The plenary presentations at the conference focused on cooperation between educational institutions and parents, as well as its pivotal role. They reviewed the fundamental factors for effective collaboration between parents and the school, as well as for establishing a long-term, supportive partnership.
Data from the MTA-DE Research Group on Cooperation Between Families and Teachers, led by university professor Gabriella Pusztai, show that active parental involvement in school measurably improves children’s academic performance. Experts are working to introduce new, practical methods that bring parents closer to the school. During the plenary session, Gabriella Pusztai, Director of the Institute of Education and Cultural Studies at the University of Debrecen, presented the initial findings of a study titled “Developing Future Orientation Among Disadvantaged Students and Their Parents,” conducted as part of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ Public Education Development Research Program.
In his presentation, Grzegorz Godawa, a researcher at the John Paul II University in Krakow, recalled the work of Polish physician and special education teacher Janusz Korczak in the field of child protection, which continues to have an impact to this day.
The presentation of the thematic issue of the Hungarian Educational Research Journal published in 2025 was also closely linked to the topic of child protection. János Szecskó provided a detailed overview and analysis of the main findings of the journal’s thematic issue, with particular emphasis on the current challenges of child protection and their pedagogical implications.
Following the plenary presentations, the conference continued in five sections. In the sections, building on the plenary presentation, Hungarian, Croatian, and Polish experts explored the connections between early childhood education and development; social challenges, inequalities, and well-being; school, learning, and learning environments; family, relationships, and social support; and teachers, training, and career paths. PhD students also had the opportunity to present their research findings at the event.
- One of the conference’s goals is to nurture the next generation of scientists, providing an opportunity for early-career researchers to present their work alongside senior researchers. We consider the international nature of the conference to be of paramount importance, as many countries face similar challenges in this field. This is precisely why the sharing of experience and research findings, as well as the strengthening of professional dialogue and scientific collaboration among researchers from different countries, is particularly valuable. For example, following a previous conference, a research collaboration emerged that led to a joint international grant application to the Visegrad Fund. Implementation of the project began in February and has already secured funding, said Erzsébet Gortka-Rákó, Dean of the Faculty of Child Development and Special Education at the University of Debrecen.
More than thirty experts participated in the international conference titled “Education in the Family – Family in Education.” A different university hosts the conference each year. The 7th “Education in the Family – Family in Education” professional forum will be held in Zadar next year.
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