Traditions and transitions: Inside the Iceland College of Education 1940-1962 Allyson Macdonald and Guðrún Kristinsdóttir Iceland University of Education.

Traditions and transitions: Inside the Iceland College of Education

1940-1962

Allyson Macdonald and Guðrún Kristinsdóttir

Iceland University of Education

Umeå, Sweden, June 2002

Number of students and staff

Students rose in number from around 20 to over 30 during the period

There were 9 permanent teachers

Seven frames

Content Curriculum Teaching-as-task

Assess-ment

Initial state of the

student

Learning-as-task

Learning-as-

achievement

Content

Time allocation

Education

Languages

Content subjects

Skills subjects

Phys.ed.

Christian studies

Assessment

Traditional – oral and written examinations

External examiner

Certificate: ….(she) has completed the teacher’s

examination and now leaves the school with this documentary evidence that (she) has achieved a general level of education and psychological development which is needed to accept a teaching post with any primary school in the country.

Learning-as-achievement

I felt in my first teaching job that I was well prepared to teach reading and writing, and biology and geography…. And one wasn’t apprehensive… [I] didn’t need to do a lot to be prepared

We had probably never really acknowledged and yet never believed other than that we were able to teach in any sort of primary school… And later students had far more teaching practice but said that they weren’t able to teach this or that

Students – why go to the ICE?

Why did young people apply? FriendsLong summer holidaySalary No other options for upper secondary

education – this became increasingly important during this period

Summary of students

Average age 19,7 years in 1941

17,3 years in 1961

Sex More men in the 1940s

More men in the 1950s

Region Mainly from rural districts

Increasingly from the urban southwest

Entry requirements

Oral and written examinations: test of knowledge

More stringent requirements in the law from 1947 not implemented until the 1950s – good candidates were not applying for admission

Who were the teachers?

Age and sex

Middle-aged men (15/18), young men (2/18), young woman (1/18)

Salaries Similar to that in primary and lower secondary schools

Education One doctoral degree, several master’s degrees, seven with teaching certificates, almost all had spent some time studying abroad

Outside the classroom

Almost no research Some writing of teaching materialsSome in prominent positions in official committees Active in public service/voluntary workSome in the cultural world – theatre, drama, music, radioLeading sports coachesThe teacher with a Ph.D., second youngest with tenure, becomes editor of the teacher’s journal in 1955 and starts to become more visible

The principal: a life’s work

Born 1892, student at the college 1913, highly regarded teacher from 1921

Principal 1929-1962, lived in the college apartment for over thirty years

Poet and translator

Deeply troubled by events in Europe

The young psychologist

Joined the college in 1941 at age 25

By mid-1950s active in educational matters

Takes over as principal in 1962

Is the principal in 1971

The building 1908-1962

Shortcomings pointed out on opening day by first principal

No experimental school, no gymnasium, no dormitory

Promises 1944-46

Committee 1951

New building 1962

Transitions: course and students

Entry requirements: Student body changed considerably over timeExit requirements: Task ahead for graduates was changingA department of education had been set up at the University of IcelandExpectations for potential of research and development grewUnions asking for change

Traditions: teachers

Little change in course content and a traditional view of teaching within the college

Teaching staff very stable

Teachers had a life outside college

Culture and continuity: the building and the principal

Culture within the college: who controlled it? What should be preserved?

Apparent lack of options within the physical constraints

The principal: nostalgic; did not find it easy to accept change but participated

The young psychologist; seemed more active in preparing change

1958: The world war is long since finished. But the college

surroundings have never again enjoyed the sense of peace and calm, which prevailed in earlier times. The airport is still in place, and one of the main traffic roads in the town now passes in front of the college. The time is past, when few if any needed to pass the college other than students and teachers and old Henry from Greenborg with his wheelbarrow on his way to town or on his way back.

Much later

Here the talk on the ICE is concluded by Guðrún

Here I return with a short summary of recent developments

Recent history and the research requirement

1998

IUEUniversity level

Research

Social therapistsSecondary

Physical education teachersSecondary

Pre-school teachersSecondary

Negative Positive

Internal New staff must redefine themselves or leave

Old cultures disappear

Higher educational levels among staff

All staff must think in new ways

External New Research Council bill not good for social sciences

One definition of scholarly activity must fit all

Use the changes as an opportunity

rather than a threat!

Defining research and development

Have we gone too far in allowing others to define what teacher educators do?

Could it be that there is a lack of knowledge and understanding about the nature and activities of teacher education?

Is it absolutely necessary that we are measured according to the standards which others set for us?

Scholarly activity

Discovery

Integration

Application, practice

Teaching

Boyer, E.L. 1990. Scholarship reconsidered. Priorities of the professoriate. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching )

Consistency in the activities of university scholars

Could we not define ourselves as learners? as part of a learning community?

Should we not approach teaching and research in a consistent manner?