Educational sciences in France. History and current events

Abstract

French educational sciences stem from a long history that began in the late 19th century when Republican education policy needed scientific support. At that time they use the expression “Science of Education” (Science de l’éducation: singular in French). It soon became clear that this reference to an unique science of education was not appropriate and the discipline disappeared from universities for a long time until they were recreated as educational sciences (Sciences de l’éducation: plural in French) in 1967. The article examines the content of these educational sciences, now challenged by neuroeducation, regarded as a new “true and unique” scientific approach to education. This essay questions the place of pedagogy in “educational sciences”, on the one hand, and the heterogeneity and epistemological value of this new discipline, its numerous and diverse contributions to the knowledge of educational phenomena, on the other. An agreement with UNESCO’s conception of pluralistic and multi-stakeholder educational research is also expressed here.