Music schools in Latvia provide pupils with musical education both in the towns and rural areas of Latvia. Studies include instrumental playing, history of music, and music theory lessons. An actual pedagogical problem at the time is activation of pupils' learning. Self-regulated learning acquires significant meaning for pupils' future life. A way of helping pupils' self-regulation in learning is differentiation of learning methods and forms. The aim of the paper is to research the meaning of music schools' ensemble work (collective performance) for enhancing pupils' self-regulated learning. Learning is a process where an individual inherits accumulated experience of the society acquires skills, knowledge, attitudes, enhances his experience, individually and responsibly working and discovering himself, nature and society. Learning as an activity is based on learning experience. According to L.S. Vygotsky's theory of learning, the cultural development depends upon social interaction. The use of ensemble work (collective performance) in school as a form of learning activity and method observes a reciprocal movement towards didactic goal, includes the components of due learning contents (knowledge, skills, instrumental playing experience, attitudes), the results of learning process and its evaluation. Analysis of the obtained data shows that music teachers choose ensemble work as method and form of teaching to indirectly influence the self-regulated learning of pupils, whereas the pupils do not fully understand the significance of ensemble work for enhancing self-regulated learning techniques.

The article deals with the issue of the impact of teaching practice on training of the future educators. At the Institute of Education and Home Management of the Latvia University of Agriculture, approaches of human pedagogy and education lie at the basis of the conceptual grounds of the school practice. The phases of the school practice are characterized and the readiness obtained by the students within the training are discussed. In every phase of the school practice, students gradually adapt themselves to the school, pedagogic and educational environments. Results of student survey on the development of readiness to pedagogic work in school educational environment and the developing role of competency are presented.

The goal of the research was to evaluate the opportunities in preparation of logistics specialists offered by Latvian universities and to formulate problem solutions. To achieve the goal, study programmes and course syllabuses offered by Latvian universities and colleges were analysed from the logistics perspective. Opportunities to acquire logistics knowledge offered in Latvia by distance, in further education and life-long learning programmes were reviewed. In the end, it was concluded that the development of logistics education in Latvia does not correspond to the speed of the development of logistics industry. Currently Latvia offers 4 Logistics study programmes, but only one study programme offers education corresponding to the professional standard – Manager of Logistics Department – as approved by the MoES. Latvia University of Agriculture currently has no logistics study programmes but different logistics subjects are included in the study programmes of 4 Faculties, therefore there are vast opportunities and it is necessary to develop the offer of logistics education, first by giving students the opportunity to choose specialisation in logistics in the Faculties in the study areas of which logistics is especially important and necessary – Faculty of Economics, Technical Faculty, Faculty of Forestry, Faculty of Food Technology, and Faculty of Agriculture.

Nowadays the need for a qualitative, accessible and varied lifelong learning is becoming more and more necessary. In Latvia, different institutions take part in the implementation of lifelong learning; however, in spite of the negative factors of demography and migration, changes of work force supply and demand, investment and information shortage, the role of universities has not been properly investigated. The role of higher education in lifelong learning was studied in 9 state universities of Latvia in the period of 2013 – 2015. Monographic analysis and method of synthesis, data statistical research methods – grouping, comparison, relative and average indicators, as well as dynamics line analysis was used in the article. The study proved that the number of occupied work places has increased in 2015. However, it has not reached the average of ten and seven years since 2006 and 2009. Comparing with the free vacancies, the number of them has increased by 2164, especially in the profession group specialists and senior specialists, which as well as executives, is the target audience of universities, which in its turn is a lifelong learning event insufficiently used potential. The universities have suffered because of demographic and migration factors: the rate of student number increases (-9.4%). In order to reach the goals of education politics, universities try to direct education function from studies to lifelong learning; they try to improve existing lifelong learning courses and programs, as well as to propose new ones in order to offer something for workforce corrections.

The first independent career related decisions are made during the ninth grade of the elementary school when the further educational institution is selected. The concept of possible selves can be used in career education to help students increase self-awareness, explore and generate options, and formulate plans to achieve future goals. The aim of the article is to examine rural adolescents’ ability to generate career-related possible selves and plausible strategies to attain these possible selves. On the basis of the Possible Selves Theory, the open-ended measure was developed by the author. The pilot research was carried out in Latvia in January 2013. Forty six nine-graders from two rural elementary schools and two rural secondary schools participated in the research. Next year and adult possible selves generated by rural adolescents include such domains as education, employment, leisure activities, physical and personal development, as well as interpersonal relationships and lifestyle. The most important ones are domains of education and employment. Statistically significant differences of the results among the gender subgroups are not found in the research, statistically significant differences exist between the possible selves and their attaining strategies generated by rural secondary school students and rural elementary school students.

Family education as a support to families where children are with special needs is mentioned in family politics statements. Unfortunately, family education problems in rural areas characterise present day situation in Latvia. Professionals with less specific knowledge essential to deal with special needs satisfaction is a reality in rural areas in Latvia. It is vital to advance family autonomy, develop an opportunity to deal with consequences that disabilities cause and, improve environmental conditions for children with special needs. The aim of this article is to fortify necessity of family education as a partnership comprehension development to children with special needs in rural area. The investigation was carried out in National Rehabilitation centre ”Vaivari” in April 2012, by involving families with children with special needs. Analysis of scientific resources has been done; survey and statistical analysis of data were carried out, by using non-parametric method - Mann Whitney U test. During the research, the main family education comprehension aspects to families living in rural or city area and having children with special needs are identified. The advantages in special needs satisfaction context in rural areas and city environment are analysed. Measurements of respondent attitude to innovative family education e-solutions are made. Objectively and subjectively determined social isolation risk of families having children with special needs in rural area show the necessity to use family resources related to consequences that disabilities create. It is necessary to develop ways to use modern technological opportunities, provide appropriate family education and partnership with professionals.

Research in many countries across the world, including Latvia, shows that youth participation in national defence is a topical issue. So far, scholarly research focusing on the promotion of youth participation in national defence and the provision of career support at school age and after finishing school is scarce. Therefore, the aim of the research was to establish the basis for young people’s military career in national defence. Research results show that there is both theoretical and legal basis for young people to start a military career, already during school years. Based on the broad meaning of the concepts career and career development, young people’s self-development, self-management and self-actualisation in various fields of human activity over one’s lifetime emerge as topical issues. Such activities of various kinds may follow one another in succession or take place simultaneously, in parallel, in accordance with dual career theories. The beginning and development of young people’s military career in Latvia can occur in the context of various activities already present and available in the near future: 1) participation in the Latvian Youth Guard as a type of non-formal education, 2) acquisition of National defence training at school in the context of formal education, 3) upon reaching legal age, voluntarily joining the Latvian National Guard, which is a component of the National Armed Forces of the Republic of Latvia.

Professional self-determination is an important issue for anyone in the course of a lifetime. The dynamic nature of modern social and economic circumstances makes the issue even more topical. It determines the necessity to improve the career development support system currently existing in the field of education, where various specialists, by purposeful and systematic cooperation, help students in setting their career goals, understating the changeable working environment, seeing various alternatives and making deliberate career decisions. The career support is important as it helps learners choose a suitable professional sphere, profession and educational institution for continuation of their self-improvement upon acquiring of general secondary education. The aim of the research is to provide a scientific basis for topicality of career guidance implementation in school educational environment in order to promote the students’ professional self-determination. In Latvia, a number of career development guidance systems, including counselling and student career support methods and forms are being created and approbated in the educational environment, focusing on the career support curriculum and principles, which would ensure a purposeful implementation of students’ professional self-determination at schools.

In educational strategy papers, it is determined that entrepreneurial development should be implemented already in schools. Various methods and approaches can be used for the development. The majority of entrepreneurial competences are developed at the university – subjects devoted to the development of entrepreneurship are included in the study programs. Environment of the university is very friendly to this – not only because of activities devoted to entrepreneurship occurring in the academic environment, plenty seminars and trainings, but also because of the students’ personal maturity and motivation. Scholars actively raise the following questions: how to develop entrepreneurial competences effectively? Which methods are the most applicable? What kind of innovative methods are the most necessary? 104 students, who tried simulation traineeship of entrepreneurial development, were questioned in order to analyse the impact of methods and the change in entrepreneurial competences. The research was carried out in the Faculty of Economics and Management of Aleksandras Stulginskis University. The participants of the research were involved in the business simulation, where they had an opportunity to estimate themselves and improve their backgrounds, abilities and skills. Methods promoting and developing creativity were applied in simulation business enterprises; however, not all methods had worked. The methods of graphic representation were used by the minority and they were not considered to be very effective. The aim of the research was to determine entrepreneurial competences and innovative educational methods theoretically and to test empirically the development of entrepreneurial competences via simulation method.

Tourism development contributes to the vitality of rural areas: it increases employment opportunities for residents, promotes the development of relations among different business entities and attractiveness of rural environment. In this article, the situation regarding the development of one type of tourism – educational tourism – in Lithuanian rural areas, factors encouraging and limiting this development have been analysed. The research question is what are the main problems regarding the development of educational tourism in rural areas. The aim of the research is to present relevant solutions after the analysis of the problems regarding the development of educational tourism in rural areas. Theoretical research was performed while applying methods of content analysis and synthesis of scientific literature and other researches. The method of case analysis was chosen to describe the state of the development of educational tourism and to identify main problems. In total 18 cases were analysed (18 providers of the educational tourism services in rural areas). In order to collect necessary information, methods of semi-structured interview, analysis of secondary informational resources and direct participation in researched educational programs were applied. The development of educational tourism is promoted by the factors related to the environment of manor, historical place or nature as well as professional qualification, working experience, enthusiasm and ability to be flexible about customers’ needs of actors responsible for rural development. Volatility of demand regarding educational programs, lack of specialists and challenges related to cooperation were identified as problematic issues.