Scientific article Andragoška spoznanja/Studies in Adult Education and Learning, 2023, 29(2), 69-85 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4312/as/13329 Július Matulčík DEVELOPMENT AND CURRENT STATUS OF ANDRAGOGY IN SLOVAKIA ABSTRACT The paper deals with the origin and development of andragogy in Slovakia. Its aim is to present the consti- tution, development, and system of andragogy in Slovakia by means of a historical analysis and based on that analysis, the discovery, recognition, and interpretation of facts from the scientific works of the most important representatives of andragogy. The concept of andragogy as an integral part of the educational sciences began to take shape in Slovakia in the 1990s in the new social and political conditions. This process was based both on the traditions of adult education in Slovakia and on the theoretical foundations of adult pedagogy, mainly the works of foreign representatives of andragogy. The paper presents and discusses the systematisation of andragogy, the content definition of general andragogy, and the basic and applied disciplines of andragogy. Contemporary Slovak andragogy presents a conceptually and substantively elaborated theory of adult education. Keywords: adult education, lifelong learning, adult pedagogy, andragogy, system of andragogical sciences RAZVOJ IN STANJE ANDRAGOGIKE NA SLOVAŠKEM – POVZETEK Članek obravnava začetek in razvoj andragogike na Slovaškem. Cilj članka je predstaviti vzpostavitev, razvoj in sistem andragogike na Slovaškem na podlagi zgodovinske analize, na tej podlagi pa odkriti, prepoznati in interpretirati podatke iz znanstvenih del najpomembnejših predstavnikov andragogike. Koncept andragogike kot integralni del izobraževalnih znanosti se je na Slovaškem začel oblikovati v devetdesetih letih prejšnjega stoletja v novih družbenih in političnih razmerah. Ta proces je izhajal tako iz tradicije izobraževanja odraslih na Slovaškem kot tudi iz teoretičnih temeljev pedagogike odraslih, večinoma iz del tujih predstavnikov andra- gogike. Članek razpravlja o sistemizaciji andragogike, opredelitvi vsebine splošne andragogike ter o osnovnih in aplikativnih disciplinah andragogike. Sodobna slovaška andragogika predstavlja konceptualno in vsebinsko razčlenjeno teorijo izobraževanja odraslih. Ključne besede: izobraževanje odraslih, vseživljenjsko učenje, pedagogika odraslih, andragogika, sistem an- dragoških znanosti Július Matulčík, PhDr., Asst. Prof., Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava, julius.matulcik@uniba.sk AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 69 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 69 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 70 ANDRAGOŠKA SPOZNANJA/STUDIES IN ADULT EDUCATION AND LEARNING 2/2023 INTRODUCTION In the fourth part of his work De rerum humanarum emendatione consultationis catholicae, Pampaedia, Komenský (1966) defined comprehensive education as the universal educa- tion of the entire humankind that should help people to achieve the highest perfection possible. Komenský’s demand was to make universal education available to everyone – omnes, in entirety – omnia, and for everyone to be comprehensively – omnino educated. This extraordinary demand to meet one of the elementary human rights is most relevant even today and means applying democratic principles when it comes to access to any kind of education for everyone, throughout life. Komenský’s (1992) statement: “Any age is earmarked for learning and people have been given the same limits both for life and education” (p. 88) is an apt expression of the idea of lifelong education. However, this idea only began to be applied to a greater extent in the second half of the 20 th century. For example, 1970 was declared the year of lifelong education by the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization. Adult education holds an important position in the concept of lifelong education as its organic part. The requirement that adult education be understood as an essential part of the system of lifelong education first appeared during the third world conference on adult education (CONFINTEA III) in Tokyo in 1972. Moreover, the conference recommended that adult education be given adequate academic recognition, i.e. develop as a university study and scientific field (UNESCO, 1972, pp. 39–58). Due to the significant political changes in Europe in the late 1980s, the growing importance of adult education as part of lifelong education and training led to the intensive development and expansion of the theory of adult education – andragogy, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, including Slovakia. The aim of the paper is to present and discuss the constitution, development, and system of andragogy in Slovakia. For this purpose, two main research questions are addressed: How was Slovak andragogy formed? How and through the work of which prominent Slovak authors was the system of andragogy and its disciplines created? On the basis of the research questions, using the historical research method (Matulčík, 1998) and analys- ing the scientific works of the most prominent representatives of Slovak andragogy, the paper focuses on the historical, theoretical, and international background of the constitu- tion of Slovak andragogy, its understanding, systematisation, and content definition of the key theoretical and applied disciplines. STARTING POINTS OF SLOVAK ANDRAGOGY The theory and practice of adult education have a complex history of development in Slovakia. From a terminological point of view, several terms were used in the past, for example, public education (today viewed mostly from the historical point of view), adult training and education, adult education, adult pedagogy. As stated in Výchova a vzdelávanie dospelých: AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 70 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 70 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 71 Július Matulčík: Development and Current Status of Andragogy in Slovakia Andragogika (Ďurič et al., 2000), a terminological and explanatory dictionary, the state of terminological flexibility and creative search lasted until the end of the 1980s. A signifi- cant role in this search was played by the periodically published Osvetový zborník (People’s Education Miscellany), which later transformed into the Osveta journal, subtitled Časopis pre otázky teórie kultúry a výchovy dospelých ( Journal of Cultural Theory and Adult Educa- tion Issues). For a long time, this remained the only professional journal of its kind in all of Czechoslovakia. After it folded, its role was partly taken over by Osvetová práca (Tasks of Public Education), today the Národná osveta (Public Education) journal. The development of mainly extracurricular adult education and training depended to a great extent on the involvement of the Institute of Public Education and the Research Institute of Culture and Public Opinion. It was through their effort that in the 1970s and 1980s a whole range of significant theoretical studies and publications were published, of which many were the outcome of important research programmes (e.g. System of Adult Education and Training: Final Studies From the Completion of the State Scientific Research Task; Institute of Public Education & the Research Institute of Culture and Public Opin- ion, 1972). The most prominent authors whose works on general adult pedagogy, the history of adult education and training, didactics, and the theory of adult education contributed signif- icantly to the formation of Slovak adult pedagogy as an autonomous branch of science cultivated within the general theory of education – general pedagogy – were Š. Pasiar, P. Paška, J. Perhács, M. Tuma, and M. Cirbes, among others. In the changed circumstances of the 1990s (the fall of the totalitarian regime and the es- tablishment of democracy after the first free elections in June 1990), a new concept of the theory of adult education, unencumbered by ideology, started to form. After taking into account the new developments in the theory and practice of adult education and training both abroad and in Slovakia, the term andragogy proved to be the most suitable. The term andragogy was first systemised within “anthropogogy” and its use was first justified in Slovakia by Š. Švec (1988). He based it on the medical naming and gnoseo- logical-praxeological model (paediatrics – general medicine – geriatrics). Švec included pedagogy, andragogy, and geragogy in anthropogogy. We can agree with C. Határ’s (2011) opinion that from a methodological point of view and contrary to pedagogy and andrago- gy, in Slovak conditions geragogy has not achieved the status of an autonomous science yet. It has developed principally within (social) andragogy and gerontology. The growing interest in andragogy or the andragogical concept of the theory of adult education in Slovakia has not resulted merely from the previous lack of knowledge on andragogy or its past biased criticism stemming from ideology (e.g. see the entry “an- dragogika” in Pedagogická encyklopédia Slovenska 1; Pavlík, 1984). It reflected the needs of social practice, the growing need for specific ways of solving the problems of adult people within the context of the pressing needs of lifelong education (Prusáková, 1996). AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 71 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 71 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 72 ANDRAGOŠKA SPOZNANJA/STUDIES IN ADULT EDUCATION AND LEARNING 2/2023 A crucial role in creating the Slovak concept of andragogy, still within the Czecho- slovak Republic (Czecho-Slovakia), was played by the annual meetings of the heads of departments of adult education (later andragogy) held in the early 1990s. It should be said that in Czecho-Slovakia, the theory of adult education developed relatively autonomously in both the Czech and the Slovak Federal Republic. The meetings of the departments after 1989 on the direction of the discipline (adult education – an- dragogy) and the field of study of the discipline (adult education – andragogy) were of a discussion character. The acceptance and creation of the concept of andragogy was based on specific theoretical backgrounds both in the Czech Republic and in the Slovak Republic as well as on the specific conditions of the departments. The acceptance of the concept of andragogy was fully within the remit of the individual departments, as can be seen from the fact that the departments did not approve it at the same time. The meeting venues alternated among the Faculties of Arts of Charles University in Prague, Palacký University in Olomouc, Comenius University in Bratislava, and the University of Prešov in Prešov. They dealt with issues concerning the further development of the theory of adult education and the field of studies as such at individual faculties. A new term, andragogy, to denote the science of adult education was proposed by Vladimír Jochmann of Palacký University and subsequently accepted during the very first meet- ing in 1989 (Matulčík, 2004, p. 118). Vladimír Jochmann (1992) justifies in three points the use of the new term to name the science on adult education and training: 1. By combining H. Hanselmann’s social-andragogical and therapeutic perception of an- dragogy with F. Pöggeler’s didactically understood concept of andragogy, and taking into account the orientation of andragogy to cultural and socio-educational work in the works of Polish authors R. Wroczyñski and L. Turos, the term andragogy would cover what is known in the world as “adult education”, “social work” (social adult ped- agogy) and “cultural work” (cultural-educational work). 2. The term andragogy is not so encumbered by the traditional understanding of edu- cation, which opens up the way to a broader understanding of education as a social function. 3. The terminological separation of adult education and training from pedagogy puts emphasis on the specifics of adult education, the difference in methods and in the overall approach to working with adults in contrast to working with children and young adults. However, Jochmann did not see the separation of andragogy from pedagogy as complete detachment. He perceived them as two relatively independent branches within one sci- ence on education. Jochmann (1992) defines andragogy as a typical science, anthropolog- ical in character, which is based on two other anthropological sciences – sociology and psychology. He sees andragogy as an empirical-theoretical science on adult education that studies adult education as one of the basic social functions in all its elements and aspects. Jochmann’s integral andragogy became the basis for creating the specific concepts AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 72 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 72 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 73 Július Matulčík: Development and Current Status of Andragogy in Slovakia of andragogy in the Czech and Slovak Republics. These were determined by the specifics and differences in the conditions, needs, and staff members of respective departments. In terms of creating and developing the andragogical concept, the two academic work- places that contributed most to the rise of andragogy in Slovakia in the 1990s were the Department of Andragogy at the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University, and the Depart- ment of Social Work and Andragogy at the Faculty of Arts, University of Prešov. THE SLOVAK CONCEPT OF ANDRAGOGY , ITS UNDERSTANDING AND SYSTEM Andragogy in Slovakia and the perspectives of its development as a newly perceived sci- entific and study field was first introduced by V. Prusáková (1996). According to her, the concept of andragogy is much broader than the concept of adult pedagogy. Prusáková (2005) defines andragogy as the “science on educating an adult human being that deals with the intentional socialisation of adults, with helping adult people in all areas of life (professional life, leisure time, social security)” (p. 8). In this context, the subject of an- dragogy covers adult education, adult training and learning, and adult counselling. Re- search into adult training and education requires an interdisciplinary approach, however, the subject of research does not comprise psychological or sociological issues but an- dragogical ones (Prusáková, 2005). After adopting the systemisation of andragogy of its significant representatives abroad (e.g. Jochmann, 1992; Pöggeler, 1974; Samolovčev, 1963; Savicević, 1991; Turos, 1993) and following the theoretical bases of the systemisation of andragogy and adult pedagogy in Slovakia, the systemisation of andragogy was established on the principles of the basic areas of human life – profession, leisure time, and social security (Prusáková, 2005). The system of andragogy, according to Prusáková (2005, p. 16), comprises of (1) general – s yst ematic andr ag og y with theoretical branches from: • the history of adult education and andragogical thinking, • andragogical didactics, • the theory of adult formation, • comparative andragogy, and (2) applied disciplines encompassing: • professional andragogy, • social andragogy, and • cultural-educational andragogy. A different, broader structure of the system of andragogy was later presented by C. Határ (2011). He classified the branches of andragogy into three groups: basic, border, and ap- plied. In this structure, both the theoretical and methodological bases that take into ac- count the typical integrative and interdisciplinary character of andragogy, and reflection of andragogical practice, its needs and specifics, show themselves in the form of the bor- der and applied andragogical branches (see Figure 1). AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 73 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 73 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 74 ANDRAGOŠKA SPOZNANJA/STUDIES IN ADULT EDUCATION AND LEARNING 2/2023 Figure 1 System of andragogy Employer andragogy School andragogy Leisure time andragogy Applied andragogical branches Basic andragogic branches Border andragogical branches Social andragogy Professional andragogy Cultural andragogy Economics of adult education Andragogical psychology General (systematic andragogy) Theory of adult education Didactics of andragogy History of adult education Theory of adult education management Methodology of andragogical science and andragogical research Comparative andragogy Special andragogy ANDRAGOGY Note. Adapted from “Geragogika – tretí pilier výchovovedy” by C. Határ, 2011, Lifelong Learning – celoživotní vzdělávání, 1(1), 87. From the point of view of the importance, state and development status, as well as the importance for practical use, general – systematic andragogy, history of adult education, adult didactics, theory of adult formation, comparative andragogy, professional, social and cultural and educational andragogy, or andragogical psychology can be considered to be the most important andragogical branches at present. Within the ones already established, a lot of other branches developed further, e.g. geragogy, andragogical counselling, management of adult education, special andragogy, etc. Border branches, e.g. andragogical psychology, sociolo- gy of adult education, etc. are also of special significance for the development of andragogy. In the following, we further elaborate on the meaning of all basic and applied andragog- ical branches. As we have indicated, these are the key disciplines most frequently men- tioned in the systematisation of andragogy. AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 74 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 74 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 75 Július Matulčík: Development and Current Status of Andragogy in Slovakia General – systematic andragogy General – systematic andragogy was first defined by V. Prusáková in 2005. She justified the use of the term “systematic andragogy” as one that, in her opinion, fits better with the essence of striving for the universality of the system of andragogical thinking (Prusáková, 2005). From the point of view of the development of andragogical science and practice, systemic understanding of andragogical phenomena and processes is purposeful and en- lightening. The system allows relations to be found and relations allow for finding causes and effects. It is possible to see where regularity and stability can be expected on the one hand, and where dynamics and transformations are to be sought on the other. Systematic andragogy comprises the most general principles, conditions and research procedures. At its core are the methodological foundations and defined general goals of andragogical thinking (Prusáková, 2005, p. 9). Apart from representing the whole concept of andragog- ical theory, systematic andragogy also stands for the general branch of science that forms its basis, the core. In this sense, systematic andragogy deals with the subject of andragogy, its general characterisation, its structure. It defines the most general research principles, conditions, methods, and cognitive goals, and provides the theoretical basis. Systematic andragogy also clarifies the basic concepts and the importance of the system to help understand the phenomena and processes of adult education, training, self-education, self-training and self-improvement (Prusáková, 2005, p. 17). Moreover, general – systematic andragogy also comprises the issues of terminology, issues of definition and interpretation of andragogical terms and concepts. Among the authors who were first to address the issue of terminology are Š. Švec (2002, 2008), J. Matulčík (2004), and V. Prusáková (2005). It follows from the definition of general – systematic andragogy that it also includes andragogical methodology which is often listed in the system of educational sciences as part of the methodology of sciences on education. General – systemic andragogy is also included in the system of branches of andragogy by Š. Švec (2000a). He defines it as a branch studying social-philosophical frameworks of adult education and learning, the goals of education, the possibilities and needs, theo- retical concepts of andragogy, and the position of adults within the process of education and learning. To sum up, both terms, systematic and general andragogy, are used in Slovakia, while the content definition is basically the same. The term systematic andragogy emphasises the systematic grasp of andragogical phenomena and processes both from the point of view of andragogical theory and from the point of view of andragogical practice. History of adult education and andragogical thinking The history of adult education and andragogical thinking deals with the genesis and development of andragogical theory, methodology, and andragogical institutions. It has both general and specific laws of development. Its task is to uncover historical patterns of adult education development on the national and international (world) levels, as well as AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 75 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 75 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 76 ANDRAGOŠKA SPOZNANJA/STUDIES IN ADULT EDUCATION AND LEARNING 2/2023 those in the histories of organisations and institutions operating during different stages of social development (Ďurič et al., 2000). It uncovers social-economic, cultural and civi- lizational contexts of the development of adult education. The history of adult education must not be based just on simple description of phenomena, processes, institutions or personages (their life and views). The importance of this scientific field lies in the pursuit of their deeper and more complex analysis that would take into account the causality of the monitored phenomena by applying the historical approach. Thus, the approximation and evaluation of the contribution of important personages in adult education theory and practice represent an important part of the history of adult education and andragogical thinking. The history of the theory and practice of adult education has as a field been sig- nificantly enriched by the outcome of the scientific project entitled Rola osobnosti v roz- voji teórie edukácie dospelých (The Role of Personality in Developing the Theory of Adult Education), which took place in 2016–2018. The results of the project were published in Acta andragogica 5–7 (2017, 2018, 2020), in which 38 prominent personalities of world, Czech, and Slovak andragogy were presented. Andragogical didactics Andragogical didactics, also andro-didactics or adult didactics is an adult teaching-oriented theory of adult education. It deals with the goals, contents, methods, forms, and means of adult education. Based on empirical research, it studies educational processes, their laws. On the basis of research into educational processes in various educational environments, it de- fines the general principles of the didactic transformation of contents and didactic perfor- mance or of educational methodology (Prusáková, 2005). The foundations of andragogical didactics were laid by the works of Milan Cirbes (1989) and Miroslav Tuma (1987, 1990). M. Cirbes’s (1989) monograph Didaktika dospelých (Didactics of Adults) was the first basal professional publication in the sphere of the theory of adult education. The author’s claim that the success of the didactic process depends principally on its organisation by a teacher, as well as on knowing the goal, the subject matter, the principles and didactic methods as the most important means of achieving the educational goals applies fully even today. M. Tuma’s (1987) monograph Metódy výchovy a vzdelávania dospelých (Methods of Adult Education and Training), with Cirbes’s Didaktika dospelých (Didactics of Adults), is the first publication specifically dedicated to the issue of the methods of adult education based on the broader starting points of the theory of systems, synergy, communicational processes and informatisation. The classification methods take into account the division according to thought processes, the issues of rationalisation, optimalisation, and creativity within the process of adult education. The author was the first in Slovak professional literature to show the division of methods according to the degree of innovation and the trends in im- proving the methods. M. Tuma’s (1990) more recent publication, the monograph Moderné metódy vzdelávania (Modern Methods of Education), takes into account the newest trends in the methods of adult education, while J. Kalnický’s (1994) Progresívna andragogika – androdidaktika (Progressive Andragogy – Androdidactics) was the first publication on adult education didactics after andragogy had become firmly established in Slovakia. AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 76 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 76 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 77 Július Matulčík: Development and Current Status of Andragogy in Slovakia The issue of the educational impact of an adult educator, the issues of a teacher’s per- sonality and their competences represent a special, very important part of didactics. The determinants of a teacher’s professional growth within the context of the quality of adult education was the focus of the publication Andragogický rozvoj lektora by M. Krystoň and V. Prusáková (2015) and their colleagues. Theory of adult formation The theory of adult formation examines the educational process of forming a person’s personality, their self-formation and self-creation within social groups and communities. To better know the contents of adult education means to examine human personality more accurately and partially from the point of formation; to examine the goals of forma- tion and its basic elements, with special emphasis on individual parts of formation which are distinguished by their specifics while at the same time they create an integrated unit (Perhács & Paška, 1995). Thus, the subject of the theory of adult formation comprises adult formation and adult self-formation, its goals, conditions, process of formation, its dynamics and outcomes. The process of exploring the personality of an adult person from the perspective of the effect of educational agents, goals, forms and methods of forma- tion, more particularly within the context of the issue of possibilities of bringing up adult people is an important area of the theory of adult formation. The most important author of several publications on the theory of adult formation is Ján Perhács (1982, 1986; Per- hács & Paška, 1995), the author of such publications as Vybrané kapitoly z teórie výchovy dospelých (Selected Topics From the Theory of Adult Education), Základy teórie výchovy dospelých (Basics in the Theory of Adult Education), or Dospelý človek v procese výchovy (Adults Within Educational Processes). J. Perhács’s (1996) significant achievement was pointing out the relationship between the theory of formation and social andragogy. Comparative andragogy Comparative andragogy was established in Slovakia on the foundations of comparative pedagogy. Comparative andragogy began to be constituted as an independent branch on the instigation of Milan Krankus’s (1987) study K problematike porovnávacích výs- kumov výchovy a vzdelávania dospelých (On the Issues of Adult Education Comparative Research), which dealt with some terminological and methodological issues. More works targeted at comparative research in adult education, including the methods of compar- ative research were published in the 1990s (Matulčík, 1996, 1997, 1998), e.g. Probleme und Chancen des Vergleichs nationaler Bildungsysteme in Europa (Problems and Chances of Comparing National Education Systems in Europe), Basic Questions of the Theory of Comparative Andragogy, Metódy porovnávacej andragogiky (Methods of Comparative An- dragogy). Matulčík (2004) introduced the concept of comparative andragogy as a scien- tific branch in his publication Teórie výchovy a vzdelávania dospelých v zahraničí (Adult Education Theories Abroad). His findings are based on the analyses of the works of the AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 77 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 77 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 78 ANDRAGOŠKA SPOZNANJA/STUDIES IN ADULT EDUCATION AND LEARNING 2/2023 world’s prominent comparatists in the area of adult education (F. Pöggeler, J. H. Knoll, C. Titmus, A. N. Charters, J. Kulich, L. Turos, B. Samolovčev, D. M. Savićević, etc.). Matulčík (2004) defines comparative andragogy as one of the key scientific sub-branch- es of andragogy, whose aim is to get to know, interpret and compare foreign systems of adult education, their individual parts, and elements. Such research also comprises the study, analysis, interpretation and comparison of various issues, concepts, theories, methods, forms and means of adult education in individual countries while taking into consideration the socio-economic, political, cultural, national and historical specifics and conditions. Comparative andragogy performs an important integrative function – it is an intersec- tion of andragogical theories, educational concepts, projects and reforms in the area of education and is distinctly focused on practice. Its current importance is confirmed by I. Pirohová’s (2015) latest publication, Teórie vzdelávania dospelých (Theories of Adult Edu- cation), as well as M. Schubert’s (2017, 2020) Teoretické koncepcie andragogiky (Theoretical Conceptions of Andragogy) and Komparatívna andragogika (Comparative Andragogy). Professional andragogy The focus of professional andragogy as an applied andragogical branch representing one of the three subsystems of andragogy was first defined by Viera Prusáková in 1996. Her definition was based on three basic areas of human life: professional, leisure time, and social security. Professional andragogy deals with applying andragogical theory in the area of work and work organisations. Primarily, it focuses on further professional education. It is closely re- lated to company education. It develops in close connection with personnel management and educational and career counselling. It deals with relationships between the require- ments of a certain professional field and the fulfilment of the need for the self-realisation and self-development of individuals (Prusáková, 1996). From the point of view of andragogical practice, professional andragogy focuses on fur- ther professional adult education targeted at improving, expanding, and innovating qual- ifications and competences. It comprises all forms of professional and vocational edu- cation in the course of active working life after having completed professional training within the school system. Further professional education can be divided into qualifying and re-qualifying education (Prusáková, 2005). Qualifying education focuses mainly on: • increasing of qualifications, • deepening of qualifications, • innovating of qualifications, • specialisation of qualifications, • broadening of qualifications, • renewing of qualifications, AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 78 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 78 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 79 Július Matulčík: Development and Current Status of Andragogy in Slovakia while requalifying education focuses on changing qualifications by obtaining new quali- fications and is part of active employment policy. Personnel management, i.e. care of human resources development, is a significant part of professional andragogy. Vladimír Frk and Ivana Pirohová (2016), the authors of the first university textbook Profesijná andragogika (Professional Andragogy), have a large share in the development of this area of professional andragogy, perceived by some authors (e.g. Tureckiová (2013) in the Czech Republic) as personnel andragogy. They see professional andragogy as a branch of andragogy that focuses on human resources management in connection with the need of applying a competence approach to the development and education of staff and managers. Professional andragogy also includes staff management issues, especially leadership styles. However, applying different approaches when defining professional andragogy is not contradictory to Prusáková’s first definition mentioned above. In accordance with this definition, D. Temiaková et al. (2020) published the university textbook Profesijná an- dragogika (Professional Andragogy) which covers all its areas: further professional educa- tion and its forms, the development and training of employees within the framework of human resources management, as well as andragogical career counselling. Social andragogy The second subsystem of andragogy is social andragogy. Its foundations were laid by Ján Perhács (1996, 2006) in the study Úlohy teórie výchovy dospelých v procese konštituovania a rozvíjania sociálnej andragogiky (The Tasks of the Theory of Adult Education in the Process of Constituting and Developing Social Andragogy) and particularly in the study Sociálna andragogika (Social Andragogy). The works of J. Perhács were followed up by C. Határ’s (2009, 2012) publications Sociálna pedagogika, sociálna andragogika a sociálna práca - teoretické, profesijné a vzťahové reflexie (Social Pedagogy, Social Andragogy and Social Work – Theoretical, Professional and Relational Reflections) and Sociálna andragogika: Kapitoly z teórie a metodiky sociálno-edukačnej starostlivosti o dospelých (Social Andragogy: Topics on the Theory and Methodology of Social and Educational Care of Adults), and by the works of Lea Szabová-Šírová (2015), the author of the monograph Sociálna an- dragogika: Teoretické, empirické a praktické aspekty (Social Andragogy: Theoretical, Empir- ical and Practical Aspects). Social andragogy performs the social function of studying the socialising process of adult people from the point of view of their educational activation. It explores the relationship between social environment and educating of adults. It emphasises the need to explore the process of adult socialisation from the perspective of their educational activation (Per- hács, 2000). Social andragogy focuses on helping adults solve the social troubles they are not able to solve either on their own or with the help of their immediate surroundings (Szabová-Šírová, 2015). Contrary to social work, which mostly focuses on directing social workers to non-andragogical activities (Perhács, 2006), andragogical help is mainly of an educational and counselling nature. AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 79 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 79 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 80 ANDRAGOŠKA SPOZNANJA/STUDIES IN ADULT EDUCATION AND LEARNING 2/2023 The aim of social andragogy is to improve social relations or to help guide an adult person towards creating adequate interpersonal relations and improving their social performance (parents, workers, friends, family members, members of a specific society or community, etc.), to improved and mature social relations, and to deeper communication leading to partnership and solidarity (Perhács, 2006). The goal of social andragogy was similarly defined by C. Határ (2009). Social andragogy deals with both public and private institutional socio-educational care and social help for adults. Its goal is (auto)education, the development and cultivation of an adult’s per- sonality to the maximum degree possible, the harmonisation of intra- and interpersonal relations, the elimination of social conflicts between an individual and their surroundings, and preventing or solving both common and difficult life situations (Határ, 2009). The goals of social andragogy are determined by its tasks and functions – socialising and personal, individualising functions. The goals and functions of social work and social an- dragogy are also related to the system of social andragogy. According to J. Perhács (2006), the system is represented by a certain framework of a social environment and social insti- tutions, carrying out the task of educating adults, as well as the task of the self-educating process of forming and creating a personality of an adult person in the conditions of a social environment, and their socialisation. Thus, from this point of view, social andragogy explores three integrated categories of the social system: the personality of an adult per- son, their interaction within the social system, and the social environment of intentional and functional character. Cultural-educational andragogy The applied branch of andragogy, cultural-educational andragogy represents the third subsystem of andragogy. In the 1990s, in the early stages of constituting and developing the concept of systematic andragogy and its sub-branches, this subsystem was labelled with such terms as cultural andragogy, socio-cultural or even cultural-educational an- dragogy (Švec, 2000b). The search for a more accurate name that would take into account both the historical traditions of folk and cultural education in Slovakia and the current practice of cultural-educational activities brought about the term “cultural-educational andragogy”. As the author of the term, R. Čornaničová (2011) claims that the use of the term was justified by the nature of the activities of the professional cultural-educational workers and by the definition of the type of institutions where these kinds of activities were a priority. Čornaničová (2006, 2011) laid the theoretical and methodological foundations of cultur- al-educational andragogy in such works as Od kultúrnej ku kultúrno-osvetovej andragogike (From Cultural to Cultural and Public Education Andragogy) and Kultúrno-osvetová andragogika (Cultural and Public Education Andragogy). Her ideas were based on the analysis of the relationship between culture, education in culture studies, and cultural-ed- ucational activities. Her work has served as inspiration to other authors, e.g. M. Krystoň (2011) and V. Kupcová (2014). AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 80 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 80 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 81 Július Matulčík: Development and Current Status of Andragogy in Slovakia Cultural-educational andragogy focuses on activities cultivating an individual in their leisure time; on people’s interests, civic education, artistic activities, and other educational activities (Čornaničová & Matulčík, 2010). The subject of cultural-educational andrago- gy is cultural-educational activities understood in a broader sense and representing the specific area of cultural-educational influence. It covers cultural-educational, cultural-cre- ative, cultural-experiential and other educational and cultivating activities. The specifics of cultural-educational activities lie both in their broad variety focused on participation and in the mutual interlacing of its layers. The goal of cultural-educational andragogy is to explore two areas of cultural-educational activities. The first area is that of interest (non-professional) leisure-time participation of a wide range of the population in social cultural processes. This predominantly concerns the processes of accepting, adopt- ing, and internalising cultural values, creative ways of expressing reality (creating cultural values) in a variety of cultural-educational activities, such as leisure time activities, educa- tional, artistic and non-artistic, cultural and experiential, etc. within cultural-educational activities. The second area is the professional occupation of a cultural-educational worker as an intentional, specifically institutionalised and organised engagement in cultural-ed- ucational work (Čornaničová & Matulčík, 2010). The theory of cultural-educational activities, which was systemised by cultural-educa- tional andragogy, has gone through several stages of development. We agree with Čor- naničová (2011) that it is a continual process of searching and changing, heading for ever deeper theoretical reflection and scientific elaboration. This statement applies to all branches of andragogy or to andragogy as a science. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION As a young science, andragogy is constantly evolving. Its development in Slovakia was considerably sustained by andragogical research based on the need to develop andragogy and its system as a science, on reflecting the needs of practical use, and on the need of andragogy as a field of studies training professionals for andragogical practice. It was carried out at academic workplaces at universities in Bratislava, Prešov, Banská Bystrica, and Nitra. The published outputs of andragogical research carried out in Slovakia for over thirty years since the adoption of the andragogical concept of the theory of adult educa- tion were based on the need of developing andragogy and its system as a science while they also reflected the needs of their practical application. Particularly in the early stages, these outputs helped to promote both andragogy, which was little-known then, and adult education, thus improving the quality of several areas of andragogical practice – profes- sional, social, and cultural-educational. Despite its relatively short existence, it is gratifying to note that thanks to the results of the research and scientific activities of Slovak experts in andragogy, Slovak andragogy can be defined as refined and profiled both in terms of its concept and contents as well as its theoretical-methodological foundations. From the original, early disciplines, new AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 81 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 81 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 82 ANDRAGOŠKA SPOZNANJA/STUDIES IN ADULT EDUCATION AND LEARNING 2/2023 disciplines of andragogy are being separated and defined by methodology and contents. Some branches are more sophisticated in terms of methodology and concept (e.g. adult didactics – androdidactics), others are just beginning to form. The determinants that have considerable effect on the development of these branches are the needs of social practice and the needs resulting from the internal development of the science. The theoretical development of the issue of senior education and constituting of geragogy can serve as examples of the significant synergic action of both factors. Though geragogy is listed as the third component of educational sciences, alongside pedagogy and andragogy, it was constituted and is developing within andragogy, more particularly within social andrago- gy. Other monographs that have been published range from andragogical counselling, andragogical diagnosing, to andragogical communication, or to border branches such as human resources management development, management of education, andragogical psychology, etc. As a science andragogy began forming and has been developing in Slovakia at universities in Bratislava, Prešov, Nitra, and Banská Bystrica in close connection with the formation and development of andragogy as a field of studies, or study programmes, the curricula of which take into account the needs and requirements of practical use, thus incorporating the newest findings. While in the early 1990s the notion of andragogy was generally rela- tively unknown, later on, also thanks to the first graduates, employers began to show more interest in hiring them, and consequently making the number of students increase also. Andragogy has become part of other study fields and programmes, e.g. Speech Therapy and Therapeutic Pedagogy, Social Work, or Economics and Management, etc. The social demand for andragogy graduates or graduates of study programmes that in- corporate andragogy is directly related to the growing importance of further education within the framework of lifelong education and learning. The demand for andragogical theory and practice and thus for highly qualified experts working in this area is growing. The integrative character of andragogy provides all the prerequisites for the broad use of graduates both in practice and in research areas. The study programme of Andragogy was listed within the Education and Upbringing group of study fields as was stipulated by the System of Study Fields issued by the Min- istry of Education of the Slovak Republic (2002), No. 2090/2002. However, despite long- term efforts for the “emancipation” of andragogy, for its equal status with pedagogy within the educational sciences, andragogy is still often perceived as just a part or a branch of pedagogy. This is evidenced by its being included among pedagogical sciences in the aforementioned system of study fields, alongside pre-school and elementary pedagogy, special or therapeutic pedagogy, etc. The ongoing problem and trend of the “pedagogisa- tion” of andragogy was demonstrated in 2017 by integrating the Department of Andrago- gy at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University with the Department of Pedagogy, a step that has had a negative effect on the development of andragogy as a science and as a field of studies, and faced a negative reaction from practitioners in the field as well. AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 82 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 82 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 83 Július Matulčík: Development and Current Status of Andragogy in Slovakia Moreover, in 2019, by the decree of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports, the study programme of Andragogy was replaced by a more broadly understood field of studies, Teacher Training and Education Science. In Slovakia the situation has oc- curred in which andragogy is perceived, largely by practitioners, as an independent branch oriented to a specific practice and closer to practice-oriented branches such as economics, management, information and communication technologies, etc. than to pedagogy. Thus, the efforts to legitimise andragogy in relation to pedagogy are still ongoing, a process that is particularly evident within academia. REFERENCES Cirbes, M. (1989). Didaktika dospelých. Obzor. Čornaničová, R. (2006). Od kultúrnej ku kultúrno-osvetove andragogike. In J. Matulćík (Ed.), Trendy rozvoja andragogiky a jej systemizácie: Zborník z medzinárodnej vedeckej konferencie (pp. 51–58). Ger- lach Print. Čornaničová, R. (2011). Kultúrno-osvetová andragogika. Acta Andragogica 2, 2, 37–56. Čornaničová, R., & Matulčík, J. (2010). Kultúrna andragogika: Úvod do teórie a praxe kultúrno-osvetovej činnosti. Stimul. https://stella.uniba.sk/texty/FIF_RCJM-andragogika.pdf Ďurič, L., Hotár, V., & Pajtinka, Ľ. (Eds.). (2000). Výchova a vzdelávanie dospelých: Andragogika: Termi- nologický a výkladový slovník. Slovenské pedagogické nakladateľstvo. Frk, V., & Pirohová. I. (2016). Profesijná andragogika. Akcent print. Határ, C. (2009). Sociálna pedagogika, sociálna andragogika a sociálna práca: Teoretické, profesijné a vzťahové reflexie. Česká andragogická spoločnosť. Határ, C. (2011). Geragogika – tretí pilier výchovovedy. Lifelong Learning – celoživotní vzdělávání, 1(1), 77–91. Határ, C. (2012). Sociálna andragogika: Kapitoly z teórie a metodiky sociálno-edukačnej starostlivosti o dos- pelých. Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa. Institute of Public Education, & the Research Institute of Culture and Public Opinion. (1972). System of Adult Education and Training. Final studies from the completion of the state scientific research task. Obzor. Jochmann, V. (1992). Výchova dospělých – andragogika. In Acta universitatis Palackianae Olomoucensis: Sociologika – andragogica: Varia sociologica et andragogica. Universita Palackého v Olomouci. Kalnický, J. (1994). Progresívna andragogika – androdidaktika. Národné osvetové centrum. Komenský, J., A. (1966). De Rerum humanarum emendatione consultatio catholica: Editio princeps: Tomus I, Panegersiam, panaugiam, pansophiam continens. Sumptibus Academiae scientiarum Bohemoslovenicae. Komenský, J. (1992). Vševýchova (Pampedia). Obzor – NOC. Krankus, M. (1987). K problematike porovnávacích výskumov výchovy a vzdelávania dospelých. Osvetová práca, 37(16), 18–21. Krystoň, M., & Prusáková, V. (Eds.). (2015). Andragogický rozvoj lektora. Belianum. Krystoň, M., Šavel, M., Kariková, S. Kupcová, V. Hajzuková, L., Šatánek, J., Filip, M., Bontová, A., Ci- mprichová Gežová, K., & Gracová, D. (2011). Záujmové vzdelávanie dospelých: Teoretické východiská. Univerzita Mateja Bela. Kupcová, V. (2014). Záujmové vzdelávanie dospelých z aspektu kvality. Belianum. AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 83 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 83 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 84 ANDRAGOŠKA SPOZNANJA/STUDIES IN ADULT EDUCATION AND LEARNING 2/2023 Matulčík, J. (1996). Probleme und Chancen des Vergleichs nationaler Bildungsysteme in Europa. In F. Pöggeler (Ed.), Erwachsenenbildung als Brücke zu einem größeren Europa (pp. 89–95). Peter Lang GmbH. Matulčík, J. (1997). Basic questions of the theory of comparative andragogy. AE Research Exchange, 1, 7–8. Matulčík, J. (1998). Metódy porovnávacej andragogiky. In Š. Švec, P. Gavora, M. Lapitka, M. Zelina, L. Maršalová, T. Kollárik, A. Ritomský, J. Benčo, I. Bajo, V. Semerádová, M. Kučera, J. Michálek, M. Skladaný, J. Piaček, J. Matulčík, & P . Kompolt (Eds.), Metodológia vied o výchove (pp. 261–264). IRIS. Matulčík, J. (2004). Teórie výchovy a vzdelávania dospelých v zahraničí. Gerlach Print. Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic. (2002). Sústava študijných odborov vydaná rozhodnutím Ministerstva školstva SR č. 2090/2002. https://www.portalvs.sk/sk/studijne-odbory/povodne Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports. (2019). Vyhláška č. 244/2019 Z. z. Ministerstva školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky o sústave študijných odborov Slovenskej republiky z 22. júla 2019. https://www.zakonypreludi.sk/zz/2019-244 Pavlík, O. (1984). Pedagogická encyklopédia Slovenska: 1. Veda. Perhács, J. (1982). Vybrané kapitoly z teórie výchovy dospelých. Univerzita Komenského. Perhács, J. (1986). Základy teórie výchovy dospelých. Obzor. Perhács, J. (1996). Úlohy teórie výchovy dospelých v procese konštituovania a rozvíjania sociálnej an- dragogiky. Pedagogická revue, 48(3–4), 133–140. Perhács, J. (2000). Sociálna andragogika – vedná oblasť andragogiky. In Z. Bakošová (Ed.), Súčasný stav sociálnej pedagogiky na Slovensku (pp. 150–154). Filozofická fakulta Univerzity Komenského. Perhács, J. (2006). Sociálna andragogika. In J. Matulćík (Ed.), Trendy rozvoja andragogiky a jej systemizá- cie: Zborník z medzinárodnej vedeckej konferencie (pp. 39–49). Gerlach Print. Perhács, J., & Paška, P . (1995). Dospelý človek v procese výchovy. Stimul. Pirohová, I. (2015). Teórie vzdelávania dospelých. Prešovská univerzita v Prešove, Fakulta humanitných a prírodných vied. Pöggeler, F. (1974). Erwachsenenbildung: Einführung in die Andragogik. W. Kohlhammer GmbH. Prusáková, V. (1996). Andragogika, súčasný stav a perspektívy vývoja na Slovensku. Pedagogická revue, 48(3–4), 101–109. Prusáková, V. (2005). Základy andragogiky I. Gerlach Print. Samolovčev, B. (1963). Obrazovanje odraslih u prošlosti i danas. Znanje. Savićević, D. (1991). Savremena shvatanja andragogije. Institut za pedagogiju Prosveta. Schubert, M. (2017). Teoretické koncepcie andragogiky. Belianum. Schubert, M. (2020). Komparatívna andragogika. Belianum. Švec, Š. (1988). Antropogogika = pedagogika + andragogika + geragogika. Kultúra slova, 22(7), 246–248. Švec, Š. (2000a). Klasifikácia andragogických vied. In L. Ďurič, V. Hotár, & Ľ. Pajtinka (Eds.), Výchova a vzdelávanie dospelých: Andragogika: Terminologický a výkladový slovník (pp. 190–193). Slovenské pedagogické nakladateľstvo. Švec, Š. (2000b). Teoreticko-metodologické základy andragogiky. Paedagogica: Zborník Filozofickej fakul- ty Univerzita Komenského, 15, 91–130. Švec, Š. (2002). Základné pojmy v pedagogike a andragogike. Iris. Švec, Š. (2008). Anglicko-slovenský lexikón pedagogiky a andragogiky. Iris. Szabová-Šírová, L. (2015). Sociálna andragogika. Univerzita Komenského. Temiaková, D., Petrová, G., Pančíková, V., & Valicová, M. (2020). Profesijná andragogika. Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa v Nitre. Tuma, M. (1987). Metódy výchovy a vzdelávania dospelých. Obzor. AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 84 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 84 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 85 Július Matulčík: Development and Current Status of Andragogy in Slovakia Tuma, M. (1990). Moderné metódy vzdelávania. Krajský pedagogický ústav. Tureckiová, M. (2013). Personální andragogika v systému edukačních věd. In M. Lukáč (Ed.) Edukácia človeka – problémy a výzvy pre 21. storočie (pp. 257–264). Prešovská univerzita v Prešove. https:// www.pulib.sk/web/pdf/web/viewer.html?file=/web/kniznica/elpub/dokument/Lukac1/sub- or/9788055508252.pdf Turos, L. (1993). Andragogika ogólna. WSRP . UNESCO. (1972). Third international conference on adult education: Final report. https://uil.unesco.org/ fileadmin/keydocuments/AdultEducation/Confintea/en/Report%20CONFINTEA%20III%20 Tokyo%20.pdf AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 85 AS_2023_2_FINAL.indd 85 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24 3. 11. 2023 11:11:24