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This paper discusses the role of pedagogical historiography in forming pedagogical knowledge, both from the aspect of history and from the aspect of the present status of this discipline. Our aim is to observe the problems of pedagogical historiography, as a scientific and teaching discipline, in the context of forming of pedagogical knowledge. The process of transformation of heuristic function of the history of pedagogy is analysed - from the traditional approach which emphasises its role in forming pedagogical culture to the orientation of historical research and education in pedagogy towards theoretical and professional knowledge. The development of history of pedagogy as a scientific discipline is mostly observed through three phases: the first, focused on research of the development of pedagogical ideas and/or school system, lasted until the 1960s, when it was replaced by social history of education, while today it is mostly spoken about the "cultural history of education". The evolution of pedagogical historiography is also followed by the changes in its relation towards theory and practice of education, which is especially dealt with in this paper. In the conditions of radical changes in epistemology of social sciences and university reform, pedagogical historiography faces the question of its own relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The criticism of the current language in school textbooks indicates the gravity of this problem in our environment and the need to solve it. The first step in approaching this problem is studying the reception of primary school textbooks. In the first part of the paper we discuss all primary school textbooks from the fifth to the eighth grade with regard to the frequency of textbook usage and the perception of the difficulty of textbook language. In the second part of the paper there is an additional analysis of history, geography, biology, physics and chemistry textbooks from the fifth to the eighth grade with regard to the reasons for which pupils find them difficult. This preliminary research comprised in total 120 pupils from an urban school, thirty from each fifth to eighth grade. We analysed the textbooks of the Institute for Textbook Publishing and Teaching Aids, which are used most frequently in our educational practice, and hence can represent the general situation of the problem. Bearing in mind the limited size of the sample of pupils, the results are used only as an illustration and should encourage new studies on a more extensive sample. Textbook language is often difficult since it is mostly insufficiently comprehensible, longwinded and with many data. In natural sciences, physics and chemistry, pupils give up studying from the textbook. The textbooks in narrative subjects lead the way with respect to their usage, among which everybody finds history textbooks most difficult. Geography and biology textbooks were evaluated differently, depending on the grade and success of the pupils declaring themselves. The results present a guideline to the current and new writers of our textbooks, critics and publishing houses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the conditions of high instability, uncertainty and changing of environment of contemporary organisations, management of changes and knowledge become priority social strategies, and readiness for changes, flexible usage of knowledge and creativity become the most important competences of people in contemporary organisations. Knowledge, creativity, taking initiative and readiness for changes are the condition of development, survival and success of organisations, but of individuals as well. Our basic question is aimed at the possibilities of the contribution of basic education to the preparation of the young for working in turbulent environment, where work and professional competences involve readiness for changes and innovativeness. In terms of educational policy it implies the need for the creation of upbringing- educational model which will be capable of providing optimal answers to the changes in environment. The key notion of pluralist educational concept, based on democratic values, is the acceptance of the plurality of ideas. Our researches suggest a significant positive correlation between the variables tolerance of independence and the acceptance of the plurality of ideas. Based on that fact, using the theoretical-analytical method, this paper argues the compatibility of pluralist concept in education with the demands of contemporary organisations from the perspective of preparing the young for the inclusion in work in the uncertain, changeable organisational environment of knowledge society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article concerns education for civil society through regular schooling as a significant issue of preparing children and young people for life in a modern, complex society. The paper aims to improve our understanding of the concept and the objectives of education for civil society, the role of the teacher, the role of teaching methods and the influence exerted by school culture. It also seeks to point out serious implications and open questions concerning our school practice. The article brings findings from several relevant studies emphasizing their significance for the improvement of our educational practice in relation to civil society. It places particular emphasis on the importance of interactive working methods, functional attitude of the civil society oriented teacher as a role model for students, the atmosphere in which students can express critique and personal attitudes, as well as the importance of school culture stimulating the balance between the culture of a role and the culture of support. Special emphasis is laid on the need for flexible approach to subject matter in relation to civil society as well as the need that it should not be limited to one school subject. Education for civil society is supposed gradually to become the principal model for school practice, both in subject matter content and in extracurricular activities as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underachievement in school is seen as a failure in traditional theories of education. An alternative construction of school underachievement, from the point of view of Michel Foucault' s approach to power and George Kelly's principle of elaborative choice, is offered as the subject matter of this paper. Instead of being construed exclusively as a measure of good education, school success can be seen as the effect of normalization based on the power of discourses dominating in a society. In the same time, underachievement can be seen as a form of resistance to dominant discourse, as well as a way of defining identity in accordance with marginalized discourses whose significance is not recognized or respected from the point of school authorities. The prevailing tradition of European rationality treats poor achievement as a case of norm deviation. The individual perspectives are discounted as irrational and disordered behavior, requiring treatment. Kelly, however, asserts that claims of irrationality reflect poor understanding of individual perspectives. When individuals resist the dominant discourse and underachieve despite their abilities, they are making an active choice which should be understood from their point of view. The choice someone makes is always an elaborative choice. Thus underachievement may be construed as resistance to power, based on the principle of elaborative choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]