A study of teachers' understanding of the English subject as a Bildung subject

Abstract

The aim of the thesis has been to discover how teachers understand Bildung and raise an awareness of their understanding of English as a Bildung subject. It has also been of interest to know how the curriculum conveys this concept and how teachers interpret it. Accordingly, the aim of the thesis has been to find out if Bildung is a well- established concept in the teaching of English. The research has been focusing on three main areas: the teachers' personal understanding and attitudes regarding English as a Bildung subject, the subject curriculum and the teachers' interpretation of it and, consequently their teaching practices. All three main areas have been treated in relation to the concept of Bildung. A fourth area was introduced, namely literature, as the teachers emphasised literature as an important contributor to the development of Bildung. The results of the investigation indicate that there is no specific definition of Bildung that the teachers can relate to. What they relate to is their own interpretation of the core curriculum and the English subject curriculum. The consequences of this might be different teaching strategies where some teachers focus mainly on skills and knowledge and others emphasise personal reflection and development.