The development of pedagogy as an academic discipline in Serbia – between scientific and vocational needs

Dr. Nataša Vujisić Živković and Vera Spasenović

Summary:  Since its beginnings, the development of pedagogy in Serbia was determined by close ties between the theory of education and subject teaching methodologies and by the construction of a school system and teacher education. The application of scientific knowledge to education was a powerful agent in changing the theoretical concepts developed by all generations of Serbian educators. In this paper, we follow the development of pedagogy as an academic discipline in Serbia in the context of the interdependent relationship of its scientific acceptance and its application in practice. It has transpired that the approach we apply informs not only about the complexity of teaching roles and professions—from classical teaching roles to the roles of supervisors and researchers in pedagogy—but also provides new insights into the fundamental determinants of the historical development of the science of education in Serbia. Special attention has also been paid to the historical and current issues of academically established pedagogical education in relation to the dominant theoretical and methodological standpoints of educators on one hand and to the requirements of educational practice in Serbia on the other. This allows us to gain insight into the origins of and possible solutions to contemporary problems of pedagogical science at universities in Serbia.