A core topic in both primary and secondary teacher education is pedagogical studies.
According to the curriculum of pedagogical studies, the students should become aware of
the different dimensions of the teaching profession, like the social, philosophical,
psychological, sociological, multicultural, and historical bases of education, and obtain a
readiness for different kinds of partnerships, like school – home and school – society
partnerships. The pedagogical studies supports the students to combine educational
theories their subject knowledge as well as their personal histories (cf. Trotman and Kerr,
2001). The students should also obtain a readiness for co-operation with multiprofessional
teams at the school level. In a multiprofessional team, for example, social workers, school
psychologists and special education teachers collaborate and look after the wellbeing of
school students. Furthermore, they should learn to reflect broadly on their own personal
pedagogical “theory” or assumptions about their own work, and have the potential forlifelong professional development. Because, the student abilities are relatively
heterogeneous in comprehensive schools, much emphasis is given to different types of
learners, the versatile planning of the teaching, teaching and learning methods and to the
teachers’ roles, through formal and informal assessment and feedback and encouraging the
students. During their pedagogical studies, the students are supported in integrating
content and pedagogical content knowledge; educational theories, like theories of learning,
motivation and self-efficacy; their own experiences of teaching and learning and, moreover,
their experiences of school practices into their students’ own personal pedagogical theories
or views. Students plan, how to teach specific topics and also teach topics during their
teaching practice. Moreover, there are micro-teaching sessions within the studies.
Consequently, students acquire PCK in different situations