Curricular Studies as a Distinctive Area

To clarify the curriculum issues, IRSE seeks to establish curricular studies as a distinct area of ​​research interest. We believe that, in conjunction with research in pedagogy, curriculum studies would make it possible to gain an understanding of the broader context of the genesis of objectives and content of school education. Within the curricular studies, more general questions about the aims and content of education should be explored, including processes of creation, implementation and evaluation of curricular documents and their impact. An important area of ​​interest for curriculum studies should be to investigate the relationship between the curriculum theory and educational practice, with reference to the cultural and social context that influences the different forms of curriculum. Curriculum studies should have a distinctly transdisciplinary character, with a focus on pedagogy, psychology, sociology, culturology and other disciplines.

Multi-paradigmatic Approach of Curricular Studies Methodology

Multi-paradigmatic approaches and the use of a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research methods or techniques (phenomenology, hermeneutics, reconstructionism, autobiography, action research, discourse analysis, etc.) should be typical of the curriculum methodology.

Current Activities of IRSE

The current activities of IRSE are focused on mapping curriculum research and its methodology. In cooperation with the Research Institute of Education in Prague, IRSE carried out extensive research into curricular reform at grammar schools. Attention is also paid to the methodology of defining the objectives and contents of school education. A specific area of ​​interest of IRSE is research in textbooks.

Researchers