Global field, local approach − 20th century Polish education comparativists and their works

Anna Włoch,Justyna Wojniak,I Önder,E Masal,H Çalişkan,S Beşoluk

doi:10.1051/shsconf/20196601031

Abstract

Comparative education as a pedagogical subdiscipline has developed in Poland in close connection with the history of education from the very beginning. The paper analyzes the main publications of leading Polish pedagogues of the 20th century, and the research has been based on source analysis. The aim of the paper is to present the achievements of Polish comparativists of 20th century and their contribution to the development of comparative education as a global field of research. The authors attempt to answer the question concerning the political context of Polish 20th century education comparativists' work, as scientific activity in Middle and Eastern Europe after World War II was strongly involved in political and. ideological terms. The result of the research is an indication of the participation of Polish pedagogues in an international community of researchers and Polish contribution to the development of comparative pedagogy as a scientific discipline.

Highlights

The inspiration for this paper was a research project and a monograph entitled North American Scholars of Comparative Education
The main purpose of this paper is to present the achievements of the most outstanding representatives of Polish comparative education against the background of the development of this pedagogical subdiscipline as a field of research in the first half of the 20th century
Among the precursors of comparative studies in the Polish pedagogy we should mention first of all Wojciech Szwejkowski, who was the first one to publish a work entitled Remarks on Polish Higher Schools Compared with German Schools (Uwagi nad wyższymi szkołami polskimi w porównaniu do niemieckich) in 1808 [2]

Summary

Introduction

The main purpose of this paper is to present the achievements of the most outstanding representatives of Polish comparative education against the background of the development of this pedagogical subdiscipline as a field of research in the first half of the 20th century. The research was based on the source analysis of their works as well as available archive materials available While studying their works, consideration must be given to the fact that academic, scientific and cultural activity in the Eastern part of Europe of those time was strongly influenced by politics and ideology. The research question to which extent Polish scholars after World War II were able to participate in shaping an international field of research in comparative education constitutes an attempt to present the achievements and profiles of Polish comparativists of 20th century and their contribution to the development of comparative education in Europe. The result of the research is an indication of the participation of Polish pedagogues in an international community of researchers and Polish share in the development of comparative pedagogy as a scientific discipline

The tradition of Polish comparative education

The development of Polish comparative education

Sergiusz Hessen’s pedagogical views

Kazimierz Sośnicki and his comparative approach

Mieczysław Pęcherski’s comparative research

Conclusion