Vilnius University

Prof. Dr. Irena Zaleskiene is the Local Coordinator of the DIALLS project. She is responsible for the implementation of project activities in Lithuania and for cooperation and communication with international partners, with school community members, etc. Her expertise in cultural studies will provide an important link between multimodality, dialogue and cultural literacy. She is a senior researcher at Vilnius University, and was also a Fulbright Scholar in 2015. She serves as an expert in curriculum development for social and cultural studies, for inclusive education and equal educational possibilities for all students. Irena Zaleskiene is involved in pre-service as well as in-service teacher training, publishes research articles, textbooks, and develops teaching/learning methodologies for students and teachers and coordinates national as well as international educational projects . Her research field is education of young people for responsible citizenship.

Dr. Irena Stonkuvienė is a senior researcher in DIALLLS project, responsible for cross -comparative analyses of dialogue and argumentation. Irena serves as an Associate Professor and Director of the Institute of Educational Sciences at Vilnius University. Her research field is related to anthropology of education, cultural education and history of education. At the same time, she serves as an expert in curriculum development for moral education. Irena Stonkuviene is editor-in-chief of the Journal Acta Paedagogica Vilnensia as well as editorial board member of academic journals in Lithuania, Poland, Italy and Turkey. She is the author more than 20 articles and book chapters in her research field and published the monograph “Growing up in Lithuania: Sketches of Enculturation”.

Prof. dr. Jūratė Baranova (Rubavičienė) serves as a senior researcher in DIALLS project, responsible for the multimodal analyses of students’ artefacts. Her field of research interests and area of teaching at the Institute of Educational Sciences and at the Institute of Philosophy at Vilnius University are as follows: Didactics of Ethics, Didactics of Philosophy, Philosophy for Children. She also teaches the course for international students on Philosophy and Arts: Deleuzian Studies and is an active member of the INPE (International Network of the Philosophers of Education), leading the research project 2017-2020 “Philosophical Sources and Problems of Multimodal Education” financed by the Research Council of Lithuania (No.S- MIP-17-37). Her publications cover the topics related to the DIALLS project such as: The meeting with the unfamiliar other in Ethics and Education, Strategies in teaching ethics with films; Philosophy and Literature: Contradictions, Parallels and Intersections, etc. She is the member of the Lithuanian writers Union, published essay books: The Fear to be Drawned (2009); Meditations: Texts and Images (2004).

Vaiva Juskiene is a junior researcher in the DIALLS project, responsible for running dialogue and argumentations with primary students and analyses of their arguments. Vaiva has an MA in Humanitarian Sciences (she studied literaturology) and an MA in Education Management and serves as a junior researcher in the Institute of Educational Sciences at Vilnius University. She has more than 20 years of teaching experiences working in the school. Also, she is a Dean of the Faculty of Pedagogy at Vilniaus kolegija / University of Applied Sciences. Primary and pre-primary teachers are trained in this institution. Her research field is related to children’s literature, Lithuanian language and literature didactics, communication. Vaiva Juskiene published some textbooks on Lithuanian literature for basic schools and is also co-author of many published texts for children at Primary Schools.

Mrg. Miglė Petronytė is a junior researcher in the DIALLS project (mainly involved in data coding and analyses) at the Institute of Education Sciences at Vilnius University. Her field of expertise is interdisciplinary, but main research interests involve Philosophy of Education, Philosophy and Literature as well as pedagogy, educational research methodology, communication, etc. Miglė is The President of the Lithuanian Association of Philosophy Teachers, coordinator of The National Philosophy Olympiads (for secondary students), The Member of The International Jury and The International Committee of IPO (International Philosophy Olympiads). Former member of university Senate, published some research articles, as “The Concept of Musical Refrain in Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s Philosophy".

Ieva Kildušytė is a junior researcher of the DIALLS project for WP7.  Her main responsibilities are related to the development of Scale of Progression for Cultural Literacy Learning (SPCLL WP7). She graduated from Lithuanian University obtaining master’s degree in Educational Sciences. At the same time she is history teacher, actively participated in the DIALLS programme by helping secondary students to develop their dispositions, to build the knowledge and understanding on cultural literacy.

Prof. dr. Lilija Duobliene was a senior researcher in the DIALLS project, responsible for cultural literature analyses, cultural text identification and selection for the Cultural Literacy Learning Programme (WP3). She is a professor of teaching and researching philosophy of education, multicultural education and management of the curriculum at basic and secondary schools. Her recent research topics are focused on the creativity and ideological power contra creativity. At the same time, she is a head of Educational Theory and Culture Department at the Faculty of Philosophy, a member of the Board of Education by SEIMAS (Lithuanian parliament) and a member of the committees of a few academic journals: Acta paedagogica Vilnensia; Religion and Culture. She is the author and/or co-author of a number of national co-curriculum guidelines (for philosophy and ethics subjects), learning/teaching standards and manuals for teachers and students.

Dainora Eigminienė was a researcher on the DIALLS project. Her responsibility is related to the involvement of children and teachers in classroom discussions at secondary (gymnasium) schools and analyses of argumentation of the students. Dainora graduated from Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences, gaining an MA in teaching Lithuanian language and literature. She serves as an expert in teaching language and literature. She published some literature textbooks for middle and high school students and is also a member of the team developing national educational policy documents and leads the students’ drama study group. Her research interest is related to cultural history and art, so she publishes articles on this topic.

Daina Valančienė was a junior researcher in the DIALLS project, responsible for student's online discussions, video conferences and collection of the arguments from students of project partner countries. Daina Valančienė is a graduate from Vilnius University with an MA in English. A teacher trainer, an expert teacher at Elektrenai Versmes gymnasium and the member of IEARN (International Education and Resource Network), Daina has initiated, coordinated and participated in a great number of international telecommunication projects and video conferences. The former chair of the National English Olympiads, the Judge of the Oxford Drama Competition, the Member of the Expert Commission “European Certificate for the Evaluation of Innovative, High-Quality Language Teaching and Learning Projects”, Daina Valančienė has focused on introduction and integration of multi-subject projects in the school curriculum, which are the key subjects of her publications and reports. Study trips to the US and project work in the framework of two educational programmes there (Deliberation in A Democracy, DID) as well as participation in Euroscola and Nordplus broadened her field of study by adding the analysis of civic issues in the English classroom. Her research interest is students’ argumentation and deliberation skills development.

Dr. Sandra Kairė was a junior researcher in the DIALLS project, responsible for national document analyse, for developing and evaluating Scale of Progression for Cultural Literacy Learning (SPCLL). Sandra Kaire serves as a lecturer in the Institute of Education Sciences at Vilnius university. She holds several degrees from Vilnius University: BA in Social Work (2008), MA (2012) and PhD (2018) in Educational Sciences. Currently she defended her doctoral thesis “We are on the same boat, yet I am from another culture: the lived experiences of learning in groups during mobility”. In 2014-2015 she has been actively engaged as a junior researcher in the scientific project “Dominant and democratic school culture: analysis of tension fields” (2014 – 2015). Since 2012 Sandra Kairė has been a member of the trainers’ network of the Agency of International Youth Cooperation in Lithuania and is a professional freelance trainer in the field of non-formal learning. Her research interests cover intercultural education, experiential education, visuality and school culture. Sandra Kaire publishes articles in research journals.

Ramunė Badaukienė was a junior researcher in the DIALLS project. Her responsibility is related to the involvement of children and teachers in classroom discussions at the basic schools, analyses of argumentation of the students. Ramunė Badaukienė has been a headmistress of Mazeikiu Ventos progymnasium since 2003. She holds an MA in history and MA in Educational management and has been teaching history and citizenship education at different secondary schools. She has also served as a Mayor's Advisor on Youth Affairs at Mazeikiai district Municipality. Ramune did some international internships in the Netherlands and USA (Los Angeles, Washington DC, Denver), took an active role in the transatlantic project “Deliberation in a Democracy”. Ramunė Badaukienė has implemented many national as well as international projects, developed more than 20 pedagogue qualification improvement programmes which were carried out through seminars for teachers and heads of educational institutions. Her research interest is citizenship education, deliberative democracy learning, multicultural education. Her research papers have been presented in some national and international conferences.