In our work as teacher educators we have identified an interesting problem. Teacher students consider a course in English as “more aesthetic” than courses where e.g. drama, music and dance exist as independent subjects. This has aroused our curiosity, and made us want to study the phenomenon further. What activities are implemented in the English course? What teaching activities do the students describe as aesthetic? What knowledge content can be identified? How are those contents related to English methodology? The aim is to study how English and different aesthetic subjects are combined within the course English for Primary School Teachers Earlier Years.

The study is based on a discourse psychological methodology and has an ethnographic approach. Empirical data consists of student evaluations, filmed observations and group conversations with students participating in the course. This initial study will form the foundation for the design of a larger national project about aesthetics in different parts and subjects in teacher education. The production of empirical data has started and will continue during spring 2015.

Preliminary results show that the dissolving of boundaries between the English subject, the Arts and English methodology creates an integrated/interwoven totality. Aspects of student influence and flexibility, both considering content and form, appears as vital. The results are important especially to the development of teaching in compulsory school and in teacher training. By extension, our hope is that increased knowledge also will lead to improved quality in respect of the inclusion of the Arts in all teaching, regardless level of education or subjects.