Nordic and International Perspectives on Teaching and Learning
The course is designed for international and local primary teacher education students, kindergarten teacher education students and students of related study programmes.
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 has a particular emphasis on the region's geographical position and natural surroundings in terms of wildlife, environmental issues, 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.
Places on the course are limited.
Half of the places are reserved for students of Nord University, enrolled in
- Bachelor programme Kindergarten Teacher Education, as elective course: specialization. Access regulation: 60 ECTS after completing two years of the study programme, and passed the supervised professional training courses during the 2nd year of study.
- Master programme 5 years Primary Teacher Education grades 1-7 and 5-10, as elective course: school relevant subject, 5th semester.
If the number of international applicants exeeds the number of places available, applicants will be ranked according to the following selection criteria:
- students from institutions holding a student exchange agreement with Nord University
- students enrolled in teacher education and pre-school education programmes
- students who are fluent in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish, and therefor are eligable for a wide selection of Norwegian taught courses, will not be prioritized
- group diversity: geographical spread
Inbound exchange students need to obtain a criminal record check from your home country / country of permanent residence. This is commonly referred to as a Certificate of Good Conduct.
Students enrolled in Bachelor in Kindergarten Teacher Education programme at Nord University: Passed 60 credits after completing two years of the study programme. Passed the supervised professional training courses during the 2nd year of study.
Areas of knowledge
The students will have:
- knowledge about contrastive elements in attitudes to education, teaching and learning
- knowledge about ethical questions concerning relations between human and nature and sustainable development
- knowledge about view of children and childhood in different educational systems
- knowledge about pedagogical leadership as a positional and distributed phenomena in the context of Norwegian early childhood education (ECE) and primary school
- knowledge about use of different outdoor learning arenas and the tradition of friluftsliv
- knowledge about the region's Sámi population today and in the past
- knowledge about the region of Trøndelag's wildlife and issues related to sustainability and the environment
Skills
The student should be able to:
- identify, compare and contrast attitudes and ethical questions to childhood, teaching and learning in own culture and other cultures
- describe the position of the Sámi population in Central Scandinavia
- describe and explain issues related to sustainability
- master some skills related to outdoor activities and friluftsliv
- organize outdoor related learning activities for children in kindergarten or school
- plan, carry out and evaluate practice teaching in accordance with practice supervisor
- apply relevant research about teachers’ and kindergarten teachers’ leadership with children, and the leadership of schools and kindergartens, in their own practical and theoretical reflections
General competence
The students will:
- acknowledge the importance of sustainable development
- acknowledge the value of ethical and responsible attitudes towards nature
- acknowledge the value of ethical, responsible and respectful attitudes towards children
- acknowledge the value of intercultural understanding
- acknowledge the value of outdoor learning and friluftsliv in education
- be able to reflect upon one's own culture and other cultures' perspectives on teaching and learning
Semester fee: All students studying at Nord University, except Erasmus+ students and exchange students from other partner institutions, must pay semester fee.
Cost of course literature apply.
Students must provide their own PC or Mac with administrator rights, and individual hiking clothes and gear. A list of recommended basic clothing and equipment will be provided.
Placement abroad for Norwegian students: Travel expenses and living costs apply.
Elective course for inbound exchange students enrolled in teacher education, pre-school education and related study programmes at home institution.
Elective course: specialization semester Bachelor programme Kindergarten Teacher Education
Elective course: 5th semester Primary Teacher Education grades 1-7 and 5-10 (Master 5 years)
Teaching will be organized in different ways. These will include lectures, discussions, group work, student presentations in seminars and field excursions. The main idea is that the learning process will be based on student activity, using methods like inquiry based learning and experiential learning. The students will be strongly involved in the learning process and their knowledge and experience will be acknowledged and integrated in the study. Active participation and cooperation between students is essential for attaining the skills and competencies described in the learning outcomes.
The main channel of communication and contact between students and the academic staff is the current e-learning platform used at Nord University. Students are expected to log on to the platform regularly to keep themselves well informed.
For the Norwegian students: Participation in Barn i sorg og krise.
Teaching practice: A four-week practice module, with 10 days in nursery schools/kindergarten, primary or lower secondary education in Norway (international students) or internationally (Norwegian students).
The teaching practice is an integrated part of the study program.
- Take-home examination (HJ/H), 3 days. Comprises 100/100 of the grade, grading scale A-F.
- Compulsory attendance (OD). Minimum 80 % attendance (OD) in lectures, seminars, excursions and other planned learning activities. Active participation and cooperation between students is essential for attaining the skills and competencies described in the learning outcomes. Comprises 0/100 of the grade. Grading scale approved/ not approved
- Professional practice (PR). 10 days professional practice in school, kindergarten or other relevant institution. Comprises 0/100 of the grade, grading scale passed/not passed
- Assessment tasks (AK), comprises 0/100 of the grade, grading scale approved/ not approved
- Reflection task: approved/ not approved
- Placement report, written text: approved/ not approved
- Oral presentation: approved/ not approved
Students must provide their own PC or Mac with administrator rights, cf. Section 8-2 of the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at Nord University.
For take-home examination, all aids are normally permitted unless otherwise stated in the assignment text.
Exception: Generating text using Chat-GTP or other artificial intelligence and submitting it as one's own work, partly or fully, will be counted as cheating.
