History

The creation of the Spanish Pedagogy Society in 1949 took place in a historical context marked by the need for social, cultural, and educational reconstruction after the Civil War. In that setting, previous conceptions had lost their validity, and it became necessary to rethink the foundations of education.

From its beginnings, the SEP played a significant role in this process of renewal. Together with the journal Bordón, it helped introduce new approaches and consolidate a scientific perspective on education, incorporating empirical methodologies into research.

That same year, the International Congress of Pedagogy in Santander and San Sebastián was held, with the participation of the most prominent foreign figures in experimental pedagogy. Among them were Professors Raymond Buyse and James A. Van der Veldt of the University of Leuven, Arvil S. Barr of the University of Wisconsin, Mario Casotti of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan, and Émile Planchard of the University of Coimbra. Likewise, publication of the journal Bordón began, which since then has promoted the ongoing development and strengthening of studies in all areas of educational knowledge.

The international dimension of the SEP was consolidated in 1994, when it became a founding member of the European Educational Research Association (EERA), and has been part of its Executive Committee ever since. (Corrected an unnecessary “and of the”.)

Years later, in 2009, the SEP also became a founding member of the World Education Research Association (WERA), contributing actively to the global space for academic cooperation.

A network-based working model is promoted with the participation of associations and research groups, giving rise to initiatives such as the Transdisciplinary Network for Educational Research (RETINDE).

The SEP invited scientific associations in education and the networks of educational research groups in Spain to collaborate in organising the 16th National Congress and 7th Ibero-American Congress of Pedagogy, held at the Complutense University of Madrid in June 2016. The congress’s strategic lines were structured around the scientific collaboration of more than a dozen associations.

From then on, SEP congresses became network congresses, contributing to academic and professional exchange.