Schools In Norway Research Articles

Placement schools as professional learning communities in teacher education

This article investigates how schoolteachers’, school leaders’ and college teachers’ involvement affects placement schools as professional learning communities. Norwegian teacher education is used as a case. The first part builds on a survey among schoolteachers and mentors at 111 placement schools in Norway. It documents great variety in the level of engagement. Interviews with mentors, school leaders and college teachers reveal how cooperation between colleges and placement schools, as well as the school leaders’ commitment, influences the quality of placement. The school leaders’ role proves to be important in developing the schools as professional learning communities, and they seem to have a significant impact on the work of the mentors. The data also show that there is a need for a more substantial cooperation between college teachers and mentors about the student teachers’ professional development as well as a need for a more systematic integration of learning in the two learning contexts.

COMPLETE \u2013 a school-based intervention project to increase completion of upper secondary school in Norway: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial

BackgroundDrop out from upper secondary school represents a risk for the future health and wellbeing of young people. Strengthening of psychosocial aspects of the learning environment may be an effective strategy to promote completion of upper secondary school. This paper is a study protocol of a school based cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating two school-based interventions, namely the Dream School Program (DSP) and the Mental Health Support Team (MHST). The interventions aim to improve psychosocial learning environments and subsequently school achievements and decrease drop-out and absence.Methods/DesignThe COMPLETE RCT is aimed at youth in upper secondary school, grade 1 (age 15-16 years), and examines the effect of the combination of the DSP and the MHST; and the DSP only, compared with a comparison group on the following primary outcomes: student completion, presence, average grade, and self-reported mental health. Seventeen upper secondary schools from four counties in Norway were randomized to one of the three arms: 1) DSP and MHST; 2) DSP; and 3) comparison (offered DSP intervention in 2018/2019). The study will evaluate the interventions based on information from two cohorts of students (cohort 1 (C1) and cohort 2 (C2)). For C1, data was collected at baseline (August 2016), and at first follow-up seven months later. Second follow-up will be collected 19 months after baseline. For C2, data was collected at baseline (August 2017), and first and second follow-up will be collected similarly to that of C2 seven and 19 months respectively after baseline. Process evaluations based on focus groups, interviews and observation will be conducted twice (first completed spring 2017).DiscussionThe COMPLETE trial is a large study that can provide useful knowledge about what interventions might effectively improve completion of upper secondary school. Its thorough process evaluation will provide critical information about barriers and points of improvement for optimizing intervention implementation. Findings can guide school development in the perspective of improving psychosocial learning environments and subsequent completion of upper secondary schooling.Trial registrationThe trial was retrospectively registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov register on December 22.2017: NCT03382080.

The prevalence and severity of health problems in youth elite sports: A 6-month prospective cohort study of 320 athletes.

Little is known regarding the overall health of youth elite athletes. Our aim was to describe the prevalence and severity of health problems in a cohort of youth elite athletes representing a variety of endurance, team, and technical sports. Elite sport athletes (N=260, 16.2years) from different Sport Academy High Schools in Norway, and a group of their teammates (N=60, 16.4years) attending regular high schools, were included in the study. The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre (OSTRC) questionnaire on health problems was used to self-report injuries and illnesses for 26weeks. At any given time, an average of 43% [95% CI: 37%-49%] of the elite sport athletes had some form of health problem and 25% [20%-31%] had substantial health problems. The prevalence of health problems was similar between the elite team sport athletes and their teammates, except for substantial injuries (22% [16%-30%] vs 10% [5%-20%]). Endurance sport athletes reported more illnesses (23% [15%-35%]) than technical and team sport athletes (10% [5%-20%] and 8% [4%-14%]). In contrast, technical and team sport athletes reported more injuries (36% [95% CI: 25-48] and 37% [95% CI 29-45]) compared to endurance sport athletes (15% [8%-25%]). The total impact of health problems was roughly split in thirds between overuse injuries (37%), acute injuries (34%), and illnesses (30%). This is the first prospective study to present self-reported injury and illness data in a large heterogeneous group of youth elite athletes, documenting a substantial impact of both injuries and illnesses on the health of this population.

Joint reflection on action – a prerequisite for inclusive education? A qualitative study in one local primary/lower secondary school in Norway

ABSTRACTThe main theme of this article is teachers’ experiences of how joint reflection and common follow-up practices impact on the development of inclusive education. The study was conducted using an adapted letter method, where the teachers at one school in Norway answered some open questions by discussing and formulating a joint text. The results suggest that the teachers, who have previously participated in a national programme of school development, seem to have developed a broad understanding of inclusive education that entails meeting the diversity of needs of all pupils. They do not only consider inclusion to be a matter of placement but also something that involves a social and an academic communality. One important finding is that joint reflection in a sharing culture engenders common frames of reference for the practical actions of inclusion. Teachers’ own experiences suggest that joint discussion and reflection also play a central role in the efforts aimed at the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs.

Untapped learning potential? A study of teachers’ conversations with colleagues in primary schools in Norway

Extensive international research demonstrates that various forms of teacher collaboration can be one of several factors or activities that contribute to teacher learning. However, less is known about how and in what contexts learning can take place in the framework of a collective teacher role in contrast to an individual teacher role. Based on cognitive and socio-cultural learning theory and qualitative research data on teacher collaboration at primary schools in Norway, this article provides insight into the potential of teachers’ conversations with colleagues as a tool for learning. It investigates how teachers’ conversations with colleagues have the potential to improve teacher learning, and the author’s empirical findings show that the dialogic speech acts that take place in teachers’ discussions have a bearing on whether this potential is realised.

Supporting pupils’ mental health through everyday practices: a qualitative study of teachers and head teachers

This study aimed to explore teachers’ and head teachers’ understandings of how they work to support pupils’ mental health through their everyday practices. A qualitative study, including individual interviews with head teachers and focus groups with teachers, was conducted in lower secondary schools in Norway. Rich descriptions of teachers’ and head teachers’ everyday practices in supporting pupils’ mental health are presented in two main themes: working with individual pupils through teaching and learning, and working with the school context. Taken together, these themes illustrate the different ways teachers and head teachers (proactively and reactively) support young people’s mental health as a core aspect of their educational role, as well as some of the challenges therein. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

PRINCIPALS' LEADERSHIP IN HIGH PERFORMANCE SCHOOLS IN NORWAY

Inspired by the theory of practice architectures (Kemmis et al., 2014), a theory concerning what practices consist of and are shaped by, this article seeks to examine school leadership as practice in high performance schools in Norway. Through interviews with principals at seven case schools, I examine what these principals cite as central in their leadership practices. A central goal for the study was to investigate and understand how leadership as practice was made possible through practice architectures. The result of the analysis led to three distinct categories: leadership as facilitating learning, leadership as building relationships and leadership as assessment of practice. Further, the study shows how these leadership practices are ecologically depended on each other.

ノルウェーの10年制基礎学校教育の原則と方針 : わが国の教育課程改定方針との比較観点から(IV 教育政策フォーラム)

ノルウェーの10年制基礎学校教育の原則と方針 : わが国の教育課程改定方針との比較観点から(IV 教育政策フォーラム)

Immigrant concentration and student outcomes in upper secondary schools: Norwegian evidence

ABSTRACTWe analyse the effects of immigrant concentration on two measures of native students’ outcomes in upper secondary schools in Norway, completion and exam grades. Administrative data for full cohorts of new students 2002–2008 are employed. To take into account potential selection effects, we rely mainly on models with fixed school and educational programme effects. The analyses present a consistent picture: Immigrant concentration seems to have no effect on either school completion or grades. Sensitivity analyses provide further evidence that these results hold across subsamples and when various methodological problems are addressed. Our results do not lend support to policies aimed to redistribute immigrants’ students more evenly across schools.

The call for muslim schools in Norway

The call for muslim schools in Norway

Anatomy of a teacher–student feedback encounter

This study examines the anatomy of a teacher–student feedback encounter by qualitatively analysing live recordings of feedback between a teacher and her student in upper secondary school in Norway. By conducting a conversation analysis, this research identifies the overall organisation of the encounter. The results reveal that, first, the teacher used questions to establish a basis to promote her own agenda and worked to optimise students' contributions by providing positive feedback and minimising critiques and disagreement and second, the student approached the teacher's feedback with resistance. The study concludes with pedagogical implications for practice.

Validation of two versions of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale among Norwegian adolescents

This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the original 14-item version of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) and the short 7-item version (SWEMWBS) to validate these scales for use among Norwegian adolescents. Cross-sectional data were collected by distributing questionnaires among students in five upper secondary schools in Norway with a net sample of n = 1814. Exploratory- and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and a reliability analysis were conducted and possible floor and ceiling effects were examined to evaluate the scales. A correlation analysis was conducted to examine criterion-related validity. The preliminary exploratory factor analysis gave strong indications of a one-dimensional solution for both versions of the scale. Furthermore, both scales showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .93 for the WEMWBS and α = .88 for the SWEMWBS). The SWEMWBS showed the best fit in the CFA and a strong correlation with the WEMWBS ( r = .94). The score distributions of both scales indicated the possibility of a small ceiling effect. Both scales showed high correlations with related constructs in the expected direction. In our study, based on the CFA results and the high correlation between the original scale and the short version, the SWEMWBS was found to be most suitable for use among Norwegian adolescents.

The Five Cs of Positive Youth Development in a school context; gender and mediator effects

The aim of this study was to examine the mediating effect of the Five Cs of Positive Youth Development (PYD) on the relationship between students’ perceived school empowerment and school satisfaction, as well as gender differences in these relationships. The data stemmed from a cross-sectional survey of 997 adolescents from four upper secondary schools in Norway. Structural equation modelling (SEM) using the statistical program AMOS was employed. Results showed that students’ perception of an empowering school climate predicted the Five Cs. However, only the competence, confidence, and connection factors predicted school satisfaction. Competence, confidence, and connection fully mediated the effect of school empowerment on school satisfaction. Based on significance tests according to gender, the Five Cs are more strongly related to school empowerment and school satisfaction for females than for males.

How school nurses experience and understand everyday pain among adolescents

BackgroundPain problems are a rapidly growing health problem found among both children and adolescent, and about 15–30% have reported chronic pain problems. School nurses in Norway meet adolescents with various ailments, including pain. Yet research on how school nurses perceive the pain experienced by adolescents is limited. The aim of the present study was to explore how school nurses explain and experience the everyday pain of adolescents.MethodA qualitative study with an explorative design comprising five focus group interviews. Each group consisted of three to five school nurses. Seventeen female school nurses in five junior high schools in Norway, age range 29–65 years participated. To cover the issues a semi structured interview guide was used. The transcribed text was analysed with qualitative content analysis.ResultsThe experience of school nurses with adolescents’ pain in everyday life is mainly that pain is a social, physical, and psychological phenomenon. School nurses experienced that everyday pain is reflecting: 1) high expectations, 2) difficult relationships and traumatic experiences and 3) an unhealthy lifestyle. School nurses have ambivalent attitudes to medicalisation of pain.ConclusionDespite of a biopsychosocial understanding of pain, the school nurses maintained referral practice of medical examinations, with the results that many adolescents became shuttlecocks in the health system. Although the school nurses´ were sceptical of the tendency towards medicalization in society, it appears that they actually help maintain this tendency.

Does special education predict students’ math and language skills?

A large number of children are today receiving special education in Norway. The high cost to society and possible long-term consequences for the students make it important to understand the interrelationship of the causes and effects related to receiving special education services. Unfortunately, at present there are only few rigorous studies of the effects of receiving special education services. This study examined the interrelationship between receiving special education services and students’ math and language skills in upper secondary school in Norway. Data from 2756 students in the large population-based special education study (SPEED) was used that included information from questionnaires on students’ development, learning environment and family background. Results showed that students receiving special education services had slightly lower scores on their language test but similar scores on their math test compared to the group of students not receiving special education services, when conservative methodological approaches were used to control for possible covariate bias.

The Effect of School Consolidation on Student Achievement

Many countries have seen a substantial increase in the average school size over the past decades, and a corresponding reduction in the number of schools. It has been widely argued that both students and local communities have suffered from these consolidations. Despite their vast extent and controversy, the literature is scarce with evidence of how consolidation affects performance of exposed students. This study explores how consolidation of 76 rural lower secondary schools in Norway affects students' educational performance, using Rich register data. I find no indication that school consolidation reduces educational achievement. nonetheless, the analysis suggests a negative association between school closure and grade point average, but this effect appears to be driven by lenient grading in small schools.

Creating intercontextuality in students learning trajectories. Opportunities and difficulties

ABSTRACTThis article explores how opportunities and limitations in creating intercontextualtiy between everyday and scientific ideas emerge in teacher–student interactions, with a particular focus on the teacher's role. The article draws on data from an empirical, longitudinal, study in a lower secondary school in Norway to analyze student-teacher interactions in regular lessons. The analysis is based on sociocultural and dialogical approaches to meaning-making and learning, in which video data is subjected to interaction analysis. Our main findings illustrate that creating intercontextuality in students' learning trajectories, by building on everyday knowledge and experiences as resources for classroom interactions, remains a complex task. In the classrooms we have followed, the findings show that the teacher's narratives of how to frame learning activities and position the students in meaning-making process are grounded in teachers' norms and assumptions of what constitutes appropriate resources to engage students' in the dialogic creation of intercontextuality. These findings have implications for how teachers frame learning activities where students get opportunities to build upon relevant resources for discussing ideas brought to life in complex social interactions.

Three types of tightrope dance in the comeback process. Preliminary findings from a longitudinal study of young people at the margins of upper secondary school in Norway

Fewer than half of the young people attending vocational institutions in Norway complete their education within the allotted five years. Indeed, many of these students have non-linear paths to completion. However, it is not changes in the dropout rate that make this different from earlier generations but the expansion of formal education and the rise of the knowledge society and individualisation. The term “tightrope biographies” is used here to encapsulate why individualisation cannot be thought of in terms of choice, because today’s youth are often held accountable for their educational progression rather than this progression being viewed as dependent on institutional mechanisms. The present study characterises young people as “tightrope dancers” in their interactions with vocational schools. Selected data collected from ethnographic interviews during the ongoing longitudinal project Youth, Completion and Dropout in Telemark are used here to capture the voices of young people. These data focus on the non-linear educational careers of these youth when they re-enter schools and explore the stories they tell about dropping out and re-entering. These stories suggest that, to succeed, students need customised support throughout the process from school to the workplace and that many depend on this support. The study identifies three different ways of understanding these students as tightrope dancers trying to get back on track, characterising them as The Steady, The Shaky and The Shivering. (DIPF/Orig.)

The Beginnings of Vibroacoustic Therapy

When I started to work as music teacher at a special educational needs school in Norway in 1966, I observed coherence between the pupils’ learning and behavior problems, and the way they behaved in the music activity settings...

Design of the FINS-TEENS study: A randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of fatty fish on cognitive performance in adolescents.

To describe the rationale, study design, population and dietary compliance in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the effect of fatty fish on cognitive performance and mental health in adolescents. In the Fish Intervention Studies-TEENS (FINS-TEENS) study we individually randomized 478 adolescents (14-15-year-olds) from eight secondary schools in Norway to receive school meal lunches with fatty fish or meat or n-3 supplements three times a week for 12 weeks. Demographic factors, psychological tests and biological measures were collected pre-and post-intervention. Duplicate portions of lunch meals were collected and individual intake recorded throughout the study. In total, 481 out of 785 adolescents (61%) agreed to participate and 34 (7%) dropped out. Breakfast consumption was the only group difference in background characteristics. Analyses of selected nutrients in the lunch meals showed higher levels of n-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and n-6 fatty acids in the fish compared to the meat meals. Dietary compliance (score 0-144) revealed that the intake in the Fish group (mean = 59, standard deviation (SD) = 35) were lower than in the Meat group (mean = 83, SD = 31, p < 0.01) and Supplement group (mean = 105, SD = 25, p < 0.01). The results show that it is possible to conduct a RCT with fatty fish in a school-based setting. The results also emphasize the importance of collecting detailed records of dietary compliance, as this information is important when interpreting and analysing the outcome of dietary interventions.