The Educational Research Institute (ERI) is the central institution in Slovenia for research in education, established in 1965. The mission of the Educational Research Institute is to develop educational sciences and suitable scientific methodologies by encouraging interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary connections. Through the dissemination of scientific results, we also contribute to the development of educational practice. Its work is carried out by over 35 experts coming from different educational fields and covering different research areas and methodological approaches of educational research.
The Educational Research Institute implements its mission and vision through scientific research, directed towards specific thematic areas that shall be researched in an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary manner, through contributions provided by different education sciences: sociology of education and knowledge, comparative education, philosophy of education, pedagogical anthropology, developmental, pedagogical, and social psychology, pedagogy linguistics, feminist theories, epistemology, discourse studies, critical theory of society, etc.
Main thematic clusters of our research:
- Development and research of the quality of preschool upbringing and education
- Monitoring and promotion of the efficiency and quality of the Slovenian educational system from an international perspective
- Development and promotion of the research areas of feminist theory and gender studies in education
- Critical analysis of the role and the position of knowledge and education in society
- Systematic research and development of strategies for the social inclusion of children and young people into the educational system, especially when it comes to culturally and socially vulnerable groups
- Promotion of the empowerment of young people in order to become active citizens
- Development of social, emotional and motivational factors of learning and teaching
- Development of the field of philosophy of education
- Development of the field of philosophy for children
- Research on plurilingualism in upbringing and education
- Research on rhetoric and argumentation in the practice of upbringing and education
- Evaluating, researching and monitoring the development of higher education.
Strategic plan of ERI research for 2022-2027 highlights the following strategic priorities:
- Humanistic and social-science approaches to the digitalization of education
- Analysis of educational policies
- Sustainable development in education.
Role in the national educational space
ERI has a high reputation within Slovenian educational space and has been recognized as coordinator of many concluded and on-going research projects in the field of education and wider. ERI carry out research tasks for the Ministry of education. In well-established partnership with other research and professional institutions in the field of education in Slovenia ERI organises seminars, professional meetings and international conferences (for policy makers, practitioners, media, non-governmental organisations). It also has well-established cooperation with pre-schools, primary schools and secondary schools. Its’ researchers cooperate in graduate and post-graduate education programmes at all three Slovenian universities. ERI researchers are members of the most important expert bodies in Slovenian educational space.
International cooperation
The ERI has extensive experience in the field of international cooperation (OECD, IEA studies, European Commission, Council of Europe, etc.) and has numerous experience in managing and participating in various European projects. It is a founding member of the European Educational Research Association (EERA). Since 2015 the ERI is also an active member of the international Network of Education Policy Centres (NEPC). In the last twenty years it has successfully conducted international comparative assessment studies (PISA – Program for International Students Assessment, TIMSS – Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, PIRLS – Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, ICCS – International Civic and Citizenship Education Study, ICILS – International Computer and Information Study, ESLC – European Survey on Language Competences), REDS (Responses to Educational Disruption Survey) and TALIS – Teaching and Learning International Survey.