Sanita Baranova
@lu.lv
Faculty of Education, Psychology and Art
University of Latvia
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Education
Scopus Publications
Scholar Citations
Scholar h-index
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Daiga Kalniņa, Dita Nīmante, Sanita Baranova, and Alise Oļesika
Emerald Publishing Limited
Baiba Kaļķe, Sanita Baranova, and Līga Āboltiņa
Vilnius University Press
One of the objectives of the European Higher Education Area is to promote the development of competences, with an emphasis on those competences that people need to maintain their current quality of life and high level of employability in the face of a changing society and labor market. This study analyzed the self-assessment of student preschool teachers’ professional competence, using a tool (survey) for assessing teachers’ professional competence. A structure of preschool teachers’ professional competence was analyzed. The results indicate that the developed survey can be used as a tool for the self-assessment of teachers’ professional competence. The most highly evaluated sub-competences were general tasks of ensuring professional activity; implementation of learning process; and improvement of professional competence. The data analysis revealed that the question “Is the work related to the field of study?” with the statements included in the survey sections “Implementation of the learning process” and “Improvement of professional competence” is an important indicator in the self-assessment of professional competence among student preschool teachers for the material situation.
Sanita Baranova, Dita Nīmante, Daiga Kalniņa, and Alise Oļesika
MDPI AG
In Spring 2020, due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, all educational institutions in Latvia, including the University of Latvia (UL), transitioned from face-to-face on-site learning to remote learning. After a short period of face-to-face on-site learning in autumn, UL returned to remote learning in November for the second time. This paper investigates the UL students’ perspectives on remote teaching and learning at the UL during the first and second COVID-19 periods. The research assesses several remote study organization aspects, including the lecturer’s and student’s digital skills, their access to information and support during the study process, planning and implementation of the study process, and students’ acquisition of the content. The study used an original questionnaire designed in the Spring 2020 semester. Seven questions from the first questionnaire were included in another follow-up questionnaire distributed in the Spring 2021 semester. A total of 2248 UL students from the Spring 2020 semester and 742 students from the Spring 2021 semester participated in the study, representing 13 faculties across all study levels. The survey responses were collected via a QuestionPro survey platform and then downloaded into an IBM SPSS 28 file for a reliability check. Next, descriptive statistical analyses were conducted for each reported survey item using Microsoft Excel 2016. The research presented here implies that, in general, students perceive positive improvements in almost all the investigated aspects of the organization of the remote study process when comparing the first and second COVID-19 periods, which could indicate a certain level of resilience in students and university lecturers when subject to COVID circumstances. However, the results reveal that students have, in one year, developed a more realistic approach in assessing their digital skills. The results lead us to believe that remote on-line learning is not just a short-term solution but could become a valuable element for providing qualitative education in the long term. It could indicate that the students and lecturers at university are ready for new and sustainable higher education study organization solutions in the future.
Dita Nīmante, Sanita Baranova, and Ligita Stramkale
Vilnius University Press
This study investigates university administrative staff perception of inclusion in higher education at the university level. The study uses the University of Latvia as a case to answer the following research questions: What constitutes inclusion in university education, how accessibility is provided? What are the support systems provided for diverse students? What support and training are provided to administrative and academic staff to ensure that the educational needs of diverse student bodies are met? The methodology employed is exploratory and descriptive, and uses the interview method and semi-structured questionnaire. The sample is made of seven administrative staff members representing all levels of administration in the University. Findings suggest that administrative staff members perceive inclusion as a new principle for HE, where diversity is perceived in its broader sense. Findings indicate that support is provided to all students, but that the support is not designed specifically for students with diverse needs. Findings suggested that none of the administrative staff or academics had received training on how to address student diversity.