Projects / Programmes
Scholarship awarding systems for special achievements - international comparison and suggestions for improvements for Slovenia
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.01.00 |
Social sciences |
Educational studies |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S170 |
Social sciences |
Political and administrative sciences |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.03 |
Social Sciences |
Educational sciences |
Education, scholarships, talent promotion, international comparison.
Researchers (7)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The main objectives of the research project are:
General review of scholarship schemes and other financial incentives for pupils / students, focusing on scholarships for pupils and students that achieve above average results in the following EU Member States: Germany, Sweden, Italy, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom.
A more detailed legal review of the regime in selected EU Member States.
Overview of definitions of beneficiaries of scholarships or other financial incentives for pupils and students who achieve above-average results.
A review of the way in which countries guarantee the effectiveness of such programs (whether it is exclusively through linking with the academic sphere, or whether there is a link to the economy and the labor market).
Preparation of a proposals on how to optimize the Zois scholarship system in Slovenia.
(2)
The work on the project will be divided into five content sets. Key points to achieving the objectives are:
Case studies on promoting gifted students and students with outstanding achievements in seven selected EU countries.
Empirical analysis of the functioning and challenges of the Zois scholarship system in Slovenia.
Recommendations for optimizing or improving the Zois scholarship system.
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Case studies will be based on an analysis of available secondary sources on the main characteristics of scholarships for exceptional achievements or above-average gifted pupils and students. These sources are expected to include presentations of systems in official documents (information from competent ministries or providers of scholarships, as well as country regulations), possibly available evaluations of results of these systems, and expert articles analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of systems in individual countries.
The structure of case studies will follow issues that are already defined with the objectives of the project, namely:
legal framework (legal bases and competences, definition of beneficiaries, award procedure, the role of non-governmental and private sector scholarships, the amount of scholarships and other incentives, the arrangements for reimbursement of scholarships, the possibility of combining scholarships),
defining the beneficiaries and criteria for granting scholarships and other financial incentives (definitions and criteria of talent, exceptional achievements, academic achievements, the importance of learning success, the use of intelligence and other tests, and the way in which awarding and retainment of scholarship are linked to these criteria),
the way to ensure the effectiveness of scholarship programs through networking and collaboration with the academic and research spheres, the economy and the labor market.
- We will add additional questions to these if such prove relevant from the introductory overviw of the foreign scholarship schemes and the Slovenian Zois scholarship system. The initial overview of the issue and the expert literature showed that the list should be enhanced with the question whether and in what way the incentives for specific achievements take into account the socio-economic situation of the beneficiaries.
For case studies, we will formulate a uniform template that will ensure that the reports will be structured in the same way and in a similar length, and thus directly comparable to each other. After conducting case studies, we will draft a short synthesis report summarizing the key similarities and differences between the analyzed countries and highlighting the findings and good practices that could be relevant for optimizing the Zois scholarship system in Slovenia.
The empirical analysis of the operation of the Zois scholarship system in Slovenia will primarily be based on a quantitative statistical analysis of the available data on Zois scholarship holders, as we may obtain from the Public Scholarship, Development, Disability and Maintenance Fund of the Republic of Slovenia and from other potential sources, s
Significance for science
The contents of the research and its expected results contribute new insights into the development of science in the field of education and the ways ways and means of direct financial aid to students. We note that only a few Slovene and foreign researchers focuses on the issue of scholarships in connection with giftednesss and talent, or exceptional achievements of students, therefore the expected international comparison and benchmarking of Slovenia will significantly fill this gap. Although individual reviews and criticisms of Zois Scholarships have been published in Slovene professional literature, a research using the extent of data and methodological approaches foreseen in this project proposal has not yet been carried out to date, and neither a comprehensive comparative analysis with selected foreign scholarship systems.
Significance for the country
The analysis of the scholarship policy for gifted individuals is important from an economic point of view. Scholarships are an important mechanism for encouraging pupils and students to achieve outstanding, original achievements and skills. With the right stimulus, young individuals with outstanding achievements may develop new knowledge and innovations, thus contributing to competitiveness of the economy. Especially important for the economy are "STEM" fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), which points to the need for a better connection between education, the labor market and the economy in general. This issue is awarded special attention in the content sections 3-5 of the present project proposal. Recommendations for improvements will be geared at improving effectiveness of the Zois scholarship program in the direction of developing a comprehensive support environment and closer cooperation with prospective employers both from the business and public sectors.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2019,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
