The The Ignorant Schoolmaster in Democracy Education

A Collaborative Autoethnography of Teacher Training

Authors

• Sari Hietamäki Jyväskylän yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.109754

Keywords:

democracy education, teacher training, collaborative autoethnography, equality, emancipation

Abstract

This article explores Jacques Rancière’s concept ‘equality of intelligences’ and the principle of equality from the perspective of democracy education. In addition, the article consists of a collaborative autoethnography written in a Finnish Teacher Training School course during one semester. Authors of this text include the teacher-researcher and 19 teacher-students. The polyphonic autoethnography compiled by the researcher offers viewpoints of becoming and being a teacher in the framework of equality and democracy. These viewpoints are examined in comparison to Rancière’s thinking. Therefore, the article concretizes and sheds light to Rancière’s concepts in democracy education. Likewise, it offers insights to how ‘equality of intelligences’ can ground autoethnography as a research method. Finally, the article presents one example on how democracy can be simultaneously practiced and taught in university.