Projects / Programmes
Pedagogical and andragogical studies - Learning and education for a good-quality life in community
January 1, 2013
- December 31, 2015
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.01.02 |
Social sciences |
Educational studies |
Adult education |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S270 |
Social sciences |
Pedagogy and didactics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.03 |
Social Sciences |
Educational sciences |
Researchers (15)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The programme focuses on the issues of learning and education for a good-quality life, taking into account different identities in various communities Education as a social institution in the wider network of the local community can contribute to a society’s greater social justice. We are going to study the community as a space for the mutual learning, cooperation and relationship development of individuals’ and groups’ quality life in community. Education in community can have an important impact on fulfilling social and professional needs, personal development, understanding social changes and confronting different identities. Another important function of community education is encouraging cohesion in the local community, as – in addition to learning and education – educational activities promote socializing, cooperation, the exchange of knowledge, experiences and information among different individuals, cultures, social groups and generations, which fosters solidarity in the community.
We are going to investigate how a specific community intertwines and complements the possibilities of non-formal and formal education as well as informal learning. We are going to study the effects of learning and education on individuals, on groups living in a community and on the local community as a whole, and analyse the concepts and practices of community learning and education in educational institutions (along the entire vertical of the education system) as well as in other communities and work organizations. We are going to analyse the forms of cooperation among social groups in local communities and examine if and how the social inclusion of all groups and their recognition are established. We are also interested in the teacher’s work with society and within it – at the local, regional, national, European and global levels.
During the research we are going to use a combination of qualitative and quantitative research, that is, the triangulation of research methods, which will allow us to achieve the stated objectives of the research programme to the highest possible degree. Such a research has not been done in Slovenia yet. Therefore, we expect our results to contribute to the development of best practice models and the introduction of new ways of learning, education and cooperation in communities in Slovenia, where these activities are only poorly developed.
Significance for science
At the theoretical level the research contributes to the elucidation of the conceptualizations of knowledge and to the substantiation and explanation of new phenomena related to the introduction of competences. From this aspect the research programme results are directly relevant to the development of study disciplines in undergraduate and postgraduate university programmes of Pedagogy and Andragogy as well as in the programmes of basic teacher training and the continuous in-service training for teachers. More specifically, the research outcomes, which are the result of the programme group’s work, have contributed to the following: - broadening the theoretical knowledge of integration and inclusion in education increases the interculturalism among theorists and practitioners and contributes to the understanding of general and special pedagogy; - broadening the knowledge of individual identity (or national identity) formation in the conditions of the multistate community and nationally heterogeneous Slovenian society is crucial to the development of critical discourses in the current, unstable social atmosphere; - the increase in the knowledge of the role of education in the development of responsible citizenship and its implementation at various levels of activity and in different age groups contributes to the strengthening of intergenerational solidarity and the general strengthening of civil society through interdisciplinary integration; - disseminating the knowledge of the history of Slovenian school system and the currents of contemporary development has had a positive influence on the quantity and quality of information on the mutual impacts of Slovenian and foreign educational systems in Slovenia; - in-depth analyses of the learning and education of the elderly and intergenerational learning and education have broadened the awareness of the needs and opportunities for different age groups (particularly the elderly) for the realization of the concept of solidarity, good-quality coexistence and active old age. The special relevance of the research to the development of science is in the interdisciplinary and synthesizing application of the theoretical concepts from different disciplines and sciences (primarily philosophy – especially ethics –, psychology, sociology, law) to the field of pedagogy and andragogy. In view of this, the research has contributed to a modern and integral representation of the educational concept, the concept of solidarity among generations and life-long learning as well as to an understanding of quality at various levels of learning and education. The research findings have influenced the implementation of the inductive approach to moral education, the development of essential learning and the concept of core reflection. They have also encouraged the use of art within children’s/adolescents’ identity and moral development. On the other hand, the research activities stretching along the entire lifespan have called attention to the importance of the intertwining of different life periods and phases of life courses and the influence of different social contexts on good-quality learning, education and, finally, life of different age groups and their interconnectedness.
Significance for the country
The plan and carrying out of the programme was related to the "Guidelines of the Ministry of higher education, science and technology on financing research and infrastructure programmes in 2008", which prioritized the development of human resources and social cohesion and directed special attention to the priority research field in the "Resolution on the National Research and Development Programme 2006-2010". Based on these assumptions, the programme group’s key contributions to Slovenia’s social-economic development consist of the following main results: - we developed the concepts and, consequently, influenced the development of new forms of work (care and education in preschools, preparation of the educational concept, intercultural school models, use of art in children’s/adolescents’ identity and moral development); - the research findings were integrated into the preparation of reform recommendations regarding different levels of education (preschool education, primary education, vocational education and training, etc.) and different institutions/organizations at the level of the community (adult education centres, third-age universities, associations and community organizations) and along the entire lifespan (learning in educational institutions and outside them, in different forms in the community, e.g. intergenerational education); in so doing, we critically assessed the transposition of foreign models and experiences to the Slovenian educational system; - we applied the methods of self-evaluation and evaluation that we had developed through our research to the provision of good-quality schools (collaboration of schools with parents, with the community, the school community, schools’ openness outwards, etc.); - the research findings contributed to the modernization of the programmes of basic teacher training and to the preparation of the plans for teachers’ continuous in-service training as well as the implementation of a new teaching and learning culture which origins in the changes in the conceptualization of knowledge at all levels of the educational system; we also developed the programmes of in-service training for school counsellors; - our research was also conducted in the areas of integration and inclusion; accordingly, we designed models and various forms of assistance for children and adolescents with special needs and we drew up guidelines for the preparation of individual programmes; - in addition, our research work included the development of new models for the education of underprivileged groups in schools (ethnic and cultural minorities, especially the Roma), which attempted to reduce marginalization through learning and education; - we also focused on examining the learning and education of the elderly and their collaboration with other age groups through their participation in the community and through learning and educational activities of organizations at the level of the community; we prepared and distributed recommendations on the introduction of necessary changes concerning the collaboration of various participants at the level of the community, the establishment of the needs of community members, the removal of obstacles and the strengthening of motives for learning and education of everybody living in the community; - the research programme findings contributed to the enrichment of school/entire educational practice, as we distributed the results at expert debates, (international and national) conferences as well as in scientific and expert articles.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2013,
2014,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2013,
2014,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
