Abstract:

Analysis of scientific literature revealed a twofold point of view when Lithuania is perceived as a traditional country where no efforts are put to understand multiculturality of contemporary society, diversity of social groups, complexity of identity of man’s personality. It is noted that society eliminates the point of view which does not match traditions of enshrining national, family or Christian values; it stimulates discrimination of Others, Different individuals due to mal-perception and unawareness. Therefore, intercultural education is entitled as a threat. Research studies on tolerance and intercultural education are conducted, projects in comprehensive schools “make a negative impact on pupils’ psyche, morality, sexual identity, responsible preparation for parenthood, personality development and social-self-expression” (Lipkevičienė et al., 2012). Consequently, the young generation increasingly louder declares indifference to and dissociation from perpetuated civic and national values, public life. “In Lithuania, it is increasingly often stated about the problem of pessimistic decrease or loss of nationality determined by emigration.” (Strolytė, 2013).

Therefore, importance of national values (education of the Lithuanian language culture, dissemination of own country’s culture in the world) in the global world becomes a more relevant object for researchers of Lithuania.

The research aims at answering problem questions highly relevant to comprehensive schools striving to render not only a multi-perspective view of the society where we live but also wishing to implement the changing aims of education: How to develop pupils’ interculturality, openness to the changing society, also reaching for national values? How to ensure continuity of pupils’ culture and its uniqueness, rendering features of individuality, developing national values, ensuring their cultural integrity in contemporary society?

The research was carried out in comprehensive education schools in Lithuania. On the ground of their personal experience, participants of the research (pupils of 11th–12th forms) wrote an essay on the topic “What Does Interculturality Mean to Me as a Lithuanian?”; by this essay, they revealed their point of view and rendered value attitudes in the context of the object under investigation. To carry out data analysis, the method of content analysis was employed; it enabled revealing pupils’ perception of interculturality, what meanings were given to it, how in this context they identified themselves as citizens...

Keywords:

Interculturality, national values, pupils, content analysis.