Pedagogikämnet i ett förändrat akademiskt landskap Pågånde reformer, institutionella ämnesmiljöer och disciplinformering i Sverige

Abstract

The aim of this article is to study the formations a nd transformations of Pedagogy as an academic discipline from the perspective of sociology of knowledge. Philosophical and epistemological aspects on form and content of academic pedagogy, though very relevant matters, are not investigated here. This article relates the general disciplinary formations and transformations of pedagogy to the ongoing changes and reforms w ithin Swedish higher education. Institutional self-evaluations in Swedish universities (and colleges for higher learning) have been analysed, in order to discern in what ways the pedagogical institutions are changing. Three general fi elds of tension have been identified: pedagogy as 1) a unitary discipline, 2) a multi-disciplinary field, open to other academic subjects, 3) a field of leani ng towards a more pragmatic and profession-oriented specialization. This st udy thus focuses the different boundary works of the pedagogy institutions, when positioning within these fields. The aim is to contribute to an increased reflexivity about the development of the pedagogical field (Bourdieu 2004) and an increased self-comprehension among producers and consumers of pedagogical knowledge. The final conclusions of the article concern what to be done in further research on disciplinary forma- tion of Swedish pedagogy.