Norwegian High Schools Research Articles

Norwegian Public Health Nurses' Perspectives on Their Role in High Schools-A Qualitative Study.

Public health nurses working in high schools have few set tasks, and there is limited research available on their flexible role. Therefore, the aim of the study was to describe public health nurses' perspectives on their role when working in Norwegian high schools. A qualitative descriptive design, with an inductive approach. Eight public health nurses with at least 1-year of experience working in high schools in Norway. Individual, semi-structured interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Public health nurses viewed clinical practice as being the main purpose of their role, and the role was founded on both physical and digital availability. Close collaboration within the school and with external collaboration partners was crucial when public health nurses executed their role. The flexible nature of the role presented navigational challenges for public health nurses, who needed to balance competing demands in a busy work environment. Nevertheless, public health nurses demonstrated a strong commitment to their role and experienced that they made a difference to the students they served and the schools in which they worked. The study underlined the importance of recognizing the totality of the public health nursing role and the ethical challenges derived from navigating different perspectives of the role.

Women’s health at work: a qualitative study on women’s health issues in relation to work participation. Experiences and perspectives from female teachers and managers in Norwegian high schools

BackgroundPublic health and working life are closely related. Even though Norway is one of the world’s most equality-oriented countries, working life is still divided by gender. Women have a lower rate of participation in working life than men, they work more part-time and they have a higher sickness absence. Research has mostly focused on structural and cultural reasons for gender differences, rather than on the fact that women and men have different biology and face different health challenges. The aim of this project was to explore experienced associations between women’s health and female participation in working life.MethodsQualitative methods were chosen for investigating women’s experiences. We carried out in-depth interviews with 11 female high school teachers and supplemented the material with a focus group with five managers from the same organisation. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. We used the six steps of reflexive thematic analysis for consistency in the analysis process.ResultsThe teachers shared a variety of experienced health issues within the field of women’s health and perceived barriers in the work environment. Four main themes were identified: (1) invisibility of women’s health at work, (2) complexity and lack of recognition of women’s health at work, (3) women’s health in work environment and (4) women’s health and role conflicts. There were few contradictions between the two informant groups. We found that health, work and total life intertwine and that complexity, lack of recognition and invisibility of women’s health appear at different levels in a mutual influence: for the women themselves, in the organisation and in society.ConclusionLack of recognition and invisibility of women’s health in the work environment is suggested to influence women’s work participation. The complexity of female health is not captured by gender-neutral structures in the work environment meant to protect and promote employees’ occupational health. Recognition of women’s health in the work context can therefore contribute to a gender-equal, health-promoting and sustainable working life.

Migrant parents at high school: Exploring new opportunities for involvement

This article examines the at-school opportunities Norwegian high schools provide for involving migrant parents in their children’s education. The legal and societal expectations of systematic school-home cooperation with all parents at this time of transition to higher education or employment are relatively new in Norway. Thus, how schools act on these expectations as they meet migrant parents is under-researched. To address this gap, interviews with four leaders of three high schools with different sociocultural profiles and observations of meetings with parents at one of the schools were conducted as a part of this study. Examined through a Bourdieusian lens, parental involvement—or rather traditional lack of at-school parental involvement outside crises—can be interpreted as a form of high-school doxa. This unquestionable truth is now challenged as more rights are granted to parents, and new heterodox beliefs and discourses about parents of adolescents at school emerge. At the same time, the schools in the focus of this study appear to have limited room for imagining forms and content of non-crisis communication with the home, especially when parents do not directly claim their rights, as is true for many migrant families. This study thus contributes to the existing research on parental involvement and home-school relations by emphasizing the need for a professional discussion on more equitable and better situated forms of engaging parents, as well as the school’s areas of responsibility in including families in educational communities.

Discussing Controversial Issues in the Classroom: Elements of Good Practice

ABSTRACT Based on interviews with teachers and students in Norwegian high schools, this article explores discussions of controversial issues in the classroom. Building on practice theory, it examines what enables “good” classroom discussions. The main finding is that good discussions are made possible by a productive learning environment that is jointly constructed by the teacher and students. Such a learning environment has three core elements: (1) good social relationships, (2) appropriate norms for social interaction, and (3) skillful facilitation.

The final straw: High school dropout for marginal students

We investigate the consequences of failing a high-stakes exam in Norwegian high schools. Second-year high school students are randomly assigned to either a locally graded oral exam or a centrally graded written exam. Students assigned to written exams consistently receive lower grades and have a greater probability of failing, particularly in the case of already low-performing students. Because passing the exam is required to obtain a high school diploma, this translates into a reduction in high school graduation rates that remains significant over time, permanently shifting a group of marginal students into dropping out of high school altogether. We show that these marginal students are severely disadvantaged across several dimensions, even more so than dropouts in general. Our analysis of what predicts dropout among these marginal students suggests that effective policies for combating high school dropout should target students exclusively on the basis of poor academic performance, rather than other measures of disadvantage such as socioeconomic status, even though these characteristics are associated with dropout among students in general.

Virtual reality exposure therapy for adolescents with fear of public speaking: a non-randomized feasibility and pilot study

BackgroundPublic Speaking Anxiety (PSA) is a common anxiety with onset in adolescence and early adulthood. With the advent of consumer virtual reality (VR) technology, VR-delivered exposure therapy is now a scalable and practical treatment option and has previously been shown to be efficacious with adults. In this non-randomized feasibility and pilot trial, we explore the effect of one-session (90 min) VR-delivered exposure therapy for adolescents (aged 13–16) with PSA.MethodsA total of 27 adolescents were recruited from Norwegian high schools and completed self-report measures of PSA twice prior to treatment, 1 week after treatment, and at 1 and 3 month follow-up. Heart rate was recorded during the treatment session. A low-cost head-mounted VR display with a custom-built VR stimuli material depicting a cultural and age appropriate classroom and audience were used when a series of speech (exposure exercises) were performed.ResultsLinear mixed effects model revealed a significant decrease in PSA symptoms (Cohen’s d = 1.53) pre-post treatment, and improvements were maintained at follow-ups. Physiological data revealed a small increase in heart rate during exposure tasks. Based on feedback from the adolescents, the feasibility of the intervention was increased during the trial.ConclusionsThe results show that low-cost, consumer VR hardware can be used to deliver efficacious treatment for PSA in adolescents, in a feasible one-session format.

Stronger Is Better: The Impact of Upper Body Strength in Double Poling Performance.

The purpose of the present study was to compare time results from a roller-skiing double poling (DP) time trial with different physiological variables, muscular strength variables, and DP characteristics in both male and female young competitive skiers with the same relative training background. In order to do this, 28 (16 women and 12 men) well-trained 16–25-year-old cross-country skiers from three Norwegian high schools for skiers, as well as local high performance competitive skiers from the South-East of Norway were recruited to participate in the study. All participants were tested for; maximal oxygen uptake in running, Peak oxygen uptake in DP, lactate threshold in DP, DP economy, time to voluntary exhaustion in DP, force analyses in DP, one repetition maximum and power output in pulldown, and leg press and a time trial during DP roller skiing. The results expressed strong correlations between roller skiing time trial performance and maximal strength in pull-down, both independent (rxy = −0.83, p < 0.01) and dependent (rxy–z = −0.50, p < 0.02) of sex. Higher maximal upper body strength was related to higher DP peak forces (PF) (rxy = 0.78, p < 0.02), lower DP frequency (rxy = −0.71, p < 0.01), and shorter DP contact time (CT) (rxy = −0.48, p < 0.02). The practical implications of the present study is to acknowledge maximal upper body strength as a performance determining factor in DP. This point at the importance of including maximal strength training in cross-country skiers training programs.

Absenteeism and the new 10% ruling in Norway: A case study

This study considers the issue of absenteeism in Norwegian high schools with a particular focus on the new controversial 10% ceiling, which began in August 2016. Data was obtained through documentary sources and participant observation in one high school with one of the highest absenteeism rates in the capital, Oslo. Employing Foucault’s ‘panoptic gaze’, the study also interrogates schools’ growing dependence on technology in self-reporting absence and enacting more effective forms of ‘disciplinary power’. The study argues that each school and each individual case warrant careful attention before macro-policies on a national level are enacted by politicians, who at best have a superficial familiarity with the challenges and uncertainties that constrain these students’ academic progress.

Epistemology of epidemiology: the case of Ungdata

One of the most significant epidemiological tools for the perceived truth about contemporary Norwegian youth is in Ungdata, Youth Data. This is a continuous online-based survey grounded upon several and varying investigations of youth in Norwegian high schools, now extending to primary schools as well. The knowledge bases, epidemiological practices, technicalities, economic premises for the work and also data publishing is handled by social scientists at Norwegian Social Research, NOVA, located at Oslo Metropolitan University. State bureaucracies, e.g. ministries and directorates, municipalities etc. can ask for investigations and overviews. NOVA has an annual income for running the Youth Data through the Norwegian Directorate of Health of 3,3 mill. NOK (2018). The Youth Data registry has become a leading force in opinions, policies, polities and resource allocations for youth at municipal and state levels for several intended purposes. Based upon NOVA reports, media comments and interviews this article reflects upon some theoretical and methodological approaches to this unique epidemiological tool concerning youth, health and welfare. Questions arise such as: Is epidemiology a taken for granted neutral and objective kind of knowledge? Should there be ethical concerns for youth and their researchers as creators of knowledge, theory and policy – other than the normal ethical rules of scientific conduct?

Free fall in curved spacetime—how to visualise gravity in general relativity

The first direct observation of gravitational waves in 2015 has led to an increased public interest in topics of general relativity (GR) and astronomy. Physics teachers and educators respond to this interest by introducing modern ideas of gravity and spacetime to high school students. Doing so, they face the challenge of finding suitable models that visualise gravity as the geometry of curved spacetime. Most models of GR, such as the popular rubber sheet model, only address spatial curvature. Yet, according to Albert Einstein, gravitational phenomena stem from deformations both in space and time. This paper presents a new model that builds on a relativistic generalisation of Newton’s first law. We use Einstein’s free fall thought experiment and a classical height-time diagram to explain how warped time gives rise to gravity. Our warped-time model acts as a convenient supplement to the rubber sheet model. To support teachers in integrating the model into their classroom practice, we have implemented the model as an interactive simulation that is freely accessible. The model is the result of a three-year period of developing and trialling digital learning resources in Norwegian high schools. Based on these trials, we suggest specific instructional strategies on how to use the warped-time model successfully in science classrooms.

Secular youth and religious practice: candle lighting in Norwegian folk high schools

Although large international studies have defined Norway as one of the most secular countries in the world, Christian folk high schools in Norway have experienced record high attendance. This paper presents case studies of the religious education (RE) and practices of two Christian folk high schools in Norway. A survey shows that students at these schools can be considered representative of the confessional backgrounds and stated values of their cohort of Norwegian youth. The studied institutions have the declared goal of offering RE, of which an on-campus worship service is a central element. A large portion of the student body attends these services. Using a reconstruction of Etienne Wenger’s theory of communities of practice, the author analyses student participation in the school worship service, specifically in the act of candle lighting. Observations and student interviews indicate that the service can be described as a reflective practice representing a dialogic form of religion. This article contributes an analysis of the distinctive form of RE offered by Christian folk high schools in Norway. In a broader sense, it contributes to the understanding of secular youth and their relation to religious practice.

Aggression and body image concerns among anabolic androgenic steroid users, contemplators, and controls in Norway

AAS users and contemplators were investigated for differences in aggression and body image concern. Prevalence rates were sought as a secondary aim. 396 male adolescents at Norwegian high schools completed a questionnaire battery during school hours. Prevalence of AAS use showed 4.0%; AAS contemplation showed 5.1%. No significant differences between the AAS users and contemplators were found on levels of aggression and body image concern. AAS users and contemplators reported significantly higher levels of aggression and body image concern compared nonusing controls. AAS contemplators enhance understanding of AAS use by representing psychosocial factors contributing to increased aggression, and AAS use or risk thereof indicative of an aggressive personality profile. Body image concerns for AAS users and contemplators may indicate that AAS use does not diminish body image concern, and that body image concern is a risk factor for AAS use. This is supportive of previous research.

Folk high schools and dropouts from upper secondary school: effects of non-academic investments in dropouts

High dropout rates from upper secondary school are related to substantial societal costs, and are hence a major policy concern. The Norwegian folk high schools provide a non-academic education in an intimate and nurturing environment where interpersonal and social skills are emphasised, and where individuals grow in sense of self-esteem and sense of coping. The unique non-academic nature of folk high schools allows us to explore if non-academic investments in youth could be effective tools in the battle against dropout. We have obtained access to high-quality Norwegian administrative data and use both a covariate adjustment technique and an instrumental variable technique to investigate whether a folk high school education raises the probability of dropouts completing upper secondary school. We find that dropouts are significantly more likely to complete an academic course if they have attended a folk high school. However, a folk high school education makes dropouts less likely to complete a vocational course. The non-academic education has the surprising tendency of redirecting vocational students to academic paths.

Antecedents of Teachers’ Fostering of Student effort in Norwegian Folk High-schools

Antecedents of Teachers’ Fostering of Student effort in Norwegian Folk High-schools

Autonomy Support and Intrinsic Goal Progress Expectancy and Its Links to Longitudinal Study Effort and Subjective Wellbeing: The Differential Mediating Effect of Intrinsic and Identified Regulations and the Moderator Effects of Effort and Intrinsic Goals

The authors tested a self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) process model of subjective wellbeing among students at Norwegian Folk High Schools. In this model the authors hypothesized that students' intrinsic goal progress expectancy in the chosen study activity and perceived autonomy support from teachers would be positively associated with intrinsic and identified regulations of activity. In turn, intrinsic regulation would positively affect subjective wellbeing at the end of the school year (eight months later), whereas the identified regulation–subjective wellbeing link would be both indirect through and moderated by effort. In addition, the lower the identified regulation among students, the more their psychological well-being would be moderated by intrinsic goal progress expectancy. The results supported all predictions.

Siblings, friends, and parents: Who are the most important persons for adolescents? A pilot study of Adolescent Relationship Scale

The quality of relationships to friends, siblings, and parents is a central focus for adolescents. A recently developed self-report instrument, Adolescent Relationship Scale (ARS) – a visual-analog scale (VAS) – was tested in a pilot study of adolescents, 16–18 years old, who were pupils of Norwegian high schools (N = 147). ARS measures the importance of the relationships to friends, siblings, and parents, as well as the experienced quality of life. ARS is meant to capture the current quality and reciprocity of the different relationships and the development over time with repeated measures. The results of the data analyses revealed differences in the ratings across age. Furthermore, we found gender differences regarding the experience of relationships. ARS seems to be a useful self-report instrument with a potential to measure the current importance of the adolescents' central relationships and the development of the importance of these relationships during adolescence.

Risk Attitudes and Behavior Among Norwegian Adolescents

Abstract. The core aim of the present study is to compare the effects of a safety campaign and a behavior modification program on traffic safety. As is the case in community-based health promotion, the present study's approach of the attitude campaign was based on active participation of the group of recipients. One of the reasons why many attitude campaigns conducted previously have failed may be that they have been society-based public health programs. Both the interventions were carried out simultaneously among students aged 18-19 years in two Norwegian high schools (n = 342). At the first high school the intervention was behavior modification, at the second school a community-based attitude campaign was carried out. Baseline and posttest data on attitudes toward traffic safety and self-reported risk behavior were collected. The results showed that there was a significant total effect of the interventions although the effect depended on the type of intervention. There were significant differences in attitude and behavior only in the sample where the attitude campaign was carried out and no significant changes were found in the group of recipients of behavior modification.

Self-Concept and Self-Efficacy: A Test of the Internal/External Frame of Reference Model and Predictions of Subsequent Motivation and Achievement

We examined how final grades in mathematics and verbal arts in the first year of high school (Grade 11) were predicted in a Norwegian population by sex, previous grades in middle school (Grade 10), self-concept, self-efficacy at a domain-specific level, and intrinsic motivation. Direct and indirect relations were examined by means of a series of regression analyses. Participants were 483 students from six Norwegian high schools. End of term grades in high school correlated positively with grades in middle school in both mathematics (r = .62) and verbal arts (r = .55). The relation between grades at the two points of time was to a large extent mediated through mathematics, verbal self-concept, and self-efficacy. Intrinsic motivation also correlated positively with subsequent achievement (r = .63 and .42 in mathematics and verbal arts, respectively). However, intrinsic motivation had little predictive value for subsequent grades over and above the prediction made by self-concept and self-efficacy. Thus, self-concept and self-efficacy were the strongest predictors of subsequent grades. Predictions from the Internal/External frame of reference model were supported for self-concept but not for domain-specific self-efficacy.

The Supply of Public Sector Services when They Include Quantity and Quality Dimensions

Most publicly provided services are multi-dimensional. This paper distinguishes between quantity and quality. In a model of majority voting with two competing political parties, the income effects with respect to quantity, quality, and other elements in the utility functions of the voters have ambiguous signs because the budget constraint of the public sector is non-linear. In addition, matching grants may have smaller effects than in traditional models with linear budget constraints. Data from Norwegian high schools are utilized in an empirical example. The income elasticity with respect to the number of students seems to be negative, the income elasticity of quality seems to be positive, and a matching grant related to the number of students has no effect on student enrollment.

Efficiency variation among the Norwegian High Schools: Consequences of equalization policy

The performance of the regulated school system in Norway is investigated by analyzing the relationship between resource use and student achievement in 34 Norwegian high schools. The marginal school effect on student achievement is estimated, and the output of the schools is described by the number of graduates and the school effect. Using this separation between quantity and quality, a reference frontier representing best practice among the schools is established by Data Envelopment Analysis, and the technical efficiencies are measured. The schools have very different student achievements, but the variation is not related to differences in resource use. The school system is oriented towards the equalization of student results, but the schools show systematic differences in the handling of high and low achievers.