PED422 Pedagogy and Education in Society

The course is connected to the following study programs

• Master's programme in Education

Teaching language

Norwegian

Course contents

The main focus in this course will be on the social perspectives on education and pedagogy.

The course is subdivided into three areas:

• Introduction to pedagogical thinking, both historical and current: This includes the relations between perspectives on humanity, formation, and essential views on pedagogical goals and means, within various directions like philantropism, neo-humanism, reform pedagogy, progressivism and socio-cultural pedagogy.

• Sociological and historical perspectives on education: Development and modern history will be the foundation for the analysis of education based on current sociological perspectives. Emphasis will be placed on understanding education in a social perspective based on functionalistic, post-structural and critical perspectives.

• National and international education politics: Today¿s trends in education politics will be discussed in the light of the two previous topics. Terms like the welfare state, neo-liberalism, knowledge society and the competition state, will be discussed with a focus on education politics. International currents like accountability, evaluation, assessment, testing, knowledge management and New Public Management (NPM), will be discussed in a comparative perspective.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course the students will

• Have knowledge about essential pedagogical theories and their recent historical development in a social perspective

• Have knowledge about historical, humanistic and formation theoretical perspectives and be able to apply these in a critical analysis of current pedagogical problems in a social perspective.

• Have knowledge about historical and sociological analyses of education in a social perspective

• Have knowledge about global macro-trends within education: the welfare state, neo-liberalism, knowledge society, and the competition state.

• Be able to analyse national and international trends in educational politics and reforms in a comparative perspective, like accountability, evaluation, assessment, testing, knowledge management and New Public Management (NPM)

Examination requirements

Two written assignments must be submitted and passed (one given and one selected) (Further information will be given in the semester plan)

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars, individual work.

The workload is estimated to about 400 hours

Evaluation

The study programme manager, in consultation with the student representative, decides the method of evaluation and whether the courses will have a midterm- or end of term evaluation, see also the Quality System, section 4.1. Information about evaluation method for the course will be posted on Canvas.

Assessment methods and criteria

5-day individual home examination. Graded assessment.