(Un)Doing School in der Konfirmandenarbeit

Abstract

Abstract The reform process changing “confirmation instruction” to “confirmation work” has been characterized as a process of undoing school. At the same time, confirmation work adheres to a teaching intention – and therefore to doing school. So how do practices of undoing school and doing school manifest themselves? The article explores this question in terms of differential theory and addressing analysis on the basis of videotaped units from confirmation work and discussions with pastors. As a result, practices of (un)doing school show tendencies of formalization, imitation, and distancing as well as informalization and closure. In view of the weaker institutional framing, teaching parts of confirmation work are particularly dependent on practices of doing school and at the same time exposed to the pressure of expectations of an undoing school.