Univerza na Primoskem, Pedagoška fakulteta

The Faculty of Education (henceforth UP PEF) was established in 2003 with the passing of the University of Primorska Charter (OG RS, No 13/2003). The University of Primorska, Faculty of Education is a higher education institution that performs educational, scientific research and artistic activities in the field of educational sciences. UP PEF is a member of the University of Primorska (henceforth UP). The bodies of the UP PEF are the Dean, the Senate, the Administrative Board and the Student Council. Organisational units of the UP PEF are departments, chairs, centers, and the research institute, within which research groups operate, and the library. The secretariat is the technical and administrative unit of the faculty.

In the area of study activities the UP PEF performs several study programmes for education of teachers. In conformance with the KLASIUS classification the study fields of the UP PEF are field 01 – Teacher training and education science and 02 – Arts and humanistics.

The UP PEF performs renewed study programmes and new Bologna programmes.

First cycle:

  • Academic study programme Pedagogy– full time study,
  • Academic study programme Primary School Teaching – full time study,
  • Academic study programme Social Pedagogy– part time study and
  • Higher education professional study programme Pre-school Teaching – full time and part time study*.

Part time study is also carried out at external units.

Second cycle:

  • Master study programme Inclusive Pedagogics,
  • Master study programme Adult Education and Career Development,
  • Master study programme Early Learning,
  • Master study programme Primary School Teaching,
  • Master study programme Social Pedagogy.

Third cycle:

  • Doctoral study programme Educational Sciences,
  • Doctoral study programme Early Learning and Teaching.

In the undergraduate study programmes 1185 students are enrolled and 481 in the graduate study programmes in the academic year 2018/2019. 335 students graduated in 2018.

Based on the calls by the Ministry of Education, Science and sport of the Republic of Slovenia the UP PEF also performs programmes of further education and training of professionals in education (supplementary and updating programmes). 

In the area of scientific and research work the Institute of Educational is active with the homonymous research group with the following fields of research (according to the Slovenian Research Agency’s classification of research activities): 5.00.00 social sciences, and 6.00.00 humanities. 64 researchers are included in the research group of the Institute of Educational Sciences.

111 persons (94.53 FTE) were employed at the UP PEF On 31 December 2018.

Beside the Dean (0.70 FTE) of 82 persons employed as higher education teachers and associates 53 (44.2 FTE) are higher education teachers and 29 (21.3 FTE) are higher education associates. Further three employees (2.00 FTE) work as independent assistants VI – laboratory assistants. Part of educational work is also carried out on the basis of work contracts or contracts for copyrighted work. Some of the higher education teachers and associates also perform research work with paid research hours (2.18 FTE), and also a young researcher is employed (1.00 FTE).

In the framework of the services of the Faculty Secretariat 28 ( FTE) (two of them are on parental leave  or are long-term absent from work) persons were employed to provide administrative and technical support.   

UP PEF carries out its activities in the palace at 5 Cankarjeva ulica in Koper called building 1 in the complex of buildings that until summer 2004 were run by the student residence Dijaški in študentski dom Koper. The faculty uses nearly all the premises in building 1 with total surface of 1,007.80 square metres. In the annex of the student residence the Joint Higher Education Library of the UP Faculty of Management and UP PEF is housed in a room with about 105 square metres. Due to lack of space the Faculty also hires or takes over into use other rooms. Thus besides in the seat of the Faculty the study process is also carried out on several other premises in the Municipality of Koper – of the UP members, in the sports hall of the Secondary Technical School Koper and in the dancing hall of the Dance School Elite. For the purpose of performing its study programmes the UP PEF occasionally also hires facilities on other locations.

The UP PEF also carries out its basic activities in external units.

In the local environment the UP PEF collaborates with the perspective employers of the future graduates, as the practical part of the study programmes takes place precisely in these environments. Collaboration with educational institutions – kindergartens and primary schools in the whole of Slovenia – is also upgraded in the area of science and research and in the area of training educational professionals.

In the local framework the UP PEF establishes liaisons with other members of the University of Primorska, both in designing new interdisciplinary education programmes as well as in providing educational contents for the study programmes of other UP members.  

On the national level the Faculty liaisons with other faculties of education, i.e. with the Faculty of Education of the university of Ljubljana and with the Faculty of Education of the University in Maribor, that develop identical or similar areas as the UP PEF.

In the international framework primarily cooperation with the faculties of education in the neighbouring countries as well as broader in the European Union is outstanding.