How do twenty-first century teacher trainees connect their practice to Froebel’s pedagogic principles? : A case study of early childhood specialists at the University of Roehampton, Froebel College, 2011–2015

doi:10.4324/9781315562421-33

Chapter

How do twenty-first century teacher trainees connect their practice to Froebel’s pedagogic principles?

ABSTRACT

This chapter presents a case study that was grant funded by The Frederich Froebel Trust. It examines how contemporary teacher trainees at the University of Roehampton, London's Froebel College have supported and questioned their practice in relation to Froebelian principles. Coursework from 33 teacher trainees in the early childhood specialism of the BA Primary Education course is used to tell the story, in the words of contemporary teacher trainees, of modern connections to the pioneering legacy of Froebel in the twenty-first century. Froebel's legacy forms the foundation of the early childhood specialist module that the students take in their second year, and from this foundation, students also think about a range of pedagogic ideas, with lectures on a range of pedagogic themes. Looking at contemporary teacher trainees' articulations of pedagogy can help thinking about how Froebel's educational ideas have been interpreted in modern times, giving a tool for considering how Froebelian principles might have currency.