Eli Smeplass & Jan Frode Haugseth: A Pragmatic Exploration of Norwegian Education: National Curriculum and Professional Engagement. [Abstract]

Through a study of the core sections of the past four reform policy documents (M74, M87, L93, and LK20), alongside reflection notes from 26 new teachers in Norway, we explore the dynamic between economic imperatives, educational ideologies, and professional engagement in Norwegian educational practice. First, we provide a comprehensive text and content analysis through both quantitative and qualitative inquiry of the core sections in Norwegian curricula. Second, we critically assess the ability of convention theory to highlight goods and qualifications as the principal drivers that shape power dynamics and systemic transformations within education. We advocate for an expanded application of convention theory, incorporating a more nuanced understanding of “professional engagement.” This expansion emphasises the importance of direct, hands-on professional experiences in motivating and giving meaning to educators’ work. Moreover, our analysis reveals how shifts in ideology and power within democratic systems affect both the construction of professional identity and the autonomy of the teacher profession. It provides deeper insights into how policy changes and educational reforms intertwine with the professional ethos and the practical challenges of administration. At the same time, it highlights resistance and inertia in the Norwegian context, suggesting that newly qualified teachers in Norway stand in opposition to new governmental epistemes in education.

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