8. Vilnius Pedagogical University (VPU)
Vilnius Pedagogical University is the largest higher education establishment training teachers for Lithuanian schools. University teaching staff consists of 600 university teachers. The number of students is 12 500. The university aims to carry out scientific research, future teacher training, improving school teachers' qualifications and organizing their re-qualification. The Faculty of Natural Sciences is the biggest in the university and in the whole country, training future teachers of chemistry, biology, natural studies, geography, and technological education. Execution of the programmes is facilitated by close cooperation between the Faculty of Natural Sciences, the Faculty of Physics and Technologies, the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology, and other faculties. Cooperation is promoted in natural science education programmes, and scientific research. Natural science education problems are analyzed by students developing BA and MA theses, and by those taking up doctorate studies. Students' natural science sophistication is fostered through their participation in experimental work, scientific conferences, and contests. Students are also trained for non-formal education. University teachers cooperate in the preparation of new teaching methodologies and modules. In 2007-2008 Vilnius Pedagogical University teachers created nine new modules as the result of European Structural Fund Project "Development of University Teachers' Pedagogical Competence" (funding 250 000 €). Integration of consumer culture education into biology, chemistry, geography, and technological education lessons was the final aim of the 2007- 2008 project of the Faculty of Natural Sciences which was also funded by the EU (funding 350 000 €). New teaching aids for secondary schools were created as the result of the project. University teachers are active participants of international lifelong learning programmes, i.e. Leonardo da Vinci, Comenius, Grundtvig, Erasmus, etc. Our teachers issue new natural science and integrated science textbooks for university studies, as well as to basic and secondary schools. Vilnius Pedagogical University has a base secondary school where educational research is carried out, university teachers deliver lectures and university students and young teachers have their teaching practice. Task allocation Tasks attributed to VPU comprise the development of training packages for ITE based on the use of integrated science to overcome primary/secondary transition problems in science. Staff members who will be undertaking the work: Dalius Dapkus, Dr., will be the institutional leader in the project. He is the vice-dean for studies, having 10 years' experience in teaching biological disciplines. Manefa Miskiniene, Prof.Habil.Dr., vice-dean for science and international relationships. He is a specialist in the interdisciplinary integration of science subjects. Palmira Peciuliauskiene, Prof, Dr., specialist of didactics of physics. She works on social-cultural integration in the contents of school tasks in physics, and is the author of textbooks of physics for secondary school. Almeda Kuriene, Dr., teacher of didactics of chemistry. She studies training methods for students who will teach chemistry at school. Nijole Cibulskaite, Dr., specialist in didactics of mathematics, and the author of textbooks of mathematics for secondary school. Kestutis Grinkevicius, M.Sc., lecturer of didactics of biology. His Ph.D. thesis was on the integration of science subjects and methods of teaching, and he is the author of integrated science textbooks for basic school.
Indicative Allocation of Person-Months: VPU name role PM (total 12) Dalius Dapkus VPU leader, chapter in del. 6.15 4 Manefa Miskiniene Supervision, dissemination 2 Palmira Peciuliauskiene Production of 5.5, dissemination 1.5 Almeda Kuriene Production of 5.5, dissemination 1.5 Nijole Cibulskaite Production of 5.5, dissemination 1.5 Kestutis Grinkevicius Production of 5.5, dissemination 1.5