The symposium was attended by 90 pedagogical professionals working in different areas of education who discussed how migration influences education. The changing conditions of contemporary society challenge the existing practices and mentality of the world of education and call for change. Two major responses of education systems to migration have been identified; one response could be called “specialistic” and refers primarily to the issue of training specialists for working with migrant students (such as teachers for teaching Slovene as a second language, special counsellors etc.) and providing additional support to migrant students. This approach is similar to the one, which is known for the students with special needs, and is based on the notion of integration (not inclusion). On the other hand, the second response is a more “universalistic” one, and refers to the establishment an inclusive and intercultural pedagogical-andragogical conceptualisation of education, and calls for deeper changes at all levels of education – at the levels of education policy, curriculum, didactical approaches, textbooks, teacher education etc. During the discussion at the symposium the participants expressed a lot of unsatisfaction with the current situation in Slovenia. The discussion resulted in the formulation of recommendations that were sent to all relevant stakeholders.
F.18 Transfer of new know-how to direct users (seminars, fora, conferences)
In 2017, Dr Mojca Kovač Šebart and Dr Damijan Štefanc have collaborated with the The Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia in the systematic monitoring of the situation and quality of life of children in Slovenia: for this purpose, they have prepared an analysis of data related to education of children and youth. For each of the educational levels (i.e. preschool education, general compulsory education and upper secondary education) they have analysed and interpreted the key data related to accessibility and quality of education, particularly from the point of view of implemented systemic solutions as well as through the prism of the principle of equal opportunities and equity. They have emphasized that considerable differences exist between Slovenian regions – regarding access to preschool education as well as regarding educational outcomes and results measured by national and international (PISA, TIMSS) assessments. By all the analyzed parameters western Slovenian regions significantly outperform eastern ones (particularly Zasavska, Koroška, and Pomurska regions). Data indicate that additional emphasis should be put on systemic measures that would encourage the enrolment of preschool children in kindergartens, particularly children from less stimulating environments, marginalized groups and those with special needs. It should be determined what are the reasons leading to significantly lower shares of children enrolled in preschool education in some Slovenian regions. In addition, to ensure equal opportunities and non-discrimination systemic measures related to compulsory education should be also considered. Authors suggest that quality evaluation and assessment of initial literacy in the first educational cycle of compulsory education should be established, especially from the aspect of possibilities to implement the measures of didactic differentiation and individualization. The adoption of measures of positive discrimination should also be considered: one of such measures could be the possibility of two teachers simultaneously teaching in the 2nd and 3rd grade of compulsory school where such organization would be needed (e.g. in particular schools, local communities or regions which are deprived in comparison with some other environments in Slovenia). The authors also emphasize the need for school environment to be open towards community: schools should support and enable learning and spending quality leisure time even after the compulsory educational program, and therefore assure access to extracurricular activities for all pupils. This seems to be of particular importance for children from less stimulating family and social environments, i.e. for those whose parents are not capable of financing extra activities by themselves.
F.23 Development of new system-wide, normative and programme solutions, and methods
The Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, awards doctoral students for the best doctoral thesis in the field of humanities and social sciences. For the academic year 2015/2016 Borut Mikulec received the award for the best doctoral dissertation (in Bologna as a pre-Bologna study) in the field of social sciences. With this recognition, the candidate has the opportunity to publish a doctoral dissertation in a monograph form at the Scientific house of Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. In the dissertation “Europeanization of Education and Recognition of Learning Outcomes” we support the latest findings within the theory of adult education that too little attention has been devoted to the important role of the European community in creating a common European educational space and European adult education policy. Following this context we argue that globalisation and Europeanization processes in education mean that it is no longer possible to understand adult education merely as a national matter for individual European countries. Rather, adult education is a reflection of complex relationships and dialogical tension between the supranational and national levels, as an exchange of policies among networks of people, ideas and practices across Europe, in which European, transnational, national and local actors are involved. Within this framework we analyze the influence of European educational space and European educational policy to the recognition of knowledge – or so-called learning outcomes – acquired from formal, non-formal and informal learning by emphasizing in particular the connection between qualifications framework and recognition of prior non-formal and informal learning.
E.01 National awards
Members of the research team have between 2016-2017 worked as Editor-in-chief (Klara Skubic Ermenc), thematic editors (Sabina Jelenc Krašovec, Marko Radovan, Tadej Vidmar, Andreja Hočevar in Mojca Kovač Šebart) and members of international editorial board of the scientific journal Sodobna pedagogika/ Journal of Contemporary Education Studies. Successful internationalisation of the journal resulted in inclusion of the journal into two international bibliographic databases: In 2016 into Scopus (Elsevier), with issues published from 2015 on; and into 2017 also in Emerging Sources Citation Index (Clarivate Analytics). The scientific journal Andragogic Perspectives is published by University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts and is focused on learning and education in adulthood. The journal is indexed in: ERIH plus, DOAJ, EBSCO, ResearchBib, and Cabell's Publishing. In 2017 two thematic issues were prepared: Globalisation and Europeanisation of Adult Education and Antirasistic Perspectives in Education. In 2016 three thematic issues were published: New Technologies in Adult Education, Mentoring in Adult Education, and Film and Adult Learning.
C.05 Editorial board of a national magazine
»Digital UL – With Innovative ICT Use to Excellence" The ESF project »Digital UL – With Innovative ICT Use to Excellence« (Duration: 1.4.2017 – 30.9.2020) addresses one of the key challenges of modernizing higher education, namely providing quality education with the possibility of useful ICT and other new technologies through enriched, innovative methods and approaches in the teaching and learning process. All members of the University of Ljubljana are included in the project. Project activities, which are system-based at the level of the university, pursue the objectives of both the strategic documents at European level, aimed at adapting education systems to today's globalized and digital world, as well as the objectives of specific domain strategies, resolutions, and national programs in Slovenia. »ICT in Pedagogical Study Programs at UL« ESF project »ICT in Pedagogical Study Programs at UL« (Duration: 1.4.2017-30.9.2018) with activities in the field of study programs that train future elementary schools and secondary school teachers for didactical use of ICT in the teaching process. Nine members of the University of Ljubljana, which implement study programs for educating future teachers participate in this project. The objectives of the project are the preparation of technical bases for the didactical use of ICT for all areas of education of primary and secondary school teachers carried out by UL, preparing recommendations for the equipping of schools with ICT and providing information support to teachers, training of future teachers for the didactical use of ICT.
D.01 Chairing over/coordinating (international and national) projects