Freedom with reservations : The work of the Swedish folk high school teacher

• Folk high school teachers work many hours in fluid ways with no clear distinction between working hours and leisure time. Pedagogically, they are often described as being value driven and participant focused. Creating interests, involving, motivating, giving recognition to, challenging, and creating possibilities for participants to grow as human beings is important for the teachers. In this chapter, we mobilise empirical examples to explore if these aspects are connected to a particular understanding of what learning is and should be, a mutual/embedded exploration process where both participants and teachers are challenged and grow as persons and where collaboration and the collective are prerequisites. This particular perspective on learning appears far removed from the traditional subject-based classroom of child education. We describe and discuss the work of folk high school teachers in Sweden, and problematise the work conditions of this diverse group of teachers.

Subject headings

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

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

Keyword

folk high school

teachers

teaching

work

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kap (subject category)