Vol. 2 No. 15 (2020)

The contemporary educational space places high demands on its participants resulting primarily from social expectations. Among these, the most significant are a quality of education dictated by the changes taking place in the surrounding world, a holistic view of the development of the individual and an education which strives for timeless values. It is on these components that the child’s development here and now – as well as their place in social life and social roles played in adult life – largely depend.
Bearing the above in mind, it should be postulated that activities carried out in the space of the kindergarten and school should take into account the importance of upbringing, and stimulate the development of the child, their abilities and interests. Therefore, contemporary education requires undertaking and implementing substantial changes, the priority aim of which should be to take into account the individuality of the student and their developmental needs. Contemporary education should focus on the new generation of learners as open and inquisitive innovators (Żeber-Dzikowska, Wysocka-Kunisz and Szydłowska, 2016) who continue implementing new tasks resulting from changes taking place in the world. Hence, it is of particular importance to strive to improve the quality of the educational process by moving away from standard behaviors and working towards creative, innovative solutions (Palka, 2015). Such solutions will ensure that the child/student follows their own path, based on the principle of acquiring knowledge and skills according to individual developmental capabilities, in line with their zone of proximal development and in a way that is appropriate to their cognitive predispositions.
The texts collected in this issue of the journal refer to selected problems of education, giving direction to a variety of changes. They refer to activating the student and stimulating their work through the use of appropriately selected methods and tools while following the developmental conditions which take into account the contemporary realities of life.

Joanna Skibska

References
Palka, S. (2015). Wprowadzanie zmian w procesach i zjawiskach pedagogicznych w badaniach i praktyce edukacyjnej [Introducing Changes in Pedagogical Processes and Phenomena in Research and Educational Practice]. In: K. Denek, A. Kamińska and P. Oleśniewicz (eds.), Edukacja jutra. Aksjologiczno-kulturowy fundament edukacji jutra [Education of Tomorrow. Axiological and Cultural Foundation of Education of the Future] (pp. 129–136). Sosnowiec: Oficyna Wydawnicza Humanitas.
Żeber-Dzikowska, I., Wysocka-Kunisz, M. and Szydłowska, A. (2016). Kompetencje nauczyciela w kontekście kształcenia [Teacher’s Competences in the Context of Education]. Społeczeństwo. Edukacja. Język [Society. Education. Language], 9, 93–101.