Congratulations to the new  doctor  Jūratė Litvinaitė on successfully defending her PhD thesis “Teachers and Their Professional Practices in the New Educational Contexts” (Sociology (S 005), supervisor – prof. dr. Arūnas Poviliūnas (Vilnius University, Social Sciences, Sociology – S 005)) and on obtaining her Doctor of Sociology  in the field of Social Sciences.

The dissertation is available at the Vilnius University Library and on the VU website at: https://www.vu.lt/naujienos/ivykiu-kalendorius

A short annotation is presented below. 

21st century teachers’ dissatisfaction with their work is increasing, the number of teachers leaving school is growing, and the number of teachers who want to become teachers is decreasing. These facts inspired the dissertation research. Based on P. Bourdieu’s theories of social practice and postcolonialism (H.K. Bhabha’s concept of the Third Space), an analytical tool was constructed, adapted to examine historical and current contexts that significantly affect teachers and their practices. Current contexts in the dissertation are called New educational contexts, arguing that their formation is significantly influenced by policies based on neoliberalism and neoconservatism and the program of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The theoretical analysis of contexts, teachers’ habitus and their practices is extended by empirical research. It was attended by 47 teachers of various experience from all over Lithuania. The applied photovoice method helped teachers construct authentic narratives about themselves and their practices. The collected abundant material reveals in detail the field of school education and the different experiences of teachers. The data reveal that education as a public service is being deconstructed, teachers are being deprofessionalized; the school field of education loses its autonomy, turns into a machine. In such conditions, teachers of various habitus construct new action strategies. Teachers who manage to create a Third Space with other field agents retain an interest in remaining in the school educational field.

Dissertation Defense Council:

Chair – prof. dr. Lilija Duoblienė (Vilnius University, social sciences, education – S 007);
prof. dr. Irena Juozeliūnienė (Vilnius University, social sciences, sociology – S 005);
prof. dr. Lina Markauskaitė (University of Sydney, Australia, social sciences, education – S 007);
prof. dr. Natalija Mažeikienė (Vytautas the Great University, social sciences, education – S 007);
prof. hab. dr. Zenonas Norkus (Vilnius University, social sciences, sociology – S 005).