselves, focusing not on the external object but rather on the subject—the thinking person—and their relation to their own thinking. In reflection on teaching and learning, students emphasize applying theoretical knowledge in practice, modelled by the teacher.

The fragmentation and narrowness of research on critical thinking in the labour market and the lack of critical thinking analysis in the context of the interplay between lifelong learning, education and the labour market presuppose the relevance of this article. The article analyses the views of employers and employees, highlighting their attitude toward the importance and manifestation of critical thinking in the labour market and the need for improving critical thinking competency. The article aims to answer the following problematic questions: (1) How important are critical thinking skills and dispositions in the labour market? (2) How do employers’ and employees’ opinions vary regarding critical thinking in professional activities? (3) What need is there to improve critical thinking skills and dispositions? Quantitative research methodology was chosen for data collection using a questionnaire. It was found that both employers and employees consider inference and argumentation to be the most important critical thinking skills in the modern labour market; however, their attitude toward self-regulation, which is highly regarded by employees, but not by employers, is fundamentally different. Both employers and employees understand the importance of dispositions and value them similarly. Both groups have the least regard for having scepticism. The assessment of critical thinking skills and dispositions in specific professional activities differs from the assessment in the labour market in general. In professional activities, substantiated decisions, flexibility and unbiased decisions are especially valued by both groups, and the skills listed as being in most need of improvement are the same ones that were given as being important. The attitudes of both groups were distinguished by assigning value to dispositions that need improvement. Employees are more likely than employers to work on dispositions that denote operational autonomy. The study also revealed correlations between various groups of critical thinking skills and dispositions, demonstrating both employers’ and employees’ deliberate choice in assessing one or other constituent of critical thinking competence and the perception of their interrelationships.

Critical thinking has been more than just a part of academic rhetoric and educational practice for some time now. In the rapidly changing world of information flow, critical thinking is often identified as the goal of higher education, and in the modern labour market, the importance of critical thinking to an organisation’s success is emphasised. Critical thinking is recognised as one of the tools for the formation and development of human and social capital. Nevertheless, there is a lack of evidence about the manifestation in the labour market of the critical thinking developed at institutions of higher education. This article seeks to reveal the attitude toward the importance of critical thinking in the modern labour market and toward the responsibility for developing it from the perspective of different stakeholder groups (lecturers, students, employers and employees) (the case of Lithuania). Quantitative research methodology was chosen, using a questionnaire for data collection. It was found that in both higher education and the labour market, critical thinking is treated as a developed and dynamic competence that encompasses both cognitive skills and dispositions. All of the stakeholder groups consider inference and argumentation to be the most important critical thinking skills in the modern labour market. Critical thinking dispositions such as self-confidence and fairness are the most valued. All of the stakeholder groups delegate responsibility for the development of critical thinking to the individual. In evaluating critical thinking, no divide was established between the higher education and labour market segments. The most differences in attitudes emerged in evaluating the assumption of responsibility for the development of critical thinking.

Knowledge management and critical thinking are two broad and important phenomena for contemporary society. Their concepts are both well-discussed in the literature. However, the existing conceptual links between them have not been analyzed, and the role of critical thinking in the process of effective knowledge management has not been revealed. This article aims to fill this gap by presenting the conceptual connections between knowledge management and critical thinking. In order to reveal the inner structure of each concept and identify the conceptual connections, a critical review was conducted. The results showed the links between the concepts of knowledge management and critical thinking within three dimensions: relationships, process, and goals. In conclusion, each dimension is presented and described, with a special focus on the unexpected and deep intersections revealed between the two concepts on a personal, interpersonal, and societal level. This research may be regarded as providing the basis for further analysis of the links between these two phenomena. Increased awareness of the existence of critical thinking in knowledge management can forge new directions in organizational strategies and staff training programs.