Undervisning som social praksis

Abstract

When difficulties arise in school, there may be a tendency to explain these difficulties with individuals’ personal attitudes or lack of prerequisites to attend and contribute appropriately. Alternatively, difficulties are understood as interpersonal difficulties that can be explained, for example in relation to, lack of positive attachments, lack of empathy, misunderstand- ings, linguistic barriers or lack of communication. The school as a historical and societal institution, and teaching as a particular activity in the school, is often missing or distant in comprehension of, and interventions in relation to, school problems. The article discusses how concepts from social practice theory and critical psychology make it possible to talk about and explore difficulties in school in ways that contribute to transcend individualized problem understandings and link difficulties in teach- ing situations to conditions of collaboration on teaching as a particular social and historical practice.