This study investigates teachers' perceptions of school democracy within a low-stakes accountability context. While previous studies have focused on teachers' perceptions of school climate and citizenship norms, we know less about factors associated with their perceptions of democracy in their schools. Through a multiple regression analysis of…

Purpose: This study investigated the political aspects of 1st- to 4th-grade social studies education in Norwegian primary schools through qualitative interviews with 30 social studies teachers. The research examined how and to what extent politics is in focus in initial social studies education using the pre-political perspective as a theoretical…

Norway has been going through numerous changes in its education system. In the last 10 years, Norway has retrained its teachers to obtain master's degrees, redrawn its curricula objectives, and instated national exams for certain subjects. These changes are occurring at a time of intensified globalisation and increased displacement of people. With…

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…

In an age in which a shift towards increased authoritarianism and populism means that citizenship is defined in increasingly exclusive ways, migrant teachers' perspectives are vital in informing inclusive educational decision making, policies and practices. We draw on the life history tradition to present the perspectives of one minority teacher,…

This article investigates Sámi elementary education in early twentieth-century Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The main focus lies on cultural contexts that frame and limit language use. The key analytical concepts are "useful citizen" and "useful citizenship". Through these concepts the article probes the ways in which…

We report on the development of an instrument to measure attitudes to children's human rights and diversity in schools. It was developed to investigate perceptions of human rights and diversity among students and then teachers in two contrasting areas of Norway. The instrument draws on human rights standards articulated in the United Nations…

This article reports the results of a school-based curriculum development project that aimed to support language teachers working with culturally and linguistically diverse student populations in Norway to develop teaching strategies that foster intercultural citizenship and multilingual competence. Three university researchers collaborated with…

The purpose of this study was to explore how Norwegian correctional educators' attitudes and working environments influenced successful inmate outcomes. Success for incarcerated students was defined by the ability to enroll in and do well in prison classes, develop life skills, and gain the knowledge and skills to become productive members of…

Civic education conducted in schools plays a significant role in fostering citizenship but teaching about these themes is often incorporated in history or social studies courses and not found in a distinct subject. An essential part of improving civic learning opportunities for students is preparing teachers more adequately for civic-related…