Programplaner og emneplaner - Student
UTVB2210 Education and Religion in Development Course description
- Course name in Norwegian
- Education and Religion in Development
- Study programme
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Bachelor's Programme in Development Studies
- Weight
- 15.0 ECTS
- Year of study
- 2025/2026
- Curriculum
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FALL 2025
- Schedule
- Programme description
- Course history
-
Introduction
This course thematize the role Education and Religion play in developmental processes and discourses, both in their own right and by intersecting other central developmental topics of social mobility, power structures, globalization, colonial, decolonial and gender debates, as well as the role of education in marginalized positions.
The course will be taught in English or Norwegian, depending on needs according to the participants’ language abilities and the presence of international exchange students.
Recommended preliminary courses
This course thematize the role Education and Religion play in developmental processes and discourses, both in their own right and by intersecting other central developmental topics of social mobility, power structures, globalization, colonial, decolonial and gender debates, as well as the role of education in marginalized positions.
The course will be taught in English or Norwegian, depending on needs according to the participants’ language abilities and the presence of international exchange students.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student has obtained the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge
The student
- has knowledge of the role of education for development in international policy programs, historically and at present
- has knowledge of the content, and challenges raised by, education as Right based Development anchored in international educational policies and conventions
- has knowledge of the impact of religious traditions on educational systems in different contexts, historically and at present, with a specific focus on the global South
- has knowledge of educational systems, colonial legacies, and decolonial debates
- has knowledge of the role of education for development for people in marginalized situations
- has knowledge of effects of globalized educational systems and commodification of education
Skills
The student
- can reflect critically on the role of education in the process of change in society and how religious traditions interplay
- can transfer theoretical and practical knowledge of the role of education in development processes, onto new research, with help of established and acknowledged methodology and academic guidance, for then be able to unfold improved knowledge of the field
General competence
The student
- is familiar with issues related to education, religion and development and can present them in an independent way, individually, and as part of a group, orally and in writing, with high academic ethical and moral standards
- can through knowledge of varied contexts where education play a role in developmental processes, critically discuss, and acknowledge, diverse sets of solutions and outcomes, to promote positive change
Content
Education, knowledge and competence are crucial elements in strategies for, and theories on, development. Religion and spirituality might influence educational systems in many contexts, in either overt or implicit forms. The course thematizes how educational systems change and gain new roles and importance through modernization- and globalization processes, on both global and local levels. It emphasizes how education might enable individual empowerment, stimulate national consolidation and contribute to poverty reduction, and further how to utilize education to promote positive change, specifically related to development processes in the global South.
The course describes, and critically discusses issues connected to education as a right-based developmental tool, anchored in the UN Declaration of Universal Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Children, and ideas of Global Citizenship Education for global, sustainable solutions. It also describes and discuss the crucial role education play in emergencies, crises and conflicts for millions of displaced people, especially children.
As religious systems and ideologies have influenced, and still might affect educational traditions and systems in many parts of the world, the course critically discusses how religion intersects educational systems in different contexts and uncovers possible challenges on both curricular content and pedagogies. The course problematize how educational systems in many parts of the global South are marked by colonial legacies, ongoing coloniality of knowledge and education, in addition to decolonial debates. As part of these discussions, the course includes how western-based churches and missions historically influenced, and in many places still influence, educational systems in the global South.
Course requirements
To be admitted to the examination the student shall fulfil the following course work requirement: one individual assignment on 1200 words (+/- 10%), on a given topic. The student shall formulate a problem based on the topic and answer the problem. The assignment shall be submitted within the set deadline. If necessary, the student and teacher can agree on an extended deadline for submission of the assignment. The assignment is evaluated with ‘accepted’ or ‘not accepted’ and will be evaluated by co-students in small groups of three - to four students, and in collaboration with the teacher, based on a template and instruction, given by the teacher, and announced in detail on Canvas. The work requirement gives the students an opportunity to reflect on central topics in the course literature, and function as an exercise for both the writer and the co-students, on how to interpret exam questions. Students who get ‘not accepted’ on their assignment may rewrite and submit a new version of the assignment at a date set by the teacher. This assignment is evaluated with ‘accepted’ or ‘not accepted’ by the teacher.
Assessment
Final assessment will be based on a 6-hour individual written school exam, based on a given topic. The writing of the assignment must show knowledge of the course literature. If other literature is referred, this cannot replace use of course literature, however it may function as additional literature.
The exam papers can be written in English, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish.
Permitted exam materials and equipment
Bilingual dictionary (book, not digital)
Grading scale
Final assessment will be based on a 6-hour individual written school exam, based on a given topic. The writing of the assignment must show knowledge of the course literature. If other literature is referred, this cannot replace use of course literature, however it may function as additional literature.
The exam papers can be written in English, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish.
Examiners
An internal and external examiner will conduct the assessment of the exam.
Admission requirements
The course is open to students who have completed at least a one-year introductory course in Development Studies at either OsloMet, or other equivalent courses at universities/university colleges in Norway, or abroad.