Thematic Units

01.TH.E. The School as a Learning Organization and Community

The transformation of the school into a Learning Organization and Community is a distinct and coherent alternative example, a comprehensive proposal for education, which responds to international challenges and incorporates modern trends. It can contribute substantially to improving the quality of the educational work of the school unit by empowering all its members: students, teachers, leadership and the school's social environment. The school as an O.K.M. has a vision, which promotes learning, which promotes innovation and creativity. It seeks to strengthen its pedagogical autonomy and the degrees of freedom of teachers. It is characterized by leadership for learning, based on collegiality and cooperation, developed and established through the Learning Communities of its teachers. It researches and evaluates its educational work, designs improvement actions, places emphasis on the development of competences and the professional development of teachers. It is not self-referential, but open to society, which improves educational outcomes and establishes a climate of trust between school, the state and society.

Indicative topics of articles: Conceptual approach of the school as an O.K.M., Contemporary Forms of Leadership, The school "as an Organization that learns", Teachers as a "Professional Community of Learning", The Role of the Management in the formation of the School as an O.K.M., Evaluation of "Employers", In-school Teacher Training, Administrative Autonomy of the School, Capacity Development & Professional Development of Teachers, Quality and Effectiveness, Leadership & Learning, Pedagogical & Teaching Autonomy of the School, Programming and Self-Assessment of the Educational Work.

02.T.U. Special Education - Education

In recent decades, one of the issues that has been of particular concern to developed countries is the institution of special education as well as the education of people with disabilities. The policy of one-size-fits-all education and pedagogy harnesses the diverse abilities of pupils and recognises diversity as a source of enrichment of social experiences. International research has fed the educational community with a plethora of findings on how students with disabilities can be educated by maximizing their abilities.

Indicative topics of articles: Teacher Training in Special Education, Cooperation of teachers of special and general education, Learning difficulties and teacher training, Teaching methods and their importance, Incentives for teachers to participate in training seminars, Inclusive education of students with special educational needs.

03.TH.E. Pedagogical psychology

Effective teaching requires, in addition to a good knowledge of the subject, knowledge of the teaching method, the psychology of those to whom it is addressed, the processes according to which the learning takes place, and the ways of dealing with the related difficulties.

In addition, knowledge of how the teacher imposes discipline on the classroom, manages the human relationships that develop in the school environment and creates motivation for his students. Knowledge of Pedagogical Psychology contributes to all of the above.

Indicative topics of articles: Role of Pedagogical Psychology in Education, General psycho-pedagogical issues, Learning (concept, nature, importance, subject, problems), Learning theories (main theories and their critical consideration), Factors affecting learning (motivation, readiness, maturity, teaching methods, etc.), Interpersonal relationships and mental/social health, Communication skills, Programs for improving interpersonal relationships, Transgender relations, Special groups of students (e.g. intelligent students, students with intellectual disabilities, students from deprived backgrounds, foreigners, etc.), School class as a group, Role of groups in the school classroom.

04.TH.E. Counseling in Education

Counselling is a process that helps people better understand themselves and their environment and understand their feelings and behavior. It provides them with the appropriate support to make the necessary changes, discover alternatives and new perspectives on their lives, their families and their work. Counseling is applied to learning, because the ultimate goal of the educational process is to modify the student's behavior and facilitate a change in his personality.

Indicative topics of articles: Counseling and Education, Institutional and functional framework of Counseling, Stages, Counseling and Skills, Theoretical approaches of Counseling, The advisory role of the teacher, The institution of school career guidance and counseling, Communication and counseling in education - Basic concepts, institutions, procedures and practices of Counseling.

05.T.U. Teaching Methodology

Teaching methodology refers to the basic concepts of teaching, the basic theories and their application in curricula, teaching and educational evaluation. The combination of theory and practice and the reconfiguration of theories in everyday teaching situations is a basic task of teachers for a quality teaching. Positivism, constructivism and critical theory/pedagogics in didactic and educational research.

Indicative topics of the articles: Teaching, teaching and educational research, curricula (formal, side-program) and the role of the teacher, interdisciplinary approaches and interdisciplinary curricula, models of programme development, teaching methods and applications, design and evaluation of teaching, epistemological approaches to teaching and teaching, evaluation of teachers/students.

06.TH.E. Museum Pedagogy and Fine Arts

The main objective of Museum Pedagogy is to broaden the relationship of individuals with knowledge and to cultivate a broader education that includes knowledge and skills for the multifaceted approach of museum exhibits and cultural goods in general. At the same time, Museum Pedagogy, a new concept which aims at the educational role of the Museum, aims at the development of critical thinking, imagination, creativity and sensitivity towards Art and Culture. It also seeks the emotional and social relationship of cooperation and the enjoyment of experiential learning through exploration and play.

Indicative topics of articles: Museum Education and Education, Educational and Museum Educational Programs, Children's Museums, Greek Children's Museum (E.P.M.), Art in Education.

07.TH.E. European innovative programs - Interdisciplinary programmes/school activities in education

The innovative programs that apply to Greek educators are the European Educational Programs (Comenius, e-Twinning, Erasmus+, European-wide competitions such as the Euroscola competition).

The European Educational Programmes (E.E.P.) enhance cooperation between European countries at an educational level, through the exchange of successful actions and practices. The SPDs are part of the EU's education policy towards creating a knowledge society that leads to sustainable economic growth, more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. Through EEPs, students and educational staff can broaden their language skills, get in touch with the culture and cultural habits of other countries and develop social relations and activities, beyond the borders of their country, using new information technologies.

The most well-known Interdisciplinary Programs (Environmental Education, Health Education and Cultural Programs, career education, robotics programs, experiments, etc.), focus on cultivating positive behaviors, attitudes and values about the social life of students in the direction of their role as active citizens, the development by students of skills that do not fall within a specific subject of their courses, such as learning to solve problems of their daily lives and the dissemination and promotion of modern teaching and learning methods. Interdisciplinary programs and school activities bring to education the abolition of strictly defined processes of knowledge transmission and verbalism, developing attitudes, behaviors and values while enriching the knowledge provided.

A key feature of all Innovative Programs applied to education is the special weight that is found in the teamwork and experiential approach to knowledge, interdisciplinary and exploratory learning process. This different approach to knowledge is the transition from traditional learning models with a focus on the subject and memorization, to a dynamic process, necessary for a school open to society that has to cope with technological developments and the complex needs of modern society.

Indicative topics of articles: Comenius and lifelong learning, quality in education and the European dimension, school partnerships, in-service teacher training, eTwinning and the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools, eTwinning and creative learning, eTwinning and eTwinning of schools, Erasmus+ and the development of cooperation actions, skills-experience development, professional development, innovative actions and policies, issues of Environmental Education, Health Education and Cultural Programmes, cultivating positive attitudes, attitudes and values about students’ social life in the direction of their role as active citizens, developing everyday problem-solving skills, modern teaching and learning methods, interdisciplinary programmes.

08.TH.E. Intercultural Education/Education

Intercultural education aims to gain new experiences by transforming key features of other cultures and ways of thinking into learning opportunities.

Intercultural education is a need of our time where nation and culture approach each other. In these new conditions, the school, as an important component of the education system, seems to be aware of the changes taking place on a global level, presenting a willingness to adapt. In recent years we have seen reform efforts on many levels in the school sector, which take into account the diversity and pluralism of the population.

Indicative topics of articles: Issues of Intercultural Education, School and Diversity, Issues of Intercultural Education, Multiculturalism and Intercultural Education, Integration and education of foreign-language students in school, Refugee students and integration actions, Institutional framework and educational policies, Intercultural Curriculum, Assessment of Refugee students, Bilingualism & Bilingual Education, Intercultural Readiness & Competence of Teachers.

09.TH.E. Adult Education

Adult education refers to education aimed at adults and provided in an organized manner. The main characteristic is the respect and satisfaction of the educational needs of adults. Learners learn through systematic and organized teaching, as they are professionally trained, trained, have the opportunity to be trained in workplaces. Adult education has many dimensions and enables even socially excluded groups to be educated.

Indicative topics of articles: Adult education in Europe and Greece, Training of executives and adult educators. Theories and models of adult education, New Information and Communication Technologies in Adult Education, Distance learning in adult education, Techniques of adult education and the role of the trainer.

10.T.U. Lifelong education

Education does not end with the end of formal schooling, but it is a life-long process. The term lifelong education has prevailed to refer to all types of education (formal, non-formal and informal), covering the entire life span of the individual. The benefits arising from the participation of adults in educational programs are evident and recognizable both by the participants themselves, as well as by the people involved in the field of Lifelong Education, such as organizations, program developers and trainers.

Indicative topics of articles: Key features of Lifelong Education, Theoretical Approaches, Challenges and Perspectives, Educational Policy and Second Chance Schools, Continuous Education and its Benefits.

11.T.U. Distance Learning - Online learning

Traditional education models seem to be losing more and more ground with the advent of technology and the expansion of the internet as opposed to online environments that seem to be particularly effective for learning. For Distance Education (DET) various definitions have been given. A component of all definitions is that AE is differentiated from face-to-face teaching in terms of distance between the teacher and the learner and in terms of structuring the material to be learned. Various RAE models are also derived from these basic characteristics. Some of them are the model of autonomous learning, the model of online-based ERA, the model of technologically extended classroom, etc. The difference between them lies in the theoretical perspective of the researcher.

Online learning, or online supported learning, is education that uses networks (Internet, Intranet, Extranet, etc.) as a platform. It is part of e-learning and its levels of complexity vary. Online training differs from a mixed/hybrid format in that it does not involve face-to-face meetings and the material and activities must be varied in content to cover as many learning styles as possible.

Indicative topics of articles: Online learning formats, Models in Distance Education, Pedagogical dimension of distance education, Inverted Classroom and Features, Collaborative and Participatory Activities, Effectiveness of Online Education, Educational Platforms and Online Education, Advantages & Disadvantages of Distance Education.

12.T.U. Information and Communication Technologies in Education

The rapid development of Information and Communications Sciences and Technologies (ICT) has led to a new reality in all areas of our lives. The contribution of ICT to education is valuable as they have created favorable conditions, applying appropriate strategies that allow the implementation of pedagogical goals. Information literacy is cultivated, basic concepts of cognitive subjects such as Language, Mathematics and Natural Sciences are understood and higher cognitive skills are developed through the creation of conditions for the construction of new knowledge by the students themselves.

Indicative topics of articles: Technological theories of learning, Teaching with the use of ICT, The role of the teacher in teaching with the use of ICT, Educational software, Models of integration of ICT in education, Utilization of ICT in the education of students with special learning needs.

13.TH.E. Robotics and Automation in School

Robotics is an educational approach with a variable dimension, which can be easily integrated into various educational environments. In addition, it can be applied from childhood to the development of knowledge in many disciplines. Robotics is a cognitive tool through which children have the ability to approach mathematical concepts, applying strategies such as problem solving, research and experimentation.

Indicative topics of articles: Educational Robotics, Programming in Education, Educational Robotics Programs, STEM Education.

14.Th.E. Organization and Management of Education

For the overall social and economic development, the primary role is the organization and management of education organizations. Through knowledge, modern societies ensure wealth and growth. In order to acquire knowledge, education is a prerequisite. In order for teachers to be able to respond to the challenges faced by the education sector, they must apply modern and scientific methods regarding management and leadership. Valuable are skills related to the organization and administration of education, knowledge of the institutional frameworks of the education system, the connection of pedagogical models and learning theories with Management Science.

Indicative topics of articles: School Leadership, School Leadership Practices, Management and Leadership, Educational Project Evaluation, Management Functions, Planning and Organization Functions, Leadership Competences, Total Quality Management, Education Executives, Administrative Trends and Practices.

15.The European Dimension in Education

The use of the term European dimension of education focuses mainly on the actions of European programmes (European Community, Council of Europe) and the creation of European added value, while the use of the term European dimension in education is linked to the shaping of the European educational area and aims at an education with a European perspective and content.

The concept of the European dimension expresses and represents the recognition of the difference, the diversity, the plurality, the existence of the "other" and the requirement of coexistence with the "other" within the same geographical, political, social and cultural space.

In this way, on the one hand, it is based on the traditional values of European modernity, democracy, equality, solidarity, social justice and, on the other hand, it promotes and promotes the acceptance of the European mosaic of languages, religions, races, ethnicities and cultures, promoting as fundamental cohesive values respect, understanding, tolerance, mutual coexistence and the joint effort of different national identities and consciences to create the common and unified geopolitical, social, cultural and economic space of the United Europe.

Indicative topics of articles: European Union & Education, EU Strategies and National Education Systems, European Union and the Teacher Profession, Actions and Innovations, Skills & Competences Development within the EU, European Policies and Evaluation in Education, EU and Integration of Vulnerable Social Groups, Professional Qualifications of Teachers in the EU.

16.T.U. Educational Research

Educational research focuses and investigates issues and phenomena of an educational nature: school as an institution, the educational process and the various parameters that affect it, school life and culture, educational practices, teachers' perceptions, attitudes of students. It is a systematic process of collecting and analyzing information (data) in order to broaden the understanding of phenomena of an educational nature and thus solve problems of an educational nature.

Indicative topics of articles: Types of educational research, Framework for its formation, Nature and Stages of educational research, Strategies and tools of educational research, Qualitative and Quantitative Research.

17.Educational policy

The object of the study of educational policy is the study of how the structure of the economy (mode of production, productive forces and productive relations), the struggle between different social interests and the correlation of social and political forces that arises each time from it, the distribution of power and the way the state is organized affect education. Since politics means conflict and strife, education policy is not neutral even if for political - and often propaganda - reasons it appears as such.

Indicative topics of articles: Policy and Education, Education and Modernisation, Formation Processes – Institutions and Implementation, Education and Human Capital, Educational Policy and Neoliberalism, Educational Policy Issues (evaluation in education, decentralisation, gender and education policy, globalisation and education systems, etc.).

18.T.U. Sociology of Education

The Sociology of Education belongs to the branches of Sociology that deal with structures and processes concerning social subsystems or institutionalized sectors of society. It studies phenomena and events related to education and the role it plays in the socio-cultural context in which it develops.

Indicative topics of articles: Educational Sociology, Sociological theories in education, Social aims of education and social functions – The main theoretical approaches, Education and social reproduction, Social inequalities in school, Family and school.

19.T.U. Curriculum and school textbooks

The fundamental and essential dimension of curricula in the educational process has made curricula a primary issue of study and interest in different countries. The curriculum of schools in different countries is at the heart of the interest not only of its authors, but also of teachers at all levels, pupils and their parents and other stakeholders, because it is a fundamental dimension of the whole process of education. In today's school, the curricula as a whole and the textbooks through which they are implemented constitute all the educational goods that express the aims of Education as determined by the official state and on the basis of which it seeks to achieve them. Analytical programs and textbooks contain the entire school education and are the mirror of the level of education and culture of a people. In addition, the main objective of any educational reform to date has been the reform of the curricula. The Curriculum is still the core of education reform in Greece today.

Indicative topics of articles: Conceptual Approaches and Models of Analytical Programs, Open Curricula and Students' Needs, Interdisciplinary Approaches to Analytical Programs. Programs, Curriculum & Teacher's Autonomy, Open & Closed Anal.Programs, Design and Development of Analytical Programs, A.P. and Educational Policy, Quality A.P. and Educational System, Design A.P.

20.T.U. Education and Literature

Through the contact of literary texts, the imagination and critical thinking of the individual are cultivated. Different perspectives are exchanged and thoughts and historical moments are approached. Each reality is interpreted through various types of texts. The person through the texts comes into contact with thoughts and feelings with which he identifies or not. They are concerned or sensitized. He's gaining self-awareness. It is a means that contributes decisively to a multifarious cultivation of the receiver. It is a catalyst for psychological, cognitive and social maturation

Indicative topics of articles: Literature at school - basic problems and applications, The contribution of literature theory to teaching, School books and library, Literature Theory, Literature Didactics, Texts of Modern Greek Literature.