School education and society [FAGRM401]
- 4 credits
- 30h+10h
- 2nd quarter
Language of instruction: French / FrançaisTeachers: Biemar Sandrine, Romainville Marc
Learning outcomes
The aims of the course are to :
unravel the complex links between school and society
analyse the current problems facing schools by placing them in their historical context
analyse social inequalities in relation to schooling, how they arose and the pedagogical approaches that could be developed to reduce them
consider the school as an organisation
identify the various players in and around the school and classroom, and analyse their roles and functions
understand certain social phenomena specific to school life.
Objectives
see learning outcomes
Content
The "School Education and Society" theory course comprises 40 hours divided into 30 hours of theory and 10 hours of exercises.
The theory course is divided into two parts.
The first part aims to describe, from a macro-sociological perspective, the relationship between school and society. In particular, it will seek to answer the following questions: What are the functions of schools? What is its 'purpose'? What are the missions that society explicitly assigns to it? Have these missions and functions changed over time? What is the history and genesis of the school institution? What is its current structure? How does its 'dysfunction' compare with the hopes that society has placed in it? Why does society have doubts about its schools? Is today's school 'efficient', 'fair', 'meritocratic'? How can we decipher how it works and explain its 'dysfunctions'?
The second part adopts a micro-sociological perspective. It offers a description and analysis of the school as an organisation, the roles of the various players (teachers, pupils, headteachers, DCOs) and the relationships they establish between themselves. Certain social phenomena will be addressed, such as the school-family relationship from a sociology of education perspective.
Table of contents
- History of the school in FWB
- The current missions of schools
- Social inequalities in schools
- What is a 'fair' school?
- The school as an organisation
- School logic
- School players
- The school-family relationship
Exercises description
The work and/or field experiment to be carried out aims to deepen understanding of the actions of an educational player working around or within the school (organisations, non-profit organisations, associations, after-school services, CPMS, reasonable development unit, etc.).
Its aim is to give students the opportunity to question what these players teach them about the relationship between school and society.
The aim is to examine the educational mission of schools in the broadest sense, in the light of society's expectations and/or needs. The focus is therefore not on the school's didactic mission, but on all the educational activities offered to pupils outside this didactic field. The aim is to discover the role of other educational actors acting in or around the school or other missions of the actors of the school itself.
Students will be required to complete a written assignment with instructions, which will be a prerequisite for sitting the exam.
Teaching methods
The sessions will alternate between interactive presentations, sub-group work, testimonials from professionals and video analysis.
Evaluations
The theory course is assessed by means of a written examination comprising 6 open questions. Sample questions will be made available to students during the semester. The marking criteria will also be explained. One of these is the ability to write coherent, reasoned answers in acceptable French, as the teaching profession also involves written communication with pupils and parents.
The work and/or field experiments carried out as part of the exercises count for 4 points/40 of the final mark. The work must be handed in before the examination on the theory course. It is a condition of access to the examination.
For group work, students in the same group will receive the same mark for the "Exercise" section. In the event of non-compliance with instructions concerning group formation or late arrival in a group, the student concerned may only obtain 2 points out of the 4, regardless of the overall mark obtained by the group. If the work is satisfactory, the second session exam will include the mark for the "exercise" part of the work submitted in June. However, if the work is unsatisfactory, the student must complete it alone. Completion of the assignment is a condition of access to the examination.
Recommended readings
A syllabus is available for part of the course.
Bibliographical references are provided on the ppt.
Various articles and resources are available in the WEBCAMPUS area of the course.
