The purpose of education: pedagogues’ and teachers’ negotiations in Danish primary schools

On the face of it, social pedagogy has no recognised presence in New Zealand. The education workforce, and society, are generally unfamiliar with the term ‘pedagogue’ and what that role entails. Despite this, a range of vocations in New Zealand reflect social pedagogical practices. In this article I explore one of those vocations: tutors who work in alternative education centres. Charged with caring for and educating students who become disenfranchised from conventional secondary schools, these tutors draw from their life experiences, cultural knowledges, sporting and arts skills and vocational skills to provide a holistic education. Based on the findings of a poetic inquiry in which I re/presented the experiences of tutors through creating found poetry, I present 21 attributes of tutors’ identity. In describing tutor character, tutor pedagogy and tutor achievement, I imagine these tutors as social pedagogues in New Zealand. I conclude by suggesting that these tutors play a vital role in helping students to navigate through education and life. In addition, tutors in New Zealand contribute to our global understanding of social pedagogical practice.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Imagining social pedagogy in/for New Zealand

Schoone¹

2020

“…134-5). With calls for social pedagogues to work in cooperation with conventional teachers (Hygum, 2014; see also Thingstrup, Schmidt and Andersen, 2018), the expertise that pedagogues bring is their insight from the students' life-worlds. Given a chance to coalesce with the more standard teaching approaches in schools, a phenomenological pedagogy could potentially bring vitality to education enterprise at large.…”

Section: Re/turning To a Phenomenological Pedagogymentioning

confidence: 99%

Returning to the heart of teaching: Social pedagogy as phenomenological pedagogy

Schoone¹

2020

In many alternative education centres in New Zealand tutors are charged with educating students disenfranchised from their mainstream secondary schools. However, these tutors do not hold teaching qualifications. Rather, they draw their pedagogical approaches from life experiences, cultural knowledge, vocational and relational skills, and passion to work with young people. Tutors’ heartfelt ways of engaging with young people has a transformative impact on many of the students’ life-courses. This article poetically represents key approaches central to tutor practice. From observations and research interview transcripts, found poems were created from the everyday language of eight tutors. The poems represent phenomenological insights into tutors’ lived experiences, and reveal that tutors intentionally place students at the centre of their practice. The article positions tutor pedagogy within a social pedagogical field, while also considering social pedagogy as a phenomenological pedagogy that brings us to the very heart of teaching.

“…Objectives are vague in some cases and the role of the social pedagogue is thus tacitly understood or even contradictory. Confusion or complications may arise related to the roles, missions and functions of social pedagogues in relation to teachers and other school staff because they belong partly to another professional culture and are often ascribed a lower position in the school hierarchy based on ignorance of or skepticism about their skills (Borg et al, 2014;Giesecke, 1998;Heimgartner and Sting, 2013;Hvid Thingstrup et al, 2017;Kornbeck and Radermaecker, 2011;Zemancíková, 2010). The recognition and status of Russian social pedagogues in relation to teachers is usually described as low and their tasks are defined to a great extent by head teachers (principals), which contributes to a lack of clarity about their role and to limiting their scope of action (Romm, 2016).…”

Section: The Varying Roles and Functions Of Social Pedagogues In Schoolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

In search of a social pedagogical profession in schools. Missions and roles under reconsideration

Anderberg¹

2020

School is one of the areas where social pedagogy has taken on an increasingly important function. Supported by available literature, the aim of this literature review is to describe and analyse how the work of social pedagogues in schools can be manifested. The literature review shows that social pedagogical work in schools is common in many countries and emerging in others. The study shows a wide variation both between and within countries with regard to the mission and goals, status, role and function, tasks and activities of social pedagogues. The primary mission is inclusion of pupil groups or individuals with various types of psychosocial problems or school-related difficulties, followed by preventive work aimed at all pupils to counteract social exclusion in school, disciplining groups of pupils who are in various ways disrupting or breaking school norms, a consciousness-raising and mobilising mission and a more general teaching mission aimed at citizenship and democratic upbringing. The literature review shows that social pedagogy as a profession enjoys high currency and relevance in schools with a view to preventing the segregation and exclusion of pupils.