Qualitative approach in social pedagogic research and in education of social pedagogues

In academic year 2009/2010 the course named “Qualitative approaches in social-pedagogical research” was performed for the first time, at the graduate study of Social Pedagogy on Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb. The idea for the introduction of this course was derived from a relatively rich experience in qualitative methodology in scientific research and projects in the field of social pedagogy and social work in Croatia, as well as in Slovenia. Studies that used qualitative methodology proved to be significant for social pedagogy in terms of science, education, and for the practice as well, mostly because they changed the paradigm of relations between scientists / experts and users and knowledge created in that process. The aim of this paper is to present development of implementation of qualitative methodology in the field of social pedagogy in Croatia, through the developmental cycle from research, through education to practice.