Department of Pedagogical Science

The Department of Pedagogical Science

History of the Department of Pedagogical Science

The Department of Pedagogical Science is one of the oldest departments at Comenius University’s Faculty of Arts. Relatively shortly after its foundation, in the winter term of 1923/1924, the faculty opened a pedagogical school whose primary purpose was to provide pedagogical education for prospective secondary school teachers and to develop pedagogical science. 

General Characteristics of the Department of Pedagogical Science

The Department of Pedagogical Science provides training for pedagogy teachers (in a double major programme in combination with a variety of fields), highly qualified experts in pedagogical theory and practice (in a single major programme) and general pedagogical training for teacher trainees. It also trains doctoral students in the field. The department also offers supplementary pedagogical training for university graduates. The study programmes on offer (the single or the double major teaching programme) allow students to specialize their studies, depending on their interests, in the following areas: ethical education, pedagogical counselling, pre-school pedagogy, social pedagogy and school pedagogy. 

The research activities of the department’s faculty are in organic harmony with their teaching activities. Research output is incorporated into the teaching process. In the area of research, the department primarily centres on school pedagogy, social pedagogy, pre-school pedagogy, pedagogical diagnostics, didactics, the theory of education, alternative schools, pedagogical axiology, the methodology of educational sciences, the philosophy of education and pedagogical counselling. The results of the department’s research projects have been presented at domestic and foreign conferences and seminars and published in domestic and foreign journals and proceedings.

The department’s faculty have participated in several international projects and collaborated with other institutions on their research activities. The department has long-term research collaborations mainly with colleagues in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia and the Netherlands.

 

The Department of Education at the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava as a scientific and pedagogical workplace is an integral part of faculty structure and fulfils the following tasks:

1. formation of the future teachers of pedagogy (in combination with teaching of other academic subject),

2. formation of the highly qualified experts in the field of pedagogic theory and practice (in the one field study),

3. pedagogical formation of teacher candidates for academic subjects,

4. formation of students in the doctoral program in the field of pedagogy,

5. development of pedagogical theory and scientific research,

6. organization of supplementary pedagogical study for the graduates of universities.