kennslustund

Kennslustund is an Icelandic term referring to a unit of instruction or a class period in school. It denotes a defined block of time during which teaching and learning activities take place under the guidance of a teacher. The length of a kennslustund commonly ranges from about 45 to 60 minutes, though the exact duration varies by school and grade level.

Etymology and usage: Kennslustund combines kenna, meaning to teach, with stund, meaning hour or period. The term is used in both grunnskóli (primary and lower secondary) and framhaldsskóli (upper secondary) to describe the standard building blocks of the school day.

Structure and planning: Akennslustund typically includes clear learning objectives, a mix of teacher-led instruction and student activities, and opportunities for practice and feedback. The format depends on the subject, age group, and pedagogical approach, and may involve whole-class teaching, collaborative work, or individual tasks, often supported by digital resources or teaching aids. Teachers plan each kennslustund to align with the national curriculum framework for grunnskóli, which sets out learning goals and competencies across subjects.

Context and significance: The concept of kennslustund reflects the modular organization of schooling in Iceland, where time is divided into manageable instructional blocks to support progression, pacing, and assessment. Schools vary in how many kennslustundir are scheduled per day and how they are distributed across subjects, but the unit remains a central element of everyday teaching and learning.