In English, the term ‘pedagogy’ is usually used to refer to the ‘science or profession of teaching’ whilst ‘pedagogue’ can be used both in a general sense to refer to a teacher or educator and sometimes, more pejoratively, to someone who instructs in a pedantic or dogmatic manner. The Oxford English Dictionary defines pedagogue as ‘a teacher, especially a strict or pedantic one’ but acknowledges its origin from the Greek word ‘paidagogos’, denoting a slave who accompanied a child to school - from ‘pais’ [boy] and ‘agogos’ [guide].Paper from about 2002:
... However, in continental Europe, pedagogy is used to refer to children’s general upbringing i.e. ‘to education in the broadest sense’ or to ‘bringing up children in a way that addresses the whole child’ [Petrie et al 2006].2.6 Some commentators, acknowledging the difficulties with ‘pedagogy’ for an English ear, have advocated use of the term ‘social education’ whilst others suggest that we should simply get used to it: ‘It may still sound unusual in English, but is rapidly becoming extremely relevant’ [Kornbeck 2007 p.23]. Social Pedagogy and the Young People’s Workforce: A Report for the Department for Education and Skills, 2007
With respect to primary-aged children, David McNamara (1994: 6) has suggested that the notion of pedagogy has a ‘hostile tone with implications for pedantry, dogmatism or severity’ and noted that it is worrying that the word, traditionally employed to signify the art and science of teaching, should carry negative associations. Mortimore (1999) has described pedagogy as a ‘contested’ term with ‘changing connotations and pressures’, more common in other European countries, in particular, in French, Germany and Russian-speaking academic communities. He has taken the view that it is helpful to define the term in a way that takes the learner into account, otherwise it would be better described under the more limited term of ‘didactics’. His preferred definition is ‘any conscious action by one person designed to enhance learning in another (Mortimore 1999: 3).
Siraj-Blatchford and Sylva (2002) in their recent DfES-sponsored study of effective pedagogy in the early years, have taken a similar view, suggesting that effective pedagogy is both ‘teaching’ and the provision of instructive learning environments and routines. This definition, thus, provided both a suitable starting focus and a reminder that keyword searches would need to include ‘teaching’, ‘instruction’ and ‘learning environments’, as well as ‘pedagogy’. Early Years Research: Pedagogy, Curriculum and Adult Roles, Training and Professionalism, by Members of the British Educational Research Association Early Years Special Interest Group, 2002?
