Distance learning is not a new subject in university study practice. It is clear that a significant number of universities practiced this way of learning before the pandemic. In the case of distance learning, the emphasis is always not so much on the means used for teaching and learning, as on the very fact of the physical separation of the lecturer and the student. There is a reasonable concern about the quality of studies, their efficiency, the quality of the qualifications acquired by future specialists, etc. The new context creates the need to analyse and assess the distance learning situation that arose during the pandemic.In January-February 2021, a qualitative study was conducted, in which 158 students from three Lithuanian universities participated. Most of the respondents were students of social and humanitarian study programmes. Qualitative data obtained on the basis of open-ended questions were analysed using the method of quantitative content analysis, i.e., semantic subcategories and categories according to four main variables were distinguished: advantages of distance lectures, disadvantages of distance lectures, and distance lecture improvement.It has been established that the main advantages are the convenience of studying and the flexibility of the study process. Meanwhile, the most obvious shortcomings are deterioration of physical and mental health and non-realisation of social needs, deterioration of the quality of academic activities. Improving the design of lectures and improving their planning and organisation are considered the key areas of improvement.

The impact of genetic engineering on peoples' everyday life has become present reality. In order to establish the level of the available schoolchildren and university students' knowledge of biotechnology, various investigations have been conducted. However, the current situation in Lithuania remains unclear. A total of 287 students-pre-service teachers from Lithuanian universities participated in the survey focused on attitudes to and knowledge of biotechnology. Our results confirmed the conclusions reached in other countries: students' knowledge of biotechnology is very miserable and attitudes frequently contradict one another. Research results clearly show the necessity for the increase and development of teacher training in the field of biotechnology and point to the ability to obtain and apply knowledge at international level in work practice. Research confirmed the opinion that the history and principles of developing biotechnologies as well as a legal and institutional system of using biotechnologies in Lithuania and the European Union needed to be more exhaustively introduced to all students.

The formation of scientific research activity (SRA) abilities in comprehensive school is, undoubtedly, a very important sphere, having not received a proper attention yet. Moreover, it has been determined, that in all European Union, Lithuanian people are the ones who are, perhaps, the least interested in science and the least informed about scientific achievements (LMJS, 2008). Such situation stimulates into looking for reasons. The most likely one is, that in comprehensive schools and later on at the university level as well not enough attention is paid to SRA. Without putting the very concept in a frame, scientific research activity is the basic component of developing science education. Thus, constant awareness of this topic is a definitely important issue. Our time requires human curiosity, continuous adaptation to the ever-changing life and active involvement in changes taking place in the society. In this case, creativity, original thinking, self-sufficiency, etc. are the essential qualities (Lamanauskas, 2012).SRA should be universally stimulated and developed. Scientific research activity is not an entertainment, but responsible, thorough work requiring a lot of self-reliance. During such an activity students' analytical thinking gets stronger, the abilities of searching for information and using it are formed; they learn how to analyse the gathered material, to prepare reports, to make research presentations and so on.

No abstract