As climate change accelerates, the vulnerability of our planet is becoming more evident and many societies are in crisis due to inequality, social exclusion and political extremism (UNESCO, 2016). Guattari (2000) refers to the link between the 'Three Ecologies' - mental, social and environmental - arguing that changing one ecology requires changing the others. Hence, to solve environmental and social problems, it is necessary to change people's mindsets. UNESCO (2016) proclaims that tackling global challenges requires a new approach to education: "comprehensive, holistic, ambitious and universal, inspired by a vision of education that transforms the lives of individuals, communities and societies, leaving no one behind" ( p. 24). However, what does holistic education mean? 

Holistic education is a movement that began to emerge as a recognised field of study and practice in North America in the mid-1970s (Mahmoudi et al., 2012). Holistic education has been defined as transformative, postmodern, ecological, cosmic and spiritual education that addresses global issues (G.A.T.E., 1990). The basic principle of holistic education is the development of the whole child (physical, intellectual, social, emotional, aesthetic, spiritual), with a balance between the different domains of education (Miller 1988, 2005, 2010, 2016, 2019, 2021). In this study, modern holistic education is defined as a purposeful process of developing the whole person through the principles of interconnectedness, balance, inclusivity and spirituality, through holistic teaching, an integrated curriculum, in a holistic school with holistic teachers.

Holistic education has been extensively described at a theoretical level around the world (J.P. Miller, 1988, 2005, 2010, 2019; R. Miller, 1991; 2000; Heshusius, 1989; Hutchison, Bosacki, 2000; Nava, 2001; Taggart, 2001; Clark, 2005; Hare, 2006; Giraldo, 2007; Oberski, 2007; Andrzejewski, 2009; Ergas, 2011; Mahmoudi et al., 2012; Lovat, 2011, 2020; Di, 2020; Pang et al., 2021). A systematic literature review conducted by Miseliunaite et al. (2022) found that there is a lack of quantitative and comparative empirical research on holistic education. Moreover, Miseliunaite et al. (2022) found that holistic education is most extensively researched on the North American and Asian continents, with only a few isolated studies in Europe. It is recommended that comprehensive quantitative or mixed-methods studies be carried out to draw generalised conclusions about holistic education's prevalence, need and benefits. 

This study aims to determine what and how the features of a modern holistic education paradigm are manifested in Lithuanian primary schools. 

The case of Lithuania was chosen because 'The Lithuanian General Framework for Primary Education' (2008) states that primary education is organised according to the following educational principles: 'child-centred; integral, holistic; differentiated and individualised; contextual; oriented towards interpretive rather than reproductive thinking; the process of education is active; and the process of education is attractive and joyful' (p. 13). What is more, in Lithuania, holistic education is also discussed more on a theoretical level, highlighting its benefits for the spiritual and value education of individuals and society in the context of globalisation and the ecological crisis. A review of empirical work by Lithuanian researchers (Stulpinas, 1997; Aramavičiūtė, 2003; Kvieskienė and Vyšniauskaitė, 2017) leaves unclear how much and what features of holistic education are present in the Lithuanian education system. This raises a scientific problem - how and which features of a modern holistic education paradigm are manifested in Lithuanian primary schools? 

This study will use a mixed-methods research design to gather all relevant information about the features of modern holistic education in Lithuania. The methodological rationale is complementarity: 'to obtain more comprehensive findings by using quantitative and qualitative methods to obtain complementary results about different aspects of a phenomenon' (Plano Clark, Ivankova, 2016, p. 81). The choice of a mixed-methods study was made for several different reasons: 1) Miseliunaite et al. (2022) argue that there is a lack of comprehensive quantitative and mixed-methods studies that reveal the prevalence of holistic education; 2) no mixed-methods studies have been found in Lithuania that examine the features of holistic education; 3) to provide aggregated data reflecting the Lithuanian situation. The study will use a convergent design, which involves the separate collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, followed by the merging and interpretation of the results of the quantitative and qualitative data analysis (Creswell, 2015). To ensure the reliability of the study, a triangulation approach will be used, as four different methods of data collection will be used: 1) The document analysis - aims to reveal which modern features of holistic education are described in the updated primary education curricula in Lithuania. Qualitative thematic content analysis will be carried out in MAXQDA software. 2) An anonymous online survey - will be used to collect quantitative data on which modern holistic education methods are used by Lithuanian primary education teachers and which holistic education teacher qualities Lithuanian primary education teachers possess. The data will be processed statistically in SPSS. A questionnaire is being developed and validated for the survey. 3) The observation - will be carried out in selected primary schools in Lithuania according to pre-defined criteria. The aim of this phase is to identify the characteristics of a modern holistic school in Lithuanian primary education institutions. The study will use an observation table and reflection notes. The data will be analysed quantitatively and qualitatively using Excel and MAXQDA. 4) Semi-structured expert interviews - are an additional step before the final synthesis and interpretation of the data collected. The aim of this phase of the study is to determine the views of education policy makers on the phenomenon of holistic education, the feasibility of its implementation and the results of the interim study. The study has received approval from the KTU Research Ethics Committee.

This study aims to substantiate a model of the features of modern holistic education. Develop and validate a quantitative questionnaire on the features of modern holistic education for primary school teachers. Identify the features of modern holistic education in Lithuanian primary education institutions. Identify examples of modern holistic education in Lithuanian primary education institutions. Identify the features of a modern holistic teacher. Develop recommendations for education policymakers on how to shift primary education in Lithuania towards a more holistic approach. This study is useful for Europe and the world, as it will show how much holistic education exists in the national education system by analysing the example of Lithuania. The debate will focus on how to move the general education system towards a more holistic approach. Other researchers will be able to apply the model of modern holistic education in their own countries.

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