Pædagogiske ildsjæle og entreprenører

Et studie af entreprenørskab som et muligt rum for faglig fordybelse og specialisering inden for det pædagogiske felt

Resumé

Resumé
I de seneste 30 år har pædagogprofession og pædagoguddannelse ændret sig på måder, der tilsyneladende har gjort faglig fordybelse for pædagoger og UC undervisere vanskeligere. I dette lys synes entreprenante pædagogiske ildsjæle at repræsentere en mulig modpol, i den forstand at ildsjæle ofte evner at stå værn om faglig kvalitet, fx med afsæt i fagområder som drama, musik eller billedkunst. Ligeledes formår entreprenører ofte at etablere værdifulde initiativer indenfor, udenfor eller på tværs af formelle institutioner og organisationer. I artiklen undersøges denne hypotese og problemstilling via et empirisk studie af tre pædagogiske entreprenante ildsjæle før/under/efter en række workshops, hvor ildsjælene arbejder med pædagogiske målgrupper. Tre forskere/undervisere og 50 pædagogstuderende på tre forskellige campusser foretager undersøgelsen. Studiet peger på, at faglig ekspertise og specialviden kan opnås både udenfor og inden for etablerede formelle institutioner, men at entreprenørskab giver nogle særlige muligheder i forhold til at fastholde ildsjælenes fokus på deres pædagogiske visioner og deres faglige ekspertise. I artiklen diskuteres afslutningsvist ulemper og fordele ved at anvende entreprenørskabs-modeller til at oparbejde og tilbyde specialviden på kanten af den pædagogiske profession og uddannelse.

Abstract
Social entrepreneurs within the pedagogical profession: A study of entrepreneurship as a possible way to build up specialized pedagogical competence and environments.
In Denmark, the pedagogical profession and the field of social education have changed radically over the last thirty years: pedagogues are expected to acquire both academic and practical competence, as well as have a broad set of knowledge within many different pedagogical subcategories. In consequence, educators and pedagogues have found it increasingly difficult to achieve and maintain specialized, rather than general, professional expertise. In this perspective, social entrepreneurship seems to represent a possible gateway, because entrepreneurs are often able to focus on a specific professional agenda and approach, e.g. within the field of drama, music, visual art, therapy, etc. In the current article, this hypothesis is investigated through a qualitative case study of three social entrepreneurs’ pedagogical careers, methods, approaches and visions. The study is conducted by three researchers/educators and fifty students across three different campuses. The study indicates that specialized knowledge and competence can be achieved and maintained both within and outside formal institutions. Still, entrepreneurship seems to offer unique possibilities when it comes to the establishment of specialized pedagogical environments with a continuous focus on specific visions and approaches. At the end of the article, entrepreneurship within the pedagogical profession is discussed from a normative perspective and essential pros and cons are highlighted.