Pedagogy and interdisciplinarity: Research on the reformed kindergarten teacher education (KTE) in Norway

Abstract

In this paper, the objective is to explore the area of pedagogy in the reform of kindergarten teacher education (KTE), which was implemented in 2013 in Norway. The data material is based on semi-structured interviews with 41 educators from six focus groups, and is analysed with a hermeneutical approach. The main findings is presented in three themes; i) complexity of leadership, ii) professional competition and iii) fragmentation of a subject. The principal conclusion highlights that pedagogy, as a subject, is weakened, unclear and less defined within interdisciplinary education. Implication for leadership in Higher Education Educations (HEI) indicates in general the need for a clarification of the content of the term “pedagogy” and particularly its role in the reformed KTE in Norway.

Keywords

• pedagogy
• interdisciplinarity
• kindergarten teacher education
• higher education