Zoya Alekseevna Malkova
(1921 - 2003)

Short Biography & Significant Contribution

Zoya Malkova was born on November 19, 1921 in a small Russian town of Kizel. After finishing her secondary education in Orekhovo-Zuyevo, (near Moscow) in 1939, she entered Moscow Aviation Institute. In 1941 she volunteered to join the army troops combating at the frontline of the World War II as an aircraft technician in the 586th women's fighter regiment.

After the war, Zoya Malkova entered Moscow Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages. Upon finishing her higher education, she taught English at a secondary school. Keeping on working as the teacher, she entered correspondence postgraduate studies at the Institute of Theory and History of Pedagogy (currently under Russian Academy of Education). After successful completion of the Candidate of Sciences dissertation in 1956, Zoya Malkova started her career in the Institute of Theory and History of Pedagogy, ultimately being promoted from the position of a junior research fellow to the Institute director. From 1957, she shifted concentration onto Comparative Education. In the span of her career, Malkova published more than 120 research articles, monographs and books.

Prof. Malkova directed her research work toward primarily studying education and pedagogical theories in the USA. She conducted numerous visits to the United States, which created a strong foundation for her long-lasting person-to-person communication with leading scholars in comparative education in America.

Her collaboration with educationalists in the United States, as well as her continued supervision of her colleagues' research, resulted in building invaluable international connections. Zoya Malkova headed international research groups and guided numerous panels at conferences that covered some of these collaborative efforts, including work done in such countries the United States, Greece, Japan, Canada, Brazil, Germany, and Hungary, among others.

Zoya Malkova significantly contributed in training new researchers of higher qualification. In particular, 27 Candidates of Sciences (PhD) and 2 Doctors of Sciences (the highest qualification) were trained under her direct supervision. For a number of years, she was leading nationwide programs for training young scholars, graduates of which have become influential leaders in universities and departments.

Another notable aspect of Professor Malkova's activities includes her continuous improvement of learning and instruction in pedagogy. She developed a number of textbooks, curricula, course syllabi and other materials on comparative education, followed by a series of invited lecturers, keynotes and courses in leading educational institutions of Russia and in the different universities of the United States, as well as in other institutes for teachers' in-service training.

Zoya Malkova was awarded for her outstanding contribution, initially at the battlefront, and later on in the educational field, with a number of insignia and medals. She was also awarded the Russian Presidential Prize (2000) in the field of education.

Professor Zoya Malkova passed away on September 1, 2003.

In 2006, a memorial international conference titled "Major Trends of Education Development in Contemporary World" was held in the Institute of Theory and History of Pedagogy of the Russian Academy of Education. The Conference was dedicated to her 85th Anniversary.

Educational Background

Moscow State University of Foreign Languages (1949)

Institute of Theory and History of Pedagogy, Moscow, Candidate of Sciences (PhD), dissertation (1956)

Institute of Theory and History of Pedagogy, Moscow, Doctor of Sciences (D.Sc.), dissertation titled "Contemporary Schooling in the USA" (1956)

Russian Academy of Education, elected as a Correspondence Member (1974)

Full Professoriate (1976)

Russian Academy of Education, elected as a Full Member (1982)

Russian Presidential Prize in Education (2000) for series of monographs "Roles and Functions of Comparative Education for Development and Increasing Effectiveness of National System of Education" for higher institutions of pedagogy.

Professional Background

Teacher of English language at a secondary school (1949-1956)

Junior Research Fellow at the Institute of Theory and History of Pedagogy, Moscow (1956-1957)

Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Theory and History of Pedagogy, Moscow (1957-1964)

Head of Division of Contemporary Schooling and Education Abroad of the at the Institute of Theory and History of Pedagogy, Moscow (1964-1974)

Deputy Director, Institute of Theory and History of Pedagogy, Moscow (1974-1980)

Director, Institute of Theory and History of Pedagogy, Moscow (1980-1991)

Principle Research Fellow at the Institute of Theory and History of Pedagogy, Moscow (1991-2003)

Affiliations (associations, organizations, institutions)

Royal Teachers' College, The Honoured Doctor (United Kingdom)

European Society for Comparative Education, Member

Phi Delta Kappa - The Professional Fraternity in Education, International Senior Fellow (USA)

American Association for the Advancement of Science, Member (1974)

American Educational Research Association, Member

The Ball State University Alumni Association, Honorary Member (1992)

Academy of Educational Sciences of Georgia (2001)

Honorary Citizen of the State of Nebraska (1973)

Honorary Citizen of the State of Alabama (1992)

Selected Publications

Books

Malkova, Z.A. (1964). Schooling in the USA. Moscow: Prosvescheniye. [in Russian]

Malkova, Z.A. (1969). Schools and Educational Policy in the USA. Moscow: Znaniye. [in Russian]

Malkova, Z.A. (1971). Contemporary Schools in the USA. Moscow: Pedagogika. [in Russian]

Malkova, Z.A. (1983). Schooling and Pedagogy Abroad. Moscow: Prosvescheniye. [in Russian]

Malkova, Z.A. (2000). Education and Schools in the USA: K-12. Moscow: ITOP. [in Russian]

BOOK CHAPTERS

Malkova, Z.A. (1967). Pragmatism as a Theoretical Basis of American Pedagogy. In: Fundamentals of Pedagogy. Moscow: Prosvescheniye. [in Russian]

Malkova, Z.A. (1991). Humanization of Education. In: Education at the Edge of the 21st Century. Moscow: NII TIIP. [in Russian]

Malkova, Z.A. (1995). Continuing Education as a Strategy for Development of Educational Systems. In: Educational Reforms in Contemporary World. Moscow: URAO. [in Russian]

Malkova, Z.A. (1991). Vocational and Pre-Professional Training in American Schools. In: Training Workers. Moscow: Association for Vocational Education. [in Russian]

Malkova, Z.A. (1994). Strategy for Educational Development for the 21st Century in Japan. In: Prognostic Models of Educational Systems Abroad: Moscow: Russian Academy of Education. [in Russian]

Research Articles

Malkova, Z.A. (1966). Bruner's Theory of Learning. Soviet Pedagogy (1). [in Russian]

Malkova, Z.A. (1990). In Search for a New Pedagogical System: Reforms of Schooling in Developed Countries. Soviet Pedagogy, 1990 (12). [in Russian]

Malkova, Z.A. (1995). J. Dewey - the Philosopher and the Educational Reformer. Pedagogika (4). [in Russian]

Malkova, Z.A. (1998). Learning from the US Schooling Experience. Pedagogika (4). [in Russian]

Malkova, Z.A. (2000). The USA: Looking for Solving Strategic Tasks for Schooling. Pedagogika (7). [in Russian]

Created: 9/8/2008

Updated: 9/8/2008

Contributed By: Irina Polyakova, Russia; Andrey Uroda, The University of Hong Kong