Adult Education Research in Slovenia

Abstract

We found in the 'state of the art' study on adult education research in Slovenia  that in the period 1989-1993 in Slovenia there was quite extensive and intensive research activity on ad uit education. Here are some figures to confirm this statement: 33 research projects were carried out in 11 institutions, and 23 researchers were involved in researches. The research projects were analysed and presented in detail by: kind of providers, research themes and priorities, sources and ways of financing, development of research infrastructure (publicizing, bibliographical resources, training and professional associations of researchers) and extension and ways of international cooperation. Comparing the present sitation with the findings mentioned above we assess that the relatively favourable situation from the period approx five years ago is deteriorating getting worser. There are fewer research conductors, the extent of financial funds is declining, the criteria for approvement of aplicative and fundamental research at the Ministry for Science and Technology are higher, the interest of the Ministry of Education and Sport in research themes is getting narrower and therefore adult education is not treated as a priority; in the structure of researches at present, developmental research prevails, but even here the restrictive financing policy of the Ministry for Education and Sport is not supporting developmental researches as much as before. The development of research infrastructure is stili following the general positive trend of the development of adult education. We condude that special support and measures (special criteria for approvement of research, development of institutions, research staff development and training, development of infrastructure and international cooperation) should be adopted for the more prosperous development of research on adult education; adult education in Slovenia is stili a very young field of activity, and andragogy is a scientific discipline without a longer tradition, so they are not able to overcome so rapidly all the requests which other professional and scientific disciplines with a longer history and tradition can more easily fulfil.