ERIC ED433275: Curriculum Change in Norway A pdf

ERIC ED433275: Curriculum Change in Norway A

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Description of the Book:

Laerplan 97 (L97) is a program of curriculum reform recently introduced in Norway. The reform lowers the age of compulsory school attendance from age 7 to age 6 and provides a compulsory curriculum framework. The framework requires the subject-centered curriculum to be delivered thematically for periods of time dependent on the pupils’ age while suggesting that teachers plan and teach with the local environment and resources in mind. This combination of compulsion and choice presents Norwegian primary teachers with a number of challenges. The document offers a summary of the research undertaken between 1997 and 1999 which looked at the issue of combining these prescriptive subject-centered and active-learning child-centered approaches. Data for the study came from semi-structured interviews with teachers and representatives of the Ministry of Education, questionnaire responses from participant and non-participant teachers, and observations made at eight primary schools. Findings reveal inherent contradictions in L97 including the following: (1) teachers seem to be the main reference point but children have to become independent; (2) the curriculum has to be integrated for some periods but timetables are planned in 45 minute slots which break between each period; and (3) teachers talk about the importance of respecting

children but children do not seem to be educationally challenged. Suggestions are given for teacher responsibility in confronting and resolving these contradictions. Contains 11 references. (MM

• Creator/s: ERIC
• Date: 1999-04
• Year: 1999
• Book Topics/Themes: ERIC Archive, Curriculum Design, Curriculum Development, Curriculum Evaluation, Elementary Education, Foreign Countries, Instructional Effectiveness, Primary Education, Student Centered Curriculum, Broadhead, Pat

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