Faglig forankra, fagovergripende – og med fotfeste i profesjonen

Abstract

In this overview study, we analyse student teachers’ master’s theses in Norwegian L1 from the first cohort of the five-year integrated master’s program for primary and lower secondary school teachers. We investigate what characterises the theses in terms of subject topics, interdisciplinary perspectives, and data sources. The data, consisting of summaries of 199 master’s theses, was collected from all teacher education institutions in Norway. The data is analysed by means of both quantitative and qualitative categories. Our qualitive content analysis reveals that literature, reading, writing, and multilingualism are the main academic foci. Additionally, many students incorporate interdisciplinary themes such as public health and life skills or linguistic and cultural diversity. Very few theses address topics requiring knowledge of language as a system, or historical topics. Furthermore, most students collect data from schools, often through interviews. The analytical findings are discussed in light of academic and educational policy issues, such as the content and framework of the L1 subject and the tension between professional and academic orientations in teacher education. Thus, the study contributes to discussions about master’s theses in teacher education in general, and, more specifically, about the operationalisation of the Norwegian L1 subject in schools and teacher education.