Director of Studies

Mr Kouba

Mr Kouba works at IEG Södermalm as Director of Studies (Studierektor) and is also head of the Modern Language Department, teaching French.

One of his responsibilities includes liasing with Stockholm Teacher Training College [Lärarhögskolan]. IEG Södermalm offers trainee-teachers the opportunity to undertake their teaching practice at the school. This gives students the chance to see the very latest pedagogical techniques as well as giving new teachers firsthand experience in the classroom. A number of senior teachers at IEG Södermalm also assist the teacher trainees whilst teaching at the school, thus ensuring that teacher candidates develop their skills and gain valuable on-the-job training.

In addition to liaising with a number of universities, the Swedish National Agency for Education [Skolverket], Lärarhögskolan, Programkontoret, Kommun Förbundet, Gymnasieintagningen, Mr Kouba is also involved in three projects at IEG:

  • Firstly, he is responsible for coordinating the Careers Advice Programme at IEG in collaboration with the school careers advisor.
  • Secondly, he worked in collaboration with the Department of Education in Stockholm on a project: “Consistent Assessment and Grading” [Likvärdig bedömning och betygsättning], which was headed by Mr Ulf Gustavsson. The implementation stage of the project is finished: however, Mr Kouba, along with the rest of the Management Team at IES, works actively to ensure that teachers receive guidance when it comes to grading procedures in accordance with the new guidelines the local authority and Agency for Education have implemented.
  • Thirdly, Mr Kouba took the initiative of involving IEG Södermalm in “Intercultural Pedagogy” –a project on pedagogy and didactics run by Stockholm’s Teacher Training College.

The general aim of the project “Interkulturell pedagogik och interkulturellt lärande i språkundervisning” is to develop the field of intercultural pedagogy and intercultural learning. This is a rather new and undeveloped area of pedagogy and didactics. Intercultural pedagogy is a field within pedagogy that studies everything that has to do with education, teaching, learning, and development through intercultural aspects such as ethnicity, gender and class. It is important to develop intercultural pedagogy since it can contribute with knowledge and about learning processes that teachers need to be able to teach in today’s multicultural classrooms. Intercultural learning emphasises the importance to see and encourage other perspectives than one’s own and to acknowledge the link between language and culture.

The project focuses on language teaching in relation to official policy documents (curricula) and Sweden’s new language policy. the focus of the project is on language education, multilingualism, and multiculturalism. The study builds on ethnographic research (e.g. interviews, classroom observations) in two multilingual schools, one of which is IEG Södermalm.

The material from the study will be used to develop an intercultural pedagogy which promotes intercultural learning. Suggestion of how teachers can take advantage of students’ multilingualism and students’ experiences in the classroom will be offered.

Dr Carla Jonsson, who is a lecturer at Stockholm University/Teacher Training College is the researcher in charge of the project.

Mr Kouba
Director of Studies / Studierektor
Tel: 08-505 533 63
Email: mohsen.kouba@enskede.engelska.se

The Role of Director of Studies
In addition to the information given here, the Director of Studies also:

  • provides support and advice to teachers on all academic matters
  • handles querries regarding grades
  • monitors changes in Education policy, rules and regulations
  • ensures teachers submit course outlines
  • provides support and advice for teachers seeking additional  qualifications
  • supports teachers get their foreign qualifications recognized by the Swedish authorities
  • coordinates PRIVIK Svenska (Swedish for Foreigners)

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