The concept of the need for teachers' educational competences in the strategic documents of Lithuanian higher education

Abstract

Abstract: The article analyses the educational competences of Lithuanian higher education teachers and possibilities for their improvement reviewing strategic documents. The following research methods were employed: analysis of regulatory documents on education and analysis of the strategic documents on higher education (universities and colleges). The article aims to analyse the educational competences of Lithuanian higher education teachers and possibilities for their improvement reviewing strategic documents. The analysis of documents outlining the education in Europe highlighted higher education teachers’ activities under the prevailing paradigm of life-long learning, which concentrates on continuous development of educational competences. Seeking to find solutions to research questions, it was revealed that the educational documents of the Republic of Lithuania emphasise only school teacher’s acquisition of educational competences and its improvement. The conducted research revealed that in the analysed strategic documents of higher education institutions insufficient attention is allocated to continuous development of educational competences. Therefore, the need for theoretical and empiric substantiation of educational competences of teachers is necessitated creating the descriptor of teacher’s educational competences, which would contribute to devising of efficient strategies for higher education and would enable higher education teachers to pursue excellence in the study process.