Course Objectives

This subject curriculum is based on the Curriculum for: “Subject Teacher: Design, Art and Handicrafts”, set by the Ministry of Education and Research on 3rd April 2003.

Pedagogy concerns the knowledge, skills and attitudes which teachers need in their meeting with pupils, school and society. This course in pedagogy constitutes a part of the professional Teacher Education programme. It deals in particular with how children and youth develop their identity as free and responsible human beings, and how the teacher may function as a role model and an effective and confident guide in this process. The course will provide students with a professional basis for teaching in the lower and upper secondary schools, adult education and other pedagogical arenas.

In the subject teacher programme in Design, Art and Handicrafts emphasis is placed in particular on the practical and aesthetic aspects of pedagogy, and on the teacher as a disseminator of culture. By means of practical creative activities integrated with theory, students will develop a reflective and critical approach regarding the role of a teacher in different situations. This involves the ability to communicate orally and in writing, and the ability to make thoughtful observations on research within the field. The course will be related to specific activities in schools as far as possible.

Through the choice of content and syllabus literature the course is built around the following three target areas:

• The teacher and pupils
• The teacher and the school
• The teacher and society

The syllabus literature has been selected in relation to the three target areas and reflects the social priorities and perceptions regarding what is meant by the designations of the three target areas. In this context, it is important to consider the tasks and functions of schools in relation to what is proposed and stipulated in relevant curricula and regulations.

The target areas and approaches of the course will be related to pedagogical work in lower and upper secondary schools. On the basis of this, students will be provided with a basis for reflection and choice of approaches in their work as teachers.

The course in Pedagogy in the Bachelor’s degree programme on Design, Art and Handicrafts at Telemark University College is taught during the first two years of the programme. Although the course in Pedagogy is concluded after the second year of study, the pedagogical approach is maintained throughout all the three years due to the fact that subject didactics and teaching practice form part of the third year curriculum.

The course in Pedagogy is weighted as follows during the two years of study:

1st year: 7.5 + 7.5 = 15 ECTS

2nd year: 7.5 + 7.5 = 15 ECTS

Main aims:

The students will:

• Acquire practical skills regarding the planning, implementation and evaluation of teaching and learning skills anchored in the child and culture.
• Acquire knowledge of how the educational system’s foundation of values commits the teacher, and be able to reflect critically on the tasks and responsibilities of schools.
• Acquire subject-teacher skills by the acquisition of the knowledge of ideas and values that have shaped the practical and aesthetic subjects throughout the past.
• Develop the ability to reflect in relation to varying pupil abilities, the learning environment and the framework conditions of schools.
• Develop the ability to respect each pupil, and be able to reflect on their own views concerning equal rights, equality and cultural diversity.
• Learn to reflect on their own working role and behaviour.
• Develop the capacity for participating in pedagogical development work.

Course Description

The teacher and the pupils

• Documentation of teaching practice experiences
• The school’s role as part of children and young people’s cultural and developmental environment

The teachers and the school as an organisation

• The Norwegian inclusive state school system ( enhetsskolen)
• Leadership and organisational development
• Evaluation
• Home-school cooperation and locally-adapted teaching

The teacher and society

Cultural diversity and ethnicity

The school as part of the local, national and global culture

Central aspects of school history

Ethical reflection

The study of theories and concepts with reference to the syllabus literature

• School, society and culture (2 ECTS)

Basic pedagogical problems, practical and aesthetic educational aspects and school history

• The school as an organisation (2 ECTS)

The Norwegian school system, school in the local community, other cultural institutions, organisational theory, and the school in an international perspective

• Teaching and learning methods

Lectures, self-study, study groups and written documentation

Preparation of learning material related to the teaching practice

• School, society and culture (2 ECTS)

Practice assignments, discussion assignments, and seminar presentations

• The school as an organisation (2 ECTS)

Practice assignments, discussion assignments, and seminar presentations

• Interdisciplinary project work (7 ECTS)
• Teaching and learning methods

Group work, written and oral documentation, fieldwork and observation, and interdisciplinary project work

Students will be required to participate in the study groups and to submit a report. During the course of the second year, students will carry out an interdisciplinary project. This course in pedagogy will contribute to forming a basis for this work.

The work on the project, which comprises 25 pages, is calculated to take up two weeks. The work should be carried out in groups, chosen by the students themselves. The problem approach for the project must be approved by the subject teacher before work commences on the project. Through their work on the project, students will show that they are capable of gaining an overview of recent knowledge within the field on which they have focused. This will involve active use of ICT and academic journals.

Learning Methods

The first year of study

During the first year of study, students will concentrate in particular on the teacher-pupil relationship, and acquire a basic understanding of children and youth’s development and learning in a socio-cultural context. Students will also become acquainted with the curriculum for the lower secondary school and the various aspects of the teacher’s role. Pupils vary according to age, background and various life situations, and it is the teacher’s efforts, insight and understanding which are of importance for the development of the class environment. It is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that good relationships exist between pupils, and between the teacher and pupils. It is an overall aim of the Norwegian inclusive state school system ( Enhetsskolen) that the principles of fellowship and teaching adapted to each individual’s needs is adhered to. It is a challenge for the teacher to meet and deal with the needs of children and youth with different backgrounds, interests and abilities.

1 The main elements of the course

The teacher and pupils

• Aesthetic learning processes
• Teaching adapted to each individual’s needs
• Planning and implementation of effective group processes and communication
• Brief introduction to some special needs education approaches
• Observation and individual teaching plans

The teacher and the school

• An introduction to the school as an organisation
• The school’s mandate, foundation of values and purpose
• Basic aims, principles and guidelines of the curriculum
• Principal didactic models
• Important methods and organisational forms in lower and upper secondary schools, such as theme- and project-based work.

The teacher and society

• Children and youth as a part of the local, national and global culture
• Preventive initiatives aimed at children and young people with social and emotional difficulties and pupils in critical life situations.

The second year of study

During the second year of study, students will develop a further and more complete perspective on what is involved in being a teacher, and how the aims of schools may be put into practice within current framework conditions. In the context of interdisciplinary project work, students will be able to acquire skills by participating in development work and developing the ability to examine and evaluate research in a critical and reflected manner.

The school as a builder of our institutions is concerned with preserving the experiences and values of the past. In a developing society the school is also an active participant in the interrelations between parents, the local community and society at large. The teacher must therefore embody this double-sidedness in the meeting with parents and others. The cultural concept includes both aspects of preservation and development. In its role as cultural bearer the school must attend to both the formative and creative forces, in order to provide opportunities for enjoyment and the many opportunities which cultural diversity provides.

In today’s society, the teacher will be confronted with many challenges. Primarily, he/she will be concerned with planning and organising the pupils’ learning, development and socialisation, but also with providing students with a foundation for a life-long learning process. This means that the teacher must be willing to develop both professionally and on the human level in the ongoing social interaction with the users of the school. The teacher’s work with basic pedagogical problems and practical and aesthetic educational aspects will be important in this context. By this we mean the ‘eternal’ questions related to the subject and the school as an institution. This concerns questions concerning the function of education and the development of character. The ethical aspects which shed light on right and wrong in upbringing and teaching will also be emphasized.

Content, teaching and learning methods

Students will participate actively in planning, organising and evaluating the course. The content is divided into two parts: on the one hand, the study of theories and concepts with reference to the syllabus literature; and on the other hand, the preparation of learning material related to the students’ teaching practice.

2.3 The study of theories and concepts with reference to the syllabus literature

• Psychology (4 ECTS)

Aesthetic learning processes, developmental psychology, social psychology. and the psychology of learning.

• Didactics (3.5 ECTS)

General didactics, the curriculum, planning, observation, teaching adapted to the needs of the individual and special needs topics.

• Teaching and learning methods

Learning, self-study, study groups and written documentation.

2.4 Preparation of the learning material related to the teaching practice

• Psychology 2 (3.5 ECTS)

Practice assignments, discussion assignments, seminar presentations and reports.

• Didactics (4 ECTS)

Practice assignments, discussion assignments, seminar presentations and reports.

• Teaching and learning methods

Group work, problem-based learning, fieldwork and observation, written and oral documentation.

Assessment Methods

Assessment of the first year of study

During the first year of study, students will be assessed 4 times on the basis of 3 obligatory assignments and an individual written examination.

Autumn semester:

Students must submit an obligatory assignment which will be assessed pass/fail, and a written assignment which counts for 25% of the course, Pedagogy (7.5 ECTS).

One of the assignments will primarily be related to the teaching practice.

Spring semester:

One of the assignments will be related to the joint-subject theoretical topic for the aesthetic dimension. The assignment may be concluded with a practical oral examination in groups related to didactics and practice.. The assignment will be assessed as pass/fail.

There is also an individual written examination (6 hours), which counts for 30% of the total grade for pedagogy (7.5 ECTS). The written examination may be taken online via the Internet.

The total grade for pedagogy is awarded at the end of the second year of study, and the grade for each year of study counts for 50% of the total grade for the course.

Please refer to Telemark University College’s examination regulations for further information.

Assessment of the second year of study

During the second of study, students will be assessed 3 times on the basis of obligatory work, an interdisciplinary project and a final examination.

Autumn semester:

The student is required to present an obligatory assignment in the form of a written, oral or visual presentation. A final comment on the work will be given. This assignment is assessed as pass/fail.

Autumn and spring semesters:

Students will carry out a interdisciplinary project in groups related to the teaching practice. Groups will write reports of up to 10 pages which will be assessed as pass/fail. In connection with the interdisciplinary project an individual reflective comment will be written based on the theme chosen and which will be assessed by a graded mark which counts for 25% of the total grade for the subject. The course, Pedagogy, concludes with an individual written examination (6 hours), which is assessed with a graded mark which counts for 25% of the total grade. The final examination on Pedagogy may be taken online, via the Internet.

Final assessment

The final assessment includes all the obligatory assignments and examinations in the first and second years of study. The marks for all of the examinations that have been assessed for Pedagogy will be included on the diploma.

The total grade for the course is awarded at the end of the second year of study, and the grade for each year of study counts for 50% of the total grade for the course.

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