Doctoral study

We understand the concept of Social Education as a scientific discipline (academic dimension) and also as a helping profession (social dimension). The scientific preparation of doctoral students is based on the idea of ​​connecting the classical academic standard (the methodological and theoretical anchoring of the subject) and supporting the literacy of doctoral students in preparation for research in action in a lived professional reality. The doctoral study programme addresses the above characteristics with a focus on: interdisciplinarity within the social sciences; anchoring internationalization in the form of research stays and consultations with foreign experts; increasing methodological diversity linking quantitatively and qualitatively oriented research paradigms; and supporting the application skills of Social Education students, which are applicable in the lived reality of the target social environments and target specific groups.The binding element of research strategies is the focus on critical social research and specifically on the form of participatory research. This vision is due to the scope of the discipline of Social Education, which focuses on the analysis of the conditions of the social environment with the aim of creating educational stimuli for the critical awareness and self-realization of individuals from particular special groups in their lived reality.

1. Analysis of knowledge of the everydayness of a selected target group of actors in the context of the development of their social competencies.

2. Evaluation of the formation of social patterns of specific target groups against the background of the intertwining of primary and secondary socialization in the field of education.

3. Analysis of the effect of institutional discourses on the education of children from socially excluded localities.

4. Application of theatre approaches in education in connection with the social critical awareness of selected target groups.

5. The spiritual dimension of sociality in the context of the educational effect of the social pedagogue.

6. The spiritual dimension of sociality in the context of the effect of the environment on an individual's personality.

7. The use of personal-social training in the context of the so-called offensive concept of Social Education.

8. Analysis of the phenomenon of the pedagogy of social space in a specific educational reality.

9. Implementation of social inclusion measures within the framework of recognizing the diversity of the school environment.

10. Evaluation of the use of experiential pedagogy in activating specific target groups or in preventing pathological phenomena.

11. Evaluation of the concept of multicultural education in the context of a globalized society.

12. Analysis of the effect of leisure-time anchoring of Social Education in the prevention of pathological phenomena or as a form of informal education of specific social groups.

13. Analysis of the concept of the scientific discipline of Social Education and Leisure in the context of reflecting dynamic social changes in a globalized society.

• Completion of a master's study programme, documented by a notarized copy of the diploma (in the case of Masaryk University graduates, since 1999, the required data is held in the MU Information System),
• Submission of the proposed topic and dissertation project along with a recommendation by the proposed supervisor,
• Submission of a list of published works in the field of Social Education,
• A successful admissions interview, which includes a defence of the dissertation project, an oral examination in pedagogical sciences and a fluent specialist conversation in a selected world language (English, German, or Russian).
• The selection of criteria normally focuses on the potential of applicants to complete their doctoral studies and eventually become a member of the department.
• In the context of the study programme Social Education the subject specifics of the discipline will be evident in the focus of the dissertation project. In their project, students present a research topic that corresponds to one of the thirteen proposed topics of the study programme. These dissertation topics are guaranteed by the team of supervisors.

The main goal of this study programme is to prepare PhD students for research work in the academic environment. Our graduates will be able to:

• define the field of social education,
• understand and explain the current trends and recent findings in the field,
• apply appropriate research methods to everyday phenomena of social

An important aspect of the study programme is the application of the scientific knowledge in a number of disciplines.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

develop awareness of academic theories, concepts and methods representing current trends and issues in the field on international level; apply the knowledge and skills gained in Social Education Study Programme to educational reality; plan and conduct research in the field of Social Education; present outcomes of research orally or in writing to professional community (in the form of studies, text- book texts, chapters in monographs, monographs, talks at conferencies both at home and abroad, workshops; critically reflect on, analyse and evaluate the results of their own research activities in relation to educational reality and events in the society; contribute to the field of Social Education and engage in the wide interdisciplinary community (colaborate with experts on both national and international level), and with other professionals if necessary (e.g. on political level).

The study programme integrates both theoretical and practical courses. The specific aim of the practical courses is mainly to provide the students with research skills related to the field of study. In their practical courses students colaborate with the programme guarantor who provides them with regular feedback. Regarding practical practical, the programme includes a number of compulsory activities, such as research intern- ship abroad. Other opportunities to gain practical skills include teaching activities, organizing and running courses for undergraduate students, taking part in activities of other department members and organizing educational events (such as Department Symposium with a 15-year tradition).

The professional opportunities for our graduates are mostly in the academic environment, particularly in the field of Social Studies, i.e. at university Faculties of Education (Department of Education and Department of Social Edu- cation), and other faculties and departments where courses related to education are taught. Further professional opportunities are found in educational and research organizations and organizations providing social councelling and free-time activities, as well as management, non-profit organizations, department of Ministry of Education, Home Office (Ministry of Internal Affairs) and Ministry of Justice as our graduates will be able to run educational,councelling, planning and organizational activities and activities related to re-socialization.

Chair

doc. Mgr. Dušan Klapko, Ph.D.

Internal members

prof. PhDr. Milan Pol, CSc.

doc. PhDr. Věra Vojtová, Ph.D.

doc. Mgr. Kateřina Lojdová, Ph.D.

doc. PhDr. Jiří Němec, Ph.D.

doc. Mgr. Michal Kaplánek, Th.D.

doc. PhDr. Karel Pančocha, Ph.D., M.Sc.

External members

Renáta Tichá, Ph.D. (University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota)

prof. PaedDr. Stanislav Bendl, Ph.D. (Pedagogická fakulta, Univerzita Karlova)

prof. PhDr. Ivo Jirásek, Ph.D. (Fakulta tělesné kultury, Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci)

Adherence to the standard period of study is supported by a system of ‘milestones’ to be reached during the course of the programme. The specific milestones are the defence of the dissertation project, which takes place after the second semester of study, the defence of the dissertation thesis, which takes place after the sixth semester of study, and the defence of the dissertation, which takes place after the eighth semester of study. In addition, students receive continuous education from the first semester onwards by means of methodological workshops and their doctoral subjects. They acquire pedagogical competencies through their teaching activities, and they lecture on outdoor courses at the department, and participate in research projects. These aspects lead to an improvement in the students’ academic skills and therefore they complete their dissertations more quickly. In terms of publication activity, students are financially motivated by rules announced by the head of the department each year. An interesting option for all students is the opportunity for external cooperation (primarily as a lecturer) even after the completion of doctoral studies. Significantly, it is the attainment of a doctorate that opens up better opportunities for participation in the department’s research or teaching projects.

In the framework of writing of the dissertation, the main flow of information is in the form of personal (or online) consultations between the student and his/her supervisor or consultant. In framework of the study ‘milestones’, feedback on the academic progress of doctoral students takes place periodically in a public forum. In addition, the guarantor of the study programme cooperates with the members of the Doctoral Board, during which he consults on the progress of the studies of individual doctoral students.

Doctoral students also develop their professional competencies through teaching activities, study stays, and participation in conferences and methodological workshops.

Doctoral students comment on the programme in periodic meetings with the programme guarantor, in meetings with their supervisors and consultants, and in meetings of the department.

A new evaluation system is currently being developed to develop multi-level communication between supervisors and doctoral students across related disciplines. Specifically, it is cooperation between the departments in what is known as the second evaluation cluster (Department of Social Education, Institute for Research in Inclusive Education and Department of Special Education). In addition to this, the programme guarantor is primarily concerned with the motivation of the supervisors.

Among the evaluation tools used are oral and written consultations, schedules, reviews of publications, regular training of presentation and methodological skills of students.

At the state doctoral examination, we reflect on the student’s dissertation topic, which is directly reflected in the selection of members for the examination committee, and also on the focus of the examination questions. The state doctoral examination is conducted on the basis of fulfillment of the objectives of the discipline. These objectives are that the student is able to:

‘Understand the academic theories, concepts and methods that represent current issues and trends at the international level in the field; Apply knowledge and skills in the field of Social Education in educational reality; Plan and implement socio-educational research; Present the results of their research orally or in writing to the specialist community (studies, textbooks, chapters in specialist books, monographs, presentations at domestic and foreign conferences, workshops, guest lectures); Critically reflect, analyze and evaluate the results of scientific activities with regard to educational reality and society-wide affairs as a whole; Develop the field of Social Education in a wider interdisciplinary community (cooperate with experts from other institutes on a national and international scale), or in other areas (e.g., at the political level, in educational practice, etc.).’

Correspondence of dissertation topics with the research vision of the Department of Social Education of FE MU.

Ongoing cooperation with the Doctoral Studies and Science Qualification Divsion of MURO.

Reflecting the MU Strategic Plan.

Linking research topics with those of foreign partner universities (e.g., University of Minnesota).

Links with the non-academic sector (City of Brno, non-profit organizations, schools, etc.).

Organizing regular methodological workshops in the framework of specific research and the Postdoctoral School.

PhD students are required to attend „ Prepatation of the Dissertation“and „ Professional Orientation in the Field “ - courses each semestr during their studies.

In the course of their studies the students are also required to take part in the following activities which develop their academic skills:

• active participation in seminars and talks included in the Phd programme curriculum (including passing exams and meeting credit requirements),
• planning and conducting independent research and presenting its findings in a dissertation (including the thesis defence),
• writing and publishing at least 4 papers (with the PhD student as the main author); at least one of them has to be a study published in a journal or an edited monograph listed in WOS, ISI or SCOPUS (Jimp Q3) database,
• active participation at national conferences (twice) and conferences abroad (twice),
• internship in a foreign research facility (or alternatively an educational facility),
• teaching activities (2 – 4 lessons per week during 4 semesters, at least 150 lessons over the course of the study),
• during their studies students also have to meet certain requirements at specific times to be able to continue; these are: presentation of a dissertation project after the second semester, presentation of a dissertation thesis propsal after the sixth semester and dissertation thesis defence after the eighth.

The State Doctoral Examination has two parts: Dissertation Thesis Defence and an oral examination where the students knowledge and skills related to the discipline are assessed.

Scientific Board Requirements for a Dissertation Thesis Defence

• The PhD thesis proposal represents an excerpt from a dissertation which includes its most important parts, i.e. an outline of the issues covered in the dissertation and definitions of the basic terms, as well as summary of the findings and/or solutions, a description of the research methodology, presentation of preliminary results, formulation of working conclusions including a suggestion of dissertation finalization.

• The PhD thesis proposal may be written in the Czech, Slovak or English It must be 20 – 40 pages long, i.e. 36 000 -72 000 characters including spaces, and the sources are cited in APA citation style. The thesis proposal must be printed in 10 copies and submitted before applying for the State Doctoral Examination.

Oral Examination Topics

• the main methodological paradigms in the field of Social Sciences,
• Social Education as a science (its philosophical background, modern theories of education, its connections to other disciplines, an analysis of current social issues),
• topics and issues selected from from compulsory subjects in relation to the theme of the dissertation.

The Dissertation Defence (Viva Voce) takes place after the State Doctoral Examination when the students studies are finished. It is subject to the Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations.