Origins
A long arc of international cooperation
The story of the AMSE-AMCE-WAER congress series begins in the early 1950s, with European researchers comparing approaches to teaching and learning across national borders. Discussions held at that time eventually matured into a permanent association.
By the end of the decade, calls for a stable, independent international body were growing louder among educational scientists on both sides of the Atlantic.
The World Association for Educational Research traces its origins to a period when educators across Europe sought common ground for discussing teaching methods and learning theory. Informal exchanges among researchers gradually evolved into a structured organization committed to international collaboration in the educational sciences. Over time, the association established a rhythm of recurring congresses, giving scholars a dependable venue to share findings, debate methodologies, and refine the language used to describe classroom practice and institutional change.
The congress series associated with the association has gathered participants from a wide range of countries and disciplines, creating a continuing forum where educational research can be examined alongside related questions in the social sciences. Each gathering has built on earlier work, producing a layered record of contributions that reflects shifting priorities in pedagogy, curriculum design, and the management of educational institutions. The cumulative effect has been a body of shared reference points for researchers entering the field.
The Eskişehir congress formed part of this extended tradition, hosting presentations and discussions that connected local educational concerns with broader international debates. By linking a specific regional setting to a long-running series of meetings, the event illustrated how educational research often moves between the local and the global, drawing on particular contexts while contributing to wider conversations about teaching, learning, and the structures that support them across different education systems.
Milestones
Key dates in the association’s history
A congress on educational sciences brings together researchers whose exchange of ideas seeds the idea of a standing international association.
The World Association for Educational Research (WEAR) is formally founded during a congress held in Oslo, Norway.
The XVIII International AMSE-AMCE-WAER Congress convenes at Anadolu University, with the theme “Teaching and Training Today for Tomorrow”.
Focus
Research and university teaching
The association exists to encourage international cooperation in educational research, supporting dialogue between scholars who study how curricula, pedagogy, and teacher preparation can be improved.
AMSE, AMCE, and WAER together organise congresses that invite researchers, educators, and students to share findings, debate methodology, and shape future research agendas across the educational sciences.
Congress line-up
A continuing series
The Eskişehir gathering was the eighteenth in a numbered series, held between May 30 and June 2, 2016, and continues a tradition of rotating the congress among host countries across Europe and beyond.
