Teaching and the Pedagogical Training of University Teaching Staff–Practice and Opinions under Slovenian Higher Education Legislation

Abstract

This study examines the teaching in higher education in Slovenia, with an emphasis on the pedagogical training and pedagogical qualification of university teaching staff. Various aspects of the latter were examined among 513 respondents. The results showed that university teachers attribute significant importance to pedagogical work (the term used in Slovenian higher education legislation), yet nearly half of them had never been involved in any kind of pedagogical courses. The other half of the respondents had participated in various kinds of pedagogical courses (i.e. ‘adult education’ or a pedagogical study programme for the primary and secondary level of education) and only 31.4% of all respondents had participated in higher education pedagogical training. At a higher education institution with well-defined criteria in the field of pedagogical work, the percentage of teaching staff without any pedagogical education is lower than in an institution with less defined conditions. In recent years, a growing number of various higher education pedagogical training programmes have been offered.