An examination of the political, social and cultural dimensions of contemporary educational practice.
Education serves a vital role in society and is often at the heart of public debate. This paper will introduces you to key social, cultural, historical, and political debates related to education in Aotearoa New Zealand. Through lectures, workshops, and readings, the paper provides students with provocations and tools to develop a critical and informed understanding of the complex and multiple roles of education in society. In particular, you will consider:
- Who should be educated, why, and who decides?
- How is education organised, developed, and debated in Aotearoa New Zealand?
- How does education respond to societal issues and work to include or exclude children and young people (based on culture, gender, sexuality, disability, and class)?
Such critical understandings are a huge asset for everyone, especially if you are considering working as, or with, educators in the future.
| Paper title | Education and Society |
|---|---|
| Paper code | EDUC101 |
| Subject | Education |
| EFTS | 0.1500 |
| Points | 18 points 18 points |
| Teaching period(s) | Second Semester, Second Semester |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $904.05 |
| International Tuition Fees (NZD) | $3,954.75 |
- Restriction
- EDUT 131, EDTX 131
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Contact
Dr Sylvia Robertson (Lecturer in Education Studies): sylvia.robertson@otago.ac.nz
- Teaching staff
Paper Co-ordinator: Dr Sylvia Robertson
Other staff: To be confirmed- Paper Structure
The paper is structured around the following questions:
- How have changing understandings of children and young people shaped education?
- How is education organised, developed, and debated in Aotearoa New Zealand?
- How does education respond to societal issues and work to include/exclude children and young people?
Students will explore answers to these questions and develop informed positions in relation to key debates by:
- Attending and actively engaging in the lectures (1 hour/week) and workshops (2 hours/week);
- Collaborating with peers in workshops to explore, formulate, debate, and evaluate course material from different points of view;
- Completing the weekly readings and making connections with lectures and workshops; and
- Demonstrating depth of understanding of the course material via two written assignments and a final exam.
- Textbooks
There is no textbook for this course. Instead, the weekly readings (journal articles and book chapters) will be available online via eReserve and/or the Robertson Library course reserve.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Scholarship, Communication, Critical
thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation,
Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
By the end of the paper, students will be able to recognise and critically examine:
- The significant, multiple, and complex functions of schooling in contemporary society;
- The changing and debated nature of education systems from earlier times to present;
- The problematic and taken-for-granted discourses that impact schooling and the educative process; and
- How relationship between education, culture, and society.
In addition to these key objectives, the paper will also assist in the development of important academic and professional skills, particularly in relation to academic writing conventions (e.g., clarity, grammar, punctuation, referencing, etc.) and team work.
