Overview
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 introduce 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.
About this paper
| Paper title | Education and Society |
|---|---|
| Subject | Education |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2
(On campus)
Semester 2 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $981.75 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- 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
- Demonstrating depth of understanding of the course material via two written assignments and a final exam
- Textbooks
Textbooks are not required for this paper. Instead, the weekly readings (journal articles and book chapters) will be available online via eReserve and/or the Robertson Library course reserve.
- Course outline
Contact education@otago.ac.nz
- 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
Students completing the course will be expected to be able to:
- Understand and critically evaluate the changing nature of education systems in Aotearoa New Zealand
- Explain the significance of education using a variety of competing ideas and models
- Demonstrate understanding of educational developments related to te reo me ngā tikanga Māori
- Examine the problematic and taken-for-granted aspects of schools and the educative process
- Develop a critical awareness of the relationship between education, culture and society