Upper Secondary Schools In Norway Research Articles

Devised theatre methodology to promote creativity in school

ABSTRACT This study examines the use of a devised theatre methodology to develop more creativity in the professional learning community and among students. Data from focus groups in an action research project in an upper secondary school in Norway have been thematically analysed. Using the practice architecture theory, we identified three different practices: ‘creative practice’, ‘collective creative practice’ and ‘school practice’. The results show that devising methodology in the form of different production strategies, process orientation and a system of collective creative work promotes creativity in the professional learning community and for students. In addition, the methodology can be used to develop a teaching practice that promotes planning, imagination, and spontaneity in students, and contribute to a more equal guiding role in the form of guided improvisation from the teacher. The methodology can help teachers to foster discussions, understandings, develop concrete creative collaborations and promote democratic processes. The study points to tensions in teachers’ development of ‘creative practice’ and ‘collective creative practice’ in the face of a traditional ‘school practice’. The results are discussed using theories of devised theatre methodology, creativity, professional learning communities and practice architecture theory.

Norwegian physical education teachers’ assessment after the introduction of a new curriculum – LK20

ABSTRACT In 2020, a new curriculum, Kunnskapsløftet 2020 (LK20), was introduced in Norwegian schools. This study investigated how physical education (PE) teachers in upper secondary schools have changed their assessment practice following the introduction of LK20. To achieve this, nine individual in-depth interviews were conducted with PE teachers from six upper secondary schools in Norway. Using NVivo 12, the teachers’ experiences were analysed, and corresponding categories of meaning were created. The results indicated that there were changes in their assessment practice after the introduction of LK20. The PE teachers found it more difficult in LK20 to distinguish between grades, and greater room for interpretation was identified. The results also suggested that PE teachers have become more concerned with the pupils’ development over time, rather than with achieving a specific, predetermined goal, and that LK20 better facilitates this aim. PE teaching also seemed to be characterised by a greater amount of play after the introduction of LK20, which teachers viewed as being positive for most pupils. Finally, the analysis pointed to a need in the teachers for more professional support outside of their own immediate circle of colleagues. The results are discussed in relation to Fullan (2016) and one of his key phases according to education policy-driven reforms – the implementation phase. Our findings, and those of other research, identify a need for skills development work and/or courses for PE teachers in assessment.

The moderating effect of multilingualism on the relationship between EFL learners’ grit, enjoyment, and literacy achievement

Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions: The study investigated the relationship between the L2 grit, domain-general grit, foreign language enjoyment (FLE), multilingualism, and self-reported literacy achievement of students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in public upper-secondary schools in Norway. Specifically, the study sought to identify predictors of students’ EFL reading and writing achievement and examine the moderating effect of multilingualism on the relationship between L2 grit, FLE, and such achievement. Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative research design was employed, and data were collected through an online questionnaire. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 181 upper-secondary school students learning EFL in southeastern Norway (one participant’s responses were discarded because they were incomplete). Data and Analysis: Paired and independent sample t-tests and moderated multiple regression were used to analyse the collected data. Findings/Conclusions: The study found that the perseverance component of L2 grit and daily language use (one of two aspects of multilingualism used in the study) positively predicted both reading and writing achievement (the consistency of interest component of L2 grit only positively predicted writing achievement). In addition, daily language use was found to negatively moderate the relationship between the perseverance component of L2 grit and reading and writing achievement, with the moderating effect dissipating as additional languages were used daily. Originality: The study is among the first to explore the interplay between grit and multilingualism in the Nordic region and examine the relationship between multilingualism, grit, FLE, and achievement globally. Significance/Implications: The study’s findings underscore the need for researchers to develop and use more comprehensive multidimensional measures of multilingualism when investigating its effects on language learning in formal contexts, design scales for grit that target specific language skills, and broaden grit-related research to cover the learning of multiple language and non-language subjects concurrently.

Learning to program as empirical inquiry: using a conversation perspective to explore student programming processes

ABSTRACT Background and Context We explore the potential for understanding the processes involved in students’ programming based on studying their behaviour and dialogue with each other and “conversations” with their programs. Objective Our aim is to explore how a perspective of inquiry can be used as a point of departure for insights into how students learn to program. Method We completed a qualitative study situated in elective computer science classes in an upper secondary school in Norway. We collected data by video recording classroom interactions and used screen-recording software. Findings Our findings include how we consider programs as both means and ends and reconsider the “error” in trial-and-error strategies, the role of error messages, and how programs are bound to context and particular moments in time. Implications Our findings have implications for the ways we understand programs as mediating tools in research and apply them in the field of practice.

Time trends in sexual harassment exposure among adolescents in Norway between 2017 and 2021

Abstract Background Sexual harassment is linked to a range of negative psychosocial factors such as depressive symptoms, anxiety, self-harm, low self-esteem, and substance-use. Preventing and reducing sexual harassment is therefore important in a public health perspective. There is a large variety in the reported prevalence of sexual harassment among adolescents, and knowledge about the development over time is limited. The aim of this study is to study time trends in sexual harassment between 2017 and 2021 among adolescents (aged 16-19) in Norway. Methods This study is based on cross-sectional data from the Ungdata Survey carried out in upper secondary schools in Norway from 2017 to 2021. Adolescents completing the survey these years were respectively; 2017: n = 43 163, 2018: n = 30 400, 2019: n = 54 981, 2020: n = 17 467, 2021: n = 56 544. Descriptive analysis and Chi-square test were used to study changes in sexual harassment exposure across years according to sex, age and sexual experience. Logistic regression was used to study possible changes in the association between sexual harassment and depressive symptoms. Results Preliminary results indicated a stable trend in exposure to all types of sexual harassment (touching, sexual name calling and negative sexual rumours). Approximately 31 % of the adolescents had experienced one or more of the types of sexual harassment (2017 30.7 % - 2021 30.5%). The time trend was stable according to sex, age, and sexual experience. Adolescents exposed to sexual harassment had higher odds for depressive symptoms than adolescents not exposed to sexual harassment (ranging from OR: 1.4, 95% CI:1.2-1.6 to OR:2.3, 95% Cl: 1.8-2.9), and this association was also stable over the years. Conclusions The prevalence of sexual harassment among adolescents is high and surprisingly stable between 2017 and 2021. More knowledge about time trends in sexual harassment is needed, and new public health strategies to prevent sexual harassment should be developed. Key messages • The prevalence of exposure to sexual harassment among adolescents seems to be stable over time. • Being aware the negative public health consequences of sexual harassment more effort needs to be made in developing effective prevention strategies.

Preventing Loneliness and Reducing Dropout: Results from the COMPLETE Intervention Study in Upper Secondary Schools in Norway.

This study examines the impact of interventions aimed at improving psychosocial health on students' perception of a caring school climate, their feelings of loneliness, and school completion in Norwegian upper secondary education. Two intervention conditions were tested: a universal single-tier intervention focused on improving the psychosocial school climate: the Dream School Program, and a multi-tier intervention combining the Dream School Program with a targeted measure, the Mental Health Support Team. The direct and indirect effects of these interventions on school completion were analyzed using structural equation models (SEM), with data from 1508 students (mean age at Time 1: 17.02 (SD = 0.92); 60.7% girls; 72.1% Norwegian-born). The results indicated that loneliness levels did not differ significantly between the intervention conditions. However, students in the multi-tier intervention group reported a significantly higher perception of a caring school climate compared to those in the single-tier intervention group. The multi-tier intervention group had a lower rate of school completion compared to the control group and the single-tier intervention group. The SEM analysis revealed that the multi-tier intervention reduced loneliness in the second year of upper secondary school by promoting a caring school climate in the first school year. In contrast, the single-tier intervention was associated with increased loneliness due to a decrease in the perception of a caring school climate. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Teaching in Diverse Lower and Upper Secondary Schools in Norway: The Missing Links in Student Teachers’ Experiences

Teacher education programs must be able to prepare student teachers to work effectively with heterogeneous groups of students in ways that support the learning of all students and affirm their identities within growing neoliberal and neoconservative discourses. In Norway, classroom composition has also become more diverse, primarily due to a higher number of students of a transnational background. This paper explores student teachers’ experiences of preparation for the changing nature of the teaching profession that is informed by increased student diversity. A case study with four student teachers from a teacher education program at a Norwegian institution of higher education is employed to gain rich insight into the students’ perceptions and experiences. The findings illustrate a need for better preparation on the part of the program in relation to teaching content and methods, the practicum experience, and intercultural training from a pedagogical perspective.

It's not all about the peers: Reintroducing school context to the school segregation literature

This paper investigates the effect of attending immigrant-dense schools on student outcomes, which consists of the joint effect of immigrant peers and school context. The sorting of students into schools is not random, and a large immigrant peer effect literature uses school fixed effects to eliminate selection bias. However, keeping schools fixed also eliminates the effect of the school context and is accordingly unsuited to estimate the total effect of attending immigrant-dense schools. By using both a value-added approach and by drawing on application data to manage selection bias, this paper demonstrates that attending immigrant-dense upper secondary schools in Norway increases student dropout, even though a school fixed effects model indicates no detectable immigrant peer effects. These findings suggest that immigrant-dense schools affect students in other ways than through mere peer exposure, and that research on the consequences of school segregation should take into account the effect of both school context and peers.

On a Mission to Break Ground for a More Democratic School System

The importance of building democratic competency in the face of current global challenges cascades down into national curricula. Illustratively, in 2020, Norway introduced a new national curriculum that conveyed an expectation that students should experience a democratic school society in practice. In response to this new curriculum, in 2019, an upper secondary school in Norway decided to embark on a mission to develop and implement a new pedagogical model. The ambition was to increase the students’ sense of codetermination and participation in school, the local community, and society at large. Subsequently, an interdisciplinary pedagogical model has been in development at the school, in which the subject content is organized according to overarching topics. These topics are presented to students as quests called learning missions. Through in-depth interviews with teachers and leaders currently working on developing the new pedagogical method at the school, the current article investigates the challenges and opportunities the participants encountered in this process. The data have been coded through a stepwise deductive-induction method and analyzed using Bernstein’s concepts of classification and frame. The participants identified the inflexible organizational structures of the school—such as the school administrative system, the building, assessments, and the set timetable—as aspects that made it challenging for the school to depart from the dissemination-based approach to education. Inversely, the implementation of interdisciplinary topics in the Norwegian National Curriculum is one example of a structural change that the participants thought had opened up more flexibility. However, the participants experienced that this flexibility was not extended into the regulations controlling how time is spent in school or the assessment forms. Hence the article concludes that structural changes are necessary to enable the growth of pedagogical models that can increase students’ codetermination, active participation, and real-life experiences in schools.

Development of written L2 French: a longitudinal study of learners in the Norwegian school context

This paper presents a longitudinal multiple case study that focused on the development of the written interlanguage of four learners over their three years of learning French as a second language (L2) in upper secondary school in Norway. The development of macro-level syntactic complexity and the development of micro-level measures of accuracy in morphosyntactic features specific to written French were examined. In order to trace development of syntactic complexity, we used two well-established measures in the SLA literature: T-unit length and the number of dependent clauses per T-unit (Wolfe-Quintero et al., 1998; Verspoor et al., 2017), whereas the morphosyntactic features representing the basis for our analysis of accuracy were gender and number in the noun phrase in French. The results illustrated that the written French of all four learners clearly became more syntactically complex over the three years of the study. As regards the development at the morphosyntactic level, progress was less straight forward in the individual learners, and the developmental tendencies varied according to the nature of the features studied.

Flerkulturalitet i opplæring av helsefagarbeidere

This study will focus on multicultural competence as a topic in vocational training of health care workers in upper secondary school in Norway. The research question is: How do vocational teachers practice multiculturalism in health care worker vocational education? According to OECD, multiculturalism is one of the core competencies of the 21st century. The need of healthcare professionals with expertise in multicultural sensitivity and health-communication will increase in the years ahead because this competence is essential for a good and caring professional health care. The theoretical perspective is related to a theoretical conceptual understanding of multicultural competence and to vocational didactic perspectives on health care worker vocational training. The data collection is based on semi-structured interviews with vocational teachers. The key findings show that multicultural issues are rarely highlighted in education and that multicultural topics are rarely linked to vocationally relevant professional tasks. Topics as health-communication and diet were poorly elucidated from a multicultural perspective. There will be a need to implement various occupationally relevant multicultural issues in health worker vocational training to prepared for the multicultural professional life.

Multilingual pedagogies in first versus foreign language contexts: a cross-country study of language teachers

Abstract This article reports on a study that used the online MULTITEACH questionnaire to examine the relationship between the multilingual pedagogies 111 language teachers, employed in upper-secondary schools in Norway and Russia, reported implementing, their beliefs about how multilingualism benefitted students and teachers, and their self-assessed ability to teach language aspects and skills. The study also investigated whether sociobiographical variables and participants’ language habits outside of work affected their beliefs about multilingualism benefitting their students and implementation of multilingual pedagogies. The findings revealed that participants utilized multilingual pedagogies least frequently when teaching in first language contexts and that those who used foreign languages outside of work applied such pedagogies more frequently than participants who did not. Moreover, their beliefs about multilingualism benefitting their students were positively predicted by their beliefs about multilingualism benefitting teachers and negatively predicted by their support of the monolingual approach to language learning and teaching.

Young Learners’ Perceptions of Learning about Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment: The Struggle for Recognition in School

Abstract Based on participatory research with teachers and young learners’, this article explores students’ perceptions of learning about sexual and gender-based harassment in upper secondary school in Norway. Drawing upon theoretical considerations on recognition, intersectionality and legal literacy as educational capital, this article discusses approaches to teaching and learning that could ensure young learners’ rights to active participation and voice, which is an essential element for protection and prevention of harassment. The empirical material indicates that learners would like to learn more about these sensitive issues, although this applies to a greater extent for girls rather than boys. Their wish to learn more about harassment and abuse could be interpreted as a struggle for recognition, motivated by experiences of disrespect. However, defending one’s rights, and having someone defending one’s rights, in school requires both students’ and teachers’ legal literacy, which according to the empirical material is limited.

Using Rasch Analysis to Assess the Psychometric Properties of a Five-Item Version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale in Adolescents.

The aim of the present study was to use Rasch analysis to assess the psychometric properties of the five-item version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) amongst adolescents aged 13 to 19. In this cross-sectional study, 6265 adolescents responded to a web-based questionnaire. Data collected from lower and upper secondary schools in Norway, during 2018, were analysed using the partial credit parameterisation of the unidimensional Rasch model. The five-item version of the GSES was found to be unidimensional and to have acceptable reliability. The targeting of the scale could have been better. All items had ordered thresholds, indicating that the response categories worked quite well. The five-item version of the GSES has potential for measuring self-efficacy in a general population of adolescents. In surveys concerning adolescents’ mental health, it is important to include aspects of positive mental health and health-promoting factors, such as self-efficacy.

Students’ Performance in Physical Education: The Role of Differential Achievement Goals and Self-Regulated Learning

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between differential achievement goals and self-regulated learning, as well as motivational mechanisms’ consequences for performance in physical education. This was done by using the 2 × 2 achievement goals framework, and the cyclical model for self-regulated learning. The participants (N = 571, 51.7% girls) were physical education students in grades 11–13 from two upper secondary schools in Norway. A cross-sectional questionnaire was conducted, and data were analysed with a multiple-regression-based structural equation model. The modified structural model yielded an adequate fit (X2 = [df = 124] 429.79, p < 0.01; RMSEA = 0.07; CFI = 0.93), and results revealed that achievement goals have consequences for students’ self-regulation in physical education. More specifically, mastery goals have a positive association with self-regulation, whereas performance avoidance is found to have a negative association. Further, the results support claims that self-regulated learning plays a role in students’ performance. Finally, the model showed that self-regulation mediates the relationship between mastery approach goals and performance avoidance goals in relation to performance.

Using the Rasch measurement theory to assess the psychometric properties of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-10 in adolescents

BackgroundThe Hopkins Symptom Checklist-10 (HSCL-10) is widely used to measure psychological distress in adolescents. To provide valid and reliable results and generate recommendations for practice and policies, instruments with sound psychometric properties are required. The purpose of this study is to use Rasch measurement theory to assess the psychometric properties of the HSCL-10 among adolescents aged 13–19.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 6445 adolescents responded to a web-based questionnaire. Data were collected from lower and upper secondary schools in Norway during 2018. The data were analysed using the partial credit parameterisation of the unidimensional Rasch model.ResultsHSCL-10 was found to be unidimensional and to have acceptable reliability. One pair of items showed response dependency. The targeting of the instrument could have been better. All items had ordered thresholds. Three items under-discriminated and three displayed differential item functioning regarding gender.ConclusionsHSCL-10 has potential for measuring psychological distress in adolescents, though there is room for improvement. To further improve this instrument, some items should be rephrased.

Students’ perceptions of assessment practices in upper secondary school during COVID-19

ABSTRACT During COVID-19, distance learning has given students around the world unforeseen challenges, including the way their learning is being assessed. Assessment for learning (AfL) can contribute to the development of students’ strategies to meet unknown challenges as lifelong learners. The purpose of AfL is to inform learning, and it can play a significant role in achieving lifelong learning strategies, such as self-regulation, effectiveness and independent learning. This article presents qualitative findings from a study examining students’ perceptions (24 students) of teaching and assessment practices in upper secondary school in Norway in the spring of 2020. The findings show that students valued individual teacher feedback to support learning. The students experienced flexibility in teaching practices, and moreover, they were trusted to do the work they were told. However, regarding assessments, they felt it was unfair and that student involvement in assessment was lacking. There was little variation in the assignments, which were mostly individual, written assignments. An important message is that they missed collaborating with other students and that many of them were left alone with their schoolwork.

How is the School Library Used? Mapping the Use of an Upper Secondary School Library

To be able to secure an evidence-based development of the library service at a large upper secondary school in Norway, a multi method study was conducted to map the use of the library. 
 Findings show that the library is used a lot by the students from all different branches. The main use is by students working on schoolwork sitting together with others. A stable part of the users prefers to work in the quiet area. Both teachers and students expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the library staff and emphasised the importance of the librarians' presence and availability for the users, both professionally and as responsible adults. Teachers and students alike perceived the library space as an attractive and very important physical place for students to work. A discussion of strengths and challenges of adequate methods for mapping school library use is included. Most research on school libraries concentrate on student achievement and cooperation between librarians and teachers. These are of course essential areas of concern and importance when it comes to discussing the position and function of school libraries. Nevertheless, the use of the libraries has had much less focus yet constitutes an important research area to understand the health of any library and its services. In this article we present results from a study of the use of an upper secondary school library. From 2016 to 2019, several studies were conducted relating to the use of the library at a Norwegian upper secondary school. These studies were a cooperative project between staff at the library and the Oslo Metropolitan University. The school management staff were also involved in choosing the research focus of the study. In this paper, the methods used and some of the findings are presented.

Positive Youth Development and Mental Well-Being in Late Adolescence: The Role of Body Appreciation. Findings From a Prospective Study in Norway.

Although a vulnerable period, adolescence is a time of great potential for healthy development. Understanding factors that contribute to mental well-being in this period is of great importance to facilitate for healthy development. During the adolescence period the body goes through rapid and considerable changes, and the focus on body appearance and perfection is substantial at societal, media, and peer level. In this study, we investigated the association between dimensions characterizing positive youth development, and mental well-being among Norwegian adolescents 16–17 years 1 year later, and whether this association was mediated by degree of body appreciation. We further tested whether the indirect and direct paths between positive youth development dimensions and mental well-being were moderated by gender. We used data from the first and second follow-up of the control arm of the COMPLETE study, a cluster randomized controlled trial in upper secondary schools in Norway. Findings showed that positive youth development in grade 1, as measured by both a combined global PYD and the dimensions competence, and connection were significantly associated with mental well-being in grade 2 in models adjusted for mental well-being in grade 1, gender and perceived family affluence. Also, body appreciation in grade 1 significantly predicted mental well-being in grade 2 in models including each of global PYD, competence, connection, character, and caring dimensions. Contrary to our hypothesis, no mediating effects of body appreciation were observed, and no moderation of indirect effects by gender were observed.

A longitudinal transitional perspective on why adolescents choose to quit organized sport in Norway

The present study used a prospective cohort design to explore the reasons why young athletes decided to quit playing handball. The theoretical underpinnings were drawn from the fields of career transition, motivation, and meaningful experiences in organized youth sport. Thirty-four athletes were included in a larger research project exploring the complex interplay of psychosocial factors during the transition period from lower-to upper-secondary school in Norway. In this study, the data collection involved three sources: individual interviews with the 10 athletes who decided to leave their teams during the study period (five girls and five boys), and individual open-ended questionnaires for these 10 participants collected five times over two seasons, aligned with their participation in focus group interviews. The data analysis involved a three-step process of inductive content analysis of the total corpus of the data. A core finding indicates that all adolescents had gone through a decision-making process over time to determine whether they should continue or quit. It was a process of accumulating reasons that resulted in the final decision. However, the results reveal a broad variation within individual perception and interpretation of what each adolescent experienced as meaningful. Of equal importance, the adolescents not only took their experiences in sport into account when considering quitting organized youth sport, but these were considered in light of their evaluation of meaningfulness in other areas of life. Overall, findings indicate that “dropping out of organized youth sport” should not be regarded as unambiguously negative.