NEW RESEARCH AREAS AND RESEARCH PROBLEMS IN LABOR PEDAGOGY

Abstract

Abstract. Work education, like any scientific sub-discipline, has its own subject of research interests, specific terminology and methodology of scientific studies. In the 1970-s, a Polish educationist Tadeusz W. Nowacki, regarded as the founder of the Polish work education, indicated the relationship «man-education-work» as a foundation of the new scientific sub-discipline, thus defining the ten research areas which constitute the focus of education interests relating to work: teleological issues, vocational education, selection and arrangement of the content of education, issues of upbringing, theoretical foundations of methodological studies, vocational orientation, professional development and training, issues of equipment (infrastructure), issues of management and pedeutology. Since that time, a lot of contemporary scientists have attempted to «update» those research areas pointing out a need to undertake new studies due to the continuous social and economic transformations (comp. S.M. Kwiatkowski, 2010; S. Kaczor, 2003; R. Gerlach, 2003). Presently there have appeared urgent issues arising from the free market as well as the accompanying negative phenomena, such as the problem of unemployment, workaholism, mobbing or occupational burnout. An issue that is crucial from the point of view of human functioning in the working environment is the problem of professional careers which – for a long time – have been mostly mosaic-like careers rather than the linear ones. Also, the issues of professional migrations, which constitute a very complex area for studies relating to the work education, cannot be overlooked in the paper. This article also attempts to draw attention to a wide spectrum of research issues associated with human functioning in extreme working conditions. Such professions as: a soldier, policemen, fireman, lifeguard, scuba diver, etc. require in their assumptions a specific and demanding personality and physical predispositions, skills and different competencies while maintaining a sense of meaning of the professional functions performed. There appear here a lot of research problems relating, for example, to psychophysical predispositions and motivation to choose a certain profession, professional preparation and further improvement of competencies, professional functioning and associated hazards, career development and possible use of skills and experience in performing other social and professional functions outside the disposable groups.