Professional development of pedagogues

A new paradigm of learning raises higher requirements for a teacher: quality and effectiveness are the two key words defining the general education policy of the EU and the main objectives of the current period. It is not enough to be a good professional of own subject or have substantial pedagogicalpsychological knowledge. Today teachers are required to be able to work in a multi-cultural environment, flexibly respond and adapt to changes, individualise and differentiate the content of education, and pursue various social functions (such as vocational counselling, conflict management, mediation etc.). Besides high professional requirements teachers are also required to participate in the continuous/further learning process including formal/non-formal professional development, selfeducation, and studies in state and private vocational training organisations not only within the framework of education but also in other spheres (this is recognised as an exceptional value). In view of this the Article raises the following questions: how the process of professional development is organised in various European countries? What professional development practices are applied in Lithuania compared to other countries?