George Z. F. Bereday (Zygmunt Fijałkowski) and his comparative method in educational research

Pedagogical University of Krakow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Kraków, Poland

^* Corresponding author: justyna.wojniak@up.krakow.pl

Abstract

The paper concerns George Bereday’s (Zygmunt Fijałkowski - 1920-1983) scientific activities and his contribution to the development of comparative education as a scientific discipline. Bereday was a researcher of Polish origin and a professor of Columbia University. His works concern methodological aspects of comparative research in education, and his key study is entitled Comparative Method in Education. The main assumption of this method is to analyze educational facts in a broad social and political context. Bereday also examined the education system and policy in the Soviet Union, as well as in the United States and Japan. An important issue of his interest was mass education, including that on a university level, from the point of view of American and European experiences.