From 'the Pedagogue of Recreation' to Teacher's Assistant

Abstract

Restructuring of the Swedish school system has brought teachers and recreation instructors together in work teams. The rhetoric on collaboration exerts a pressure on pedagogues to merge 'the best of' from each educational culture. However, the teacher position dominates the recreation instructor position. An unequal occupational relation has been established, which makes collaboration harder. The aim of the study was to analyse how recreation instructors' occupational function was constituted during team planning sessions. Work teams in two schools were followed for one term. A model derived from Anthony Giddens' theory of structuration was used in data analysis. Results showed that the recreation instructors' occupational function during collaboration times was constituted as teachers' assistants. The unequal relation positionwise was reproduced as an unequal occupational relation in interaction. It was concluded that recreation instructors wishing to develop an occupational identity as 'the pedagogue of recreation' could best do so outside school and collaboration with teachers.