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This article analysed scientific literature and normative documents to design a pedagogical framework for promoting sustainable financial literacy in competence-based vocational secondary education and training within the Interreg Central Baltic project “Sustaina-bility in Finance – SuFi”. An empirical study was conducted in 2020–2021 that involved observing and analysing ideation, elaboration, and piloting processes for an open online module on sustainability issues in vocational business education and training within the SuFi project. The study analysed structured interview responses from nine SuFi project participants; the qualitative data analysis design for the same was based on grounded theory and a constant comparative method. The pedagogical approaches to promoting sustainable financial literacy are described and a systematic, comprehensive, evidence-based proposal is given for promoting sustainable financial literacy in competence-based vocational secondary education and training. The pedagogical framework presented in this article also suggests concrete directions for future pedagogical practice and research., Este artículo analiza la literatura científica y los documentos normativos para diseñar un marco pedagógico para promover la competencia financiera sostenible en la educación y formación profesional secundaria basada en competencias dentro del proyecto Interreg Central Baltic “Sustainability in Finance - SuFi”. En 2020-2021 se realizó un estudio empírico que consistió en observar y analizar los procesos de concepción, elaboración y pilotaje de un módulo abierto online sobre cuestiones de sostenibilidad en la educación y formación profesional empresarial dentro del proyecto SuFi. El estudio analizó las respuestas a las entrevistas estructuradas de nueve participantes en el proyecto SuFi; el diseño de análisis de datos cualitativos se basó en la teoría fundada y en el método de comparación constante. Se describen los enfoques pedagógicos para promover la competencia financiera sostenible y se presenta una propuesta sistemática, exhaustiva y basada en evidencias para promover la competencia financiera sostenible en la educación y formación profesional secundaria basada en competencias. El marco pedagógico presentado en este artículo también sugiere direcciones concretas para la práctica pedagógica y la investigación.

The necessity and unavoidability of moral education in school is well established, but there is still a lack of theoretical knowledge base (know-what) regarding what works effectively in character education. This paper addresses the conceptualization of a 3-year effectiveness research of the online curriculum for virtue education from grades 1 to 9. The goal of the research is to create new theoretical knowledge about what means effective moral education and about what makes an online curriculum for virtue education effective in Latvian context. The effectiveness research uses the randomised controlled trial approach and adopts an experimental trial design, using pre-, intermediate- and post-test with experiment and control groups clustered at the class level in three strata: grades 2-4, grades 5-7, and grades 7-9. The intervention will consist of the implementation of the full virtue education curriculum in the respective grades. A multicomponent questionnaire for pupils and focus-group discussion with teachers are used for data collection. The curriculum is highly coherent with global, national and sector priorities and has a strong potential for enhancing the quality of education and contributing to societal well-being in Latvia.

The article discusses the possibilities, problems and prospects of using distance learning in the process of training primary and secondary school teachers. The presented results are based on a survey of students and undergraduates of one of the largest pedagogical universities in Russia. The identified problems that was based on data processing, are presented in an ordered form. The authors suggest possible solutions to problems based on many years of experience in using distance learning technologies in training of future teachers.

The article discusses the possibilities, problems and prospects of using distance learning in the process of training primary and secondary school teachers. The presented results are based on a survey of students and undergraduates of one of the largest pedagogical universities in Russia. The identified problems that was based on data processing, are presented in an ordered form. The authors suggest possible solutions to problems based on many years of experience in using distance learning technologies in training of future teachers.

There is a need of innovative teacher training programmes for character education. This paper addresses three research questions: What are the challenges that a teacher training programme for character education should address? What are the learning outcomes that the programme should achieve? How should the programme be structured for supporting the achievement of those learning outcomes? Two regional authorities, three schools, three universities and a centre of teacher training from Latvia, Estonia and Spain created a strategic partnership for answering these research questions, using design-based implementation research. The results include six domains of learning outcomes and a programme structure adaptable to different educational context.

Leadership of vocational education institutions’ leaders is one of the leading resources in order to provide access, quality, competitiveness and sustainability of vocational education. The goal of the research is to analyse leadership of vocational education institutions’ leaders on the basis of the Charismatic, Emotional, Anticipatory, Professional, Participatory, Cultural, Formative and Administrative Dimensions (Gento & González, 2012) identified due to the analysis of scientific literature and normative documents in the context of the vocational education reform. The outcomes of the quantitative research testify that students assess the vocational education institution leaders’ leadership more critically than staff, but from the respondents’ point of view the leadership characterizing criteria such as professionality, emotionality and charisma are assessed the highest in general.

The paper highlights the key findings from a comparative study conducted in 2011- 2012 using the project “Qualified to Teach” − QF2TEACH first wave questionnaire (www.qf2teach.eu). The questionnaire was structured in nine domains: personal qualities; interpersonal behaviour and communication with learners; cooperation with the external environment; planning and management; access and progression of learners; subject-related, specialist domain; monitoring and assessment of learning processes; didacticalmethodological domain; personal development and reflection. In present paper the main results of transnational survey in Latvia and Lithuania are analysed in order to evaluate the importance of certain personal qualities of learning facilitators in adult and continuing education from current and future perspectives as well as to identify the main future-required personal qualities. The study results indicated that open mindedness, optimism, emotional stability, sincerity, pro-activity, flexibility, sociability, tolerance, and morality (ethics) have been named both by the Latvian and Lithuanian adult educators as the main future-required personal qualities of the learning facilitators in adult and continuing education.

The paper aims at presenting the findings of the research on core competences of adult educators conducted in Latvia during the study "Identification and analysis of new challenges and solutions that have influence on engagement and reintegration of adults (18- 24 years) in lifelong learning" funded by ESF project "Support to research in educational field" (sub-activity 1.2.2.3.2.), No 011/0011/1DP/1.2.2.3.2/11/IPIA/VIAA/001. The adult educators and adult learners from the field of second chance education (evening shift schools) were involved in an online survey (2011-2012) using the research tool developed in the project “Qualified to Teach” − QF2TEACH. The main research results are analysed in order to identify the core competences of educators as adult learning facilitators and to compare the adult learners and their educators’ opinion concerning these competences within the domains: interpersonal behaviour and communication with learners, access and progression of learners, monitoring and assessment of learning processes.

This paper presents the main findings of the second stage of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Lifelong Learning study (2011-2014) on identification of good practices that facilitate adult learning (aged 18-24) engagement in second chance education in evening (shift) schools. It analyses students’ perceptions of plurilingual learning processes and the impact of people’s plurilingualism on their learning. The methodology of early school leavers’ learning in working life research was used applying combined phenomenological semi-structured and narrative interviews. 116 people (72 early school leavers and 44 second chance education teachers) representing all geographical regions of Latvia were addressed. The study identifies the differences between learning of bilingual and plurilingual people in formal and informal learning environments and describes the impact of plurilingualism on the learning quality.

The purpose of the paper is to clarify the role of education in promoting social innovation processes in the society based on the main findings of the theoretical study conducted from October 2014 to January 2015 within the project “Involvement of the Society in Social Innovation for Providing Sustainable Development of Latvia” supported by the National Research Program 5.2. EKOSOC-LV. The paper provides the analysis of causal interaction between social innovation and education, as well as two conceptual models which disclose the relationship between social innovation and education and the triple role of education in promoting social innovation; both are elaborated by the authors.