KICER 2025 – Two Days of Reflection, Dialogue, and Vision for Education

The Faculty of Education at the University of Prishtina successfully hosted the fifth edition of the International Conference on Educational Research – KICER 2025, a platform that brought together researchers, teachers, doctoral candidates, and policymakers from Kosovo, the region, and Europe.

Under the central theme “Education in a Globalized Era: Challenges and Opportunities for Transformative Teaching and Learning,” the conference featured over 100 presentations across parallel sessions during two intensive days of academic exchange.

Keynote addresses were delivered by distinguished international scholars:

• Dr. Marit Honerød Hoveid (NTNU / President of EERA)

• Dr. Peter Zentel (LMU Munich)

• Dr. Janez Vogrinc (University of Ljubljana)

• Dr. Heike Wendt (University of Graz)

Day One – Values, Professionalism, and Ethical Transformation

The first day was marked by in-depth reflections on the role of educational research in building equitable and inclusive education systems. The keynote speeches emphasized the importance of grounding research in the lived experiences of teachers and in the ethical dimension of education.

Parallel sessions addressed themes such as:

• teacher professional development and professional identity,

• motivation and self-efficacy in teaching careers,

• transformative leadership and collaborative school cultures,

• reflective practices and project-based learning,

• technology integration and preparation for global standards.

Discussions highlighted the critical link between scientific research and the concrete improvement of classroom practice.

Day Two – Global Competencies, Technology, and Sustainability

The second day focused strongly on future-oriented competencies, digital transformation, and education for sustainability. Competency models in the context of globalization, the impact of the Bologna Process, and alignment with European education policies were central topics of discussion.

Thematic sessions explored:

• the use of artificial intelligence and chatbots in autonomous learning,

• interdisciplinary competency development through coding and STEAM,

• virtual and augmented reality in science education,

• the impact of social media on youth,

• classroom management and approaches for students with challenging behaviors,

• education for sustainability and comparative analyses based on international data.

These sessions underscored the need for an education system that is flexible, innovative, and responsive to social and technological change.

Emerging Voices in Educational Research

A particularly dynamic component of the conference was the poster session, where early-career researchers, doctoral and master’s students, and practitioners presented over 20 studies directly addressing challenges within the education system — from student motivation and professional ethics to digital tools and strategies for supporting students on the autism spectrum. The session fostered vibrant dialogue and professional exchange.

KICER 2025 reaffirmed the Faculty of Education’s role as a significant hub for research, scholarly dialogue, and the integration of practice, policy, and professional development. The two days of the conference demonstrated that educational research in Kosovo is consolidating its position as a transformative force within the education system.

Click here for the Book of Abstracts.