Course content

The course is part of a flexible practical and profession-oriented programme for part time teacher students (FPPU).

Pedagogy is an academic discipline about learning, socialization and teacher practice in an educational context, and this course provides a systematic understanding of learning environments, professional ethic, and educational issues.

This course introduces teacher students to a knowledge of the relationships between the teacher profession and the functions of school in the community. Furthermore, the course aims to inspire the students to develop and renew their professional practices, and to participate in school development

Critical analyses of school policy guidelines, educational values, and research provide a fundament for reflection and preparedness for educational practices

The core of pedagogy is ethical thinking and actions, which form a basis for evaluation of learning outcomes in this course.

The course is structured into the following main elements which emphasize pupils/students, teachers, the school as an organisation, and school’s role in society.

• Learning, motivation, and subjectification
• Didactics and curriculum analysis
• Professional ethics and professionalism
• Socialization, adolescence, and democracy
• Educational policies, educational history, and pedagogical history of ideas

Learning outcome

A teacher student will transform into an autonomous teacher when being able to talk, read, and write using professional terminology. After this course the following learning outcomes will form a fundament for professional development:

The student

• is able to contribute to an inclusive and caring community
• is able to build relations to and cooperate with all students, parents, colleagues, and other relevant participants in the education system
• demonstrates independent and ethical attitudes towards all students, parents, and colleagues, based on fundamental values such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and educational laws and regulations
• is able to recognize connections between individual, social, and cultural components when working with adapted education, equality, and the drop-out issue
• is able to use pedagogical knowledge when reflecting on and developing their own practices according to students’ prerequisites, interests, and needs
• has a critical perspective on power in education, such as teachers’ professional exercise of power
• has knowledge about relevant laws and guidelines for the teacher profession
• is able to analyse and use national and local curriculums in educational planning in accordance with fundamental educational values
• is able to critical reflect on different forms of evaluations and testing
• is able to act professionally, describe, and critically reflect on professional, ethical and educational political issues
• is able to use relevant research methods as applied to social sciences, contribute to, and implement a research and development project

Learning methods and activities

In this course there is an interaction between teacher practice, concepts and theoretical models, and reflexion.

Variation in learning methods is emphasized through a mix between lectures, seminars, and group work. Interdisciplinary work is also a priority, including participation in a group-based research and development project.

Being part of a learning community is an important part of professional education in pedagogy, and a preparation to become part of a teacher college.

Social learning in seminars is an important part of all learning processes related to the subject of pedagogy. Central to the seminars are the students' written and oral reflections, both individually and together with fellow students, on pedagogical topics.

Compulsory assignments

• Group task for supervision R&D
• Compulsory papers and activities
• Compulsory participation in teaching periods

Specific conditions

Credit reductions