Norwegian School Research Articles

Digital ambitions vs. classroom reality in Norwegian lower secondary schools: What digital competencies are students developing over time?

Despite high political ambitions, the increased use of digital technology in lower secondary school has resulted in little indication of the advanced use of digital skills. Drawing on video-recorded lessons (N = 29) from five schools in Norway over time and across two national curricula, this study mapped the opportunities students had to develop digital skills in English classrooms. The findings provide nuanced insight into the instruction of digital skills in highly digitalised schools. Despite a slight increase in digital skills after the 2020 reform, our findings indicate that digital ambitions in the curriculum were not reflected in classroom reality.

Lexical change is the only constant

Abstract In this study, we look at how language change is presented in two commonly used textbooks for Norwegian lower secondary school. Through thematic content analysis, we look at how linguistic change is presented as opposed to purely synchronic descriptions, as well as how linguistic changes are exemplified. We also look at which language periods are emphasized and how they are discussed. Our findings show that the textbooks mostly discuss languages as static systems and underemphasize how and why languages change. The changes that are presented are overwhelmingly lexical, while phonological, morphological, and syntactic changes are rarely mentioned. The explanations for change provided by the textbooks are mostly external to the linguistic system, such as language contact and politics. Lastly, the descriptions of language tend to be graphocentric. We discuss how this might contribute to a static and normative view of language among students.

Implementing and evaluating the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) model in Norwegian primary schools

ABSTRACT The Norwegian version of the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) model was tested in two quasi-experimental evaluation studies with 65 primary schools (grade 4–7). The impact of the N-PALS model on externalising behaviour and learning climate in class was tested at 28 elementary schools that implemented the full-scale model, while 17 schools implemented a short version with emphasis on the universal level, and 20 schools served as controls with regular practice. After 3 years, the staff at the schools implementing the full model reported significantly fewer behavioural incidents and more use of praise and encouragement compared to the staff at the control schools. And four months after the collective training of staff at schools implementing the universal short version, significantly fewer negative behavioural incidents were reported. School size and implementation quality moderated the outcomes in the two studies. In conclusion, the school-wide intervention model effectively reduced the negative behavioural incidents and improved the learning climate and social relations in the classrooms.

Developmental language disorders and special educational needs: consideration of inclusion in the Norwegian school context

Children with language disorders face different challenges in their daily school routines. Accessing tools and having resources promoting a well-structured and inclusive environment is necessary to ensure a pleasant and successful passage through primary school.The current article seeks to highlight stimulating ideas, creating a foundation for involving everyone caring for and educating students with language disorders, particularly children with special needs. Moreover, experts need to prioritize educational initiatives aimed at language disorders, particularly emphasizing early detection, prevention, and specialized care. Balancing the need for students to get adequate attention while avoiding unequal treatment can be as difficult as dealing with a two-sided coin. Moreover, it is crucial to acknowledge that academic research should prioritize finding the best ways to support students with special needs who have language impairments. All professionals working with these students, such as speech therapists, psychopedagogical experts, and general therapists, need to focus on developing interventions and options to aid in their growth.

The Expert, The Novice, and The Skeptic: Game Literacy and Pedagogical Practice

This qualitative case study explores how teachers' video game literacy impacts their pedagogical use of the digital game The Walking Dead in an ethics education course at a Norwegian high school. The research question addressed is: how is teachers' pedagogical use of a digital game impacted by their levels of video game literacy? The study followed seven teachers, varying in teaching and gaming experience, over two semesters. Observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data on the teachers' experience and pedagogical practice using The Walking Dead in their classes. Three teachers were selected for deeper analysis based them showing differences in attitudes and practices, while having similar teaching experience. These teachers were labeled "the expert," "the novice," and "the skeptic" based on their gaming literacy and attitudes. The analysis was based on a two-dimensional approach to video game literacy, emphasizing operational and cultural literacy. The results show that operational literacy impacted how teachers perceived and used various game elements, especially how they identified and framed the game’s dilemmas. The expert and novice saw the game's narrative as an important contextual resource for engaging with the dilemmas, while the skeptic saw it as merely a backdrop. The skeptic also had difficulties distinguishing between relevant and less relevant aspects of the game relative to the learning goal. Cultural literacy mainly impacted the teachers' ability to differentiate between students' perceptions and experiences of the game and different modes of playing. The expert had a more nuanced approach to how students perceived the game's motivational power, emphasizing the story's importance. The novice and expert explicitly instructed students to distinguish between playing for fun and playing to learn, while the skeptic made less of a distinction and saw playing the game more as a standalone learning activity. The findings suggest that teachers' video game literacy can significantly influence pedagogical use of digital games. Higher levels of operational and cultural literacy enable teachers to better navigate the game's elements, guide students' engagement, and facilitate connections between gameplay and learning objectives.

Support for Siblings of Children With Complex Care Needs: Public Health Nurses' Perceptions of Their Role in Primary Schools.

To explore the role of public health nurses (PHNs) in Norwegian primary school health services in supporting siblings who have a brother or a sister with complex care needs. A qualitative, exploratory design using focus groups combined with visual methods. Nineteen Norwegian PHNs participated in three focus group discussions between May and September 2022. The nurses were asked to draw themselves as PHNs working in primary schools. Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic approach was used to analyse the transcribed interviews. The drawings were analysed using critical visual analysis methodology. The findings revealed that PHNs in primary schools focused on establishing good relationships and found it important to be flexible and creative. However, a challenge to successful service provision in supporting siblings and their families was that the nurses lacked support for the implementation of health promotion interventions and often felt alone. The analysis elicited three main themes: 'the importance of relationships and flexibility in meeting siblings' needs', 'feeling alone with responsibility for supporting siblings' and 'the forgotten children: a need for coordinated services'. PHNs in school health services are in a unique position to provide support to improve siblings' mental health and well-being. To fully benefit from PHNs' potential to support siblings, there is a need to clarify guidelines and develop evidence-based interventions. This study provides valuable insights for health authorities, educators and practitioners on what inhibits sibling support in Norway. The study highlights the potential for PHNs to play a significant role in delivering timely health-promoting interventions for these siblings in school settings independent of context. This study was reported in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). No patient or public contribution.

Successful School Principals Balancing Ethical, Personal and Collective—A Norwegian Case

Over the past two decades, there has been extensive research into what constitutes successful school principal leadership under the assumption that leaders’ practices are significant and context-dependent on their school organization. By investigating how successful principals balance their personal ethical leadership dispositions and their intention of sharing leadership, this paper aims to contribute to the knowledge of how school principals need to balance the ethical, personal, and collective as the top leader of the school. Findings from the interviews suggested that a central aspect in the Norwegian school principals’ characteristics of their leadership practices is student wellbeing and collaborative effort for school quality and student learning. Norwegian successful school principals seem to be relatively unaware of aspects of power use in their leadership practices. Dilemmas arise in the complexity of ensuring individual and collective effort and responsibility for the school to function in accordance with the societal mandate.

Kollegialitet i den videregående skolen: Lektoridentitet i en skoleorganisasjon i endring 1960–2010

Collegiality in upper-secondary school: Teacher identity in a changing school organization (1960–2010). In this article, it is argued that the teachers at the Norwegian upper secondary school had a distinct collegial practice characterised by both formal and informal aspects of collegiality, as well as close interaction between institutional and disciplinary bodies at the school. This practice enabled the teachers to be involved in their own academic and professional development, as well as in the governance of the school. With the democratisation of the school in the 1960s and 70s, and with the new ideals of governance in the 1990s, the characteristics of the teachers’ collegial culture were seen as a hindrance rather than a resource in the development of the school and the teaching profession. Drawing on unique sources from school archives, the article examines the teachers’ collegiality and how it changed from 1960 to 2010.

Reinterpreting the numerical discourse: a commognitive study of teachers’ support of students’ transition into the proving discourse

ABSTRACT Although much research encourages working with proof in school, it is recognised as a complex topic to teach. This paper investigates proof from a commognitive perspective, drawing on the assumption that a change in the uses of words, visual mediators, narratives, and routines implicitly conveys the meta-rules of the proving discourse. Teachers' reinterpretations of the four discursive aspects are thus recognised as promoting interdiscursivity. With data from an intervention in a Norwegian primary school, interdiscursive moves are identified by analysing the practice of two teachers with no experience with teaching proof. Illustrating examples show teachers interacting with students in small groups or whole-class situations, showing how blending two discourses can play out. The episodes confirm the complexity of teaching proof and illustrate the rich potential for scaffolding students' learning. The article sharpens the commognitive lens on proof learning and emphasises the role of the old discourse in interdiscursive situations.

Untapped potential? a scoping review exploring school social work in Norwegian primary schools

ABSTRACT The Norwegian Education Act safeguards children’s right to a supportive psychosocial school environment, increasingly recognized as a pivotal arena for early intervention. In this endeavour, interdisciplinary collaboration plays a crucial role, and school social workers have recently emerged as important professionals in this regard, although their roles lack clear definition. This scoping review, guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and the PRISMA checklist, explores the terminology describing school social workers’ position in Norwegian primary schools, and their roles and responsibilities, and potential impact. Both published and grey literature were included as relevant data material, supported by stakeholder consultation. We comprehensively searched 11 databases, in addition to government websites, resulting in the inclusion of 14 research reports, 4 research articles and 12 master’s theses. Our findings reveal the complexity of school social workers’ roles, hampered by the absence of legal mandates. This ambiguity leads to role variability, hindering the full utilization of their competences and fostering person-specific positions. Consequently, the psychosocial support provided in Norwegian primary schools lacks consistency and optimization. Clearer delineation of school social workers’ roles and responsibilities is imperative to unlock their full potential in creating favourable psychosocial school environments.

Enacting Critical Visual Literacy in Norwegian Secondary School EFL Classrooms: Opportunities and Challenges

Enacting Critical Visual Literacy in Norwegian Secondary School EFL Classrooms: Opportunities and Challenges

Power, discourse, and practice: exploring athlete development as an educational discursive practice in a Norwegian lower secondary sports school

ABSTRACT Norwegian lower secondary sports schools offer athlete development programmes that have a dual focus, both on the sports development and the education of student-athletes. Critical analysis of these programmes is vital given that such offerings are shaped by multiple power relations that have both positive and problematic consequences. This qualitative study set within the context of a Norwegian lower secondary sports school seeks to offer novel insights related to how policy and coaching practices for athlete development are informed by broader discourses within a school setting. The study has two main objectives: (a) to explore the discourses that school coaches draw on in their construction of the ‘ideal’ student-athlete, and (b) to investigate the disciplinary potential of the individual-oriented practices utilised to regulate and enforce student-athletes’ adherence to the requisite norms. We have adopted a Foucauldian-inspired theoretical framework to examine the sociocultural construction of particular ‘types’ of student-athletes. The sports programme, we argue, seeks to educate responsible student-athletes who are capable of making rational decisions about their individual training and healthcare. However, this individualised responsibility can be a problematic ideal because it constitutes a form of institutional governance achieved through self-governance. As such, in a school setting, it operates as a way both to encourage and condition the ways in which student-athletes can develop and adapt in creative, meaningful, and appropriate ways.

Socioeconomic inequality in breakfast skipping among Norwegian adolescents

BackgroundSkipping breakfast is associated with negative health-related and school-related outcomes. Breakfast is the most frequently skipped meal among adolescents. Thus, there is a need to explore the reasons for breakfast skipping across population subgroups to better inform policy makers. The purpose of this study was to present the prevalence of adolescents skipping breakfast on schooldays, analyse the reasons for skipping breakfast and assess associations between the prevalence of skipping breakfast and the reasons for skipping breakfast according to sociodemographic variables.MethodsThe data of a random sample of 10 000 upper secondary school students (aged 16–18 years) from Viken County, Norway, were collected. Students completed a questionnaire measuring breakfast skipping, reasons for skipping breakfast, and sociodemographic variables. Chi-square tests were used to assess differences between the independent groups (family affluence scale (FAS), parental education, and gender) and skipping breakfast and reasons for skipping breakfast.Results22% of adolescents reported that they usually skipped breakfast on all schooldays. Skipping breakfast was more prevalent among females, older students, students with lower socioeconomic status and students in vocational education programmes. The difference in breakfast skipping between students with low and high FAS scores was 31% versus 16%, respectively. The most common self-reported reasons for skipping breakfast were time (59%) and not wanting to eat breakfast (48%). Furthermore, 9% reported health issues, and 3% reported economic constraints as a reason for skipping breakfast. Not wanting to eat breakfast was related to a higher FAS score, health issues were more common among girls, and economic constraints were more common among those with low socioeconomic status.ConclusionsSkipping breakfast was common among Norwegian upper secondary school students. Lack of time and not wanting breakfast were clearly the most cited reasons for skipping breakfast. Health issues and economic constraints were also cited but were less common. The results showed diverging associations between different demographic characteristics and reasons for skipping breakfast. These results are important for developing effective programs to improve diet among adolescents.

Inclusive Education for Students With Special Education Needs in Norway

This narrative review aims to present and discuss the Norwegian school system as a context for inclusive education. Despite its clear political intentions, Norway lacks a common definition of inclusion and has limited insight into the quality of inclusive practices that are commonly implemented for students with special education needs (SEN) and the results of such practices. This study reveals that students with SEN are often educated in segregated settings and by staff lacking educational competence. Hence, future policy actions should prioritize the development of a common terminology and a report system that includes students with SEN. As SEN resources in Norway are allocated based on a lack of satisfactory learning outcomes from mainstream education and often result in segregated actions, an increased focus on school society, learning environments, educational practices, and individual learning outcomes is required. Additional research is needed to identify practices that can promote high-quality inclusion of students in Norwegian schools.

Newly qualified teachers as a resource in school in a micropolitical perspective

ABSTRACT It is well known that newly qualified teachers (NQTs) need support during their induction period. However, emphasising support can be perceived as a deficit approach. Going beyond deficit thinking, this study investigates how NQTs are perceived as a resource in schools in a micropolitical perspective. Based on interview data collected from NQTs, mentors and school leaders in Norwegian upper secondary schools, findings show that NQTs’ contributions include a high level of commitment, flexibility, an outside perspective and new knowledge. Furthermore, the study reveals some differences between the groups in terms of how they perceive NQTs as a resource. The study concludes that the notion of NQTs as a resource is influenced by micropolitics in the school. Finally, we address the implications of the study.

Teacher instructional practices: untangling their complex relations with self-efficacy, job satisfaction, stress, and cooperation among mathematics teachers

BackgroundTeacher instructional practices play crucial roles not only in shaping the happenings in the classrooms but also in facilitating students’ understanding and success rates in mathematics. However, previous studies on teachers’ factors that bolster or undermine instructional practices often consider the influence of these factors on instructional practices in isolation.ObjectiveOn the contrary, we took an inclusive approach in the present study to quantify and disentangle the complex relationship between self-efficacy, job satisfaction, stress, cooperation, and instructional practices with a focus on mathematics teachers.MethodsWe used structural equation modelling to analyze the generated data from 1,304 Norwegian secondary school mathematics teachers.ResultsThe results showed that teacher self-efficacy contributes the most to teacher instructional practices through direct and mediating effects. It mediates the effects of stress and cooperation on teachers’ practices. The contribution of teacher cooperation to instructional practices supersedes teacher stress while the effect of job satisfaction is not substantial. Also, instructional practices that include frequent use of techniques of cognitive activation, clarity of instruction, and classroom management are more prevalent among female than male mathematics teachers in Norway.ConclusionBy implications, these findings revealed that teacher self-efficacy and teacher cooperation are prime factors which interventions could bring about the desired improvement in classroom practices among mathematics teachers.

Building resilience and teaching learners about sustainable living through outdoor swimming and water safety learning

ABSTRACT A new curriculum was implemented in Norwegian schools in 2020 that aimed to teach learners about sustainable living through outdoor swimming and water safety (SWS). Employing sense of coherence (SOC) as a theoretical framework, this study examines how teachers built resilience and taught learners sustainable living through outdoor SWS lessons, focusing on comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. It was conducted in Norway during outdoor SWS lessons at a local beach. Observations and photo-elicitation interviews (PEIs) were conducted with two primary school teachers. Data were analysed using template analysis, with SOC forming the a priori themes. Findings revealed that teachers facilitated resilience building through experiential learning, allowing learners to engage with tasks, peers, and their environment. Exposing learners to adverse water situations and giving them control over their learning process may build resilience and well-being. Furthermore, teachers’ insights into outdoor learning processes can inspire better policies and practices for sustainable, health-promoting education.

Heart Zone as a measure to influence traffic safety culture: which factors influence culture change?

Measures to influence traffic safety culture in designated areas (e.g. schools) exist in several different countries across the world. The Norwegian traffic safety scheme Heart Zone is a measure that aims to influence the traffic culture within a specific geographical area. The study examines whether four Norwegian schools have managed to establish a Heart Zone traffic safety culture, factors facilitating and impeding the implementation of Heart Zone traffic safety culture and subsequent changes in parents' traffic safety behavior. The study is based on survey data from four Norwegian schools (n = 220) and qualitative interviews (n = 19). Although the level of implementation varies, results from the interviews and the survey suggest that the schools have established Heart Zone cultures, where large proportions of the parents drop the children off at the recommended drop-off zone, when driving, are attentive to students who come walking/cycling within the Heart Zone and walk or cycle when transporting children within the Heart Zone. The Heart Zone culture is related to changes in parents' traffic safety behaviors and reductions in dangerous traffic situations. The study identifies specific factors facilitating and impeding traffic culture change, related to enclosed geographical areas like the Heart Zone, developing an analytical model that researchers and future traffic culture measures like this can learn from.

Teachers’ pedagogical beliefs in Norwegian school makerspaces

AbstractIn Norway, makerspaces are emerging as new educational contexts across all school levels. This trend is multifaceted as it is inspired by the global maker movement and supported by local initiatives as well as a national policy to create more opportunities to teach digital competencies. The makerspace concept facilitates this in a concrete and innovative way. Although the maker movement is established, the pedagogical foundations of maker activities in educational settings are still being developed. As the movement meets competent teachers and existing learning cultures, there is the potential to create new pedagogical knowledge and educational practices. This study explored teachers’ values and beliefs regarding maker-centered learning in Norwegian schools through qualitative semi-structured interviews with maker teachers from 18 schools. The results indicate that makerspaces in Norwegian schools are initiated and driven by teachers’ interests in the maker movement, which resonates with their learning beliefs. The individuals in question are mostly natural-science teachers inspired by other makers. The learning culture in Norwegian schools, and that found in the maker movement, coincide in many areas. However, there are some compatibility challenges, such as facilitating open-ended learning processes and initiating learning frameworks that allow students to act and learn based on their motivations and ideas. With guidance from the latest curricula, teachers are encouraged to teach toward learning goals, which have been traditionally achieved with structured and predefined activities. In this goal-directed environment, maker teachers struggle to find room for iterative processes, play, and productive failures.

The Sámi Pathfinders: Addressing the Knowledge Gap in Norwegian Mainstream Education

For at least two decades, lack of knowledge about the Sámi in Norway has been recognised as a reason for the perpetuation of stereotypes and discriminatory acts and hate speech towards them. Education about the Sámi, their lifeways, culture and rights is posited as a means of closing this gap, with the intention of influencing the majority Norwegian society’s attitudes towards the Sámi. The relatively new Norwegian curriculum (LK20) reflects this understanding. It requires teachers at every level of the educational system to include Sámi perspectives and themes in all subjects. This paper looks at how Indigenous Education is included in mainstream schools in Norway. It asks, if Indigenous Education can provide a counterbalance to existing stereotypes and discrimination of the Sámi People, then what kind of knowledge is sufficient to this end? To explore this, I specifically consider the efforts of the Sámi Pathfinders—a group of young Sámi adults (18–25 years) who visit and provide lectures about Sámi history, language and culture for Norwegian high school pupils. Through semi-structured interviews with five Pathfinders, I explored what kind of Indigenous Education they provide, how the Pathfinders interpret their role in relation to combatting stereotypes and discrimination, and their perception of the impact they have. Through reflexive thematic analysis, this study confirmed that there is a lack of knowledge about the Sámi in mainstream education. It also shows that most teachers did not prepare their pupils for the Pathfinders’ visit. Although the Pathfinders’ visit arguably improved pupils’ and teachers’ knowledge about the Sámi, this research suggests that how and how often knowledge is presented matters. It also suggests that who presents knowledge is a factor. Indigenous knowledge that is coupled with contact that is sufficiently close, positive and frequent has greater potential in altering discriminatory tendencies towards the Sámi.