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We investigated the extent to which different aspects of home literacy environment (HLE) relate to literacy skills among Grade 2 students in Lithuania. The participants were Lithuanian second-graders (n = 522; 48% girls; Mage = 8.29 years, SD = .32) and their parents (88.3% mothers). Children were tested in their language and literacy skills; whereas parents completed questionnaires concerning HLE. We ran three hierarchical regression models to predict children’s sentence reading fluency, spelling to dictation, and reading comprehension. Control variables (parental education, child gender, vocabulary and word reading fluency) were entered at the first step; the four variables of HLE (teaching of literacy, reading to a child, access to literacy resources, child’s own independent reading) were entered at the second step. The results showed that HLE variables added a significant amount of explained variance to the regression models (5.4% for sentence reading fluency, 4.8% for spelling, and 4.9% for reading comprehension). Overall, the results suggest that in order to promote children’s literacy skills in Grade 2 most effectively, parents should provide access to literacy resources and create opportunities for children’s independent reading. When considering all HLE factors together in one analysis, children’s actual independent reading of the reading materials emerged as an important factor in their success in reading and spelling.

This study investigated differences in teachers’ and parents’ perceptions about homework and their correlations with children’s achievement in Grade 4 – the end grade for primary school in Lithuania. Data were collected at the end of Grade 4 (February–March 2024). Teachers (n = 39) answered online questionnaires on homework frequency and expected homework time; parents (n = 525) completed paper questionnaires about homework frequency, time, and help. Children (n = 576) completed tests measuring literacy and math skills, and school administrations provided children’s Grade 4 grades and results from national standardized testing. Most parents and teachers reported that homework was assigned daily. Teachers reported that children should spend around one hour daily on homework; parents reported children spending on average one hour and ten minutes daily on homework and a great variation in the amount of weekly homework help children received. Compared to teachers, parents reported more frequent homework and more homework time. Only parental reports of time spent and help received for homework significantly correlated to children’s academic performance measures, albeit negatively. Overall, parents and teachers perceived homework time differently. Additionally, the less well Grade 4 students did academically, the more time they spent on homework, and the more help they required from family.

This cross-sectional study investigated correlations between six types of work motivation (intrinsic motivation; integrated, identified, introjected, and external regulation; and amotivation), teaching quality, and well-being among primary school teachers. Forty Grade 3 teachers in Lithuania answered a questionnaire about their work motivation (six types), teaching quality (frequency of instruction and degree of affection), and well-being (self-efficacy and exhaustion). Concerning teaching quality, the results showed that both autonomous motivation (intrinsic motivation and integrated and identified regulation) and controlled motivation (introjected and external regulation) positively correlated with teachers’ frequency of literacy and math instruction, whereas only autonomous motivation positively correlated with teachers’ affection when interacting with their class. Regarding well-being, autonomous motivation positively correlated with self-efficacy, whereas amotivation positively correlated with exhaustion.

To better understand the motivational mechanisms underlying students’ academic success, this study examined the mediating role of emotions in the relationship between academic motivation and mathematics achievement, while controlling for prior achievement. Academic motivation was conceptualized within Expectancy–Value Theory and operationalized through motivational beliefs in mathematics, including expectancies for success, three value dimensions (interest, utility, and attainment value), and four cost dimensions (effort, opportunity, emotional, and ego cost). As value reflects positively and cost reflects negatively valenced appraisals of learning situations, we focused on the mediating role of positive and negative classroom-related emotions. The study used data from the longitudinal research project “Towards Effective Learning: Analysis of the Psychological Mechanisms of Obstacles to Learning Mathematics”. The sample comprised 1,430 ninth-grade students (Mage = 15.26) from across Lithuania, who completed questionnaires assessing motivational beliefs and classroom-related emotions, while mathematics achievement was obtained from school records. SEM-based mediation analysis revealed that positive emotions consistently served as mediators in the relationships between value and cost dimensions and mathematics achievement, whereas negative emotions played a more limited mediating role, as mediation through negative emotions was observed only for utility value and ego cost. Notably, ego cost exhibited a pattern distinctive from other costs: a higher ego cost was associated with stronger positive emotions, which in turn predicted higher mathematics achievement, while also being associated with stronger negative emotions, which predicted lower achievement. These findings highlight the importance of considering emotions as mediators in the relationships between motivational beliefs and achievement within the Expectancy–Value framework.

This study involved a comparison of the prevalence of two work-related stressors (job-related issues and information and communications technology [ICT] use) and three situational stress factors (COVID-19, geopolitical concerns, and economic conditions) among 40 Grade 2 teachers in Lithuania. Also investigated were associations between the stress factors, the frequency of classroom activities (literacy and mathematics), and teacher interaction styles (affection, behavioral, and psychological control). A total of 40 Grade 2 teachers answered online questionnaires in April–May 2022, a period defined by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the recent (2–3 months prior) start of the Russo–Ukrainian war. The results showed that, of the five stress factors examined, the highest levels of stress expressed by teachers were related to the geopolitical situation, which scored significantly higher than work-related stress factors (job-related issues and ICT use). The results also indicated that all stress factors except geopolitical situation were associated with behavioral and psychological control, suggesting that teachers who report higher levels of stress apply more controlling interaction styles when teaching their second graders. Moreover, the findings revealed that the frequency of classroom activities and the positive dimension of the interaction style of teaching (i.e., affection) were not related to any of the stress factors.

The Circumplex perspective on (de)motivating teaching styles based on Self-determination theory is presented in this paper. Based on the findings of the research project “Towards the effective teaching: the evaluation of (de)motivating teaching strategies and their effects on students’ using Circumplex model” (funded by the Research Council of Lithuania under the National Research Programme Welfare Society, Grant No. S-GEV-21-2) recommendations on how to nourish students’ motivational resources and well-being are provided for professionals working in education.

To help teachers understand their role in students’ motivation and well-being, the researchers within SDT (Aelterman et al., 2019) have recently proposed a Circumplex model – the integrative and fine-grained approach to analyze the variety and interactions of (de)motivating teaching styles. The purpose of the current study is to adapt the student version of the Situations in School Questionnaire based on the Circumplex model for Lithuanian educational context. 715 seventh- and eighth-grade students (50.9% girls, Mage=13.42 years) from ten Lithuanian schools participated in the study. The SISQ was used to measure (de)motivating teaching styles, also behavioral and cognitive engagement in learning as well as well-being (positive and negative emotions, satisfaction with math classes) were assessed as indicators of students’ functioning.  Multidimensional scaling, confirmatory factor analysis, and correlational analysis showed the match of the SISQ structure to the Circumplex model. (De)motivating teaching can be best graphically represented by a two-dimensional configuration that differed in terms of need support and directiveness. Correlations between eight subareas and indicators of students’ functioning followed a systematic sinusoid pattern, suggesting a gradual effect of teaching on students’ outcomes. With the adaptation being successful, student version of the SISQ can be used in Lithuanian educational context. 

Technological changes are making the Internet more accessible and interactive. The opportunities offered by the Internet, Internet use (time, frequency, accessibility, social networks, activities, etc.), and threats are changing as well. Cyberbullying is identified as one of the main threats on the Internet that has the most serious consequences. Research has found that cyberbullying is the most frustrating Internet threat for children (Haddon & Livingstone, 2012). Considering that children do not live without the Internet, and that the opportunities and threats of the Internet change all the time, the impact on emotional and behavioural problems of children has not been fully explored. This study is part of the Lithuanian Science Council funded project “Children’s and adolescents’ Internet use in Lithuania: possibilities and risks tendencies in EU context” (No. S-MIP-17-1/LSS-250000-1087). It aims to compare emotional and behavioural problems of children who have been victims of different forms of bullying and/or bullied themselves. During the data collection in 2018, 1012 children aged 9 to 17 years were interviewed; 161 (15.9%) children reported being bullied over the last year (61.5% of them in cyber space), and 65 (6.4%) children bullied others over the last year (52.3% of them in cyber space). The results show that cyberbullying is more often related to traditional and other forms of bullying than it takes place separately. However, there is an overlap in bullying environments: children who have experienced traditional bullying, bully others in a traditional way; and children who have experienced cyberbullying, bully others in the cyber space. The results confirm that the experience of bullying is related to poor psychological functioning, but the most emotional and behavioural problems are experienced by those kids who participated in or experienced traditional bullying. According to the results of this study, the harm caused by a traditional bullying is greater than cyberbullying.

This paper presents the concept of risks and opportunities of children’s and adolescents’ Internet use. The research is a part of the project “Children’s and adolescents’ Internet use in Lithuania: possibilities and risks tendencies in EU context”, which was funded by a grant (No. S-MIP-17-1/LSS-250000-1087) from the Research Council of Lithuania. The main results are presented in comparison with Lithuanian and European studies. Conclusions and recommendations on how to ensure safe children’s Internet use on their own and to avoid potential risks, as well as how to open up the opportunities offered by the Internet are provided.

It has been suggested that the quality of pre-primary education influences children's learning abilities in a variety of ways. Teachers’ behaviors are among the major factors relating to the quality of the classrooms, and one aspect of them – teachers’ self-efficacy – has been put forward to predict successful development of childrens’ learning and abilities to learn. Given this, it is surprising that relatively few studies have taken pre-primary techers' self-efficasy into account, and no research on the topic has been conducted in Lithuania. Futhermore, a few studies have analyzed how teachers' self-efficacy relates to childrens' learning abilities, such as, tasks persistence and self-regulation. Consequently, the present study analyzed relations between teachers' self-efficacy, childrens' task persistence and self-regulation. This study is based on the theory of teachers’ self-efficacy by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy (2001). The aim of the current study is to determine whether the self-efficacy of Lithuanian pre-primary teachers' is related to the learning outcomes, in particular, childrens' tasks persistence and ability to regulate their behavior. Childrens' tasks persistence was measured using the Behavioral strategy rating scale (teachers' form) (Aunola et al., 2000; Zhang et al., 2011); the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task (McCellandet al., 2007; Ponitz et al., 2008; Ponitz at al., 2009) was used to measure  childrens' self-regulation. Participants were 18 pre-primary education teachers from six Lithuanian schools and their 229 pre-primary class students (116 [50.7%] girls and 113 [49.3%] boys). Teachers answered questionnaires concerning their self-efficacy towards the whole class and towards each child’s task persistence; school psychologists tested each child on their self-regulation. The statistical analyses of this study comprised of correlation analyses and hierarchical regression analyses. The results supported our expectations about the positive significant relations between teachers' self-efficacy, childrens' tasks persistence and self-regulation. That is, the greater teachers' self-efficacy was, better childrens' tasks persistence and self-regulation were. The results stayed significant even after controlling for, child gender, parental education, and teachers’ experience. MoreoverIn particular, gilrs and children of higher educated parents were more likely to have better task persistence and self-regulation. Moreover, surprisingly, it was found that teachers' work experience predicted childrens' self-regulation. Taken together, the results have  verified that techers' self-efficacy plays a meaningful role in promoting childrens’ tasks persistence and self-regulation in Lithuanian preschool. Thus,  from the practical point of view, in order to facilitate children’s learning in preschool and primary school, one should also pay attention to the ways of strengthening teachers’ self-efficacy.