Didactics—Didaktik—Didactique

The relevance of the topic is linked to a growing international rapprochement within the curriculum field, making necessary understanding regarding differing traditions of the planning of teaching and learning. One may say that there exist two main traditions: the Anglo American tradition of curriculum studies and the Continental and North European tradition of didactics. Although the curriculum studies tradition is internationally acknowledged, adopted, and adapted, the tradition of didactics is still relatively unknown in English and U.S. curriculum contexts and settings.

The word didactics originates from the Greek didaskein, which meant to be a teacher or to educate. As a word used in English, it has a rather negative connotation. It is, for example, found as an adjective meaning to behave like a teacher. The term is generally avoided in English and U.S. curriculum contexts. In Nordic (didaktikk/didaktik), German (Didaktik), and French (didactique) contexts, the word is used only to a limited degree in common language, while it is in educational contexts one of the most central ones. It has, however, when applied professionally, a variety of meanings. An unambiguous understanding of the subject matter, scope, methodology, and system of didactics as part of education as a scientific discipline does not exist. Differing schools, traditions, and models may be clearly discerned. There exists consequently a variety of definitions that all claim to be legitimate both historically and in contemporary contexts. Some definitions focusing on the field and scope of didactics according to Friedrich Kron are as follows:

• Didactics as a science and theory about teaching and learning in all circumstances and in all forms

This definition is the most comprehensive and widest.

• Didactics as the science or theory of teaching

Didactics defined in this way comprises the broad sphere of reality consisting of socially legitimated and organized teaching and learning processes accomplished on a professional foundation.

• Didactics as the theory of the contents of formation and of its structure and selection

This understanding of didactics focuses formation and the formation potential of subject matter.

• Didactics as theory about the steering and controlling of the learning process

In this understanding, teaching and learning processes are regarded as analogues to cybernetically controlled technical systems.

• Didactics as the application of psychological teaching and learning theories

Within this understanding, the research aspect is predominant. The leading research interest is the bettering of all factors related to teaching and learning.

Today in French, German, and Scandinavian educational contexts there is a marked tendency to include educational practice as part of the concept of didactics where the term is viewed as the theory and practice of teaching and learning.

Simplified we may say with Rudolph Künzli that the concern of didactics is as follows:

• What should be taught and learned (the content aspect)?
• How do we teach and learn (the aspects of transmitting and learning)?
• To what purpose or intention should something be taught and learned (the goal/aims aspect)?

Another way to put it is as follows: As a real phenomenon in these educational contexts didactics exists

• as theory and as prescription—and consequently as reflection and action—underlining differing [Page 293]theories and models of didactics with their different foci and views of its scope and function;
• as different levels of abstraction, such as, for example, general didactics, special didactics, and school subject didactics; and
• as a scientific discipline, as a research area and as courses of study—that is, the institutionalized aspect.

These are, however, analytic categories; as real phenomena they overlap. One can, however, at least identify three levels as core areas of

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