Making Space for Students’ Learning

The implementation of Sámi teacher education is based on the values ​​of Sámi education. The starting point of this education is the changing needs of the Sámi community. The Sámi concepts of learning, teaching methods and traditional education have developed in the Sámi community over the centuries and have been the subject of active research in recent decades. Pre-service teachers are guided as part of the expertise of Sámi pedagogy by using methods that they are supported to employ in their own work. However, little research has been conducted on the implementation of Sámi teacher education. In this article, we, three Sámi teacher educators, discuss how we perceive Sámi education and educational values. We use examples from our experiences with our families and the schools we have attended and incorporate these into our work as Sámi teacher educators. We also present teacher educators’ perceptions of the university pedagogical approach in Sámi teacher education. The discussion focuses on the work of creating and developing a dynamic learning environment. As a starting point, we present pedagogical approaches in Sámi teacher education, developed over the years at Sámi allaskuvla.