The 6th Panhellenic Conference on the Sociology of Education, titled “Education as a Common Good: Democracy, Activism, and Society,” was co-organized by the Department of Early Childhood Education and the Department of Primary Education at the University of Thessaly, in collaboration with the Department of Early Childhood Education at the University of Ioannina.
This collaborative effort brought together scholars, teachers, students, policy makers, journalists, and activists to explore education as a commons and a catalyst for democratic transformation.
Conference Theme & LibCommon’s Mission
The theme of the conference closely aligns with the mission of LibCommon, to reimagine libraries and universities as inclusive, democratic learning spaces. The following thematic pillars guided both the conference and LibCommon’s vision:
- Educational Commons: Developing participatory models that position libraries and universities as equitable and collaborative learning ecosystems.
- Democratic Pedagogy: Promoting co-creation of knowledge between students, librarians and teachers central to makerspace learning approaches.
- Inclusive Knowledge Access: Addressing structural barriers to education, including those based on class, gender, and disability.
LibCommon Team Contributions (Sample)
The following presentations, delivered by researchers from the University of Thessaly involved in LibCommon, exemplify the project’s core values in action:
- Digital Commons and Equitable Education (Alexandros Pantazis, University of Thessaly: Explores the potential of digital tools to foster inclusive, peer-driven learning environments.)
- Libraries as ‘Commons’: Makerspaces for Knowledge Democracy and Child Empowerment (Angeliki Garoufali & Yannis Pechtelidis, University of Thessaly: Investigates makerspaces as hubs for participatory knowledge creation and child empowerment.)
- Children Co-Create Escape Rooms Through the Pedagogy of Commons (Stavroula Stoumpou & Yannis Pechtelidis, University of Thessaly: Highlights interdisciplinary, student-led projects that reframe learning spaces as co-created environments.)
- Workshop: Fairy Tales as Tools for Strengthening Educational Commons (Angeliki Botonaki & Chrysa Gatzelaki, University of Thessaly: Demonstrates how storytelling and fairy tales can foster collaborative, values- based learning communities.)
Key Conference Outcomes:
- 270+ papers presented
- 570+ participants
- 8 keynote speeches
- Workshops on decolonizing curricula, community-led learning, and open-access tools, all reinforcing LibCommon’s commitment to educational commons as democratic and inclusive spaces.
Website: https://socedu.ece.uth.gr/socedu6/
