Course Objectives

In the introduction, three target areas which are emphasised in the national curriculum are mentioned. With these as a basis, the students will, during the course of their studies, develop the skills they will need as future teachers by acquiring:

• Knowledge of how children, adolescents and adults learn, and be able to develop the ability to map and evaluate pupils’ developmental levels, skills, interests, learning strategies and other conditions relevant to individually adapted teaching.
• Practical skills in relation to planning, executing and evaluating one’s own teaching; and understanding of and insight into alternative didactic models.
• An understanding of various teaching, learning and assessment methods which promote differentiated teaching and active pupil participation.
• Skills related to developing students’ ability to respect individual pupils and support children, adolescents and adults in crisis situations.
• Expertise which will allow them to describe, apply and evaluate teaching plans, the legal administration, other regulatory documents and the basis upon which these are built.
• An awareness of themselves as role models, supervisors and distinct leaders in a school environment with active student participation.
• Adequate insight into the school as an organisation to understand the processes which characterise well-functioning organisations, enabling them to contribute to the further development of the physical and social working and learning environment.
• The knowledge required to enable them to create awareness of the school’s historical, present and future role as a social institution and culture bearer.
• The knowledge required to allow them to understand how social development influences and is influenced by youth culture; as well as the developmental conditions of youth and adults seeking education in various life-situations.
• An awareness regarding fact-based norms and attitudes which will serve as a basis for creating a positive multicultural and inclusive learning environment in the school.

The scope and content of the various target areas

1. The teacher and the student (10 ECTS)

In this part of the course, students will concentrate largely on the relationship between teachers and pupils, and will acquire a basic understanding of how children, adolescents and adults develop and learn. In addition, they will familiarise themselves with the current curricula, and how the school should meet pupils with varying backgrounds with regard to age, socio-cultural background and various life situations. The teacher’s work, insight and understanding are important for the learning environment. Consequently, we will stress the analysis and adaptation of a good teaching environment, where fellowship and adapted learning strategies will be emphasised.

The main factors in this part of the course are:

• Fundamental concepts and theories about development and learning of children and adolescents
• Observation
• Social psychology and organising to achieve effective group-processes
• Adapted education
• Special-education approaches
• Organisation, execution and evaluation of one’s own teaching practice
• Evaluation of various didactic models
• Adult education
• Mandatory supervision seminar

An individual and a group assignment will be carried out in connection with this target area.

2. The teacher and the school as an organisation (10 ECTS)

This part of the course concentrates on the teacher in relation to the school as an organisation. We will emphasise different structural and dynamic relationships which characterise the school as an organisation. We will therefore study topics drawn from organisational theory and organisation-psychology, as well as the internal and external conditions which determine the teacher’s latitude for action.

The main topics are:

• The school as an organisation
• The rationalisation, mandate and fundamental values of the school
• Bearing principles, goals and basic values in the prevailing curricula
• Various teaching and learning methods and alternative didactic solutions
• Leadership and organisational development
• Various players who influence the school as an organisation
• School codes and school culture/organisational culture

An individual and a group-based portfolio document will be created in connection with this target area.

3. The teacher and society (10 ECTS)

Society influences the school and the school influences society. The cultural, political, economic and ethical trends of society affect the school and form a framework that the school must take into consideration. Likewise, the school must stand as a central actor for desirable social development and for the society one wishes to attain in the future. In an evolving society, therefore, the school will hold a pivotal role as a social institution. With its productive as well as reproductive function, the school plays an active role in society, not least by providing children and adolescents with healthy attitudes and skills they will need today and in the future. The ethical aspects of the teacher role will be discussed in detail here. Teachers do not only inherit a school-culture, but also continuously help to create the best possible qualitative and effective learning environment.

The main elements in this part of the course are:

• Children and adolescents as culture-bearers, and the consequences for work carried out in schools
• Adapted education, individualisation and integration
• Preventative work among children and adolescents with social and emotional difficulties and pupils in critical life-situations
• Cultural diversity and ethnicity
• Basic aspects of school history
• The teacher role and the ethical relationships related to it
• Social conditions that influence the development environment of children and adolescents (such as the media, bullying as a phenomenon, family structure, violence and abuse etc.)

Course Description

Pedagogy is a mandatory component of a BA subject-teacher degree. Pedagogy includes the knowledge, skills and attitudes that teachers require in their encounters with pupils, the school as an organisation and with society. The study of pedagogy is aimed at stimulating the students’ personal development, growth and ethical-awareness in relation to their professional studies. Through theoretical studies, actions and reflection, students will acquire the pedagogical insight which is of fundamental importance for teachers in their daily professional work. Students must therefore study, analyse and reflect concerning the importance of effective teaching and learning for children, youth and adults, and how it affects their development.

According to the current national curriculum the study of pedagogy is based on the following target areas:

• The teacher and the student
• The teacher and the school as an organisation
• The teacher and society

The subject reading material and the practical pedagogic problem-approaches which are focused on during the course will therefore reflect these target areas, and the course curriculum will also include a similar structuring into three target areas.

Since the approach to the course is intended to be function-oriented and closely related to realistic situations in professional life, problem-oriented and reflection orientation instruction will be emphasised. This requires active student involvement, where mutual influence and responsibility will be stressed. Parts of the course will therefore involve mandatory participation. As a rule, this will apply to the activities of the basis groups, the submission of portfolio assignments and all preparatory and follow-up tasks associated with teaching practice. Other mandatory participation sessions and attendance will be specified in the semester plan distributed at the beginning of the semester.

Learning Methods

The structure of this course is described above in the general presentation of the study programme. Pedagogy will be taught during the first semester, with an examination at the end of the semester in December. For part-time students, this will require academic work corresponding to 15 ECTS. The remaining 15 ECTS will be awarded in the third semester, with an end-of-semester examination.

Introductory lectures will be held for the whole student group (seminar group) every week during the autumn semester providing an overview that combined with the syllabus will provide students with a common reference framework allowing them to study the subject material in greater depth. This in-depth orientation may be carried out in basis groups, as independent study of specific aspects of the subject material, or as preparation for the presentation of various pieces of work to the whole student group. Problem-based learning is an important professional approach to pedagogy, and this method will be stressed in the pedagogical part of the course. This requires a high degree of student effort and involvement in the learning process.

During the study period on campus the course includes the following teaching and learning methods:

• Lectures
• Group work
• Discussions in plenary
• Individual study, with or without supervision
• The preparation, execution and evaluation of the student’s own supervised teaching practice on specified days (in Norwegian punktpraksis meaning shorter periods of innovative teaching practice), or over a longer period.

In addition, much of the study will take place in basis groups which meet locally during the part of the semester when the students are not required to meet at the university college. This applies particularly to the work on joint projects and portfolio documentation.

Students are not required to attend all of the lectures in the course, but full participation in the group activities is mandatory. All the teaching practice periods and the preparation/follow-up work associated with it are mandatory. The submission of all the assignments is mandatory. In addition to lessons in supervision, some of the other meetings may also be designated as non-optional. These will be specified in the semester plan which will be distributed at the beginning of each semester. The submission of reflective notes, logs and reports, which are required by the course, are mandatory.

All required submissions must be approved, and have been awarded passing marks by the course teacher(s) before the candidate may take the final examination.

Assessment Methods

Throughout the period of study, students will be expected to work on mandatory written assignments, and execute tasks individually or in groups to be re-evaluated by the basis groups. This is a part of the formative assessment in the course (continuous assessment). Some of these assignments will be included in a separate ‘ Sample Work Portfolio’, which will be submitted for assessment at the end of the semester (the deadline for submission will be specified in the semester plan distributed at the start of the semester). The portfolio will include work from all the three target areas described above, and students will choose two of the six mandatory assignments to be submitted for assessment. Simultaneously, the course teacher will choose a random piece of work to be added to the portfolio. The final assessment of the individual portfolios will be based on the following selected pieces of documentation:

• Individual assignments (2 assignments, each of which count for 30% of the final grade for the portfolio)
• Group assignment (1 assignment which counts for 40% of the final grade for the portfolio)
• Written assignments related to the teaching practice and didactic plans (4 items)

Final examination and grade assignment

a) An internal portfolio assessment counting for 50% of the final grade (Sample Work portfolio).

b) A 4-hour individual written examination counting for 20% of the final grade.

c) A development project carried out in groups counting for 30% of the final grade.

The remaining assignments are evaluated as pass/fail.

A single grade is entered on the diploma, ranging from A to F, where A is the highest grade and E is the lowest passing grade. Each part of the assessment must receive a passing grade in order to receive a final passing grade for the course. Candidates who wish to sit the final examination must have their presentation portfolios approved before they may do so.

Please refer to ‘ Telemark University College ’s Examination Regulation’ for further information.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean