| Abstract [eng] |
The education system is faced with constantly changing requirements, leadership challenges and the problem of a shortage of educational leaders, therefore, the assessment of the competencies of heads of educational institutions is becoming an important area of educational policy and management. Modern educational management requires not only administrative skills, but also leadership, strategic thinking, communication, emotional intelligence and the ability to manage changes. For this reason, it is relevant to assess to what extent the competency assessment system for candidates for heads of educational institutions applied in Lithuania meets the needs of modern educational management. Although the competency assessment system for heads of educational institutions has been centrally applied in Lithuania since 2011, scientific research analyzing the practical operation of this system, evaluation experience and improvement opportunities is still lacking. The study aims to reveal not only the formal regulation of the system, but also its practical applicability and the experience of informants. In order to reveal the possibilities of improving the competence assessment system for candidates for heads of educational institutions in Lithuania from a scientific perspective, the problem of this final project is formulated as a question - how can the current competence assessment system for candidates for heads of educational institutions applied in Lithuania be more effectively adapted to modern educational management? The object of the final project is the competence assessment system for candidates for heads of educational institutions in Lithuania. The aim of the project is to identify the possibilities of improving the existing competence assessment system for candidates for heads of educational institutions in Lithuania. The following tasks have been set for the implementation of the project: 1) to substantiate the theoretical aspects of the competence assessment system for candidates for heads of educational institutions; 2) to reveal the regulation of the competence assessment system in Lithuania and examples of good practice; 3) to investigate the experience of applying the competence assessment system for heads of educational institutions in Lithuanian educational institutions. The project applied a method of stratification. The theoretical part used an analysis of scientific literature, document analysis and analysis of good practice. The empirical part conducted a qualitative study using the semi-structured interview method. The study involved 10 informants – heads of educational institutions and candidates for the position of head of education. The data were analyzed using the quality content analysis method. The main results of the project revealed that the competence assessment system is evaluated ambiguously by the informants. Although it is recognized that the assessment competencies essentially correspond to the areas of activity of the head of an educational institution, the assessment process itself is often perceived as formal, insufficiently individualized and limitedly reflecting the real competences and practical activities of the head. The study revealed the problems of the clarity of assessment criteria, the quality of feedback, the practicality of recommendations and the influence of the human factor on the objectivity of assessment. The informants also emphasized the overly theoretical nature of the assessment, the limited analysis of practical situations and the need for mentoring. The results of the study may be useful for the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania, the National Education Agency, municipalities and educational institutions in improving the systems for training, selection and competence assessment of heads of educational institutions. The project consists of an introduction, three main chapters, conclusions, recommendations, lists of literature and information sources and appendices. The first chapter analyzes the theoretical aspects of competency assessment, the second chapter analyzes the regulation of the competency assessment system in Lithuania and examples of good practice, and the third chapter analyzes the empirical research and analysis of its results. |
