Head of Department
izvanredni profesor
Zagreb, Katedra za pedagogiju i didaktiku
nevenka.maras@ufzg.hr
Deputy Head of Department
izvanredni profesor
Zagreb, Katedra za psihologiju
daria.rovan@ufzg.hr
The history of the Department of Educational Studies began with a resolution of the University Council on 29 April 1971, establishing the Centre for Pedagogical Training and Research as a distinct university institution within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb. In 1981, the Centre was incorporated into the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences – Pedagogical Sciences. Following the institutional partition of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences into the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Teacher Education Academy, jurisdiction over the Centre was transferred to the Teacher Education Academy. Pursuant to the separation resolution of 11 March 1997, the Department of Pedagogy at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences assumed responsibility for the pedagogical-didactic and psychological training of students within its own faculty, whereas the Faculty of Teacher Education (as it was already designated at the time) was assigned the pedagogical-didactic and psychological training of students across other teacher-training faculties (the Faculty of Science, the Academy of Fine Arts, the Academy of Music, the Faculty of Defectology, and the Faculty of Physical Culture).
The primary mission of the Department of Educational Studies is to optimise the acquisition of professional teaching competencies among students enrolled in the University of Zagreb’s teacher-training faculties, enabling them to teach effectively in the disciplines they pursue within their core undergraduate or graduate programmes. Furthermore, the Department organises supplementary pedagogical-psychological education (PPO) and coordinates the programme for acquiring pedagogical competencies for vocational teachers, teaching assistants, and mentors (PSPK).