Trond Solhaug

New Public Management in Educational Reform in Norway

The article focuses on the similarities and differences in using new public management (NPM) administrative arrangements in educational policy as they have been presented in the educational reform process carried out this millennium by two governments in Norway: the Centre–Conservative government and the current Red–Green coalition government. First, key elements in the reform process are identified. The methods applied are selective studies of documents and speeches by policy actors (ministers), and an examination of the implemented policy. Personal communication with the Ministry of Educations Communication Centre and the Norwegian Directorate of Education and Training has provided some additional information. The findings are that there is an overall consensus on the primacy of economic values (at the level of ideas), management by output control, explicit standards, a test system (implemented at the policy level) and an accountability system (implemented at the policy level). Consensus between the two governments on these new institutional arrangements in education seems to be the major trend. However, disagreements over new free/private schools and markets in education are important. It is concluded that there are two versions of NPM policies present – a liberal one advocated by the Centre–Conservative government and a communitarian version advocated by the Red–Green government – and that the major consensus trend between the governments may imply steps towards an ideological hegemony of ideas related to the NPM tradition.

Antecedents of student teachers’ affective commitment to the teaching profession and turnover intention

Abstract Several European countries have experienced both a dearth of and reduction in the quality of applicants to teacher education study programmes. There is also significant leakage from these programmes. The rationale for this study therefore lies in the need to reduce teacher attrition. Research indicates that affective commitment to a profession is an important factor in sustaining good professional practice. This study explores the antecedents of both commitment and turnover intention among student teachers in Norway. The analysis indicates that there are stronger associations between commitment and experiences (particularly from dialogues with school mentors) gained during and after teaching practice in schools than is the case for the more campus-based elements of training. One implication is that there may be justification for placing emphasis on improving the preparation of school mentors and on points of contact between teacher educators and school mentors.

Political alienation among migrant youths: Exploring the mechanisms of political alienation and acculturation among migrant youths in Norwegian schools

This article addresses the following question: What characterizes the mechanisms of political alienation among non-Western immigrant students, and how might these mechanisms be related to student’s acculturation attitudes? A theory of political alienation and acculturation is applied. Substantial quantitative data from Norwegian upper secondary school students reveals that non-Western immigrant students particularly see themselves as less politically involved than their Norwegian counterparts. Interviews were carried out with a selection of immigrant students from different background to explore the reasons for their political alienation. A number of mechanisms in political alienation were found and discussed. The interviews reveal a close link between political alienation, and the immigrant identity and their acculturation processes.

Intercultural empathy among Norwegian students: an inclusive citizenship perspective

ABSTRACT In recent decades, Norwegian schools have experienced increased cultural diversification among students. Growing heterogeneity in origin and culture may enhance the risk of student marginalisation, segregation and exclusion. In response to these challenges, this paper examines students’ intercultural empathy and, particularly, how schools can develop their intergroup empathy to support social inclusion. Theoretically, we applied an inclusive citizenship perspective. The study draws primarily on quantitative data gathered from paper questionnaires collected from 1006 students in two upper secondary schools and three lower secondary schools. We explored the antecedents of intercultural empathy among the students using regression analyses. First, we found that there are substantial differences between the scores of boys and girls on intercultural empathy. Second, we found that information on culture and diversity was a predictor of certain aspects of intercultural empathy. Third, a variety of school variables were applied to explore possible ways to support student intercultural empathy, which showed moderate associations with intercultural empathy. Fourth, variables measuring students’ perceptions of human rights implementation in school were also moderately associated with aspects of intercultural empathy. The results and their implications for teaching are discussed.

Children’s human rights and diversity in schools: Framing and measuring

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 Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is intended for use in future baseline studies, allowing for transnational and comparative analysis of child rights in education. The near-universal ratification of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child provides an agreed international framework for evaluating rights implementation strategies over time. We contextualise the measurement instrument, focusing on rights provision, child protection, and participation in schools. We consider its strengths and possible limitations and discuss the need for a sound human rights conceptual model through which child rights in school settings can be interpreted.

Duration of On-Campus Academic Engagements of Student Teachers in Finland and Norway

ABSTRACTThe duration of on-campus academic engagements is an uncertain and highly debated indicator of study input. Researchers adopt this indicator with the expectation that student teachers must invest an amount of time and effort in their courses that more or less equals a normal workweek. In the present empirical study, we examine factors influencing the duration of student teachers’ on-campus academic engagements in Norway and Finland using survey data (n = 567). While the teaching profession is highly respected in Finland, and universities make selections for teacher education programs, the profession has a relatively low status in Norway. To meet the objectives of this study, we conducted an OLS regression analysis and found that students’ self-discipline and perceived study requirements are the most important predictors of the duration of their on-campus academic engagements. In addition, the motivation to achieve a goal is also significant, while no significant effect was found for intrinsic moti...