LSU has launched training courses for pre-school and primary school teachers
Lithuanian Sports University (LSU) has started professional development courses for Lithuanian pre-school and primary school teachers. The teachers from Kaunas city and region were the first to join the courses, conducted under an international project, carried out by LSU “Modernisation of Pre-school and Primary Education Content and Teachers' Professional Development through Introduction of Physical Fitness Testing Methodology”. All in all, 1,200 teachers from 60 municipalities will have a chance to improve their competences.
The training started with a project presentation. Manager of an international project Prof. Arūnas Emeljanovas told the teachers about the project, its activities and progress, shared his impressions on the internship in Norway, where LSU representatives went to gain experience.
During the training, LSU teachers will introduce physical fitness testing methodology for pre-school and primary school pupils, taken over from Norwegians. There are not many scientifically based instruments to test pre-school and primary school pupils’ physical fitness in the world. Norwegians, experts in physical fitness testing, developed a set of physical fitness tests for children several years ago. The methodology is very adaptable because the tests do not need a lot of additional hardware and their applications are easily managed. This methodology allows determining not only the individual components of physical fitness, but also the overall complex pupils’ physical fitness. This will enable monitoring the changes in pupils’ physical fitness throughout an academic year. Moreover, teachers and parents will be able to individually assess pupils’ skills.
The representatives of LSU Dr. Rasa Kreivytė, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ilona Tilindienė and Dr. Kristina Zaičenkovienė, who have been on internship in Norway to take over their colleagues’ best practices, will provide training to teachers in different municipalities of Lithuania. The training will allow the development of general and professional pre-school and primary school teachers' competences and provide new knowledge.
An international project “Modernisation of Pre-school and Primary Education Content and Teachers' Professional Development through Introduction of Physical Fitness Testing Methodology” is carried out by Lithuanian Sports University in partnership with the University College of Southeast Norway. The aim of a half-year project is the modernization of pre-school and primary education content and teachers’ professional development through introduction of physical fitness testing methodology in Lithuania. The project is implemented under the LT08 “EEA Scholarship Programme” and is funded by the European Economic Area (EEA) Financial Mechanism. The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania is the programme operator, while a part of the operator functions is carried out by the Central Project Management Agency.
Information provided by project promoters
