The research is related to current international debates in the field of education policies. In the last decade, research and development work in this field has greatly increased, and governmental and non-governmental institutions are showing a growing interest in it. Such a trend is connected with “entering the information society” or “knowledge society”, as well as with international integration (European Union) or stabilization (Stability Pact) processes.
The development of education and training systems and the management of these systems require more and more knowledge, and this presupposes the systematic development of an interdisciplinary field, which most often includes philosophy and sociology of education, psychology and pedagogy. Today, these fields are established in almost all European countries, often at higher education institutions that deal with the education and training of teachers or other professionals in education. Their work is closely related to responsible national or transnational organizations (European Commission, Council of Europe, OECD, etc.). Among the more prominent centers are the University of London (Institute of Education), Umea University (TNTEE), University of Twente (CHEPS), OSI – Institute of Education Policy, Budapest, etc. The research group is already connected with these centers in concrete projects.
In Slovenia, this area has strengthened in the last decade; taking into account the research carried out so far, their importance for the renovation of the education system and the international cooperation established at the same time, it is possible to expect the development of this disciplinary area and an increase in research capacities.
Globalization, the information society, scientific and technical progress are usually cited as key factors of rapid and complex social changes, which ultimately measure the state and development of human resources and their (re)production strategies. In this context, the role of education and training systems and the creation of long-term and effective strategies (policies) in this area is particularly highlighted. Research and discussions in the international space in the current period arise from theoretically elaborated basic assumptions and from conceptual ideas on individual segments of the system, which still contain a series of dilemmas and indicate some typical strategic solutions. The proposed research will enable systematic participation in these debates, including the resolution of conceptual dilemmas and the formulation of practical solutions. In doing so, it will follow the latest trends and, in an international perspective, will not limit itself to the application of knowledge at home, but also to the active role of Slovenia in the international arena.
The research will take place on three levels: the level of analysis of the general principles of education policies and the level of specificity of individual segments of the school system will be connected and concluded at the level of proposed solutions. The first and second levels are designed theoretically and comparatively, while the third synthesizes the acquired knowledge into concrete solutions taking into account the situation in Slovenia.
The purpose of the research is to contribute to an in-depth definition of the transdisciplinary (philosophical-sociological-psychological-pedagogical) foundations of educational policies and thus to the constitution of the field of educational policies as an interdisciplinary field, that is, a special research area with recognizable methodological instruments and terminology, and to present and analyze the situation in this field in the international arena.
2001 – 2004