Socialiniai pedagogai, teikdami socialinę-pedagoginę pagalbą mokiniams bei organizuodami socialinį ugdymą mokyklose, geriausių rezultatų pasiekia veikdami kartu su komanda, kurią sudaro reikiamos srities specialistai, turintys tinkamų bendravimo ir bendradarbiavimo gebėjimų ir galintys lanksčiai reaguoti į kintančius mokinių poreikius bei konkrečią situaciją. Tokios komandos kūrimo iniciatoriaus vaidmuo paprastai mokyklose tenka socialiniam pedagogui. Straipsnyje siekiama atskleisti socialinių pedagogų nuostatas į komandinę veiklą mokykloje. Straipsnį sudaro įvadas ir skyrius, kuriame aprašomos tyrimo priemonės, imtis ir duomenų analizės metodai, pristatomi atlikto tyrimo rezultatai, pateikiama diskusija ir įžvalgos tolesniems tyrimams. Atlikto tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė, kad mokyklų bendruomenės yra pasiruošusios komandiniam darbui: diskutuojama ir kalbama apie problemas, mokyklos darbuotojai yra pasirengę padėti ir padeda savo kolegoms, o mokyklų vadovai palaiko komandinę veiklą mokyklose, skatina darbuotojų kūrybiškumą ir suteikia laisvės veikti.

The article analyses functions and competences of a social educator as vocational adviser, as well as theoretical assumptions of them. The competences of a ocational adviser in Lithuania are defined in the Vocational Information Standard (2007), which stipulates functions, capacities and operational spheres of a vocational adviser. So far the functions and competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser have not been investigated by the Lithuanian scientists. The article provides a detailed review of the concept of competence and presents the experience of the EU Member States in training vocational guidance specialists. Referring to the analysis of regulatory enactments and scientific literature, general, cognitive and functional competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser are specified. The group of general competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser includes: social competence of a social educator as a vocational adviser; learning competence, competence of effective activity, communication competence, information management competence, project management competence, change management competence, and competence of research activity. Within the context under analysis, functional competences include: vocational information; vocational counselling; upgrading career design skills; co-operation; co-ordination of activity; investigation and needs assessment; vocational information, counselling and planning of activity for the development of career planning capacities; assessment of personal activity; efficiency of support; and competences related to education of family and community. Cognitive competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser include: the knowledge of the vocational guidance content; principles tor provision of support, organisation and evaluation of activities.

The article analyses functions and competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser, as well as theoretical assumptions of them. The competences of a vocational adviser in Lithuania are defined in the Vocational Information Standard (2007), which stipulates functions, capacities and operational spheres of a vocational adviser. So far the functions and competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser have not been investigated by the Lithuanian scientists. The article provides a detailed review of the concept of competence and presents the experience of the EU Member States in training vocational guidance specialists. Referring to the analysis of regulatory enactments and scientific literature, general, cognitive and functional competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser are specified. The group of general competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser includes: social competence of a social educator as a vocational adviser; learning competence, competence of effective activity, communication competence, information management competence, project management competence, change management competence, and competence of research activity. Within the context under analysis, functional competences include: vocational information; vocational counselling; upgrading career design skills; co-operation; co-ordination of activity; investigation and needs assessment; vocational information, counselling and planning of activity for the development of career planning capacities; assessment of personal activity; efficiency of support; and competences related to education of family and community. Cognitive competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser include: the knowledge of the vocational guidance content; principles for provision of support, organisation and evaluation of activities. The article presents a theoretical model of competences of a social educator as a vocational adviser.

This article analyses vocational schools students' attitude towards social educator's activities. It also presents students' opinion regarding accessibility of a social educator, his/her work efficiency and necessity in vocational school. An attempt is made to identify whom learners first address facing problems and how teachers, group mentors and social educators help them to solve problems. It is analysed if students know that there is a social educator in their school, what are his/her functions and if students are helped when they need assistance. The article also examines the reasons that motivate students to approach a social educator.

The Paper, while analysing scientific sources, relevant documentation and results of the quantitative research, considers work opportunities of social educators within the vocational information system. It also investigates the concept of vocational information as the initial step of vocational guidance, reviews functional responsibilities of a social educator as a vocational information counsellor and realisation of these functions in education institutions. The Paper also contains the analysis of questionnaire filled in by 8–12 grade pupils of comprehensive schools, their parents, class tutors and heads of schools. It revealed that the role of social educators in rendering vocational information services to pupils of comprehensive schools was insufficient and, consequently identified the necessity to include the development of vocational information competences into the curricula of study programmes of social educators.

The Paper, while analysing scientific sources, relevant documentation and results of the quantitative research, considers work opportunities of social educators within the vocational information system. It also investigates the concept of vocational information as the initial step of vocational guidance, reviews functional responsibilities of a social educator as a vocational information counsellor and realisation of these functions in education institutions. The Paper also contains the analysis of questionnaire filled in by 8–12 grade pupils of comprehensive schools, their parents, class tutors and heads of schools. It revealed that the role of social educators in rendering vocational information services to pupils of comprehensive schools was insufficient and, consequently identified the necessity to include the development of vocational information competences into the curricula of study programmes of social educators.

This article examines the reality of protecting social educators’ rights and the feasibility of performing their duties as they occur in practice. The authors introduce the importance of the topic, review the scientific literature of social teach-ing and discuss topics such as managerial performance, image making, and other comparative aspects. The main focus of the authors is to analyze the results of empirical research regarding the feasibility of the rights and obligations of social work educators in the field. Applying the method of written survey, the sample of the research consists of representa-tives from a variety of Lithuanian cities and districts around the country. These social educator consultants not only represent their cities and districts but are also best aware of the situation because they have both local and national con-cerns in view. The study revealed that despite the establishment of educational institutions for social educators over a decade ago, social educators still continue to deal with the same difficulties as it relates to their duties and rights. For example, relatively few social educators have the opportunity to develop professionally, many of them lack professional communication with other specialists in the school community, and many school principals lack education and compe-tences to evaluate fairly and objectively competencies of a social educator, and , therefore, insufficiently support the pro-fession. The survey also showed that most of the social educators are dissatisfied with their working and material condi-tions, society’s attitude and insufficient attention of parents to representatives of this youngest profession in Lithuania. The article presents a detailed analysis of responses to open questions collected from consultants of social educators, which highlights the relevant problems related to improvement of the indicated problems.

Social Educator as an independent Profession approved by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. Essence acquisition of Social Education Qualifications of Social Work BA degrees and Educational specialisation. The qualifications are implemented in the sphere of Social Education as definite competencies. The Social Educator is a specialist able to work in the sphere of socialisation, early prevention, social rehabilitation as well as in groups of social interactions.

The paper presents results of the research of social educator’s use of information and communication technology (ICT) tools. Based on the expert study and social educators survey this article reveals assumptions of accessibility, importance and usage of ICT tools in social educator’s educational environment. The questionnaire was prepared according the scientific literature study and qualitative expert research: it was selected eight ICT tools and twenty ICT tools identified features were investigated at the research. The survey sample – 292 social educators working in schools of general education in Lithuania. The social educators evaluated the accessibility, importance and use of ICT tools, how can it be used for social educator’s educational work functions. The data analysis of the survey reveals the educational environment enriching the social educators with ICT tools accessibility, importance and usage assumptions. On the basis of the research findings may be helpful to the authorities responsible for social educator educational environment modernization and qualification development.

The article presents the results of expert evaluation of the social educators ICT-riched educational environment and ICT tools, the opportunities of ICT for social educator functions and effective socio-educational activities to be performed are revealed. The study distinguished the most important social educator‘s socio-educational components: e. diary, e. portfolio, interactive board, social networking, school web site, e-mail surveys, virtual training (learning) environment, educational computer games. Analyzing ICT, enriching selection or the educational environment of the social educator the the ICT tools essential criteriahighlights: accessibility – the opportunity to use, the importance – forsocial educator functions to be performed, application – the use in socioeducative activities. The creation of ICT-riched educational environment of social educators’ is an integral part of the school’s modernization and part of the use of ICT, therefore ICT development ant implementation of innovative ICT should create favorable conditions in order to use these technologies in specific social educators’ activities.