Educational Research Institute

What Educational Research Institute does

The Educational Research Institute (legal name Pedagoški inštitut) is Slovenia's central national institution for educational research, founded on May 1, 1965 and operating as an independent public research institute (javni raziskovalni zavod) under a Government of Slovenia decree dated April 26, 1995. The institute employs approximately 90 staff, including roughly 35 researchers distributed across eight specialized research centers covering sociology of education, comparative education, philosophy of education, pedagogical anthropology, developmental and social psychology, pedagogy, linguistics, epistemology, discourse studies, and critical social theory. It conducts fundamental, applied, evaluation, and development research across all areas of education, from preschool through higher education, and is internationally recognized as Slovenia's national coordinator for the major international student assessment programs — PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS, TALIS, ICCS, ICILS, REDS, and ESLC — through partnerships with the OECD and IEA.

The institute's portfolio spans three operational pillars: (1) international assessment coordination, in which it executes Slovenia's participation in OECD/IEA studies covering 50+ countries; (2) domestic and EU-funded research projects, including the ARISE regional equity initiative across Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the HUBS4TEENS early-school-leaving project, the Nevrobranje neuro-reading study using eye-tracking and EEG, the PIQET educator professional development program, and the me_HeLi-D digital mental health literacy tool; and (3) dissemination infrastructure, comprising its own publishing house (Založba PI) producing scientific monographs and conference proceedings, and an annual national scientific conference now in its 10th edition. Director Prof. Dr. Igor ž. žagar leads the organization, which is governed by a Scientific Council and Management Board and maintains no parent company or subsidiaries.

Revenue is generated through three streams: Slovenia's national research program funding (core operational financing), domestic and international R&D project grants (including EU Horizon Europe and Erasmus+), and contract research services commissioned by clients beyond the national program. The institute is sales-led in the sense that it directly engages government bodies, educational institutions, and policy makers for research services, but it operates as a public service institution rather than a commercial entity, and pricing is not publicly disclosed. Customer segments include Slovenian educational institutions (schools, kindergartens, higher education), government policymakers responsible for education, and a network of domestic and international research collaborators. Strategic partnerships are anchored with the OECD, IEA, European Union, Council of Europe, University of Ljubljana, the Slovenian Association of Educational Researchers (SLODRE), and CMEPIUS.

Name

Educational Research Institute

Legal name

Pedagoški institut

Website

https://pei.si

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Educational Research Institute (Pedagoški inštitut) is Slovenia's central national public research institute for education, founded in 1965 and operating as an independent government-established institution. It coordinates Slovenia's participation in major international student assessments (PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS, TALIS) and conducts interdisciplinary educational research for schools, policymakers, and academic partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Research Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAFAL

Educational Research, Measurement & Evaluation Programs

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Teacher Training Colleges (Education Schools)

SECONDARYEDADADAA

Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Policy, Research & Think Tanks

SECONDARYEDADAGAD

Institutional Effectiveness & Continuous Improvement Reviews

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Quality Assurance, Compliance & Audit

Keywords

• Educational research
• Education policy
• Comparative education
• Student assessment
• Teacher development

Headquarters

HQ city

Ljubljana

HQ country

Slovenia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. National Research Program Funding: Core operational financing through Slovenia's national research program as a public research institution
2. Research and Development Project Grants: Funding from domestic and international research and development project calls
3. Contract Research Services: Research services commissioned by other clients beyond the national program

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Educational Research Institute (Pedagoški inštitut) is Slovenia's central national public research institute for education. It conducts fundamental, applied, evaluation, and development research across all areas of education and upbringing, coordinates Slovenia's participation in major international educational assessments (PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS, TALIS, ICCS, ICILS, REDS, ESLC), runs domestic and international research projects, and publishes scholarly works through its publishing arm Založba PI.

Product overview

Educational Research Institute (Pedagoški inštitut) is a national research institution rather than a product company. It operates a portfolio of international assessment programs (TIMSS, PISA, PIRLS, TALIS, ICCS, ICILS, REDS, ESLC), domestic research projects (ARISE, HUBS4TEENS, Nevrobranje, PIQET, me_HeLi-D), and a publishing division (Založba PI) producing monographs and conference proceedings. The institute organizes annual scientific conferences and maintains eight specialized research centers covering evaluation studies, cognitive science, discourse studies, philosophy of education, quality improvement, applied epistemology, and educational sociology/anthropology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced International research measuring trends in student achievement in mathematics and science, comparing achievement on standardized tests among children of similar age and schooling years; participation coordinated by the institute for Slovenia.
• PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) OECD program measuring 15-year-old students' competencies in reading, mathematics, and science literacy; coordinated nationally by the institute.
• PIRLS IEA international research assessing reading literacy of students at the end of 4th grade (approximately 10 years old).
• REDS (Research on Education During COVID-19) IEA research providing a comprehensive picture of COVID-19's impact on global education, collecting internationally comparable data on school readiness for distance learning.
• ICILS (International Computer and Information Literacy Study) IEA international research assessing students' ability to use digital technologies for learning and information processing, with predecessor studies SITES (1999-2006).
• TALIS (Teaching and Learning International Survey) OECD international survey focusing on the learning environment and working conditions of teachers, examining teaching practices, professional development, and school leadership.
• ICCS (International Civic and Citizenship Education Study) IEA international research assessing students' civic knowledge, attitudes, and engagement, including predecessor study CIVED.
• ESLC (European Survey on Language Competences) European research investigating foreign language proficiency of students at the end of compulsory schooling across participating countries.
• ARISE International project empowering schools to create fairer learning environments, bringing together NGOs, research institutions, and schools from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to reduce educational inequalities.
• HUBS4TEENS Project aimed at reducing early school leaving and strengthening inclusive learning systems and support networks for vulnerable students through participatory self-diagnostic processes in schools.
• Nevrobranje (NeuroReading) Research project studying differences between reading/learning from paper versus screens using eye-tracking and EEG methodologies.
• PIQET Project aimed at improving professional development of educators in various forms of lifelong learning for teaching and leadership staff in education.
• me_HeLi-D Erasmus+ project developing and scientifically evaluating a digital mental health literacy tool for students aged 12-15, available in four languages.
• SIRIUS Watch Annual research initiative monitoring and supporting the development and effective implementation of inclusive education policies for migrant children across the EU.
• Založba PI (PI Publishing) Publishing division producing scientific monographs, conference proceedings, research reports, and educational materials, with digital library collections (Dissertationes, Compendia, Documenta).
• Pedagoški leksikon: Izbrani temeljni pojmi Pedagogical lexicon providing in-depth scholarly treatment of key concepts in education through extended authored articles, published by Založba PI.
• Scientific Conferences Annual national scientific conferences on education research, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to disseminate research findings and discuss challenges in education.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coordinates Slovenian participation in international studies including TIMSS, PISA, PIRLS, REDS, ICILS, TALIS, ICCS, ESLC covering over 50 countries

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OECDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlovenia's coordinator for PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) and other OECD educational studies
• IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates Slovenia's participation in IEA studies including TIMSS, PIRLS, ICCS, ICILS, ESLC
• European UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipant in EU research programs and Horizon Europe projects
• Council of EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization for educational cooperation
• SLODRE (Slovensko društvo raziskovalcev na področju edukacije)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlovenian Association of Educational Researchers - co-organizer of annual scientific conferences
• University of LjubljanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding institution since 1970; maintains ongoing academic cooperation
• Government of Republic of SloveniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding entity and primary funder through public research institute status established 1995
• CMEPIUSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of national scientific conferences

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana: Slovenia's primary teacher-training faculty and PI's founding-rights institution since 1970. Comparable as a domestic educational research and teacher training organization with overlapping research themes.
• CMEPIUS (Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for Mobility and European Educational and Training Programmes): Slovenian national agency managing EU educational programs including Erasmus+. PI's co-organizer of national scientific conferences; comparable as a domestic educational policy/program operator.

Regional players

• Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU): Slovenia's national academy of sciences. Comparable as a Slovenia-based public research organization, though broader in scope beyond education.

Others

• OECD PISA / INES: International assessment programs coordinated by OECD. PI coordinates Slovenia's participation in PISA and TALIS; they are the principal counterpart and ecosystem participant.
• Eurydice (EU Education and Youth Policy Analysis Network): European network providing comparative education policy analysis. PI's engagement in EU and Council of Europe education networks places it as an adjacent comparator in cross-border education research dissemination.
• IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement): International cooperative that coordinates TIMSS, PIRLS, ICCS, ICILS and other comparative studies. Peer as both a partner and ecosystem enabler: PI coordinates Slovenia's participation in IEA studies.

Direct peers

• NFER (National Foundation for Educational Research): UK-based independent educational research organization that conducts large-scale national and international studies and evaluation work. Directly comparable as a national educational research body providing assessment, evaluation, and policy research services.
• National Institute for Educational Policy Research (NIER, Japan): Japan's central national institute for educational policy research, conducting large-scale assessment and policy studies. Comparable as a government-mandated educational research body operating at a national level.
• DIPF (German Institute for International Educational Research): German national institute for educational research, member of the Leibniz Association, conducting empirical educational research and coordinating international assessments. Closely comparable as a publicly funded national educational research institute.

Broad incumbents

• NCES (National Center for Education Statistics): U.S. federal statistical agency that collects and reports education data, including international assessments. Comparable as a major national educational data and research body, though operating at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-digital-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Educational Research Institute