The aim of this article is to show the importance of social skills and competences (assertiveness, authority) in every social profession, especially in teaching. It defines assertiveness as a certain social attitude which enables people to being genuine in living their own lives. It is an attitude towards oneself and other people, which relays on giving freedom and acceptance to one's decisions and choices. The only limit of assertiveness is other people's freedom. Every teacher has the desire to be an authority for his pupils, but without certain social skills it is almost impossible unless it is built on fear. Without certain social skills the probability of occupational burnout increases, because a teacher lacks the ability to set social boundaries, demand respect and take psychological care of himself.Key words: social competences, assertiveness, being the authority, occupational burnout Życie publiczne, zawodowe, czy osobiste w ogromnej mierze zależy od oddziaływania, zachowania innych osób, grup i społeczności. Przestrzeń życiowa, praca, rozwój, zabawa, odpoczynek -wszystko to nie dzieje się w próżni społecznej. Zawsze, w każdej sytuacji człowiek uwikłany jest w sieć powiązań międzyludzkich i w zależności od posiadanych kompetencji społecznych, w różnym stopniu radzi sobie z wymogami świata społecz-nego. Opanowanie umiejętności współżycia społecznego jest istotnym warunkiem zadowolenia i satysfakcji życiowej.Człowiek jest zwierzęciem społecznym, a więc jego poczucie szczęścia i pełni zależy od umiejętności sprawnego kontaktowania się z innymi ludźmi. Ponadto cała cywilizacja opiera się na ludzkiej zdolności do współpracy z innymi i prowadzenia wspól- STUDIA EDUKACYJNE NR 30/2014

This article is a critical analysis of the "Skills Development and Employability in Europe: The New Skills Agenda" document. The purpose of the discussion is to analyze the 10 problem areas identified and formulated in the document, paying particular attention to the perception and implementation of these issues from the perspective of European countries. The recommendations presented for each of the issues may provide important guidance for developing a vision of vocational education targeting the labor market of the European Union.

There is confusion in literature as to whether consumer behavior models are myths or heuristic devices. Myths are symbolic tales (believed as true, usually sacred) of the distant past, connected to belief systems or rituals, and may serve to direct social action and values while heuristic device is a provisional and plausible creation whose purpose is to discover the solution of a particular problem at hand. On the other hand, models are theoretical construction and simplified presentation of phenomenon. Notwithstanding the semantics in the definition and description of CB models in the literature, the crux of the matter presents two strange bed fellows: myth and heuristic device, and a number of conundrums are raised: Is it really possible to model a complex, dynamic and unpredictable entity like the consumer? Or is it just a scholarly exercise? To what extent, if necessary, can it help marketers achieve precision in understanding and predicting the customer or consumer behavior? This matter has polarized the scholarly community of marketers for decades. This conceptual paper, therefore, seeks to contribute to this discourse by undertaking an archival survey of the extant literature to look at the two sides of the coins, that is, whether CB is a myth or heuristic device. The study concludes that CB models provide a frame of reference for solving consumer problems and helping to point the way for hypothesis needed for CB theory development. This makes it a heuristic device. The implication is that consumer is at the center of all marketing programmes, scholars and practitioners should understand this and apply it successfully incorporating the views, preferences, feelings, motives and innuendoes of the consumer.

The aim of the article is to show the importance of educational activity of adults in the process of intentional designing one’s life: flexible actions depending on the needs and overcoming the deficits. The life-long education and the learning competences are essential in today’s world, that is why a closer look was taken on educational activity of adults and to research their ability to perform a self-directed learning and diagnose their learning motivation. The problem was examined in the salutogenesis paradigm, which was first defined by Aaron Antonovsky. The key concept for Antonovsky’s concept is the sense of coherence (SOC), which is a constant disposition of personality in adult life and determines the way we think, interpret, and make decisions and actions in our lives. The sense of coherence is characterized by a dimensional character (from weak to strong SOC) and is defined as a global orientation expressed in the sense of individual certainty that its external and internal environment is understandable and meaningful and life is worth the effort and commitment (Antonovsky 1979, 1986; Antonovsky &Sagy 2001). The ability of self-directed learning was correlated with the level of sense of coherence. In this article the results of the research are presented. The research was conducted on 427 persons in Poland. The research was focused on finding different factors influencing educational activity of adults, especially on the most significant activity: self-directed learning. The dependence of chosen variables was examined, in order to point out the features which might help adults to initiate their own learning activity.

The aim of the publication is to present selected aspects of starting adult life by the people with disabilities. Young adults, entering adult life, verify their plans and life goals, and tries to fulfill the life tasks typical of this stage in a satisfactory way. In certain special situations (such as disability), meeting these challenges can be difficult. The article will discuss selected aspects of the educational and occupational activity of young people with disabilities.