Teacher authority is digitally mediated

By Bjarke Lindsø Andersen

Abstract

For a period the concept of authority has been given a low priority in pedagogy. However, the concept has recently drawn new attention as a prism to understand and develop the work of the teacher. The article is a theoretical contribution to contemporary discussions of authority as a relational phenomenon that variates, where the multiplicity of digital technologies in the classroom play a pivotal role in weakening and strengthening the authority of the teacher. The article is an amalgamation of a theory of authority by the French-Russian philosopher Alexandre Kojève and the concept of technological mediation taken from the philosophy of technology. The purpose is to contribute with an understanding of the role of technology in the everyday plays of authority within the classroom and offer conceptual tools to reflect on and plan how ones teaching and authority is affected by digital technologies.

This article is in Danish.