QUINT PhD Jonas Henau Teglbjærg aims to find if and how teaching in Danish and Norwegian social studies classrooms is characterised by aspects of democratic deliberation. He is part of QUINT's Nordic PhD Network and based at the University of Southern Denmark.
Can you tell us about your background?
I hold a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in social science from the University of Copenhagen. In my master’s thesis, I explored the effects of citizen deliberation on disagreement about empirical premises. From 2015 to 2018 I worked for the research group PCARE at the University of Copenhagen. Prior to my employment at PCARE, I taught a master’s level course on the European Union.
What is your PhD Dissertation about?
My dissertation will explore the extent to which quality in social studies teaching is understood as democratic deliberation, as well as whether and how teaching in Danish and Norwegian social studies classrooms is characterised by aspects of democratic deliberation. My dissertation will also contain an inductive element and explore alternative standards by which students and teachers assess democratic legitimacy as well as teaching quality in social studies.
Deliberative democracy, is based on the idea in political theory that political decisions should be the product of fair and reasonable discussion and debate among citizens.
In deliberation, citizens exchange arguments and consider different claims in order to secure the public good. It is through this conversation, that citizens can come to an agreement about what procedure, action, or policy will best produce the public good. Deliberation is a necessary precondition for the legitimacy of democratic political decisions.
Why are the main topics relevant?
Previous research shows that many teachers, education researchers and steering documents consider “deliberation” to be a desirable feature of social studies teaching, and “deliberative democracy” to be an attractive democratic ideal to pursue in social studies teaching. In this light, it is relevant to explore the “deliberativeness” of actual classroom discourse, but also to explore the existence of other standards for teaching quality in order to avoid reducing the concept of teaching quality in social studies to a question about deliberation.
How does being part of a Nordic PhD network support the project?
Institutions of deliberative democracy (such as consensus conferences) have long been part of the democratic life of Nordic countries and deliberation is a popular concept in Nordic social studies research.
Since several of the PhD students in the Nordic network analyse teaching by use of concepts closely related to deliberation and deliberative democracy, the Nordic PhD network provides me with a useful source of inspiration and critical feedback. Being part of a Nordic PhD network therefore increases the quality of my work.
What do you like to do to relax?
In my leisure time, I enjoy spending time with my family and listening to traditional Breton music and Jazz. Occasionally, I also find time to delve into the world of Dostoevsky.