Introduction.  Teachers are invited to seek answers to many questions on their professional growth path. This article aims at drawing attention to their motivational behaviour in teaching school students. According to the theory of self-determination, appropriate motivating (that is, autonomy-supportive) behaviour of teachers can respond to a child’s essential psychological needs, and thus enable him or her to engage in the teaching and learning process. Therefore, the goal of this study is to examine the relationship between teachers’ motivational behaviour and student engagement.  Method.  The sample was composed of 687 students. Two measuring instruments were used: Learning Climate Questionnaire (LCQ) (Black & Deci, 2000) and Student Engagement Scale (Lam et al., 2014). Descriptive statistics, t test, ANOVA, correlational analyses, and multiple linear regression analyses were used to analyse the data. Results.  The research results suggest that teachers’ motivational behaviour (students’ perceived level of autonomy-supportive teaching) significantly predicts student engagement. The studied Lithuanian children are characterised by the same engagement as children from all over the world; they see the meaning of their work and focus on it. Discussion and Conclusion.  The conducted research also confirms a universal trend that boys are less involved than girls, although there were no statistically significant differences in the perceived level of teachers’ autonomy-supportive behaviour (for boys and girls).

Over the past 25 years, Lithuania has established a system of education based on humanistic and democratic relationships. In this system, teacher leadership is highly important, as it serves as the basis for school community “reculturisation” and improvement. The aim of the current article is to overview the situation of teacher leadership in Lithuania, emphasising the aspect of teacher cooperation. The three characteristics of Lithuanian teacher leadership that we present demonstrate that teacher cooperation remains a challenge in the country. Teachers are reluctant to discuss and render improvement proposals, and lack experience of teamwork. Nevertheless, it is to be expected that the ongoing project “Time for Leaders,” will produce the necessary cultural change required to create a learning network of teachers and establish genuine, open and professional dialogue.

The article analyses the question, how intensive consulting for schools can affect students’ learning achievements by mitigating the impact of social, economic and cultural context. Based on the case study methodological approach, the case of the project “Initiative for municipalities”, implemented in 2016–2018 in five schools of Kupiškis district municipality, was analysed. After conducting the analysis of the theoretical literature and documentary sources, and interviews, the following conclusions were made:Due to its duration and intensity, it was long-term consulting; mixed – expert and procedural – consulting approaches were used depending on the problems raised in the schools, the context, readiness of the teachers for change, and the nature of changes proposed by the consultant. It is recognized that the characteristics of the expert consulting dominated.The intensive long-term consulting, implemented in schools resulted in improvement of students’ achievements due to intentionally selected consulting targets – guiding of schools and teachers towards change in the school culture, orientation towards strengthening teaching/ learning assistance, and the application of teaching/learning strategies favourable to students. The consultant’s attempt to implement the teaching methodology based on post-cognitive principles in schools is discussed. The issues discussed remain open for further research.

Lithuanian schools face the challenge of low learning achievement. International and national studies show that the results of Lithuanian school students are not tantamount. There are significant differences among different groups: between boys and girls, between students from different social–economic–cultural backgrounds, different types of localities (cities, towns or rural areas), as well as learners of different languages (Lithuanian, Russian, Polish) (Lithuania. National and Regional Education 2019. Student Achievement Gap). It is clear that the spectrum of factors influencing achievement is wide-ranging, from decisions made by students themselves, the teachers, or the schools, to the ones made in the wider settings or (context) or by municipalities. They all demand scientific discussion, but in this article we focus on the organisation of the teaching/learning process in the neurodidactic context.The work is based on theoretical insights, the core of which is neuroactivation in the learning process as one of the fundamental elements of good teaching and successful learning. In striving for quick, yet not always successful, learning achievement, we do not engage students in an in-depth learning process. Therefore, we fail to arouse interest in the subject taught; the students’ acquired knowledge is not preserved for long and is not used when necessary. By focusing on the teaching/learning process, we can lay the foundations for positive change at the neural level.Searching for the causes of low learning achievement and ways to overcome them, it is important to refer to the findings of contemporary studies concerning the connections between teaching and learning processes with the neuro-structure of children’s brains. A reciprocal connection was identified when learning changes the architecture (structure) of the brain, which in turn affects learning and attaches particular importance to the teacher’s work. It is its nature that can influence how the neuro-structure of the student’s brain changes at the cellular level. Therefore, it is important to consider aspects related to the student’s brain activity in the teaching process, namely excitation, awareness, memory and information transfer. In this respect, it makes sense to continue the research and to conceptually discuss the educational dimension and teaching/learning strategies when working with low achievers.

The article analyzes the leadership phenomenon of the Lithuanian scientist and social figure M.  Luksiene during the period of the Lithuanian Education Reform (1988-1997). It is based on the analysis of scientific literature, the qualitative analysis of M. Luksiene’s texts as well as expert surveys. The article aims to describe M. Luksiene’s leadership as a unique leadership phenomenon and to highlight the phenomenal features of the leadership. The problem: what was M. Luksiene’s leadership during the period of Education Reform. The subject matter – M. Luksiene’s leadership during the period of Education Reform. The Goal is to uncover the distinctness of M. Luksiene’s leadership during the period of Education Reform. tasks: 1) on the basis of scientific literature on leadership to define the concepts of leadership and leadership as a phenomenon; 2) to highlight the conditions during the Lithuanian Education Reform as a prerequisite for leaders to emerge; 3) through empirical examination to disclose the distinctness of M. Luksiene’s leadership. The research methods. The research is based on one type of empirical research, i.e. the case investigation, in which the object of investigation is composed of one social phenomenon – M. Luksiene’s activity during the Lithuanian Education Reform. The investigation is carried out at a personal level. The research is also based on qualitative research strategy and its specific methods: analysis of scientific literature, the qualitative analysis of M.  Luksiene’s texts, expert survey. On the basis of the analysis of the research data the following conclusions are drawn: M. Luksiene’s appearance as an emerged leader is a case of a leadership where under the prevailing social and political circumstances, in the absence of bright, nonstandard-minded leaders, the distinctive intellectual and attitudinal maturity of M. Luksiene’s personality has led to her emergence as a leader. It is a case of harmony between maturity of a person as a leader and historical circumstances. The analysis of written word – diaries – suggests that M. Luksiene was engaged in distinctive public activities worth staying in human memory since her childhood. In her childhood she developed a sense of obligation, social sensibility, the perception of time and self, – all the features characteristic to self- awareness of authentic leadership. The analysis of the texts from the period of Education Reform suggests that M.  Luksiene as a leader admits her weaknesses, but successfully brings people together to act for common purpose; she raises the corporate matters over personal; she is able to discern the favorable historical conditions for dramatic change in education and takes the initiative to take advantage of these conditions in a positive way; she justifies the change conceptually, shapes a clear vision surpassing day-to-day thinking; she sees the importance of education as a social system in building the State. The analysis of data from the expert survey suggests that in the activities of M.  Luksiene both the transformational and the charismatic as well as authentic leadership have revealed themselves. Her personality traits commonly held as unique are: love of life; intelligence and simplicity; respect for the human being, self-devotion, strength; the ability to negotiate and reach an agreement; demanding high standards from herself and others; rare and unique combination of age, depth and breadth of thinking, experience (memory) and will; unique interconnection between the pre-war-war-postwar and years of Soviet stagnation experiences, and at the same time not lingering in the past but creating modern and compelling visions of the future, as well as their active implementation. All of the key features and characteristics of M. Luksiene have one common attitudinal, cultural and educational basis, or goal: to create an open, democratic educational system, in which the center of focus is a human being. Therefore, M. Luksiene is not only to be regarded as a charismatic leader, but also as the creator of the Lithuanian state with highest humanistic culture.