Fast evolving political, social, economic and organisational changes, development of information technologies and globalisation raise new challenges to a contemporary individual. Rapidly increasing flow of information requires development of new skills such as abilities to select necessary knowledge, to systemize and analyse it as well as to disseminate information. Life-long learning is becoming a key paradigm in shifting education. Further progress and quality of education is directly determined by educators’ preparedness to work under new conditions. Learning is becoming a key factor to individual’s successful career, to survival of an organisation and national well-being. Therefore, an educator has to constantly learn and develop professionally to be able to reflect dynamics of change in needs of school learners, organisations and society development. The competence of continuous self-development is one of the most essential conditions while adapting to a constantly shifting world. It also determines teachers’ professional development and high quality educational activity. The goal of the research: to compare attitudes of different participants in educational practice (that of teachers, authorities of schools, school learners and students) towards teachers’ continuous development competence. The object of the research: life-long learning competence of teachers. The research methods: 1) analysis of scientific literature, 2) questionnaire survey, 3) research in individual’s experience, 4) statistical analysis of research data. The research included 535 teachers of general education, 52 heads of schools, 1114 school learners (11th and 12th formers) and 306 students (future teachers). The respondents were surveyed in 37 Lithuanian schools of general education and Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences. In the first stage of analysis, the respondents expressed their opinion about pedagogical competences of teachers. The pedagogical competences with the most favourable evaluation were analysed in the second stage of the research. It should be noted that the competence of teacher continuous development was emphasised as one of the most important expressions by almost all the respondents, i.e. each group of respondents (teachers, heads of schools, school learners, students) referred to it as to one of the strongest competences. The third stage included respondents’ attitude to competences relevant to continuous learning, such as abilities to orient in current changing situation in education, to be open to innovations and experience, to stimulate openness of others as well as their ability to learn lifelong, to help others to learn, to strengthen own needs for continuous learning as well as those of others and to constantly improve own pedagogical competence. The analysis of research results revealed that: • All the participants in education (teachers, heads of education institutions, school learners and students) point to the competence of teacher continuous development as to one of the highest expressions. • Teacher’s abilities to be open to new ideas, to learn life-long and to help others to learn were given the highest priority by the respondents. • Competence of continuous development ensures quality of teacher activity and has effect not only on learners’ achievements but also on changes in the society. Therefore, a teacher in a constantly changing world has to be continuously involved in learning and professional development. • A paradigm of continuous development, which underlines striving for personal, professional and public life-long development, is emphasised. In the context of constant changes learning should be seen as a permanent process.

Meilės Lukšienės darbuose nemažai dėmesio skiriama mokytojo asmenybei. Mokslininkės pedagoginės idėjos, aptariant mokytojo asmenybės svarbą, analizuojamos švietimo sistemos kaitos kontekste. Meilės Lukšienės atskleistų idėjų šiuolaikiškumas ir aktualumas yra šio amžiaus švietimo strategijos pagrindas.