This study unit embraces history, geography and civics and is a wide-ranging, exciting course that provides students with insight into and an understanding of historical and contemporary aspects of society. The course will offer students the tools they need to understand relevant events.
Social Studies 2 and Social Studies 1 (which focuses on Norway and the Middle East) may be taken separately. Students who complete both units will be awarded 60 ECTS in social studies. The programme has been organised so that both units start in the autumn semester and finish in the spring semester.
The programme is primarily intended for teachers at the primary and lower secondary school level, but is also relevant for those who are interested in a variety of questions within the field of social studies.
The programme will equip students to:
Social Studies 1 – focusing on Norway and the Middle East
Students will become acquainted with the distinctive aspects of geography, history and civics and associated interdisciplinary challenges within social studies. This will be achieved by working on certain selected geographical areas, historical periods and relevant areas of society.
GEOGRAPHY (10 ECTS)
The programme builds on the following areas:
The geography section of the programme takes Europe as its point of departure, one which is also central in history and civics. Geographical concepts and theories will be used in examining specific areas of Europe’s natural and social geography. The earth’s inner and external forces are an important factor to be considered when studying the natural landscape. Historical, economic and political factors will also be considered when studying the cultural landscape and changes within it.
Weather and climate are dealt with separately.
How Europe’s geography is to be taught in schools will be emphasised, and this will provide an important point of departure for the student assignments.
he geography section will also focus on global environmental problems, including problems regarding climate, water, pollution, the soil and forests/food. In cooperation with civics, global questions concerning trade, economics and development will also be tackled. The emphasis will be on approaches and methods within social studies, within which perspectives may be both local and global.
HISTORY (10 ECTS)
The programme is based on the following topics:
Within these topics the focus will be on principle historical concepts such as historical turning points, continuity and change, and causes and effects considered in a time-frame that connects past, present and future. An important focus will be on European co-operation and the development of the European Union.
Studies of sources and evaluation of material in a didactic and methodological context will be emphasised.
CIVICS (10 ECTS)
The study is built around the following themes:
The first topic will focus on the political system in Norway, political processes, ideologies and parties, channels of power and political institutions and development of the welfare state; the relationship between the individual and society will also be emphasised.
In the second topic, in cooperation with geography, we investigate how internalisation and globalisation affect Norwegian society in various fields such as politics, economics, culture and environment. Globalisation as a political choice will also be considered, as will Norway’s relationship to Europe and the EU.
The third topic considers migration as one aspect of globalisation, both as cause and consequence, resulting in increased contact between different cultures and an increase in the number of ethnic minorities in national states. Definitions of ‘immigrant’ will be considered both in a governmental context, and also more general definitions; students will gain insight into various immigration policies.
Being a social studies teacher
The programme is designed in such a way that didactical problems, use of sources, evaluation of materials and presentation/ methods/strategies for working with various pupil-groups are considered in connection with work on the subject topics. Students will be introduced to working methods and problem-solving approaches that will allow them to be in a position to facilitate investigative and problem-solving methods that may develop pupils’ ability to think critically and see connections and possible solutions. Students will gain knowledge of social studies as presented in the curriculum ‘Knowledge Promotion’: aim of the subject, the five basic skills and competence goals.
The aim is that students, through different approaches to teaching and didactic reflection, will be able to develop a teacher-role that promotes pupils’ awareness of social issues and interest and enjoyment of the subject.
Interaction and reflection
Students will be able to use various dimensions of social studies as a guiding and supporting subject in interdisciplinary and multiple-subject theme and project work. They will be able to reflect over how they themselves, as teachers, may promote and improve pupils’ social-engagement and their opportunities to influence development.
Teaching and learning methods
The programme is designed to facilitate the use of varied and active working methods, such as class-discussions, lectures, seminars, work with sources (individually and in groups), use of IT, development of projects and participation in study trips and fieldwork.
Work with sources and IT
Sources of various types are important in social studies. They may take the form of written sources, statistics, pictures, maps, diagrams and oral sources. The use of ICT is important in work on project and seminar assignments and in the illumination of subject topics. Students will receive training in the use and evaluation of various sources both in relation to the acquisition of subject material, and for use in their own teaching in schools. The use of ICT in the programme forms an integrated part of the professional competence aim.
Project
The project work in Social Studies 2 is carried out in groups, and focuses on issues related to European integration.
Seminar
Students will work in groups with assignments/ questions which will be presented to the rest of the class. The assignments may be subject-related or have a didactic focus. A selection of the assignments will be collected in a portfolio that will be subject to final assessment. Attendance at seminars where student work is presented is obligatory.
Study trips
The programme includes a study trip of approximately one-week’s duration related to the topic ‘European integration’.
The study trip has an interdisciplinary basis and presents parts of the subject material in a more concrete manner. Students are expected to participate in the study trip.
Obligatory attendance
Attendance at seminars where student work is presented and on the study trip is obligatory. Information concerning which classes are obligatory will be made clear in the semester plan at the start of the programme.
Relation between theory and practice
Students who take the course as part of the general teacher education, must carry out a period of teaching practice, which is described in Telemark University College’s ‘practice placement plan’. Students who have already completed their teaching practice must submit a substantial assignment in subject didactics.
Norwegian II comprises two types of assessment – continuous and final assessment. The continuous assessment includes the evaluation of a reflection assignment. The final assessment is a final grade calculated after the evaluation of a project assignment and a final examination.
Reflective assignment. At the end of the first semester students must submit a reflective assignment related to the project assignments which students are required to write. The reflective assignment will be assessed pass/fail. Students will receive guidelines for writing the assignment.
Project assignment. The deadline for the submission of the project assignment is May 1st. The assignment should be 20 pages in length with line spacing of 1.5 and font size 12. In addition to the linguistic quality of the assignment, the assessment emphasises a clearly formulated problem approach and a sound treatment of the material. Students will receive supervision while writing the assessment. Students must consult the supervisor at least three times, and during these meetings they must be able to document their progress in the writing process. The project assignment counts for 40% of the final grade.
Written final examination. The aim of this examination is to assess the student’s knowledge of the subject, Norwegian, and the skills the student has acquired during the course of the programme. The examination is of 6 hours duration, and counts for 60% of the final grade.
Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean
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