2025 annual report

Mission, aims and objectives

Our mission – to initiate and implement strategic educational development projects and programs that contribute to the improvement of quality in education, by continuously monitoring, researching, and analysing the overall situation in education, taking into account the needs and opportunities of Lithuanian educational institutions and adult learners.

Aims:

To foster educators’ desire and ability to continuously improve their professional activities and actively participate in Lithuanian educational change.
Contribute to the implementation of the provisions of the Lifelong Learning Memorandum by working with various adult groups.
Contribute to the implementation of sustainable development goals by providing consulting and expert assistance to partner countries, educating and informing the public about development and sustainable development processes.

Objectives:

To initiate and implement innovative educational projects.
To provide professional development for teachers and other adult groups.
To consult teachers, schools, municipalities, state, non-governmental, and business organizations on educational issues in Lithuania and other countries.
To provide expert services by conducting research, preparing strategic educational documents and models, and participating in expert groups.
To disseminate best practices by participating in and organizing national and international conferences, seminars, discussions, study visits, and by preparing and publishing methodological teaching materials.

IMPLEMENTED ACTIVITIES

PROJECTS

COMPASS – In support of students‘ competence assessment

No. 2023-1-LT01-KA220-SCH-000156521

Dutarion: 4 September 2023 m.–3 November 2025

Co-funder: EU Erasmus+ program

Coordinator: Modern Didactics Centre (LT)

Partners: Centre for School Improvement (LT), The Romanian Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking Association (RO), INNOLINE Oy (FI)

The project aims to support teachers, school leaders and other pedagogical staff in development and assessment of students’ competences, for the progress and success of all and each single student, and promote an inclusive approach to education. This is to be achieved by developing and testing a universal competency assessment model at classroom/subject and all school levels.

In January–March 2025, the international training that began on September 5–7, 2024, in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) was successfully completed. During this training, experienced educators from Lithuania, Finland, and Romania, who became COMPASS mentors, learned by sharing their own experiences and those of their school teams gained while piloting the COMPASS model for general competence development and assessment.
In January–June 2025, the piloting of the COMPASS model for general competence development and assessment in general education schools, which had started in October 2024, was completed. Its results were summarized in national collections consisting of examples of general competence development and piloting: 30 Lithuanian examples (in Lithuanian); 20 Romanian examples (in Romanian); and 10 Finnish examples (in Finnish).
In September–November 2025, during national conferences, project experts, COMPASS mentors, and teachers involved in the piloting shared the challenges faced, experiences gained, and project results with teachers and school communities in their respective countries.
In October 2025, during an international conference, project experts, COMPASS mentors, and teachers involved in the piloting shared the project’s experiences and results with educators, school heads, and education policymakers from various countries.
In 2025, the remaining intellectual outputs of the project were developed. Overall, during the project, the following resources were developed in English and translated into the project partners’ languages (Lithuanian, Romanian, and Finnish):

Compendium of scientific literature on competence development and assessment
Brief review of competence development and assessment policies and practices in general education. Cases of Finland, Lithuania and Romania
Model and Guidelines for the development and assessment of generic competences
Set of best practices using the COMPASS Model of competence development and assessment
National collections using the COMPASS Model of competence development and assessment: Lithuania, Romania, Finland
Recommendations on generic competences development and assessment

MIND – Critical theory in adult education practice: Empowerment for critical actions

No. 2023-1-LT01-KA220-ADU-000153426

Duration: 31 December 2023–30 December 2025

Co-funder: EU Erasmus+ program

Coordinator: Lithuanian Association of Adult Education (LT)

Partners: Modern Didactics Centre (LT), Education Development Center (LV), Latvian Adult Education Association (LV), Adult Education Institute DANTE (HR), Public Open School LIBAR (HR), Bucharest University of Economics Studies (RO), Association EGOMUNDI (RO)

The project aims to fill in the gap and to foster critical thinking approach in non-formal adult education by strengthening professional capacities of adult educators and empowering diverse groups of learners to apply and cultivate critical thinking in various spheres of personal, community, professional and social life. This will be done by consolidating scientific knowledge and good practice, through partner organizations active in the fields of adult education, general education and higher education.

In February–May 2025, national training sessions for adult educators and learners on how to apply the MIND critical thinking development model in non-formal adult education were implemented. During these sessions, the participants—adult educators—briefly became learners themselves and, with the guidance of the MIND project teachers, improved their critical thinking skills. They later applied the acquired knowledge and experience when teaching adult learners, including their colleagues, friends, family members, or relatives.
In June–September 2025, the MIND digital learning platform was developed, designed to help adult learners develop critical thinking, media literacy, and conscious citizenship. Available in English and the project partners’ languages (Lithuanian, Latvian, Romanian, and Croatian), the platform features the content created during the project, presented in short, engaging learning modules tailored for self-directed learning.
In September–December 2025, during national conferences, project experts, adult educators, and learners who participated in the training shared the training challenges, experiences gained, and project results with non-formal adult education participants in their respective countries.
In November 2025, during an international conference, project partners and guest experts shared their experiences, practices, and project results in developing critical thinking with formal and non-formal adult educators and learners from various countries.
In 2025, the remaining intellectual outputs of the project were developed. Overall, during the project, the following resources were developed in English and translated into the project partners’ languages (Lithuanian, Latvian, Romanian, and Croatian):

Compendium of scientific ideas. Critical thinking in non-formal adult education
Executive report. Critical thinking in non-formal adult education programs and documents
The MIND Model. Model framework for the development of critical thinking in non-formal adult education
The MIND programme. Critical thinking development programme and materials for non-formal adult education
The MIND toolkit. Tools for development of critical thinking in non-formal adult education
The MIND recommendations. An advocacy paper for policymakers to promote critical thinking in non-formal adult education

EcoSocialAgency – Adult educators supporting eco-social agency

No. 2023-2-FI01-KA210-ADU-000179217

Duration: 1 February 2024 m.–31 January 2025

Co-funder: EU Erasmus+ program

Coordinator: KSL Study Centre (FI)

Partners: Modern Didactics Centre (LT), Símenntun Lifelong Learning Center (IS)

The project aims to improve the competence of educators and other adult education staff in eco-social sustainability and education.

In January 2025, the project partners prepared and published final articles on the EPALE platform, summarizing the activities implemented, experiences gained, and results achieved during the project.

Visual thinking for education

No. 2024-1-IT01-KA210-VET-000243700

Duration: 1 December 2024–31 May 2026

Co-funder: EU Erasmus+ program

Coordinator: La Chiave di Sofia (Italija)

Partners: Modern Didactics Centre (LT), Health Growth (BG), Arte M Associacao Cultural e Artistica na Madeira (PT)

The project aims to integrate the creative methodology of visual thinking, along with artistic and philosophical concepts, to develop young people’s problem-solving and communication skills.

In March 2025, the first project partners’ meeting took place in Madeira (Portugal), during which the project activities were discussed in detail.
In April–November 2025, a 40-hour online training course titled “Philosophy in Art as a Learning Tool – Visual Thinking Strategies” was developed. It consists of 4 modules: The Role of Philosophy in Daily Life and Art; Art as a Tool to Understand Visual Thinking; Methods and Strategies of Visual Thinking; and Visual Thinking for Competence Development and Problem-Solving. The online training course is in English and is based on video material that features automatic translation of English subtitles into the project partners’ languages—Lithuanian, Italian, Bulgarian, and Portuguese.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Since 2008, the Modern Didactics Centre has been an accredited adult education centre. Accreditation certificate No. IVP-26 (Order No. V-1291 of the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania, December 19, 2025).

In 2025, the Modern Didactics Centre organized training on competence development and assessment, critical thinking development, promotion of reading motivation and skills, formative assessment, school community building, inclusive education, and the improvement of pedagogical, psychological, and didactic competences.

7 professional development programs under different titles were implemented. In total, 14 professional development events took place, with 793 participants attending.

A 180-hour Pedagogical-psychological knowledge course was implemented for individuals preparing to work and working as vocational teachers, non-formal children’s education teachers, career counselors, and those without pedagogical qualifications.
In September 2024–March 2025, a 72-academic-hour international mentor training was implemented in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and remotely, focusing on the application of the model for general competence development and assessment within the project “COMPASS – Guidelines for Student Competence Assessment.”
In October 2024–April 2025, a 16-academic-hour COMPASS project mentor training “Competence Development and Assessment” was held, alongside collaborative learning and experience-sharing activities.
In 2025, the Modern Didactics Centre participated in the Millennium Schools Programme of Lithuania and implemented the following programs: “Spotiself: Career Education Programme” (40 acad. hours) – Švenčionys r. Pabradė “Rytas” Gymnasium (2025–2026); “Critical Thinking Development through Reading and Writing” (64 acad. hours) – Mažeikiai r. Seda Vytautas Mačernis Gymnasium; “Application of Reading Strategies” (40 acad. hours) – Pasvalys r. Joniškėlis Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė Gymnasium; “Variety of Reading Strategies and Their Application in Different Subject Lessons” (4 acad. hours) – Panevėžys r. Ramygala Gymnasium.
Under the program “School Community Building for Creating and Maintaining Positive Relationships,” training sessions were conducted for educators at Kėdainiai r. Akademija Gymnasium and Vilnius “Atgaja” Special School.
Critical thinking training was conducted for the participants of the professional development program “Academy for Deputy Heads of Educational Institutions.” The program is implemented by the Vilnius District Municipality in cooperation with Mykolas Romeris University.
In February–May 2025, a 40-academic-hour critical thinking training was implemented for adult educators working in the field of non-formal education, based on the program developed within the framework of the project “MIND – Critical Theory in Adult Education Practice.”

EXSPERTISE

Under a contract with the National Education Agency, experts from the Modern Didactics Centre updated the information about the Lithuanian education system published on the website of the European Commission’s Erasmus+ education information network EURYDICE.
In 2025–2026, D. Penkauskienė is a member of Subgroup I of the working group formed by the National Agency for Education. This working group is tasked with making decisions on improving the conditions for conducting educational assistance activities (accreditation criteria and procedures) and the quality assurance system (monitoring indicators and process), as well as drafting description projects. Subgroup I is specifically responsible for drafting the parts of the description(s) that establish the requirements for service provision, evaluation criteria, and monitoring indicators.
On May 12, 2025, Daiva Penkauskienė participated in the discussion “The Value of Teachers’ Professional Autonomy: How Will We Establish It?”, initiated by the Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania.

Consultations

In January–April 2025, consultations were provided to COMPASS project mentors (subject teachers, school administration staff) on implementing individual teaching activities.
Consultations were also provided to various institutions and individuals on training, developing new education initiatives, projects, and programs, cooperation between the educational and private sectors, and other issues.

DISSEMINATION OF GOOD PRACTICES

Good practice seminars

On April 4, 2025, the conference “Career 5.0: Data-Driven Decisions for Schools” was organized in cooperation with Mykolas Romeris University and UAB “Karjeros kelias.”
On October 23, 2025, the national final conference of the COMPASS project, “Competence Development and Assessment: Experiences and Lessons of the COMPASS Project,” was organized at Vilnius Antakalnis Progymnasium in cooperation with the Centre for School Improvement.
On October 27, 2025, the international final conference of the COMPASS project, “In Support for Students’ Competence Assessment,” was organized.
On October 16, 2024, a seminar organized by the National Education Agency presented the theoretical part and practical examples of prototypes of remote, blended, and hybrid teaching (learning) lessons (activities) prepared by experts from the Modern Didactics Centre and the Centre for School Improvement.
On November 18, 2025, during the adult learning week “Learning Gardens”, the Modern Didactics Centre, together with the Lithuanian Adult Education Association, conducted a remote seminar titled “Matured Fruits of Critical Thought or Just Sprouts?”, during which they presented the MIND project and the relevance of critical thinking in adult education policy.
On December 10, 2025, the Modern Didactics Centre, together with the Lithuanian Adult Education Association, presented the results of the project “MIND – Critical Thinking Theory in Adult Learning Practice: Inspiration to Act Critically” to adult educators at the Kėdainiai Vocational Training Center.

Presentations at international conferences and national events

On March 5, 2025, a remote presentation by D. Penkauskienė and co-authors “Interplay of Teachers’ Psychological Well-being, Victimization and Critical Thinking: From Scoping to Mapping Review” at the 19th International Technology, Education and Development Conference (INTED2025).
On April 4, 2025, a plenary presentation by D. Penkauskienė “The Issue of Student Competence Assessment” at the conference “Career 5.0: Data-Driven Decisions for Schools.”
On September 10, 2025, a presentation by D. Penkauskienė “Learning from the Past for the Future: Listening to the Voices of Lithuanian Education Reform Pioneers” at the EERA 2025 conference “Charting the Way Forward: Education, Research, Potentials and Perspectives”.
On September 12, 2025, a presentation by D. Penkauskienė “Exploring Teacher Victimization by Students, Their Parents, and School Staff: Links with Teachers’ Life Satisfaction” at the EERA 2025 conference “Charting the Way Forward: Education, Research, Potentials and Perspectives”.
On October 2, 2025, a presentation by D. Penkauskienė “All-Day School Models in the Context of the Implementation of Inclusive Education Principles” at the 6th International Barcelona Conference on Education.
On October 14, 2025, a presentation by D. Penkauskienė “Critical Thinking and Adult Education” at the MRU Science Week 2025.
On October 17, 2025, a presentation by D. Penkauskienė and E. Pranckūnienė “The Practices of Lithuanian, Finnish, and Romanian Teachers in Developing and Assessing Students’ General Competences” at the 9th Conference of the Lithuanian Educational Research Association and Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy “Science for the Future of Education: Inclusion, Innovation, and a Resilient Society”.
On October 17, 2025, a presentation by D. Penkauskienė and co-authors “Violence Against Teachers in Lithuania: Spectrum of Expression and Trajectories of Prevention” at the 9th Conference of the Lithuanian Educational Research Association and Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy “Science for the Future of Education: Inclusion, Innovation, and a Resilient Society”.
On October 17, 2025, a presentation by D. Penkauskienė and co-authors “Inclusive Education in the All-Day School” at the 9th Conference of the Lithuanian Educational Research Association and Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy “Science for the Future of Education: Inclusion, Innovation, and a Resilient Society”.
On November 11, 2025, a presentation by D. Penkauskienė and I. Jagelavičiūtė “Keynote Address: Overview of the Project” at the final conference of the project “Critical Theory in Adult Education Practice: Empowerment for Critical Actions (MIND).”
On November 28, 2025, a presentation by D. Penkauskienė and A. Bėkšta “From Seed to Mature Fruit: A Portrait of a Critical Thinking Personality” at the closing event “Matured Fruits of Critical Thought or Just Sprouts?” of the 2025 adult learning week “Learning Gardens”.

PUBLICATIONS

Modern Didactics Centre experts participated in the preparation, translation, and editing of the following publications:

COOPERATION

In the implementation of joint activities in 2025, collaboration was carried out with the children’s art studio “Diemedis”, Mykolas Romeris University, the public institution “Centre for School Improvement”, UAB “Karjeros kelias”, the Lithuanian Adult Education Association, Lithuanian Scouting, non-formal education institutions, general education schools, and institutions providing professional development for educators.

MEMBERSHIP

The Modern Didactics Centre is a collective member of the following organizations:

Lithuanian Adult Education Association
Lithuanian Development Education and Awareness Raising Network (LITDEA)
Lithuanian Association of Education Centers Employees
Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking International Consortium (RWCT IC)

Daiva Penkauskienė, director of the Modern Didactics Centre, represents the Centre in the following organizations:

Lithuanian Educational Research Association (LETA)
Reading and Cultural Literacy Association
International Literacy Association (ILA)

FINANCING

The Modern Didactics Centre is not funded by the state budget.

In 2025, 82% of its income came from training, consulting, and expert services, and 18% from EU support for project implementation.

Mission, aims and objectives

IMPLEMENTED ACTIVITIES

PROJECTS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

EXSPERTISE

DISSEMINATION OF GOOD PRACTICES

PUBLICATIONS

COOPERATION

MEMBERSHIP

FINANCING

Mokymai

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