Biesta's theory of education as a conceptual basis for teaching students in hospital settings

Hospital-based teaching constitutes a distinct didactic model tailored to students who, due to health-related circumstances, are hospitalized and consequently unable to participate in regular school instruction. Although hospital teaching exists in many countries, there is still a lack of scholarly work that systematically addresses its theoretical foundations, pedagogical purpose, and regulatory frameworks. This paper seeks to investigate the potential of applying Gert Biesta’s theoretical framework as a foundation for reconceptualizing hospital teaching to enhance its pedagogical significance. Drawing on Biesta’s three core educational domains – qualification, socialization, and subjectification, the study explores strategies for integrating these dimensions within the specific conditions of the hospital environment. Methodologically, the paper is grounded in a qualitative analysis of Biesta’s works, pertinent academic literature, and regulatory documents governing hospital-based education in Serbia, as well as relevant international framework. The results of the qualitative analysis indicate the necessity of both normative and conceptual strengthening of hospital teaching as an inherent part of the educational system. Only through the integration and mutual interconnection of these three dimensions does teaching attain its full pedagogical value: as a process that supports the acquisition of knowledge, the development of skills, attitudes, and values, preparation for life in the community, as well as a space for personal affirmation and the formation of autonomous subjectivity. The paper recommends the development of an interdisciplinary approach, support for teachers, and the formulation of pedagogical standards that will ensure hospital teaching is both transformative and teleological – in line with Biesta’s vision of education. It concludes that hospital instruction has the potential not only to ensure continuity of learning, but also to foster personal development, restore a sense of normalcy, and sustain students’ connection with the broader social world beyond the hospital environment.