Author:

Keywords:

Culture, Education

Abstract:

This Round Table session presents the first findings of a practice-based research project called ‘Contented with cultural content' ('Samen cultureel content', Association KULeuven - School of Education) This project translates the high level theoretical framework 'Culture in the mirror’ (Cultuur in de Spiegel) into a practical didactic model for cultural education in teacher training. 'Culture in the mirror' is a framework proposed by Dutch cognitive scientist Barend van Heusden (2007, 2009, 2010). Based on developmental and cognitive theories of culture, such as the bio-cultural theory of evolution by Merlin Donald (1991, 2006), it provides openings to relate systematically to the various basic cognitive strategies taught in cultural education. This theoretical framework was translated into a practical didactic model for classroom use. To embed this model into teacher training departments, professional learning communities (PLCs) were created to evaluate and refine the didactic model and generate learning materials for cultural education.