Arkitektur for grunnskolefaget Kunst og håndverk. Fagdidaktiske ...

SummaryIn this thesis I address how Architecture as a main area within Art and Crafts,in primary and lower secondary school, has developed and been presented. Ido not address architecture as a field. The thesis attempts to illuminateArchitecture as a part of the school subject, and the Art and Craftscommunity’s own reflections upon the teaching practice.Through a thorough study of the journal FORM, limited to the period 2003-2007, the time when the Norwegian 2006 curriculum (LK06) was developedand implemented, the subject history and socio-cultural perspectives work asa basis to deliberate on the position the main area Architecture has been givenin Art and Crafts education. An analysis of the main area Architecture andthe teaching practice that is outlined in FORM is the basis for this discussion.The analysis of the main area Architecture, as formulated and interpreted bythe Art and Crafts community, emphasises a discursive practise where thelocal environment, reflection, and societal relevance is central. To qualify fordemocratic participation through a distinct subject-matter content, is animportant component. Through practical work the pupils are meant toincrease their reflection and to develop their visual repertoire. These ideascan be traced back to the critical art pedagogy from Sweden, introduced inthe 1970s, and the Norwegian political culture strategy from the 1990s,where increased awareness about aesthetic quality in the built environmentwas one of the main issues. My analysis shows that the introduction of themain area Architecture is an indicator of a movement within the subject. Inthis thesis the development of the school subject Art and Crafts is traced toissues such as quality and high education standards within the generaleducational field. By emphasising the subject-matter content and the thoughtsof responsibility for the community, the main area Architecture operates asan alternative to the charismatic heritage from the previous century. Withinthat tradition creative self-expression was presented as the ideal. The thesisopens for further research, where studies of projects where professionalarchitects and schools work together, like within Den kulturelle skolesekken,represents an interesting perspective.iii