The State of Educational Research in Switzerland

Katharina Maag Merki
President Swiss Society for Research in Education (SSRE)
Spring 2012 

The Swiss Society for Research in Education (<link http: www.sgbf.ch _blank externlink external link in new>SSRE) was founded in 1975 and is a member of the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (SAGW) as well as of the European Educational Research Association (EERA). The goals of the SSRE are:

• Consolidate educational research in the national and international academic field;

• bring together the educational researchers active in Switzerland and enhance interdisciplinary cooperation between them;

• establish the advancement of young academics;

• support the cooperation with other research organizations on a national as well as an international level;

• promote cooperation between educational research, practice, administration and politics and represent the interests of educational research.

The Swiss Society for Research in Education consists of approximately 500 members from all scientific disciplines relevant to education and pursues the above mentioned goals.

For this purpose, several activities are implemented:

1. Nationally and internationally oriented congresses are organised each year.

2. The theoretical and empirical research results are published in the internationally recognised trilingual journal „Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Bildungswissenschaften/Revue Suisse des Sciences de l’Education“ as well as in the book series „Explorationen“ (Peter Lang Publishing Group). The tri-annual periodical serves as a discussion forum for researchers working in the domain of educational sciences. In enhancing the exchange of research results and in strengthening the connections between academic and non-academic institutions it contributes to the development of educational sciences. The chosen topics take into account the multiple challenges in this discipline and encourage scientific and public debate. In accepting specific international contributions the SZBW reflects the current scientific developments on an international level.

3. The members of the society are organized in thematically focused working parties which are an important part of the scientific discourse in the society and serve to connect educational researchers, research institutions and regions. They are financially supported by the society in their activities and projects. Both the support of the society given to the working parties as well as the requirements of the SSRE towards the working parties are regulated by binding rules (s. regulations for the working parties). New working parties are initiated by one or several individual SSRE members and are accredited by the Executive Committee following presentation of a working plan. The participation in the working parties is not tied to an SSRE membership. However, the Executive Committee would welcome it if all members of the working parties were individual SSRE members. Currently, the Swiss Society for Research in Education (SSRE/SGBF/CSRE) has the working parties listed below.

• Cooperation with Southern countries / International Relations
• Edumetrics
• French didactics
• History of Education and Schools
• Intercultural Education
• Research and Teaching in Higher Education
• Profession enseignante et professionnalisation de la formation
• Therapeutic and Specialised Pedagogy

4. The executive committee of the SSRE (approx. 10 members) takes care of the society’s day-to-day business which is not in the responsibility of another organ, and it represents the society externally and in international organisations (e.g. EERA). It cultivates the collaboration with the editorial staff of the Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Bildungswissenschaften (Swiss Journal for Educational Sciences) and the working parties. At the same time it is responsible for the organisation of the annual conference as well as the general assembly of the members whom it presents the annual report together with the budget and the audit of the accounts to.

5. In order to keep its members up-to-date, the society circulates an electronic newsletter and electronic flashes via e-mail. It keeps the members up-to-date on the board of directors, educational and scientific politics, prize competitions, promoting young researchers, continuing education and calls for papers.

6. For the last few years, the Swiss Society for Research in Education SSRE has set one of its priorities on encouraging young scientific researchers. The society’s objective is to establish a sustainable and systematic promotion of young researchers in Switzerland in addition to the already existing advancement programmes at universities or colleges. For this purpose, the society regularly organises pre-conferences with various subjects relevant for young researchers (e.g. academic career; external fund raising – knowing how to do; how to publish effectively; internationalisation of the academic career – opportunities and constraints). Additionally, a prize for the best publication of young researchers was established in 2012.

Current challenges of the Society are:

• Sustainability of a national society of educational research

• Different languages leads to obligations in
  - Organization of conferences (website, translations etc.)
  - Journal: papers in all different languages
  - Conferences: keynotes in all different languages
  - Committee: members of all different parts of Switzerland

• Different regional references on educational research
  - French part => France, Belgium, Canada
  - German part => Germany, Austria
  - Italian part => Italy

• Involvement of the tenured professors at universities in the society

• Difficulties to recuit them as members of the committee

• Financial situation (difficulty to employ a research assistant for the editors of the journal)

• Implementation of a national research program on educational science

• Competitiveness in relation to other sciences

• Visibility of educational science (in relation to other sciences)

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