Renee Waara
Dean of Cultural and Social Studies
Nesna University College
29 April 2010
European Commission 2007
 announced proposals to improve quality of teacher
training
“…high-quality teaching is a prerequisite for high-quality
education and training and a powerful determinant of
Europe’s long-term competitiveness and capacity to
create more jobs and growth.”
European Commission
 “…raise concerns about the absence of systematic
coordination between different elements of teacher
education within and across Member States.”
 And in response to the Joint report on Progress
Towards the Lisbon Objectives in the Fields of
Education and Training. The EC communicate that the
following areas need to be addressed:
European Commission
 Improve the competences and qualifications of
teachers and trainers
 Go further in developing teachers’ pedagogic
professional development, reflective practice and
research
 Promote the status and recognition of the teaching
profession
 Support the professionalization of teaching
Popular TV program: Class 10B
National campaign “Do you have it
in you?”
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD, 2006)
 Among EU countries their report confirms striking
differences between teacher Recruitment
 Education
 Salary
 Employment and working conditions
 Evaluation and career structures
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD, 2006)
 Their research indicates
“that raising teacher quality is perhaps the policy direction
most likely to lead to substantial gains in school
performance.”
Quality indicators for European
primary teacher education
 Certification
 Induction
 Continuing professional development
 Quality assurance
(internationally recognized criteria)
Certification
 Fact or myth? ‘Good teachers are born not made’
 Studies show that in relation to reading and
mathematics certified teachers consistently produce
stronger student achievement gains than uncertified
teachers.
Induction- the novice teacher
 Novice teachers face a number of challenges:
 Communication with parents
 Classroom management
 Student discipline
 Self-confidence
 Professional identity
 a need to qualified mentors
Induction- the novice teacher
In Norway we have:
 Supervising for novice teachers
 The ‘hotline’ concept
 Mentoring and training programs for supervisors (15
ECTS) as required with the teacher education reform
Continuing professional
development
 In-service training is not compulsory in Norway, but
one of our most common form of studies in Nesna is
in-service training.
 National program for continuing education and
financial support (state/township/teacher): Subjects
are distributed on a national basis.
Quality Assurance
 The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in
Education (NOKUT) is a direct result of the Lisbon
process.
 Institutions of higher education are accredited
through NOKUT.
 The new teacher education entails detailed reports
and documentation of learning outcomes.
Norway’s effort to conform
 Degree system bachelor/master
 Credit system ECTS
 Quality Assurance system
 We are rewarded in our reporting to the ministry if we
have courses in English, exchange students and faculty,
both in and out.
 Diplomas, international format.
 Qualification system bachelor-master-phd
 Grading system (A,B,C,D,E,F)
Norway’s Primary Teacher
Education Reform
 Norway’s previous system of primary teacher
education, educated trainees for grades 1-10 in many
subjects.
 In the new primary teacher education, trainees must
choose a level:
 Grades 1-7 OR Grades 5-10
 Competence requirements are also sharpened. In order
to be qualified to teach grades 8-10 in the subjects
Norwegian, Mathematics, and English, a teacher must
have 60 ECTS.
Norway’s Primary Teacher
Education Reform
 Academic and professional progression during the
initial teacher training must be insured.
 Fewer subjects in initial teacher training
 The college/university classroom and practice element
are viewed as equal partners.
In order to meet the demands of the integrated primary
teacher education, as well as the demands for reports
and documentation, we have devised a matrix system.
Primary Teacher Education grades 1-7:
Integration planning matrix
Academic
Progression
Year 1
Introduction to
teaching profession
Main areas
Pe Norwe Ma Engl Ped Nor Mat Engli Ped d gian th ish
weg h
sh
BAian
thesis
Learning
outcomes in all
subjects
Professional
Platform
Year 2
Pupil diversity:
challenges and
consequences
Years 3 and 4
School as an
organization:
cooperation and
development
Electi Elective
ve 1 2
Years Year 4
3-4
Teacher’s role,
Pupils in grades 1-7, - The Professional
professional aspects, pupil diversity, and arena
and teacher’s
pupils’ meeting with - Cooperation with
preparation for
school and subjects parents and
subjects for grades
community
1-7
- Research and
development
- Themes from years 1
and 2
Primary Teacher Education grades 1-7: Integration planning matrix
Professionalization
Learning theories (pupil perspective)
Professional understanding (teacher perspective)
Specialization in subjects
Didactic emphasis
Integration of theory and practice
Developing teacher identity:
Theoretical background for choosing methods in the
practice arena. Practice related teaching
Varied learning forms in subjects (creative learning
processes)
Reason for pedagogical and subject choice, organizing
and teaching methods
PED:
Norwegian:
Math:
English:
PED:
Norwegian:
Math:
English:
PED:
Elective
1:
Elective
2:
(PED:
Norwegian:
Math:
English:
PED:
Norwegian:
Math:
English:
PED:
Elective
1:
Elective
2:
Primary Teacher Education grades 1-7: Integration planning matrix
Research-based teaching
Introducing scientific work methods
Including students in research projects
Basic Skills –
Teacher perspective
Written and spoken expression
Reading skills
Math skills
ICT skills
PED:
Norwegian:
Math:
English:
PED:
Norwegian
:
Math:
English:
PED:
Elective
1:
Elective
2:
PED:
Norwegian:
Math:
English:
PED:
Norwegian
:
Math:
English:
PED:
Elective
1:
Elective
2:
Comparing 1-7 vs. 5-10
Grades 1-7
 Norwegian and Math are
compulsory (30 credits)
 Focus on teaching
beginners
 Practice component 100
days over 4 year study
Grades 5-10
 No compulsory subjects,
but two subjects should
be 60 credits
 Focus on competence in
subject
 Practice component 100
days over 4 year study
Primary Teacher Education 1-7, Nesna University College
Subject
Pedagogics
Norwegian 1
Math 1
English 1
Norwegian 2 /Math 2/English 2
*Pedagogics
Arts and Crafts 1/Music 1/ Physical
Education 1/Science 1
School-related subjects (30stp) can
be taken (ex: ICT and
learning/Drama/Special Ped)
Year 1.
15stp
Year 2
15stp
15stp
15stp
15stp
15stp
15stp
15stp
Year 3
Year 4
30stp
w/
BA-thesis
30stp
30+
30stp
4 year teacher education or 5?!
 Transition to master degree:
Students can apply for Master of Education 1-7 at the
University of Tromsø after Year 3.
 90 credits in pedagogics is required and will be offered
through Nesna University College.
Primary teacher education 5-10, Nesna University College
Subject
Pedagogics
Norwegian / Math
Music /Science/ Social Studies
Music/Science/Social Studies 60stp
or
Music/Science/Social Studies/
Arts and Crafts/Physical Education
30+30stp
School-related subjects (30stp) can be taken.
(ex: ICT and learning/Drama/Special Ped)
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
15stp 15stp 30stp
w/
BAthesis
45stp 15stp
30stp 30stp
60stp
or
30+
30stp
4 year teacher education or 5?!
 Transition to Master degree:
Students can apply to take a Master degree after Year 3,
either at Nesna or another institution. The
requirements are 60 stp in the subject for the relevant
master.
 Nesna University College offers a Master degree in
Science Didactics and a Master in Music.
The Norwegian road ahead…
“Teacher education is situated at the interface of
academic and professional practice.” = challenges!
Primary teacher education reform and centralization
politics = challenges!
Universities in charge of teacher education = challenges!
Developing a master degree in education = challenges!