Obrazovanje odraslih u prošlosti i danas

The scholarly work Adult Education: Past and Present (Obrazovanje odraslih u prošlosti i danas) by Dr. Borivoj Samolovčev, published in 1963, stands as a foundational text and one of the most significant achievements in the development of Yugoslav and Croatian andragogy. This comprehensive study emerged during a period when adult education was rapidly taking shape as a distinct and autonomous pedagogical and andragogical discipline. The book is divided into historical and contemporary sections. In the first part, the author provides a detailed historical-analytical overview of the evolution of adult education ideas and practices—spanning from antiquity, through the Middle Ages and the Enlightenment, to the rise of workers' universities and mass literacy campaigns in the 20th century. In the second part, Samolovčev focuses on the theoretical and practical challenges of the time, defining the specific nature of teaching methods, the psychological characteristics of adult learners, and the role of education in socio-economic development. Written with exceptional methodological rigor and strong scholarly argumentation, this 1963 volume became essential reading for generations of students of pedagogy and andragogy, as well as for education professionals. The work remains an enduring landmark and a key reference for understanding the history of adult education in this region.