METODOLOGIA PEDAGOGIKI NORMATYWNEJ
A METHODOLOGY OF NORMATIVE EDUCATIONAL STUDIES

Summary/Abstract: Educational studies can adopt either a descriptive or a normative approach. The descriptive approach follows the standard methodology of social sciences, while the normative approach lacks a clear methodological framework. This article distinguishes between two types of educational normativity: piecemeal, which is limited by the lifeworld and grounded in empirical evidence, and holistic, which is ideological and totalising. The former, while not a science in the strict sense, demands a methodological discipline that is no less rigorous than that of its descriptive counterpart. A normative claim, referred to as a directive, is proposed to consist of a norm and an evaluation linked by the 'because' feature. To recognise the directive, it is essential to justify the evaluation and empirically demonstrate that the action described by the norm is a condition for the state of affairs described in the evaluation. Only through rational justification can pedagogical directives remain transparent, open to critique, and accountable in shaping real-world educational practice. By contrast, holistic normativity is based on unverifiable historical or moral perspectives and cannot be methodologically justified. Its claims are resistant to falsification and often serve as ideological directives. This paper argues that such approaches, although influential, are epistemically irrational and risk producing harmful social consequences under the guise of educational reform.

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