Entering teaching profession is considered as the most determining stage in a teacher’s professional life. The aim of this research is to explore opinions of novice teachers in Latvia about the role of mentoring in their professional socialization. The following research questions were defined: (1) what difficulties novice teachers faced during their in-service experience? (2) what support novice teachers needed when they started teaching? (3) what the role of mentoring in teachers’ professional socialization is? Qualitative research design was developed for the research. Empirical data were obtained during the focus group discussion with ten teachers representing Council of young teachers (in age below 35) of the Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees, nine semi-structured interviews with novice teachers, and interview with a mentor. Novice teachers face teaching reality which often differs from perceptions about the profession developed during the studies at university. The research shows that teachers from the sample faced following challenges during their first years of in-service: establishing teacher’s authority and self-positioning as a teacher, time management, problems with discipline in a classroom, lack of skills to develop curriculum and lesson plans, difficulties in communication with parents. During socialization novice teachers learned their responsibilities and acquired specific knowledge; appropriate support such as mentoring reduced level of stress and uncertainty while novice teachers adapted to school during the period of transition from pre-service period to in-service period. In relation to mentoring, novice teachers expected that a mentor would introduce them to school traditions and internal rules and would advise on discipline in a classroom as well as would help to develop curriculum. Policy makers should focus on teachers’ support guidelines at national level, which would allow schools to ensure the most appropriate environment for novice teachers so that they would like to continue their careers in teaching profession. Key words: mentoring, novice teachers, professional socialization, teacher retention, teaching profession.

The aim of the paper is to describe the phenomenon of the Night of Legends in Latvia particularly focusing on the case of manors in Jelgava county. This event aims to preserve and promote local cultural heritage by active involvement of local community members and visitors (individuals, amateur groups, local businesses, schools, etc.). Thematic activities in manors and palaces are targeted to raise interest and cooperation, what in turn extends the tourist season. The event is organized by the Latvian Association of Castles, Palaces and Manors. The paper includes an analysis of the event’s offer in the context of preservation of cultural heritage as well as interviews with tourism specialists from Jelgava county, particularly involved in organizing the Night of Legends.

According to the Actor Network Theory, the local food system is a set of interconnected processes and social agents including municipalities as a business environment. In the context of rural studies, support for local food producers is important for local communities. By content analysis of the information available on the websites of Zemgale region’s municipalities and the opinions of municipal specialists on local support measures for entrepreneurs, the aim of the paper was to identify the activities of municipalities in local food systems. Within a context of local food systems, the authors revealed that municipalities in Zemgale region provide support activities in two main directions: food businesses and tourism activities. The analysis of business support measures showed that local food producers in municipalities are promoted and supported in a number of ways through branding, special events and trade facilitation, seminars and annual awards. Activities in the field of tourism revealed cooperation, involving local food producers in the tourism system and ensuring the recognition of local food products to a wider group of consumers. Integrating local food businesses into tourism routes and thematic activities, in other words making locally produced food an integral part of the tourism product, develops small and medium-sized enterprises that contribute to the socio-economic resilience and environmental sustainability of rural communities, local innovations and creativity. In Zemgale, municipal activities for support of local food producers in the context of COVID-19 crisis are strengthening rural communities thus supporting and helping entrepreneurs to adapt to changes.

Professionals who are respected in the wider community can influence public opinion and shape societal value system. While in a number of European countries teaching profession is popular and respected, in many other including Latvia its prestige is rather low. There is an ongoing debate in Latvia how to raise it; therefore, the aim of this research was to study teachers’ views about the status and prestige of their occupation. The quantitative research design was developed. The web survey of teachers (n=1773) confirmed that teachers perceived their occupational prestige in Latvia as low and believed that in other European countries it is much higher. Teachers did not feel assessed adequately to their contribution. In general, teachers were concerned about their professional autonomy and freedom as they felt frustrated, overloaded and over-controlled from different sides. The respondents believed that teachers are authorities and opinion leaders also outside school that indicated positive aspects of occupational prestige. They admitted that teachers should have an ability to adapt in order to respond on contemporary societal and technological changes. Some suggestions were developed on how to improve occupational prestige: from a system perspective, more positive and supportive attitude towards education system and teachers is expected from municipalities, policy makers and the line ministry. Meanwhile great part of the respondents believed that teachers themselves should be responsible for the forming of positive image of their profession and should communicate with society more effectively on the specificity of teaching and challenges they face in contemporary conditions. Keywords: occupational prestige, teaching profession, teaching status, trade union.

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