Abstract:

Background:
One of the features of modern society is the increased migration of its population. The increase of immigration in the EU countries fosters not only to solve the social problems of newly arrived foreigners, but also to judge a variety of cultural conflicts. In this context, an important role shall play community-based organizations, enabling immigrants to realize self-directed learning. The self-directed learning may be relevant to the socio-cultural integration of immigrants, because it encourages them to get involved and participate in ethno-cultural, social, civic education/learning and language teaching/learning activities designing and purposefully managing their own learning in interaction with the educators of community-based organizations. The actuality of immigrants` self-directed learning revealed the international researches accomplished by Nugraha (2004), Clark (2005), Igoudin (2008), Chang (2010), Kang (2011) which were directed to experience, motivations and environments, but still there is a lack of systematic research in education, centred on community-based working strategies/ learning activities initiated by organizations and encouraging immigrants to realize self-directed learning, which is aimed to solve the problems of their socio-cultural integration.

Research question:
What kind of working strategies/ learning activities initiated by community-based organizations encourages the immigrants to realize self-directed learning, aimed to solve their socio-cultural integration problems.

Aim:
To reveal the immigrants' self-directed learning opportunities focused on the solution of their socio-cultural integration problems in community-based organizations.

Sample:
13 immigrants, who came to Lithuania from non-EU countries seeking to study at a higher education school, to carry out a lawful activity (work), and / or in a case of family reunification, participated in research.

Methods:
Data were collected by applying the semi-structured interviews. For data analysis were used the grounded theory.

Findings:
The working strategies of community-based organizations: ethno-cultural education/learning, social education/learning and civic education/learning encourage immigrants to realize self-directed learning, because in this way they have the capacity to meet the needs of socio-cultural integration.

The results of research revealed three working strategies related to immigrants` self-directed learning:
(1) ethno-cultural education/learning of immigrants, organizing events that promote co-operation between immigrants and the host society;
(2) implementation of targeted social education/learning of immigrants, which provides an opportunity for them to solve social problems and to meet a variety of learning and social needs;
(3) civic education/learning by organizing classes for immigrants about the host country and society as well as initiating and supporting the voluntary activities of immigrants.

Conclusion:
Organizational/institutional self-reflection of community-based organizations is the main axis of self-directed learning at the organizational level, on which directly depends the self-directed learning opportunities of immigrants at their personal and / or corporate level.

Keywords:

Community-based organization, immigrant, self-directed learning, social-cultural integration.