Barriers to Equality and Cultural Responsiveness in Three Urban Norwegian Primary Schools: A Critical Lens for School Staff Perceptions

Abstract

Literature regarding the gap between the conceptualization of inequality and school staffs’ perception of it in Norwegian schools is scarce. Therefore, we explore the challenges that Norwegian school staff have experienced as they work to ensure inclusive education at three schools. We address this challenge by examining three purposefully selected maximum variation schools that are located in a large Norwegian city. This is a qualitative study based on 25 in-depth interviews with school personnel regarding their understanding of anti-oppressive education of children. A relational approach and critical theory are used to organize and explain nested contextual systems. The narratives from school staff are used to identify their perception of their roles in combatting oppression, their patterns of interaction with others within the school community, and their constructions of “otherness.” The theoretical approach comprises a framework that is based on a social network analysis, trust and belonging, and the staff’s perception of their school’s context in relation to anti-oppressive values in critical race theory. We identify various challenges at each urban school that relate to social and organizational factors and discuss how investigating professionals’ meaning-making enables more nuanced images of the Nordic educational model.