Prerequisite course for this course is: ET601E Education: History and Theories of Education

The course intends for students to develop knowledge of different theories of teaching, learning, teacher ideals, and the role of the teacher. In addition, the course intends for students to develop knowledge of qualitative research methodology as well as strengthen their skills in academic writing.

The course focuses on teaching as a practice and on what it means to be a teacher. These topics will be addressed through studies of (1) different theoretical perspectives on teaching and the role of the teacher, (2) qualitative interviews with teachers, and (3) fictional portrayals of teachers in which different approaches to teaching will be presented. Different ontological, epistemological, and ethical points of departure will be tried out and problematized through a minor empirical study.

Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to

1. discuss and problematize different theories of teaching, learning, teacher ideals, and the role of the teacher;

2. analyse metaphors about, as well as fictional examples of, teaching and the role of the teacher from various theoretical perspectives;

3. try out and evaluate a methodological point of departure and problematize relevant epistemological, ontological, and ethical concerns in relation to this;

4. write an academic text in a genre-conscious way.

The course is based on regular lectures, seminars, workshops and joint study. There will be opportunities for feedback between the students throughout the course.

Test 1: Written exam (Skriftlig examination), 10 credits. This test examines learning outcomes 1, 2, and 4.

Test 2. Oral exam (Muntlig examination), 5 credits. This test examines learning outcome 3.

Biesta, Gert (2017). The Rediscovery of Teaching. London & New York: Routledge (111 p)

Brinkmann, Svend & Kvale, Steinar (2015). InterViews: learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. Los Angeles: Sage Publications (424 p)

The Class (2008) [video]. Haut et Court

To Be and To Have (2002) [video]. Les Films du Losange.

Frank, Jeff (2017). Love and work: a reading of John Williams’ Stoner. Ethics and Education, 12(2), pp. 233-242 (9 p)

Freire, Paulo (2003). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York, NY: Continuum (180 p)

Hansen, David (2018). Bearing Witness to the Fusion of Person and Role in Teaching. The Journal of Aesthetic Education 52 (4), 21-48 (27 p)

Higgins, Chris (2003). Teaching and the Good Life: A Critique of the Ascetic Ideal in Education. Educational Theory 53 (2), 131-154 (23 p)

hooks, bell (1994). Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. London: Routledge (216 p)

The Kindergarten Teacher (2014) [video]. Cinema of Israel

Maxwell, Bruce (2015). ‘Teacher as professional’ as metaphor: what it highlights and what it hides. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 49(1), pp. 86-106 (20 p)

Mintz, Avi (2018). The present, past, and future of the gardening metaphor in education. Oxford Review of Education, 44(4), pp. 414-424 (10 p)

Noddings, Nel (2007). The one-caring as teacher. In: Curren, Randall (ed.) Philosophy of Education: An Anthology. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing (pp. 372-376) (5 p)

Pennac, Daniel (2011). School Blues. London: Maclehose Press (260 p)

Tubbs, Nigel (2005). Philosophy of the Teacher. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing (246 p)

Williams, John (2012/1965). Stoner. London: Vintage (288 p)

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.