Nordic and International Perspectives on Teaching and Learning

This is a course intended to develop knowledge about and understanding of Nordic and international perspectives on teaching and learning in nursery schools/kindergarten, primary and lower secondary education. It focuses on the region’s geographical position and natural surroundings in terms of wildlife, environmental issues, coastal tradition and indigenous culture (South Sámi).

The international course for incoming Erasmus students and local students focuses on cultural artefacts and traditions related to childhood and education: oral and written narratives, songs and music, old and new. It has a particular emphasis on the region's geographical position and natural surroundings in terms of wildlife, environmental issues, coastal tradition and indigenous culture and how these conditions influence aspects of childhood and education. The course offers an important contrastive dimension in terms of developing awareness of own culture and other cultures' perspectives and attitudes to childhood, teaching and learning.

Teaching will be organised in different ways. These will include lectures, discussions, group work, student presentations and field excursions. The main idea is that the learning process will be based on student activity, using methods like "inquiry based learning" and "cooperative learning". The students will be strongly involved in the learning process and their knowledge and experience will be acknowledged and integrated in the study.