Abstract
The basis of this article is an extensive review of research literature on leisure-time pedagogy in Denmark and Sweden. 68 Danish and 71 Swedish publications were included. The aim of this article is two-fold. First, we compare the findings and point out the dominating themes in the literature. Secondly, we want to discuss the themes in a power perspective, reflecting on what they could imply for existing and future leisure-time pedagogy as well as its position in both the scientific and educational field. In the analysis, we demonstrate that both countries have a strong focus on children aged 6–10 in primary school and leisure-time centers. Where Danish research focuses on collaboration between teachers and pedagogues, Swedish research concentrates on the professional identity of leisure-time teachers. Based on theoretical discussions, inspired by Pierre Bourdieu and Gert Biesta, we discuss power structures and prevaling themes in the pool of publications, and finally we conclude that both countries’ general research foci can be understood as representations of a qualification domain.
Highlights
Denmark and Sweden are countries with a strong tradition of leisure-time pedagogy in institutionalized and state-based settings, primarily in leisure-time centers managed by school administrations and often organized in, or rather close to, the school buildings
Finding no. 1: Difference in research themes The majority of the Swedish literature revolve around a theme, we identify as The professional identity of leisure-time teachers
In our analysis of the Denmark had many so-called leisure-homes (Danish) publications, we did not identify any research related to the professional identity of leisure-time pedagogues
Summary
Denmark and Sweden are countries with a strong tradition of leisure-time pedagogy in institutionalized and state-based settings, primarily in leisure-time centers managed by school administrations and often organized in, or rather close to, the school buildings. In Sweden, there were 4,250 leisure-time centers (Swedish: fritidshem) in 2017.2 Both countries have higher education institutions that provide education for leisure-time pedagogy. In Denmark, the education is a 3.5 years professional bachelor programme, whereas in Sweden the education is the 3-year-long Grundlärarprogrammet med inriktning mot arbete i fritidshem.. In Denmark, the education is a 3.5 years professional bachelor programme, whereas in Sweden the education is the 3-year-long Grundlärarprogrammet med inriktning mot arbete i fritidshem.3 In both countries, these higher education institutions are required to train students based on research knowledge. The legislation Högskolelag from the Swedish Department of Education states that the education must be based on research and should offer students knowledge about scientific methods and theory as well as competences in searching for and analyzing scientific knowledge.
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