Abstract
Summary: In Denmark various non-traditional students are mature-age students who already have some kind of a vocational background. When applying to do a professional degree, most of them fall outside the traditional admission requirements, which is why individual assessment of applicants is necessary for bachelor programmes. This article examines the case of a woman named Amy, a mature, non-traditional university college student who becomes a social pedagogue. Because of severe allergies, Amy had to quit her job as a farmer and began to study to become a social pedagogue. Becoming a social pedagogue is a tremendously complex process that involves taking on a new professional identity and acquiring new skills. In order to ascertain the extent of this complexity, this article uses a psycho-societal approach derived from a Danish/German life history research approach. This article offers a brief presentation of the theoretical and methodological framework applied before analysing the process Amy undergoes to become a social pedagogue. The analysis demonstrates that this type of significant career change is demanding and, for Amy, filled with feelings of ambivalence and defensiveness.
Originalsprog | Engelsk |
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Tidsskrift | Australian Journal of Adult Learning |
Vol/bind | 56 |
Udgave nummer | 3 |
Sider (fra-til) | 307-330 |
ISSN | 1443-1394 |
Status | Udgivet - nov. 2016 |
Emneord
- psycho-societal approach
- life history
- non-traditional
- adult learner
- social pedagogue
- becoming