The Pre-service social pedagogues’ - first year students’ - vision of quality studies

ENReferring to the Law on Science and Studies of the Republic of Lithuania (2009) and the documents of the Bologna Process, it is important to analyze the students’ opinion on different aspects related to the quality of studies systematically, analyze the European and national documents and observe that students have become significant participants of the processes assuring the quality of studies. This paper aims to review the pre-service social pedagogues’ vision of quality studies. The research instrument is a questionnaire consisting of both open-ended and partially open ended questions. The research was conducted in 2012 and the participants were the first year students of Social Pedagogy from Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences, Mykolas Romeris University and Vilnius College. The survey answered the common methodological requirements, the participants took part in the research on their free will, and the survey was conducted at a convenient time for the students and in line with ethical standards. The analysis of the first year students’ opinions revealed that the pre-service social pedagogues relate the vision of quality studies mostly with the study process (65), study results (40).Other connections, that were indicated less frequently, include: the psychological environment (16), instructors (14), prestigious and popular institutions and studies (11), different personal considerations (9). The smallest number of the first year students related the quality of studies with material and methodological resources even though they are considered to be a very significant sphere during the external study quality assessment in Lithuania. The analysis of the first year students’ opinions, divided into subcategories, demonstrated that most pre-service social pedagogues relate quality studies with practically oriented training which is integrated into the studies, with clear and interesting teaching, with the acquired relevant knowledge, the psychologically comfortable environment and the study results. Keywords: pre-service social pedagogues, first year students, quality studies, vision of quality studies. [From the publication]