Subjects didactics - a universal general didactic position?

• Subject didactics have got a vast influence in teacher education; you could say that it seems to be the focused and most important part in curricula for becoming teachers. But what is the difference between general and subject didactics? In subject didactic text books it is suggested that didactic subject knowledge is sufficient for thinking and planning of teaching, and/or that everything concerning school is subject didactics. The aim of the presentation is to problematize the concept of subject didactics and its claims in relation to planning and teaching subject knowledge. It is here proposed that subject matter planning and teaching within school education can be understood as general didactics, and that it is a universal statement. The universal position encompasses that aspects used for planning the teaching of a subject or a subject matter, can be applied to any subject or subject matter, any group of learners, and in any culture. This will be shown in two ways. First, three theories strongly involving thinking about subject matter for the planning of teaching, is used to illustrate that these actually are general didactic theories of how content can be thought about, treated and handled in the planning of teaching. It is Klafkis didactic analysis, the variation theory including learning study developed by Marton, and Whites theory of content dimensions. They are also all universal. Secondly, scientific articles in mathematics, history and biology, claimed to be representative for subject didactics will be used to demonstrate that what is stressed in them as subject didactics, in fact can be shown to be traditional general didactic positions. The claims in the articles are also universal in the above mentioned way. If this reasoning has credibility it should be reason to investigate more profoundly the intersection between general and subject didactics. Swedish teacher education policies, in line with the evidence discourse, emphasize subject knowledge. There may be a risk that the focus on subject knowledge will diminish the invaluable knowledge concerning personal, institutional and structural relations in classrooms.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Didaktik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Didactics (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences (hsv//eng)

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