White Paper on Teacher Education : The Teacher – the Role and the Education (Report No. 11 to the Storting)

1 Teacher for the future

1.1 Government focus on the teacher

Pupils are what schools are all about. The Government’s aim is to ensure that schooling enables children and young people to master the challenges and responsibilities of life. Schools should allow pupils to develop their own abilities and interests, as well as good manners, social skills and independence.

School is for everyone. It should ensure the transfer of knowledge and skills, culture and values from one generation to the next. It should also promote social equality and secure value creation and welfare for everyone.

The teacher is crucial to pupil learning in school. Good teachers deliver instruction with structure and commitment. They are professionally competent, give relevant and fair responses and adapt instruction to their pupils and the subject taught.

Just as pupils have different interests and varying abilities, there are different types of people who wish to become teachers. The Government aims to establish a system of teacher education that takes into account the diversity of student teachers and allows them to develop their strengths.

In the Reports to the Storting No. 16 (2006-2007) No One Left Behind - Early Action for Lifelong Learning and No. 31 (2007-2008) Quality in School, the Government has laid the foundations for a quality school system offering equal opportunities to everyone.

High-quality, adapted instruction in early school years and continuous competence-enhancement for teachers and school managers are key elements of the Government’s education policy. In this White Paper the Government is proposing to differentiate teacher education. In primary teacher education designed for the youngest pupils, it is important that teachers acquire competence related to basic skills. The ability to see the pupil and take appropriate and early action is crucial. For older pupils, teacher education should focus on in-depth subject knowledge.

To strengthen the role of the teacher and create a teacher identity capable of moving the school system forward, the Government is proposing a new educational theory subject aimed at enhancing the teaching abilities of the teacher of the future. Its focus will be to ensure that pupils acquire basic skills and that teachers are able to address social and other problems impeding the learning process. Teachers must understand how the school can collaborate with other bodies to resolve such problems.

The time ahead will be spent on improving the quality of the 4-year primary teacher and lower secondary teacher education programmes, enhancing the competence of academic staff, developing a solid structure of cooperation between institutions and establishing a master’s

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programme that meets the needs of primary and lower secondary education. The Government wishes to raise the number of teachers in primary and lower secondary education holding a master’s degree.

The Government aims to establish a coherent policy for children and youth and promote cross-sectoral cooperation to safeguard children’s formative environment and vulnerable groups of children. To achieve this, all occupational groups working with children must have an understanding of each other’s tasks and roles. They must be able to detect circumstances that could be associated with, for example, violence or neglect. In line with the Government’s Action Plan against Violence in Close Relationships, teacher education and school owners have a clear responsibility to address such challenges. The Ministry’s new National Curriculum Regulations for Primary and Lower Secondary Teacher Education clearly state that student teachers must learn about issues such as sexual, physical or mental abuse, as well how such abuse may be addressed by public support services. Furthermore, student teachers should be able to deal with various forms of family structure and variations in gender identity.

Today’s children and youth are growing up in a society characterised by a continuous flow of information and influence. Schools face strong competition for the attention and learning of their pupils. Pupils are no longer mere consumers of the media, but are now better trained to express their opinions and to interact with others through social media on the Internet. User-friendly IT has made it possible for everyone to take part in the flow of news. Today’s student teachers are well qualified to navigate the media society, but must learn to understand how young people are influenced and how new technologies may be used for teaching purposes. Teacher education institutions must accept and embrace the advances of the media and IT and ensure that students understand and use them.

The Norwegian school system has many good sides and the majority of pupils enjoy school and develop a strong sense of self-confidence. International surveys and national tests, however, have shown that the subject-matter knowledge of Norwegian pupils is poorer than could be desired. Evaluations of teacher education have revealed that it too faces serious challenges requiring action. In this White Paper, the Government is proposing quality-enhancing measures aimed at further improving the school system and teacher education by:

Improving the quality of teacher education Increasing recruitment to the teaching profession and teacher education Providing closer follow-up and support to newly qualified teachers Conducting more relevant R&D for initial teacher education and teacher education.

1.2 Principal challenges and action needed

Based on a description of the role of the teacher, the Ministry has highlighted three priority areas in this White Paper.

Enhanced quality and relevance of teacher educationInternational surveys show that pupils’ subject knowledge needs to be improved. Early action and adapted learning support are needed. There is little systematic use of new knowledge about learning and school development. Today’s general teacher education is too broad to give student teachers the necessary subject-knowledge and teaching competence to cover all levels and all subjects in school. At national level, therefore, the Ministry proposes to implement the following measures:

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Establish a 4-year differentiated primary and lower secondary teacher education consisting of:

o Grades 1-7: emphasis on beginner-level instruction, normally four school subjects, Norwegian and mathematics being compulsory;

o Grades 5-10: normally three subjects involving 60 creditso A new compulsory educational theory subject – pedagogy and pupil-related skills

(PPS) – consisting of 60 credits for both programmes explore a transition to a 5-year master’s programme for teachers in primary and lower

secondary school establish 800 student places at master level designed for primary and lower secondary

education establish centres of teaching excellence for teacher education establish a school of research for teacher education

Quality development and governance of teacher educationEvaluations show that requirements and expectations for student teachers must be set out more clearly. Managers and teacher educators must work together to improve the learning outcomes of students and the relevance of teacher programmes.

Teacher education must be innovative, development-oriented and adaptable. New national and international knowledge about the school system and teacher education, as well as changes in schools and society, must form the framework of teacher education. Hence teacher education institutions must establish good arenas for academic discourse and interaction with the professional community. The National Quality Assurance System must be used to develop programmes. Teacher education must be updated on and contribute to research on the school system and teaching practices, on pupil learning and development and on teacher education itself.

Implementing the measures set out in the White Paper will require concerted action on the part of all players involved. Institutions will be responsible for working continuously on the quality and relevance of education and research. School owners will be responsible for working together with institutions to establish good arenas for practical training. School owners must state explicitly what their expectations are in terms of teachers’ subject combinations and in-depth subject knowledge.

The Ministry will determine the number of places offered in teacher education in keeping with needs at the various levels and in the different subjects. The National Curriculum Regulations set out the overall requirements for teacher education institutions. The Ministry will draw up clear-cut goals and a set of indicators capable of measuring quality developments over time. An expert group will be appointed to follow and assess the implementation of the reform at national and local level.

Increase the supply of competent and motivated teachersThe coming years will see the need for an increased supply of motivated teachers with high-quality subject knowledge and educational skills in all parts of the country. Improving the quality of schools requires teachers capable of contributing to school developments and improving their own teaching practice through professional self-improvement.

Sound and relevant teacher education is the most important means of ensuring the necessary supply of qualified teachers for the school system. It will also contribute to enhancing the

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status and standing of the teaching profession. A higher status for the teaching profession will also increase the chances that more will opt for this occupation and choose to make it a career.

In order to increase the supply of competent, motivated teachers, the Ministry proposes to implement the following measures: improve recruitment to teacher education write off student loans for teachers of certain subjects a national recruitment campaign new recruitment paths into the teaching profession a special scheme for external lecturers (lektor II-ordning) retaining a greater number of teachers in the profession a mentoring scheme for all newly qualified teachers.

1.3 Outline of the Report

This White Paper is divided into two main parts. The Ministry’s evaluations and measures in Part I are set out in chapters 1, 2 and 3. Part II of the White Paper, covered by chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7, provides an account of the material on which the White Paper is based. The White Paper deals in particular with the changes and needs of primary and lower secondary school, and the reorganisation to a new dual-level teacher education for primary and lower secondary education. The Ministry’s evaluations and measures of a more general nature also apply to other types of teacher education.

The Government proposes to introduce a White Paper on the Quality and Content of Kindergartens in 2009. The Ministry of Education and Research has commissioned the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) to perform an evaluation of preschool teacher education. The plan is for the evaluation to be presented to the Ministry in the autumn of 2010. Hence preschool teacher education is not dealt with in any detail in the present White Paper.

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2 Evaluations and measures

2.1 The role of the teacher

2.1.1 Content of the role of teacherThe role of the teacher may be defined as the sum total of the expectations and requirements of the teaching profession as exercised in the everyday work of the individual professional. Statutory provisions, curricula and other regulations are compulsory for all teachers and define a common basis for the exercise of the teacher’s role. This allows for a broad margin of manoeuvre for local authorities, as well as for the teacher. In addition, national and local evaluation and reporting systems have an impact on how teachers exercise their role. So too do agreements between social partners. Teachers must be familiar with national and local requirements and expectations and comply with any changes introduced.

Teachers face a variety of expectations that are not always easy to reconcile, and they are often called on to make decisions that may be of great importance to their pupils. Many tasks cannot be resolved by the teacher alone, requiring the cooperation of others inside and outside of school. Teachers may also be expected to take part in resolving problems that are not directly related to their teaching work, such as neglect or other problems in the pupil’s home.

The teacher’s primary task is to prepare and guide the pupil’s learning process. Collaboration with colleagues, school management, home and bodies outside school, in addition to participating in the development of the school as an organisation, must all support this work.

The role of the teacher will always be evolving, due to changes in general conditions, but also as a result of the teacher’s own personal development. It will be influenced by the local community, by management and colleagues at school and by pupils and parents. It will also depend on the age bracket involved and the subjects taught.

To ensure that society’s expectations are met, it is crucial that teachers fully understand their own role and the importance of the school system to society, and that they practice their role in line with the school’s policy documents and value base. This also presupposes an awareness of the teacher’s role as a communicator of attitudes toward, for example, gender equality and inclusion.

In simplified terms, the role of teacher can be split into three main areas: 1) the teacher in interaction with pupils, 2) the teacher as a member of a professional community and 3) the teacher in interaction with parents and other partners.

The teacher in interaction with pupilsTeaching must be based on fundamental values such as “respect for human worth and nature, intellectual freedom, humanity, forgiveness, equality and solidarity”, cf. section 1-1 of the Education Act Purpose of Education. In the Recommendation to the Odelsting No. 22 (2008-2009) the Standing Committee on Education, Research and Church Affairs underlines the importance of school as a communicator of values. The Committee states inter alia that teaching “must be based on the fundamental thoughts and values that unite us as a society”. A clear value base and broad cultural understanding are fundamental to an inclusive social

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community and to a learning environment where diversity and differences are respected. The value base is set out in more specific terms in the National Curriculum for Basic Education.

Expectations facing today’s teachers are more comprehensive than in the past. Subject curricula setting out competence aims and the introduction of basic skills in all subjects focus more strongly on the subject-knowledge learning and development of pupils. The National Curriculum for Basic Education and the National Quality Assessment System emphasise the importance of assessing pupils’ learning outcomes. Documentation of pupil skills at various levels must be used in the day-to-day work of strengthening pupil learning and as a basis for long-term development work. It is the teacher’s responsibility to work toward increased learning in all subjects and to ensure that work in each subject leads to the best possible learning outcome.

Apart from the pupils themselves and their homes, the teacher is the dominant source of influence on pupil performance in school. Although pupils and groups of pupils may differ and have different needs, good teachers know their subjects and how to teach them. They analyse, concretise and operationalise the National Curriculum for Basic Education. They direct the pupils’ learning work and deliver instruction with interest and commitment. They monitor closely their pupils’ learning, and narrate, ask, check, repeat, sanction, vary and adapt instruction to their pupils and the subject taught. Flexibility and creativity are key characteristics of adapted and varied instruction.

Research shows a positive relationship between the subject-knowledge and didactic competence of teachers and the learning outcomes of their pupils. Research also shows that pupils are best served with teachers who are distinct leaders and whose assessment practice is learning-oriented.

Sound subject knowledge fosters confidence and pride and is needed to differentiate instruction constructively. Professional confidence serves as a good foundation for assessing pupils’ academic level and development in relation to the aims set for the subject concerned. It also allows for a freer approach to the subject and opens for improvisation whenever needed, so that different methods and a broad repertoire of teaching materials can be used to deliver varied instruction. Subject-knowledge expertise often motivates for further career development.

To ensure the necessary qualifications to teach prioritised subjects in primary and lower secondary education, the Ministry has amended the regulations relating to the Education Act. Ideally, all teachers should have formal qualifications in the subjects they teach. Hence the Ministry will circulate for comment its proposal to further strengthen regulations in this regard. The Ministry has also started work to devise a permanent system of further education for teachers. This will be dealt with in chapter 2.4.

Basic skills – the ability to express oneself orally and in writing, to be able to read and do arithmetic and use digital tools – must be integrated into all subjects. Surveys show that the use of digital tools in schoolwork represents a challenge to many teachers. Teachers must be able to assess the relevance of using different types of media in schoolwork, which also implies awareness of the ethical and legal aspects of media use.

Teachers must be capable of planning, organising, implementing and assessing learning work. As the leader of a group, the teacher must be visible and rule-conscious, have legitimacy and

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take responsibility for ensuring an inclusive learning environment. Pupils learn better when they understand what they are to learn and what is expected of them. Teachers must therefore develop and communicate clear goals for instruction and milestones for achievement, enable pupils to assess their own performance and provide feedback that pupils can learn from. The Ministry has started work to draw up more specific regulations on more academically relevant and fair assessment of pupils’ work.

Schooling at primary and lower secondary level places different demands on the teacher, both in terms of the need for preparation and delivery, and of assessment and knowledge of the pupils’ individual, emotional and social development. Younger pupils should not have to relate to too many adults, and teachers should therefore be able to teach several subjects. At this level, beginner instruction and social learning are essential. As pupils grow older, more in-depth subject knowledge will be required. Even though the social dimension still applies, subject teachers with in-depth knowledge of the specific disciplines are required.

Irrespective of the level taught, there will be a need for teachers with sound and relevant competence, rooted in research and best practice. More specialised, age-differentiated competence could strengthen teachers’ ability to adapt instruction. Although pupils may be at different stages, some elements will always be common to all instruction, requiring teaching skills of a general as well as a specialised nature. Against this backdrop, the Ministry will present a proposal for teacher education in primary and lower secondary education divided into two main streams – one for grades 1 to 7 and one for grades 5 to 10. This will be dealt with in greater detail in chapter 2.2.

Pupils are a diverse group – academically, emotionally and socially. This diversity should be drawn on to develop a learning environment where tolerance, respect, recognition and understanding of cultures and democratic principles prevail. In an inclusive learning environment, teachers show respect for the integrity and different abilities of pupils, create a good atmosphere of cooperation between pupils and handle problems and conflicts in a constructive manner.

Teachers should be capable of interacting productively with their pupils, monitoring their learning processes closely and seeing if and when someone needs added support. In addition to social skills and knowledge of age-specific learning processes, teachers must have access to information about the individual pupil and about his/her learning and progress, which is particularly important to ensure that necessary help and support is provided at an early stage.

Teaching given must be in compliance with the aims set out in the National Curriculum for Basic Education, but also adapted to the different abilities and needs of pupils. Pupils should have a sense of mastering the subject-related challenges they face and feel included in a social community.

The Ministry wishes to emphasise the significance of belonging to a group and has therefore circulated for comment a proposal for an amendment to the Education Act which underscores inter alia that instruction must be organised to safeguard pupils’ needs for social affiliation, cf. letter of 04.11.2008 Hearing – Proposal for an Amendment to the Education Act and the Private Education Act.

The teacher as member of a professional community

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Good teachers are fully aware of the purpose of schooling, have a sound understanding of the school system and of the school as an organisation. They value good school management, are able to asses their own and the school’s sphere of action and draw on the potential afforded by interaction with colleagues, management and other players at school.

The collective responsibility of the individual school has increased. As an institution of learning, the school is undergoing considerable change. More than ever, the ability to cooperate between managers and teachers and among teachers themselves is paramount. Teachers are also required to develop and renew their own skills throughout an entire career.

Work done at the local level to translate the National Curriculum for Basic Education into concrete teaching situations has placed new demands on teachers. The main objectives of schooling, as well as the competence aims set out in subject curricula, must be applied in practice. Teachers have to integrate basic skills, select subject content and apportion content so as to ensure good learning. Another local task is to distribute the teaching hours fixed at national level for the various subjects and determine how pupils are to be organised.

Teaching and training is teamwork. The Ministry believes that the objectives of school activity may be achieved more easily if schools make use of the overall competence of their employees. Varying expertise and specialisation among teachers should be a valuable asset for the individual school.

Good teachers are active contributors to a professional community. They see the opportunities that change and development offer and they contribute to developing their own practices and the school’s learning environment. They see the potential and limitations of their own competence, are prepared and willing to acquire new knowledge and assess and use it in their own work. They are aware of the society of which their school is a part, have a sound understanding of national and global challenges and the ability to see the school’s activity as an element of society.

The National Quality Assessment System is aimed at enabling schools to evaluate their own activities and results on a regular and systematic basis. It is meant to give school management and teachers an understanding of common challenges and a shared basis for development of the school as an organisation.

The teacher in interaction with parents and other players around the schoolParents hold primary responsibility for raising their children and therefore have a shared responsibility for their children’s school. Cooperation between home and school is a mutual responsibility, and parents are an important source of support for the learning and motivation of pupils. Parents must be informed of the aims of schooling and of the way in which instruction is organised. They must be kept informed of the pupil’s progress and development in school. Parents are a diverse group of people with differing expectations. Teachers must therefore be responsive to parents’ views and personal knowledge of their own children and contribute to securing reciprocal and balanced cooperation with the home.

Some pupils need special follow-up, requiring expertise that the individual teacher or school teaching staff does not normally possess. Teachers must take part in assessing the need for any special measures as an initial step in a coherent and functional chain of action. Teachers must therefore be capable of judging when their own competence is no longer sufficient and when specialist educational and psychological expertise should be involved.

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School owners are responsible for their pupils’ psychosocial learning environment. Teachers must play their part in fostering this environment. They are among the adults who spend the most time with the children and who know them best. Good teachers are aware of their responsibilities in situations governed by laws other than the Education Act. They are able to assess their pupil’s overall learning situation and notify if there is cause for concern. This applies in particular to identifying and providing support to children exposed to neglect or other forms of abuse, to preventive work for pupils in various risk groups and to cooperation with other bodies, such as the child protection service, child and juvenile psychiatric service and police.

Constructive, systematic cooperation between kindergarten and primary school, between primary school and lower secondary school and between lower and upper secondary school must aim at facilitating the transition between the various levels of schooling. This is an overriding responsibility for school owners, while school management and teachers are to attend to its implementation in practice.

The local community represents an important part of the learning environment of pupils. Positive interaction between school staff and the business community, art and culture life and other parts of the local community can enrich the learning work of pupils and make subject-matter instruction more tangible, practice-oriented and realistic. Cooperation with the local community provides for new learning arenas, fosters entrepreneurship and improves the pupils’ foundation for making career and educational choices. The Ministry believes therefore that teachers should interact with local employment and organisational communities in an effort to qualify children and young people for future education and employment.

2.1.2 Areas of competenceThe role of the teacher presupposes expertise in several areas. Views may differ as to which of these are the most important for teachers and how they should be described. Based on the requirements and expectations set out in national policy documents and in light of what Norwegian and international research have documented, a certain number of fundamental qualifications may be identified as essential for all teachers. Each of these qualifications is important, but it is the sum total of them that forms the very basis for the exercise of the teaching role. Competence must be developed during initial teacher education and further expanded and renewed throughout the entire teaching career.

Based on the provisions of the Education Act, the National Curriculum for Basic Education and other regulations, and given what research has revealed about the interrelationship between the competence of teachers and the learning of their pupils, the following areas of competence have been identified as essential: Subject knowledge and basic skills. If pupils are to attain good results in a subject, the

teacher must possess sound knowledge of the subject he/she teaches. The teacher must be intimately familiar with the competence aims set out in the curriculum of that discipline and capable of selecting and apportioning the learning content in a way that ensures sound progress in the subject. The teacher must also be aware of how the different subjects contribute to the learning of basic skills and see that instruction gives pupils the best possible foundation for further learning.

The school in society. The teacher must prepare children and youth for further education and activity in family, social and working life. Hence the teacher must have thorough

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knowledge of the purpose of school and its significance to society at large. The teacher must also have an understanding of his/her own role.

Ethics. The teacher must act in compliance with the value base of the school system and as specified in the National Curriculum for Basic Education. In the course of instruction the teacher must contribute to developing pupils’ understanding of and ability to act in keeping with this value base.

Educational theory and subject didactics. The teacher must be capable of implementing the National Curriculum for Basic Education by planning, organising, delivering and assessing instruction so as to promote pupil learning. This requires insight into how children and youth learn and the ability to create a favourable learning environment where pupils retain and further develop their desire for learning and faith in their own abilities.

Management of learning processes. The teacher must have the authority and competence to lead learning work in a diverse, complex pupil group. Learning presupposes calm, order, context and system in groups and classes. This involves inter alia establishing rules and routines for the group and for class work and having the ability to determine and make decisions in a school democracy.

Interaction and communication. The teaching profession requires the ability to cooperate and communicate with pupils, parents and other players inside and outside school. The teacher must have intimate knowledge of the pupils and their capacity for learning, be able to interact with pupils in a constructive fashion and have a positive view of pupil potential. In addition, the teacher must contribute to a professional community.

Change and development. Change and development competence entails the ability to contribute to curriculum work at local level and, on the basis of research and critical reflection on own teaching practices, the ability to interact collectively and professionally to develop the school. Teachers must be capable of seeing the benefits of change and development, as well as viewing the learning and development of children and youth in the light of changes in society. Teachers must be informed about changes in policy documents and in local parameters and decisions.

2.2 New teacher education for primary and lower secondary education

2.2.1 ChallengesChapter 2.1 describes the areas of basic competence that are essential for all teachers. Different teacher qualifications are needed at different levels and in different subjects in primary and lower secondary school1. Today’s 4-year general teacher education programme confers formal qualifications to teach at all levels of primary and lower secondary education. This type of broad-based qualifications does not allow room for the in-depth subject knowledge that schools need. To meet the need for specialised competence in terms of subject, age level and functions in school, the length of the programme should also be considered.

The role of the teacher is a challenging one, and the complexity of the profession places high demands on teacher education. The demands and complexity of the profession must be reflected in the expectations placed on student teachers, their work effort and results, as well as in those placed on management and academic staff and their responsibility toward the mission of teacher education. Significant variations in quality and results between teacher education institutions have been documented2. Teacher education finds itself at a crossroads between various disciplines and professions. It involves different internal and external 1 The basis for the assessments in this chapter is dealt with in greater detail in chapters 4, 5 and 6.

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professional communities. Hence the mission of teacher education places particular demands on management. Academic staff are also faced with high requirements related to the development of their own skills, quality of instruction and research, attitudes and value base, and not least the ability and will to cooperate with others.

Several evaluations have highlighted the challenges of R&D activities in general teacher education: a varying proportion of academic staff has the necessary formal qualifications, activities are sporadic and scattered, thematic priorities are unclear, there appears to be a weak culture for publication and student teachers and practitioners are insufficiently involved in research and development work.

Developing the teaching profession and teacher education in the direction of the aims set out in this White Paper depends on the interaction of several players. Teacher education is a complex area of education involving major quality-based, organisational and governance-related challenges. The Ministry believes this calls for closer supervision and control of teacher education by the authorities as well as by the institutions, see chapter 2.3.

In addition to the work the Ministry is here preparing at the national level, the management of the individual education institution must assume responsibility for ensuring that all parties involved locally work in a concerted fashion to fulfil national aims. Furthermore, management must take responsibility for developing strong partnerships between teacher education and schools as a foundation for basic teacher qualification and subsequent professional development as a practising teacher.

A new teacher education for primary and lower secondary school presupposes: that a coordinated national process is carried out to gain firm support for and acceptance

of new structures, subject-knowledge requirements and routines. This can be achieved by allowing all education providers and partners to participate in the development of a coherent structure, quality criteria and achievement indicators for the individual teacher education programme;

that the boards and management of institutions and all parties involved in teacher education assume responsibility as teacher educators;

that responsible players create an overall vision for the mission of teacher education at the level of the individual institution, by drawing up clear aims and strategies and well-defined roles;

that management takes responsibility for establishing an appropriate internal organisation and effective and unambiguous management structures.

2.2.2 More specialised subject knowledge – teacher education following two main streams

The Government wishes to limit the influence of social background on learning outcomes of school pupils. The documentation pertaining to teachers’ qualifications requirements referred to in chapter 4 and chapter 6.1 shows that today’s broad-based general teacher education may be providing student teachers with insufficient subject knowledge to prepare them for the complexities of the teaching profession. This applies particularly to the delivery of reinforced and adapted instruction at lower age levels, but also to the need for improved subject-specific knowledge at all levels of basic education.

2 The challenges as perceived by NOKUT’s evaluation panel, as well as the panel’s recommendations are set out in chapter 5.6.

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In order to educate teachers with the necessary subject knowledge, capable of guiding positive learning processes adapted to pupils at various levels and with different aptitudes, the Ministry sees the need to organise teacher education in two main streams. The Ministry is therefore proposing specialised programmes geared to grades 1-7 and 5-10 respectively. Differentiated teacher education will lead to a greater specialisation of the individual teacher’s qualifications, but specialisation will also differ according to the target age group. A certain overlap of teacher qualifications for the three intermediate grades would, however, be relevant, thereby counteracting any dividing line in the school teaching staff and allowing for greater flexibility of appointments and distribution of subjects and teaching hours.

Teacher education for grades 1 – 7The Ministry believes that teacher education designed for grades 1-7 should normally include at least four school subjects. However, the combination of subjects may include a school-relevant subject of up to 30 credits that is a non-curricular subject (e.g. ICT, special education or Norwegian as a second language). The primary emphasis is to be on beginner-level instruction. The subjects, subject didactics, practical training and portions of the educational science subject will differ between primary and lower secondary levels. At the level of primary education, Norwegian and mathematics are the most comprehensive subjects in terms of teaching hours, in addition to being fundamental to the learning of skills and concepts. Hence Norwegian and mathematics must be compulsory subjects for all teachers who are to teach grades 1- 7 and who will often serve as class teachers. From a comprehensive and formative perspective, all students should have at least one subject in their combination that comprises 60 credits, irrespective of any other stipulations related to minimum teaching requirements.

Teacher education for grades 5 – 10Teacher education designed for grades 5-10 should ordinarily include three school subjects, each normally comprising 60 credits. None of them should be compulsory. However, the subject combination may also include a school-relevant subject (e.g. ICT, special education or Norwegian as a second language). Specialisation designed for grades 5-10 should allow for a selection of subjects in a specific area, e.g. sciences, languages or practical-esthetical subjects. To ensure sufficient recruitment and in-depth subject knowledge in all subjects of primary and lower secondary education, no subject should be compulsory. At the same time, allowing students a freedom of choice will ensure their interest and motivation for the subjects selected and consequently competent and motivated teachers in all subjects.

The Qualifications Regulations stipulate a requirement of 60 credits to qualify to teach Norwegian/Sámi, mathematics and English at lower secondary level. This strongly underlines the significance of having at least one of these subjects in the subject combination.

A framework plan will be drawn up in the form of regulations following a hearing process.

Common to both main streamsA common feature of both main streams is that all school subjects must include subject didactics and that the basic skills stipulated in the National Curriculum for Basic Education must be integrated into other subjects. Essential elements of Norwegian and mathematics must therefore be incorporated into other subjects. Furthermore, the new subject PPS must be designed to ensure that basic skills are integrated into all subjects. Compulsory core elements

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of both main streams will be PPS, supervised teaching practice and a bachelor’s thesis, see 2.2.3.

Even with different specialisations, there will still be elements common to all teacher education programmes. This applies particularly to educational theory and various multidisciplinary topics, but also school subjects will contain core subject matter that applies across the board to all age levels. With the proposed differentiated model, grades 5-7 will moreover constitute an area of overlapping teacher competence. Hence it should be possible to organise combinations of topics and modules of subjects across the main streams. The institutions could also choose to design entirely separate programmes geared to specific age levels and/or subjects. As a part of the work to implement the new educational regime, transition schemes must be devised between the two main streams.

The content of teacher education disciplines must be adapted to the need for teaching competence in school subjects at the various age levels. The new National Curriculum for Basic Education applicable from 2006 presupposes that new curricula will be prepared for all teacher education programmes. Basic skills to be integrated into all subjects taught at school must also form part of the disciplines of teacher education. Subject-specific topics, as well as subject didactics and methodology related to the various subjects must be in line with the National Curriculum in force. The national academic councils and the various professional networks must play an active role in ensuring that the content of teacher education disciplines corresponds to the school subject concerned. Furthermore, in a multicultural school setting, teachers of Norwegian need to have knowledge of Norwegian as a second language. Norwegian as a second language must also be offered as an option for in-depth study in this discipline. Norwegian must also reflect curriculum requirements related to other Nordic languages and Nordic literature, in addition to the Sámi language, traditions and cultural expression.

Teaching qualifications requirementsThe Government wishes to reinforce the competence of teachers. The Education Act and its Regulations set out qualifications requirements for teaching posts in primary, lower and upper secondary school. These requirements apply to the appointment of teachers and therefore regulate only indirectly who is allowed to teach at the various levels and in the different subjects. In practice, it is the school principal who allocates teaching assignments to the individual teachers. Even though a teacher has been appointed to teach specific subjects, he/she may be assigned to teach other subjects.

The qualifications requirements set out in these Regulations, together with the National Curriculum Regulations for Teacher Education, represent the most important policy instruments at the disposal of national authorities to determine and control teacher competence. To ensure a higher standard of subject-specific expertise in teachers of priority subjects in primary and lower secondary school, the Ministry has recently increased the requirements of the Regulations relating to the Education Act, cf. chapter 4.5. With effect from 01.08.2008, the level of qualifications required to teach Norwegian, mathematics and English at lower secondary level has been increased from 30 to 60 credits.

The reorganisation of teacher education proposed in this White Paper means that normal qualifications requirements for future teachers at lower secondary level will be 60 credits in three school subjects and for teachers at primary level 30 credits in three subjects plus 60 credits in one additional subject.

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The aim is to ensure that teachers have a relevant education in all the subjects they teach. To achieve this, the subject-specific expertise required must be more strongly linked to the teacher’s teaching activity and not only to his/her appointment.

The Ministry intends to circulate for comment a proposal to amend the Education Act and its Qualifications Regulations, linking qualifications requirements more closely to actual teaching. At the same time the Ministry intends to increase requirements for subject-specific expertise. At primary school level, the Ministry proposes a requirement of 30 credits to qualify to teach Norwegian/Sámi and mathematics, and at lower secondary level, a requirement of 30 credits to teach in subjects where no requirement of 60 credits currently exists. In consequence, the proposal for new requirements in the Qualifications Regulations will be as follows: at primary level (grades 1-7), 30 relevant credits to teach Norwegian/Sámi and

mathematics will be required; at lower secondary level (grades 8-10), 60 relevant credits to teach Norwegian/Sámi,

mathematics and English and 30 credits to teach other subjects; in upper secondary school, 60 relevant credits to teach any subject.

Stricter teaching qualifications for individual subjects will determine the composition of school staff. For small schools it may be quite a challenge to provide a teaching staff collectively qualified to teach all subjects. However, most small schools are primary schools. This White Paper proposes to include compulsory 30-credit courses in Norwegian and mathematics in teacher education for grades 1-7, which means that all newly qualified teachers will satisfy the new requirements of the Qualifications Regulations in respect of primary education. The Ministry would also point out that local authorities are responsible for making the best possible use of the overall teaching expertise of the local community.

An established principle of earlier amendments to qualifications requirements has been that teachers with approved qualifications according to earlier regulations will retain their qualifications to teach. The new qualifications requirements will only apply to the appointment of new teachers and their introduction is planned to coincide with the graduation of the first candidates from the new regime of teacher education. This means that the proposed amendments to existing regulations must be introduced over time and that local authorities and schools must be given sufficient time to adjust to the changes. The consultation process will include a discussion of whether the new requirements should also apply to temporary employees and substitute teachers.

For upper secondary education and training, subject qualifications requirements could be introduced at an earlier stage, since no changes in the educational regime have been proposed.

The Ministry intends to ask the commenting bodies whether they believe the proposed qualifications requirements should apply to all levels and all subjects.

It is difficult to gain a full understanding of all the practical consequences of the proposed amendments of the regulatory framework. Hence the comments emanating from the consultation process will carry considerable weight when and if it comes to the actual drafting of amended qualifications requirements.

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New teacher education – new nameDifferentiated teaching qualifications warrant considering the introduction of a new name for the profession. The term general teacher is still associated with a teacher capable of teaching all subjects at all levels. A change of names may serve to clarify the distinction from this concept. Primary and lower secondary teacher education is the term used to designate the new teacher education. Whenever necessary, for example on the certificate, the relevant age-level specialisation should be stated. The general title in the school system would be teacher, as is the case today.

Relationship with other teacher education programmesSince the proposed new teacher education offers the opportunity of choosing subject specialisation, the main focus of grades 5-10 education could be very similar to the existing 4-year subject-teacher education programme in practical and esthetical subjects and to the integrated 4- and 5-year teacher education programmes. In today’s system, the latter programmes and a minimum of 4 years of subject studies, including the 1-year programme in educational theory and practice, also qualify to teach, normally two subjects, from grade 5 in primary and lower secondary education. A narrower teacher education programme in terms of subject knowledge is the 3-year subject teacher education programme in practical and esthetical subjects and the subject-teacher education programme for bilinguals. These programmes also cover important subject areas in school. It may be appropriate to differentiate subject content according to the level taught, in line with the proposed new teacher education programme. This would, for example, apply to Norwegian in the 4-year subject teacher programme in practical and esthetical subjects.

The Ministry believes it would be appropriate to retain all the different teacher education programmes in order to ensure broad-based recruitment of teachers. The different educational paths must be seen in context - in terms of subject-specific content, structure and capacity, cf. chapter 2.3.3 Data on the elective subjects of candidates is currently reported to the Database for Statistics on Higher Education, providing an overview of the elective and in-depth study subjects offered at the various teacher education institutions. This will serve as an important source of information about the combinations and in-depth studies of new teachers. Until now, institutions have offered a wide variety of subjects and student choices have shown a good match with the distribution of subjects taught in primary and lower secondary school. The Ministry intends to follow closely trends in the number of applicants to the various programmes and in students’ choice of main programmes and subjects, and take necessary action if a mismatch with the needs of the school system should appear.

The Ministry will Convert the general teacher education programme to a teacher education programme for

primary and lower secondary school, providing courses designed for teaching grades 1-7 and 5-10 with the following main features:

o Grades 1- 7: emphasis on beginner-level instruction, normally at least four school subjects, where Norwegian and mathematics are compulsory; at least one subject must consist of 60 credits (corresponding to one year of full-time studies). The combination of subjects may also include a course of up to 30 credits relevant to teaching but outside the subjects taught in schools

3 There is an overview in chapter 5 of the different teacher education programmes and which levels in the school system they qualify for.

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o Grades 5-10: normally three school subjects, each consisting of 60 credits, no compulsory subjects. The combination of subjects may also include a course of up to 30 credits relevant to teaching but outside the subjects taught in schools

Circulate for comment a proposal to increase qualifications requirements to teach grades 1-7 and grades 5-10

Follow developments in supply and demand for the various teacher education programmes and in student’s subject choices and take necessary action if a mismatch with the needs of the school system should appear.

2.2.3 Coherent and school-oriented teacher educationThe Government proposes to enhance the quality of basic education, placing a special emphasis on early action and closer follow-up of the individual pupil. Teacher education aims at ensuring that teachers are capable of guiding and supporting pupils with different learning abilities and different experiences of mastery. It must give them the best possible introduction to all aspects of the teaching role and form a basis for further professional development as a teacher. Teacher education presupposes proximity to the school, and the various components of the education programme must have a clear professional focus and collectively form a coherent whole. Theoretical, subject-specific knowledge and an understanding of how to teach the subject concerned must be integrated with practical assignments in everyday school life. Hence subject-specific content, subject didactics, educational theory and practice must be more closely interconnected in terms of content and organisation. This interrelationship is illustrated in figure 2.1.

The aim is to design a teacher education programme for primary and lower secondary education capable of functioning as a coherent programme of professional study, providing quality at all stages. This has an impact not least on the organisational structure of the programme and the integration of its various components.

Organisational structureThe studies referred to in chapter 6.2 show that programmes of professional study are more fragmented in terms of subject matter than other academic programmes and that achieving a coherent focus on the profession represents a special challenge to teacher education. In consequence, it must be organised to: Promote the integration of theory and practice, of progression and profession-orientation

at all stages Provide close cooperation internally and externally between the various professional

groups and players involved Ensure coherence between the activities conducted in teacher education institutions and in

the periods of teaching practice and formal cooperation between the two learning arenas.

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P r a c t i c e

T h e o r y

Subject Pedagogy

Competence to act

Figure 2.1Source: Sven-Erik Hansén 2006

When drafting the National Curriculum Regulations, the Ministry of Education and Research will initiate a national process aimed at anchoring the new teacher education programme strongly in the professional community and with all partners involved, see chapter 2.3. Several essential elements will be taken into account: The new education will have an academically-based structure, thereby making it a better

programme of professional studies A coherent programme structure will allow for student mobility and institutional

cooperation; A coherent academic structure will make it easier for applicant students and others to

acquaint themselves with the content and organisation of Norwegian teacher education; A national process could mobilise and stimulate teacher education communities and

partners to engage in professional discourse at local and national level; The process may contribute to increased awareness of the responsibilities of teacher

education and of the complexity of the mission, which may in turn advance the revitalisation needed in the various subjects, in the culture of teacher education, in research and in forms of cooperation.

A new and expanded educational science subject – “pedagogy and pupil-related skills (PPS)”Educational theory must be the core discipline of teacher education, laying a common foundation for the exercise of the teaching role, cf. chapter 2.1. The subject must form students as teaching practitioners in a professional environment

With high awareness of work ethics, sound assessment skills and the ability to manage learning processes in a diverse, complex group of pupils;

With a fundamental understanding of the purpose of schooling, its mandate, sphere of action and significance to society at large;

With sound insight into schools as organisations and with the ability to see the need for and value of good school management;

With an understanding of the importance of change and development and with an attitude of critical reflection on their own and the school’s practice;

With knowledge and attitudes that contribute to better learning outcomes for the individual pupil and the school as a whole.

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The contents and role of teacher education must be renewed. The new subject is to fulfil three functions: develop a subject-knowledge platform, methodological competence and skills in addressing relational and social issues.

The Ministry proposes to change the subject name to pedagogy and pupil-related skills (PPS). The subject will continue to serve as the scientific basis for teacher education, but practice-oriented training in the subject must be reinforced.

In the reform known as Knowledge Promotion (Kunnskapsløftet), the importance of basic skills in all subjects has been underscored and defined. In teacher education too, training in basic skills must be tied in with the specific subject, while reading and writing and oral expression are highlighted as basic skills to learning in general. In addition to the particular subject of Norwegian, special attention must also be devoted to such basic skills training in PPS.

Subject-knowledge platform: PPS is aimed at providing students with a foundation in teaching skills through a pedagogical approach closely related to the realities of school life. The foundation must be developed by interacting with other theoretical and practical disciplines on fundamental common challenges, such as values, objectives, working methods and assessment. Educational science lecturers must cooperate with lecturers in other disciplines and with teaching practice supervisors on instruction, practical assignments and R&D projects combining theory and practice. The subject must be practice-oriented as well as research-based. In terms of research, PPS must be designed as a tool for student teachers, teachers and teacher educators to develop their ability for critical reflection and renewal of teaching practices. It must contribute to making students more active users of subject-specific knowledge in their teaching work.

Methodological competence: PPS must develop the more instrumental side of the teaching profession. It must highlight the practical pedagogical and subject-related problems facing the teacher in the everyday school setting. It must also ensure that students, irrespective of the level or subject selected, acquire the necessary competence to teach the basic skills defined in Knowledge Promotion. This presupposes close cooperation between lecturers and teaching practice supervisors. The subject should enable teachers to deliver adapted instruction, based on an understanding of the diversity of pupils’ backgrounds and academic abilities and of the way they learn, as well as an understanding of how work methods can be varied with the appropriate use of the media and ICT or creative methods and cultural expression. The subject must give students an appreciation of the use of art and culture as a learning method.

Relational and social skills: PPS is to qualify students to play a formative role in society. It should foster reflection on the purpose of schooling, on fundamental pedagogical views, ethics and attitudes. Its contents must reflect the challenges of managing learning processes in an inclusive school with a broad diversity of pupils. It should impart knowledge about the multicultural, multilingual school and about the particular learning challenges minority-language pupils represent. Furthermore, it is a discipline with a special responsibility for upholding the objectives of school and the value base of the teaching profession and for developing the relational skills of student teachers. It aims to promote tolerance and respect and foster dialogue between people of different backgrounds, faiths and sexual orientation and thereby combat bullying in school. The subject should also develop the personal aspect of the

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teacher’s role, as well as the teacher as an individual and active member of a professional community. Teachers must be capable of relating to social phenomena outside school and, together with other competent bodies, of safeguarding particularly vulnerable children, for example children exposed to abuse.

All in all PPS aims to give students a common identity as teachers in the whole school, and a foundation for professional development in a career-long perspective. To be relevant for the teaching profession, the subject must evolve and adapt to developments in society and schools. To embrace all these new elements and thereby constitute the cohesive discipline of the teaching profession, its scope should be extended to 60 credits. There will still be a need for setting priorities to differentiate between the content components to be included in initial teacher education and those that could form part of further competence-building measures. The subject should be distributed over a period of several years and related to subject studies/subject didactics, teaching practice and a compulsory bachelor’s thesis.

The new subject will require lecturers with updated knowledge of the school system, as well as relevant research expertise. Expanding the subject to include several multidisciplinary elements also suggests that people other than educational scientists should be brought in to teach the subject.

This educational science subject must be given new content in the other teacher education programmes as well. The guiding principles above could serve as a norm, namely that PPS forms the professional foundation of the education programme - that it is practice-oriented and a value-based, formative subject. The scope of PPS must be seen in relation to the length of the individual teacher education programme. For the time being, extending PPS applies only to the new primary and lower secondary teacher education.

Teaching practiceBased on the documentation referred to in chapter 6.2, the Ministry believes that the principal challenges posed in the context of teaching practice are the absence of national quality requirements and weak links to the theoretical subjects of teacher education. It is primarily the quality of teaching practice and the interrelationship between practice and other parts of the programme that must be changed and not the scope of teaching practice itself. Teaching practice is not accorded separate credits (the scope corresponds to approx. 30 credits), but is meant to be included as part of the subjects studied. If the scope of teaching practice is increased significantly within the framework of the existing 4-year programme, there will be less time for subject studies.

Teacher education specialised according to the age level taught will involve more concentrated and thematically focussed teaching practice for the individual student than is provided for in today’s general teacher education. For a more coherent programme of professional studies, teaching practice should be incorporated into all four years of the programme and include experience with both the lower and higher age levels within the main age groups for which the programme qualifies.

Improving the quality of teaching practice will require a clearer framework and more well-defined requirements than are set out in today’s National Curriculum Regulations and guidelines governing agreements with teaching practice supervisors. It will be necessary to:

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Draw up a system for quality assurance of teaching practice schools and supervisors, and of the supervised professional training given, setting out well-defined criteria and requirements that must be met

Formulate clear-cut goals for the individual periods of teaching practice, incorporating progress requirements between such periods

Establish a common frame of reference for the assessment of learning outcomes in teaching practice

Link topics of teaching practice to the activities of the subjects, as well as to the bachelor’s thesis in the 3rd year of the programme.

Teacher education institutions have academic responsibility for the content, quality and assessment of teaching practice and for ensuring progression between periods of teaching practice. This responsibility must be clarified while also highlighting the roles and shared responsibilities of school owners and teaching practice schools and supervisors. The role of the latter must be made more attractive and the best schools and teachers must take responsibility for teaching practice. All supervisors must have completed training in teacher supervision. Together with subject lecturers, supervisors play the most important role in the ongoing, statutory process of assessing the aptitude of students for the teaching profession.

Teacher education and practice schools must collaborate in teaching PPS and practical and theoretical subjects. Hence closer forms of cooperation and good routines must be developed to ensure better coordination between the two learning arenas. Cooperation must increasingly include the exchange of knowledge and teaching staff. Good practitioners must become more actively involved in teacher education, and subject lecturers and researchers must contribute more regularly to the activities of schools. Students must be challenged to reflect on and apply their theoretical knowledge in practical teaching work.

However, cooperation between school owners/schools and teacher education institutions must be developed and strengthened in several areas to improve quality and coherence between initial teacher education and teaching practice. Closer cooperation is also needed to develop research and development projects in teacher education and schools, to provide mentoring to newly qualified teachers and for the continuous development of the competence of teachers, school management and teacher educators.

The Ministry believes that a more structured framework for cooperation between teacher education and owners of schools/kindergartens is needed, and will introduce a system of compulsory partnership agreements. Together, the parties should identify and develop areas of cooperation and draw up agreed schemes and routines in local partnership agreements.

The Ministry will Extend the scope of the educational science subject to 60 credits in the new primary and

lower secondary teacher education. The name of the new subject will be pedagogy and pupil-related skills (PPS).

Renew the content and role of the subject in the context of teacher education and make it the teaching skills foundation that student teachers need in their education and in their future practice of the teaching profession by

o Strengthening the centrality of teaching and its research-orientationo Strengthening the subject as the teacher’s tool in interaction with pupils in a

complex everyday school settingo Strengthening the subject as a value-oriented and formative subject

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Demanding quality in students’ teaching practice, inter alia byo Developing a system of quality assurance of practice schools, supervisors and the

practical training giveno Introducing compulsory training of supervisorso Developing a common framework for the assessment of students’ learning

outcomeso Introducing a system of compulsory partnership agreements between teacher

education institutions and owners of schools/kindergartens specifying their roles, responsibilities and mutual obligations for practical training

Issue guiding principles for the organisation of teacher education programmes promoting the integration of theory and practice, progress and a comprehensive focus on the teaching profession

Urge the boards and management of institutions and everyone involved in teacher education to take responsibility as teacher educators to create a coherent vision of teacher education with well-defined objectives and strategies, appropriate internal organisation and efficient and clear management structures.

2.2.4 A demanding education programmeThe new teacher training education is to be one of high quality and demanding to complete, ensuring that candidate teachers will be well-qualified to meet the expectations and requirements of the teaching profession. Subject-knowledge requirements must be equally high for both main streams comprising the new education programme. All student teachers must be met with high professional expectations in a stimulating and demanding learning environment throughout the entire programme of studies. Many elements contribute to the high quality of education, but in the end, it is the students’ own efforts, motivation and study strategy that have a decisive impact on learning outcomes.

Chapter 6.3 provides documentation of the serious challenges facing the quality and requirements of today’s general teacher education. Several surveys show that the study efforts and motivation of many student teachers are too low. Evaluations also indicate that students do not feel that sufficient demands are placed on them. A learning culture appears to have developed where students work less independently with the subject matter than in other programmes of professional study, and participate less actively in a professional community with teachers and fellow students. Discussions on general teacher education often pinpoint a “teacher education culture” as an explanation for the quality of general teacher education. Several studies seem to indicate that there is a gap between the expectations of students and teacher educators and in what they demand of the education programme and of one another.

Teaching methods and the ways in which student teachers work are instrumental in making them good teachers. Another problem at national level is that general teacher education is spoken of as undemanding. This gives the education a poor reputation and may have a negative impact on recruitment.

This is something primarily the individual institution is responsible for rectifying. In line with the objectives set out in the Quality Reform for Higher Education, action must be taken to create a more activating and demanding learning culture, and more attention must be devoted to the students’ own efforts, working methods and learning strategies. Expectations and requirements for students in subject courses and practical training must be made apparent in the different working and teaching methods and in curricula. Students with weak or

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insufficient previous knowledge for a prioritised subject should be offered a preparatory course. The institution must state in its curricula where compulsory requirements might be appropriate. Compulsory requirements are primarily intended to stimulate learning and not to serve as a control mechanism. There is reason to believe that student-active working methods lead to intensified study efforts. Students have an independent responsibility to improve the quality of the programme through their own intensified efforts.

Statistics of grades awarded in teacher education show clear differences both between different subjects taught at the same institution and nationally between institutions and between subjects. National comparisons of grade data are important if grades from different institutions are to serve as a yardstick of quality. Hence the individual institution must compile good local statistics, allowing for multiyear comparisons of teacher education grades with those of other institutions.

The Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions is actively involved in achieving national coordination and in developing a common understanding of how the grading scale should be applied. The Ministry would like to see the Association continue its work in line with White Paper No. 7 (2007-2008) and Recommendation to the Storting No. 150 (2007-2008) Status Report on the Quality Reform. To what extent external assessment is practised in lower degree studies is a subject for further investigation. If the investigation reveals a need for the increased use of external assessment, an amendment to today’s legal provision will be considered. It may also be appropriate to have an external body perform a review of examination papers as a means of correcting the grading practice of the institution.

In other areas too, there will be a need to follow developments. A portal for teacher education in the Database for Statistics on Higher Education will contain relevant statistics. It might be appropriate to follow up with new surveys, for example, of the requirements and study intensity of the programme, cf. reference to follow-up group in chapter 2.3.

The Ministry will establish one to two centres of teaching excellence for teacher education. In line with the proposals tabled by the Sternø Committee, the purpose is to stimulate the high quality of teaching, develop good learning environments and communicate best practices, cf. description in chapter 6.3. Initially it is meant as a pilot project that could serve as a model for other programmes of professional study. A study is currently in progress to determine how the scheme should be designed and which criteria should apply.

The Ministry will Establish a pilot project involving centres of teaching excellence for teacher education Continue the work to develop good statistical material and stimulate national

coordination and uniform practices between institutions.

2.2.5 Master’s programme for teachersThe quality, length and level of the new primary and lower secondary teacher education have been at the core of the work of drafting this White Paper, cf. documentation provided in chapter 6.4. So has the matter of recruitment to teacher education and the future needs for new teachers, cf. situation descriptions contained in chapters 5 and 7 and evaluations and measures set out in chapters 2.3 and 2.4. Several considerations need to be weighed before a final decision can be reached about the length of the new teacher education programme.

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The Ministry will continue a regime where both 4-year and 5-year teacher education qualify for work in primary and lower secondary school. A primary aim now is to strengthen the quality of the 4-year teacher education programme. At the same time, primary and lower secondary schools need “specialist teachers” with greater subject-specific expertise than is taught in the new specialised primary and lower secondary teacher education programme. There are several subject-related and pedagogical reasons for wanting to increase the number of teachers holding higher degrees in primary and lower secondary schooling. It is an asset to the learning environment of pupils that teachers with more specialised subject-specific and pedagogical competence at master’s level form part of the academic community of primary and lower secondary schools. The Ministry wishes to stimulate this development and to offer relevant master’s programmes for primary school teachers.

As accounted for in chapter 6.4, teachers can earn a master’s degree through a variety of avenues. It is important to recruit highly qualified teachers from the 5-year integrated teacher education programmes. Increasingly, such 5-year programmes should also be geared to grades 1 – 7 of primary and lower secondary education. It will still be imperative to recruit a greater number of teachers holding a master’s degree in a variety of disciplines via the 1-year course in educational theory and practice. Such courses should be offered as full-time and part-time studies with good national distribution.

In the immediate future, recruitment of teachers with a master’s degree adapted to the needs of primary and lower secondary schools will mainly take place via the 2-year master’s programmes. These programmes can be offered either as a combination of three years of the 4-year teacher education programme with a 2-year programme of master’s studies, provided that the subjects chosen during the 3-year programme satisfy the foundation requirements of the master’s degree, or as a further education course following completion of a 4-year teacher education degree and, as the case may be, after a few years of work experience in a school. Several university colleges offer master’s programmes that are relevant for student teachers/teachers, and the number of applicants indicates that students are increasingly interested in such programmes.

A full transition to a 5-year teacher education programme at master’s level will require a significant increase in the number of academic staff, as well as a massive improvement of the academic standards of such staff in order to satisfy the accreditation requirements of the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT. For many of today’s general teacher education institutions this will not be realistic in the short term. At the same time, an extension of the 5-year programme will result in a reduction in the number of new graduates during an initial phase. There is also some uncertainty whether an increase in the length of studies of all primary and lower secondary teachers will bring about a rise or drop in the number of applicants.

NOKUT will assess whether a master’s programme offered at a university college will satisfy accreditation requirements, unless the university college in question is entitled to confer a doctoral degree in the discipline concerned4. It is not realistic that all institutions currently offering a 4-year general teacher education programme will be able to develop a varied offering of master’s studies in both main streams of primary and lower secondary teacher education. Hence the institutions must engage in formal cooperation on master’s level courses adapted to teacher education programmes so as to allow a greater number of students to apply directly to the relevant master’s programme after three years of study.

4 The universities themselves have the authority to institute new master’s programmes.

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A preliminary objective has been set to offer 800 student places at master’s level by 2014 for primary and lower secondary teachers. In the interim period, efforts will be made to improve the quality of the 4-year primary and lower secondary teacher education programme, build up the research competence of academic staff, develop a sound structure of cooperation between institutions and develop master’s programmes in keeping the needs of primary and lower secondary school. To ensure that master’s programmes matching the needs of the school system are developed and to satisfy the subject-knowledge requirements of master’s level studies, the Ministry will appoint an expert committee tasked with studying The content and organisation of a 5-year master’s programme The need for various specialisations at master’s level in terms of breadth and in-depth

studies Cooperation between the various teacher education institutions, including the challenges

facing the smallest university colleges Assess if and when it would be appropriate to implement a full transition to a 5-year

master’s programme for all teachers in primary and lower secondary education. The Ministry will Conduct a study of the transition to a 5-year master’s programme for primary and lower

secondary teacher education Gradually develop 5-year programmes so as to be able to offer 800 new places in master’s

programmes by 2014 particularly adapted to the needs of teachers at primary and lower secondary level; the programmes can be organised as 5-year integrated courses or as 2-year courses

Stimulate the development of 5-year integrated teacher education programmes for primary and lower secondary school.

2.2.6 Stronger research basis and development orientationSchool teachers need the knowledge generated by research in the disciplines they teach, as well as research about the way the subjects can be communicated and learned. Hence teachers must be able to familiarise themselves with relevant school and educational research and apply such new knowledge in practice. Teachers who have a reflective attitude toward their own teaching practice and who are also motivated to participate in and perform systematic development work will be the best equipped to contribute to developments at their own school. An important objective is to see that student teachers develop their capacity for critical reflection on their own and the school’s collective practices, for cooperation and for applying new knowledge in practice. Research and development work in teacher education must adopt a profession-oriented perspective and be closely linked to the new subject PPS.

The evaluations and studies referred to in chapters 5.6 and 6.5 show that today’s general teacher education programmes face challenges related to the academic standards of teaching staff, especially in subjects taught in school. Academic staff must develop research and experience-based competence, including knowledge about the school system. Teacher education must also direct its research and development work more specifically at primary and lower secondary education, familiarise students and professional practitioners with R&D activities and involve students and schools in R&D projects.

A teacher’s initial teacher education (ITE) is the very foundation for his professional development throughout his career. Student teachers’ contact with ongoing research and development work could encourage them to give closer thought to the importance of research

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for their own education and for their future development work in the teaching profession. The bachelor’s thesis - and possibly the master’s thesis at a later stage - could be linked to ongoing projects in teacher education and teaching practice schools. In this way, students will be given an introduction to scientific theory and method and thereby the possibility of developing their capacity for critical reflection on their own teaching practices. By using work methods requiring the open and verifiable use of sources, independence, analysis and critical reflection, teacher education could lead to a more positive and active attitude toward research and use of knowledge among students and teachers, cf. research referred to in chapter 6.

Although weaknesses have been pointed out in the R&D activities of general teacher education, there are positive developments to be seen in this area in terms of scope, quality and relevance. However research communities are small, many faculty members have poor research expertise and low research activity, and students are still not very strongly involved in R&D activities. Research work is often performed as narrow, individual projects and persons admitted to doctoral programmes often work in isolation.

It is up to the management of the institution to ensure an appropriate organisation and management of R&D work in teacher education. Priorities must be considered, if the institution wishes to have research teams capable of asserting themselves at national level, at Nordic level and internationally. A balance must be struck between the need for variety in R&D work and the desire to build larger research teams involved in joint research fields.

The institutions must perform quality assurance on the follow-up of R&D strategies and verify that allocations of R&D funds and other R&D priorities are implemented. To enable management to analyse the consequences of their own work, effective indicators must be devised to demonstrate developments over time.

An improvement of the formal competence of academic staff is expected in the coming years. Many staff members are currently involved in doctoral or associate professorial programmes. If teacher education institutions are to attain the tough quality objectives for education and research, a rapid rise in the number of faculty members with high-standard and relevant subject-specific expertise is needed. The Ministry will therefore allocate funds to special national research schools for teacher educators. Research schools for teacher educators must be seen in the context of research schools in related areas, such as educational science. National research schools will contribute to establishing subject-related contacts between doctoral students at the different institutions, developing the quality and scope of organised research training and promoting more cooperation in this field.

A profession-oriented perspective and proximity to the practice of teaching must be at the core of the work to enhance the competence of all professional groups involved in teacher education. Those who achieve high research competence must be retained as resource persons in initial teacher education. But the ultimate goal of earning a doctoral degree cannot apply to all. The organisational structure of universities and university colleges allows for a variety of qualification paths leading to initial appointment (associate professor or adjunct associate professor) or to top-level appointment (senior lecturer or professor). Associate professorial programmes should increasingly be developed as partnership programmes between cooperating institutions.

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The new educational research programme of the Research Council of Norway Education 2020 will contribute to a predictable, long-term commitment to educational research. This will highlight many important priority areas, such as subject and vocational didactics, the management, supervision and organisation of education and research institutions, assessment, forms of assessment and quality development. Teachers, teacher educators and others working in the field of initial teacher education need better information about educational research. The Ministry will study the possibility of establishing a Knowledge Centre for Education.

Developments in society lead to new requirements for initial teacher education, also as a basis for continuous professional development throughout a teaching career. In the courses offered in initial teacher education, institutions must prepare students for the teaching profession, contribute through school-oriented research to the emergence of new knowledge about education and learning, and promote through continuing and further education the continuous subject-knowledge and pedagogical development of teachers. Initial teacher education aims at giving students a foundation for updating their capabilities of analysing their own teaching practices and pupil learning, for changing and renewing their practices and learning methods and for developing and renewing the subject-knowledge content of the instruction they deliver throughout their entire teaching career. Through research, teacher education institutions must generate knowledge about teachers’ learning in their profession and develop continuing and further education building on such knowledge.

The Ministry will Establish national research schools for teacher educators aimed at strengthening the R&D

competence of academic staff Strengthen educational research on and for the sector Consider the establishment of a Knowledge Centre for Education Follow up the institutions’ strategic work to organise R&D activities, prioritise research

fields and involve students in R&D work Follow up the role of teacher education institutions in implementing a strategy for the

continuous and targeted further education of teachers.

2.2.7 Stronger international and multicultural orientationThe Government aims to ensure that internationalisation leads to the quality enhancement of Norwegian education and makes education institutions more attractive cooperation partners. Furthermore, the internationalisation of education should foster cultural understanding and global solidarity as a result of better international understanding and experience and improved language skills. The forthcoming White Paper on the Internationalisation of Education underlines the fact that institutions must Develop and implement an integrated internationalisation strategy enjoying the firm

support and acceptance of management at all levels of the institution Work systematically to integrate international and global aspects into subjects and courses Arrange for the cooperation and exchange of students and teachers by means of

agreements with relevant quality institutions abroad Ensure formalised, academically first-rate and relevant cooperation agreements Urge students to take the opportunity of a stay abroad as part of their programme of

studies.

Schools and teacher education are vital components of a policy aimed at increasing the internationalisation of knowledge policies. The global perspective is underscored in the

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general part of the school curriculum and in the educational principles of the Knowledge Promotion reform. Future teachers must have a sound understanding of global issues and how these require new knowledge. The internationalisation of working life means that children and young people need language skills and international experience. Hence an international, multicultural and global orientation must also permeate teacher education. Students can draw benefit from knowledge about education, research and professional practice in other countries. More student teachers need language skills and knowledge of cultures and can reap considerable personal and professional benefit from a stay in a foreign environment. Finally, the internationalisation of teacher education is important to promote multicultural knowledge and understanding in schools and in society at large.

International partnerships established for teaching purposes can foster attitudes of global orientation. Similarly, international understanding can be strengthened by making deliberate use of the multicultural resources and multilingualism currently existing in all learning environments in Norway.

As documented in chapter 6.6, available statistics show that international mobility in the field of education is generally low. Increased mobility in teacher education should be promoted and the participation of greater numbers of Norwegian student teachers in European and Nordic exchange programmes should be facilitated. The relatively stringent structure and timeframe of teacher education programmes must not therefore constitute a barrier to partial studies abroad. Furthermore, teacher mobility in teacher education should be significantly increased. To reap the best possible benefits in terms of quality of activity, it is essential that student and teacher mobility is rooted in an academic and institutional strategy and that there is a close link between education and research also in the field of international commitments. A closer national network between teacher education institutions, including international cooperation, could lead to a strengthening of such commitments as a whole.

Increasing student mobility in teacher education requires space - organisationally and thematically - for an international semester et al. in the 4-year teacher education programmes. This is relatively simpler in the context of master’s programmes. In the White Paper on the Internationalisation of Education, one of the measures proposed is a pilot project introducing an international semester in the 3- and 4-year programmes of professional study. In drafting the National Curriculum Regulations and a national structure for the new teacher education programme, the introduction of an international semester will be included in the terms of reference. In addition to actually studying abroad, an international semester must incorporate an internationalisation scheme “at home” for the students who do not go abroad. The international dimension must also be made visible in the subjects, the choice of curriculum and theme, the use of international guest teachers and schemes for seminars with international guests. One way to integrate international knowledge and understanding into the programme is to make use of the multilingualism and multicultural background of students and teachers.

Mobility is not merely a matter of the number of students/teachers who travel into or out of the country or how long they stay. Requirements are needed in the form of a contract providing quality assurance of the subject content of the stay abroad, as well as requirements for documented learning outcomes (credits earned), either in the host institution abroad or upon return to the home institution.

The Ministry will

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Make space for an international semester in the organisation of the new teacher education programme.

2.2.8 Sámi teacher educationThe Sámi University College is responsible for preserving, disseminating and developing the Sámi language and Sámi cultural and traditional knowledge. One of its essential tasks is the education of teachers for Sámi-speaking kindergartens and schools and of teachers with the necessary subject-knowledge and pedagogical competence to work in Norwegian-language kindergartens and schools with Sámi children. Valuable cooperation has been established within the framework of Sápmi, circumpolar cooperation in the field of education, and with various organisations of indigenous peoples. Sámi teacher education qualifies for work in Sweden and Finland.

As mentioned in chapter 5.9, the number of applicants to Sámi teacher education programmes is very low and has declined over a number of years. Hence a major challenge will be to recruit enough Sámi-speaking teachers for Sámi and Norwegian kindergartens and schools, especially teachers with Lule Sámi and South Sámi language skills. Furthermore, there is now a special need for Sámi-language teachers in schools outside Sámi core areas. The Sámi University College reports that it is the Norwegian schools located in Sea Sámi areas that are in particular need of Sámi-language teachers. This may also apply to schools with Sámi children in other parts of the country, for example in Oslo.

In view of the small classes of students admitted every second year to the Sámi University College teacher education programme, it will be difficult to achieve a specialised Sámi-language primary and lower secondary teacher education programme in accordance with the new national model, cf. chapters 2.2.1 and 2.2.2. The Sámi University College has few teachers in each subject and must base its activities on guest teachers/part-time teachers in several subjects. Particularly mathematics, Norwegian and English are subjects that pose problems in this respect.

Measures are needed to strengthen the recruitment of Sámi-language teachers. Gaining a more precise overview of the recruitment base requires a charting of pupils graduating from upper secondary school with Sámi as their first language, who also meet requirements for university and university college admission. Data must be compiled on teacher coverage in Sámi schools and the need for Sámi teachers in schools outside Sámi-speaking areas. The Ministry will conduct a survey to chart the recruitment base and the need for Sámi-language teachers.

The offering of various introductory and qualifying courses in both language and culture, such as those developed by the Sámi University College and by the University of Tromsø, is important and should be maintained and even further extended. Furthermore, it is important to continue the broad range of qualifying Sámi-language studies at these institutions and at Bodø and Sør-Trøndelag University Colleges.

In the view of the Ministry, the opportunity for the Sámi University College and other teacher education institutions to cooperate in offering Sámi language courses for teachers has not been utilised. Closer cooperation between the Sámi University College and the Bodø and Sør-Trøndelag University Colleges is needed to offer effective, predictable teacher education courses in Lule Sámi and South Sámi. The Sámi University College should consider appropriate measures to meet the demand for Sámi-language teachers in Oslo. One solution

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might be to offer courses entirely or partially outside Kautokeino in cooperation with other relevant providers. The University College itself is favourable to cooperating with other Sámi language centres in offering courses and studies in the Sámi language. The University College would retain academic responsibility for such decentralised courses, while others could take care of practical arrangements. Such activities must be coordinated with the commitment to Sámi language training announced by the Sámi Parliament, see reference in chapter 5.9.

The Ministry will consider the introduction of a waiver scheme for student loans in order to stimulate more students to take Sámi teacher education or acquire Sámi language skills as part of their teacher education programme. The scheme will correspond to that introduced in 2009 for borrowers having completed certain teacher education programmes specialising in language and natural science subjects. Under this latter scheme, a portion of student loans is waived upon completion of the full programme. The scheme will also apply to persons who have taken at least 60 credits in Sámi as part of their initial teacher education.

Teachers who are already in work may be granted funds for further education in Sámi, corresponding to up to 60 credits under the scheme Competence for Quality – Strategy for Further Education of Teachers. Furthermore, a general educational funding scheme is already in place providing a partial waiver of student loans for persons who have lived and worked in Finnmark or northern Troms for a continuous period of at least twelve months.

The Sámi University College will most likely be unable to implement level-differentiated curricula in all school subjects. The stipulations of the Qualifications Regulations on the educational requirements for teachers in Norwegian/Sámi, mathematics and English at lower secondary school level ensure the necessary teacher qualifications for initial appointment to teach these subjects at lower secondary level in both Sámi and Norwegian schools. Introducing stipulations on the educational qualifications for teachers of Norwegian/Sámi and mathematics also at primary school level will be considered, cf. chapter 2.2.2. The need for national guiding principles related to the content of Sámi primary and lower secondary teacher education should be seen in the context of the final stipulations of the Qualifications Regulations.

To achieve the necessary flexibility, the Sámi University College should be released from compliance with the future National Curriculum Regulations in respect of their teacher education for primary and lower secondary schools. The Ministry plans to delegate authority to the Sámi University College to determine the structure and composition of the new teacher education programme. The Ministry will consider drawing up overriding provisions (regulations) concerning the length, the main components (subjects, educational theory, teaching practice, etc.) to apply to Sámi initial teacher education as well. The Sámi Parliament has drawn up curriculum regulations for Sámi subjects in today’s Sámi teacher education.

The Ministry will Delegate authority to the Sámi University College to determine the curriculum

regulations/curriculum for Sámi teacher education within the framework of national stipulations of an overriding nature (regulations)

Consider waiving a portion of student loans to graduate teachers with at least 60 credits in Sámi as part of their initial teacher education

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Chart the recruitment base for Sámi higher education and the need for Sámi-language teachers

Provide support to courses and studies in Sámi at various levels organised in cooperation between the Sámi University College, other teacher education institutions and the Sámi Language Centres.

2.3 National supervision and control, division of labour and coordination

NOKUT’s evaluation panel and the Stjernø Committee question whether today’s organisation of existing teacher education programmes is the most appropriate way of utilising overall resources. They call for the State to assume a more coherent responsibility for strengthening the quality of education programmes and for determining student capacity5.

2.3.1 National supervision and controlEstablishing the new dual-level primary and lower secondary teacher education will require comprehensive work on the part of the individual institution. The Ministry will set up clear performance targets for quality development and coordinate and stimulate the work of teacher education institutions. At the same time, striking the right balance will be essential to avoid that government controls deprive institutions of the necessary freedom, responsibility and initiative to organise their own activities.

Student capacityGood-quality basic education in all parts of the country presupposes the qualification of a sufficient number of teachers with the knowledge and skills that schools need, and that there is a good geographical spread of programmes offered. Teacher competence must be in line with the needs of schools in all disciplines, e.g. in practical-esthetical subjects. In addition, a certain variation in the programmes offered in specific areas, e.g. the teaching of minority-language pupils, must be ensured. At the same time, the national distribution and structure of teacher education must allow for an appropriate utilisation of academic and financial resources. Hence the capacity of teacher education programmes must be assessed on a national and local basis, in terms of geographical criteria, costs and providing the best subject-content quality and sustainability of education and research. The Ministry will control student capacity of teacher education programmes and determine an appropriate size capable of securing a sufficient supply of teachers well-qualified for the various levels of schooling and with the necessary subject knowledge in all school subjects, in keeping with the needs of the sector. The Ministry will closely follow trends in the number of applicants to the various programmes and in the students’ choice of specialisation and subjects and take necessary action if a mismatch with school needs should arise.

A decline in the number of applicants in recent years has resulted in significantly smaller student cohorts in general teacher education than in the past in many institutions. A certain minimum number is necessary to ensure academic quality and give students some freedom of choice between subjects. Establishing two different main streams for primary and lower secondary teacher education will further accentuate the question of what is the smallest reasonable cohort size. At the same time, cooperation between institutions may contribute to securing the provision of subject courses that the individual institution would not be able to cater for alone.5 The knowledge base for the evaluations of this chapter is provided in chapters 5 and 6.

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At present there are no annual activity requirements6 for the various types of teacher education, as is the case for certain other programmes of professional study, on the grounds that the number of applicants to general and preschool teacher education has varied significantly in recent years. Institutions have had difficulty meeting stipulated activity requirements in the different years. Hence the institutions have been allowed to allocate student places to courses other than ordinary initial teacher education, primarily further education courses. In the process ahead the Ministry will apply activity requirements to teacher education.

A national follow-up groupThe Ministry will appoint a follow-up group with broad-based specialist expertise to compile the necessary information to present a clear overview of the situation and to assess developments at national as well as local level in terms of processes, quality and results. On this basis the group is to provide advice to the Ministry and to institutions. Its work will primarily start up in 2010. The Ministry wishes to stress the importance of allowing for necessary adjustments and specifications in the implementation of the reform in order to ensure quality in the academic work.

National structureThe Ministry will establish overriding National Curriculum Regulations for primary and lower secondary teacher education with clear requirements for learning outcomes for the subjects taught and for practical training. The Regulations must be developed in accordance with the National Qualifications Framework and a possible sectoral framework plan for teacher education and contribute as far as possible to a coherent national structure for primary and lower secondary teacher education. This will make it easier for students to move between institutions if they wish to choose specific subjects without losing time. Furthermore, it will make it easier for institutions to cooperate on the offering of subject courses, cf. chapter 2.2.2.

The Ministry aims to present new National Curriculum Regulations for primary and lower secondary teacher education early enough to allow the institutions to prepare good-quality local models and plans before the start-up of studies in the autumn of 2010. Students starting in 2009 will be phased into the new primary and lower secondary teacher education programme from 2010, and in full from 2011. Information will be communicated to students and school owners about transition schemes, for example in relation to their choice of main stream for primary and lower secondary teacher education.

Quality requirementsTo ensure effective national coordination and an overview of the development of the various aspects of the reform, the Ministry will devise national indicators related to qualitative and quantitative elements to measure changes over time. On this basis the Ministry will assess the suitability of continuing the scheme of annual reporting of quality improvements introduced as a follow-up to NOKUT’s evaluation.

In the annual policy dialogue with the individual institutions, the Ministry will emphasise the need for efforts to improve the quality of education programmes. In this context, the Ministry will consider drawing up some form of agreement or contract with selected institutions in particularly important fields, such as teacher education. The Ministry will specify its

6 The activity requirement shows the number of 60-credit units that are to be achieved during the first year of studies of a programme.

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expectations for the institutions’ efforts in the field and develop a set of quality criteria that the institutions must strive to fulfil. In combination with the follow-up group mentioned above, this could be a suitable means of improving the quality of teacher education.

The Ministry has taken due note of evaluations and comments highlighting the need for improved funding of the various teacher education programmes, teaching practice in particular. The Ministry will assess the funding of teacher education in connection with the annual government budgets and with the ongoing evaluation of the funding system. Evaluations have underlined how financial instruments may be used to stimulate increased quality, which may be particularly relevant for education programmes of special importance to society or with a special need for quality development, such as in teacher education. This kind of assessment of improved funding will be considered in the context of clearer expectations on the part of the Ministry and of the possible introduction of quality criteria as mentioned above.

2.3.2 Division of labour and coordinationCollectively, teacher education institutions must be able to offer the full range of initial, continuing and further education for teachers in all parts of the country, and to perform and disseminate research and development work of high quality and relevance.

ChallengesSeveral countries consolidate their national structure of institutions and programmes in the field of teacher education. Finland aims to reduce the number of universities offering teacher education from eleven to eight. In Denmark, a large number of teacher and pedagogical seminaries have been merged with other vocational training programmes into eight professional university colleges

In Norway, teacher education is spread out in 32 institutions. Most institutions offer different types of teacher education, and together they cover a large number of disciplines. The current general teacher education programme is offered by 20 institutions, divided between 24 permanent campuses. Only three of those institutions admitted more than 150 general teacher students in 2007.

Various studies highlight the following challenges facing the structure of courses on offer: Many teacher education programmes teach disciplines with unstable recruitment. Over

time this can lead to a weakening of the academic environment and the quality of studies A weak student base makes it difficult to develop and maintain a strong, stable academic

environment capable of engaging in high-quality education and research The number of staff with high-level research competence is low at several institutions and

in many disciplines Many general teacher education programmes have an unclear academic profile for courses

and research At several institutions the number of students engaged in further education is

disproportionately high in relation to the number of students in initial education

Improved quality through prioritisation and formal cooperationFew institutions will be able to offer on their own a full range of school subjects in both main streams for primary and lower secondary teacher education. A higher degree of specialisation, division of labour and academic cooperation between institutions is therefore necessary. The Ministry will contribute to coordinating and stimulating the work of

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institutions in this area. This will be considered inter alia as part of the evaluation of the funding system, where financial instruments will be assessed alongside other types of instruments aimed at facilitating and stimulating better and closer cooperation.

The individual institution is responsible for utilising its resources in the best possible way, requiring the institution management to take an active part in supervising the development and organisation of courses offered in teacher education. In small academic communities it may be difficult over time for academic staff to stay updated on new research while at the same time keeping abreast of changes in the school system. In the light of its academic capabilities, supply of students and resource situation, the individual institution must consider to profile and develop its own primary and lower secondary teacher education programme. In priority areas the institutions may have more success in developing robust academic environments capable of offering high quality education and research. Furthermore, the reorganisation, reduction or expansion of academic disciplines must be carefully considered in the context of the overall activities of the institution concerned.

Institutions will need to spend sufficient time developing a sustainable profile for the courses they offer. They will need to develop good internal processes capable of ensuring the involvement of academic staff in strategy work. Furthermore, contacts with social and working life in the region and student involvement are natural elements in the process.

Few institutions can provide all the subject-knowledge and pedagogical competence in basic education that the surrounding region requires. A clearer institutional profile and specialisation will improve this situation when institutions have to restrict today’s broad offering of courses. Hence the internal strategies of the individual institution must be developed in the context of other academic networks, of nearby institutions and of institutions responsible for specific national tasks.

In the short term, it is essential to establish more formal networking in the subjects and areas of specialisation comprising the new teacher education and which schools need. Students in primary and lower secondary teacher education at the different institutions must be offered a variety of options. Students will weigh the various possibilities when selecting where they wish to study, based, for example, on subject preferences, geographical considerations, family circumstances, quality of studies or student community. A common national structure for primary and lower secondary teacher education should therefore be developed when drafting National Curriculum Regulations.

It is a demanding process to develop a more distinct local profile and establish constructive cooperation between institutions that, to some extent, compete for the same students, the same members of academic staff and the same resources. The board and management of cooperating institutions must therefore want to work together and must, moreover, draw up a framework for the scope of academic and institutional cooperation in teacher education.

Several teacher education institutions have already initiated various forms of regional alliances and networks. This applies to the Mid-Norway Network (Midt-Norsk nettverk), the University Alliance OSLO (Universitetsalliansen OSLO), the Oslofjord Alliance (Oslofjordalliansen), the Council for Higher Education in Northern Norway and the University/University College Network West (UH-nett Vest).

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The direction, extent and scope of such cooperation will naturally vary. In an initial phase, it may be relevant to devote special attention to the distribution of teacher education courses between the institutions and to each institution’s selection of courses to offer independently vs. those it will offer in partnership with others. For many institutions such cooperation may cover various types of master’s programmes, other types of teacher education, regional research schools and more comprehensive research projects. For some institutions academic cooperation in the field of teacher education may constitute part of broader strategic cooperation covering several organisational and administrative areas where the long-term aim is to merge the institutions.

In order to stimulate further academic, strategic work in the field of teacher education, the Ministry has requested, on the basis of Proposition No. 1 to the Storting (2008-2009), institutions to review their own profile and build alliances with other institutions in the region. An initial evaluation provided by the institutions indicating the direction of strategic work in respect of local profile and regional cooperation in teacher education will be submitted to the Ministry in the summer of 2009.

The Ministry will follow very closely the work of institutions to develop the new teacher education. Courses offered by nearby institutions should complement one another. If it is seen that an insufficient number of courses is offered for certain school levels or subject areas, the Ministry will coordinate and direct developments through policy dialogue, capacity-designing and other measures.

The Ministry will Determine the capacity of teacher education programmes in line with needs at the

various levels of schooling and in the different subjects Apply activity requirements to teacher education Set up a follow-up group with a mandate to introduce reforms in teacher education Draw up National Curriculum Regulations setting out clear requirements for learning

outcomes Express clear expectations of teacher education through sectoral oversight Assess today’s grant and loan schemes for teacher education Stimulate institutions to engage in more formal cooperation in respect of the teacher

education programmes offered.

2.4 Recruiting and retaining teachers

Competent teachers develop their professional and personal skills throughout their career. Hence a coherent, effective system is needed to recruit, educate, mentor, retain and further develop competent teachers. This is in line with the recommendations given by the EU and the OECD underlining that teacher education must be considered as a continuous process.

ChallengesProjections made by Statistics Norway show that unless action is taken7 there may be a serious shortage of teachers toward 2020, resulting from the retirement of a large number of teachers from the profession, a certain anticipated growth in pupil numbers and an increase in the number of teaching hours coinciding with a serious decline in recruitment.

7 The knowledge base of this chapter is set out in chapter 7.

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Norway has many minority-language pupils and more teachers with a minority-language background are needed. More male teachers would also be desirable. Recruiting teachers in the area of Sámi-language education represents a special challenge.

A good match between education and the teaching profession is important for new graduates to develop into competent teachers and choose to remain in the profession. This is taken into account in several of the proposals contained in the White Paper, particularly through the new educational science subject and a strengthening of teaching practice. However, newly qualified teachers will still need training and mentoring in how to handle the practical side of the teaching profession to a degree that teacher education is unable to provide. Research shows that systematic mentoring and follow-up of newly graduated teachers is needed during the initial years of a teaching profession.

2.4.1 Recruiting more competent teachers to initial teacher educationOne of the most important measures to improve recruitment to teacher education is to create a sound and relevant education programme. Enhancing the standing of teacher education will increase the chances of attracting more and better applicants. The presence of able students will automatically contribute to enhancing the quality of education. The status and standing of the teaching profession will have an impact on recruitment too. There is also reason to believe that a good education will result in more teachers staying in the profession.

The surveys referred to in chapter 7.1 show that teachers enjoy a relatively high status in society, but that many teachers themselves feel there is little recognition for the important work they do. In recent years the teaching profession and the school system have received a great deal of negative attention and this may have had an adverse impact on the number of applicants to the profession. The Ministry believes that the strong focus on quality of teacher education now being proposed, combined with the commitment to quality in school, will highlight the teaching profession as the attractive and important profession it is.

To increase the recruitment of able students to teacher education and improve schools’ access to competence, the Government has taken the initiative in its 2009 budget to prioritise three areas: a recruitment campaign, a write-off scheme for student loans and a special scheme for adjunct lecturers (lektor II-ordning) – involving a total investment of NOK 52 million, see Recommendation to the Storting No. 12 (2008-2009). These measures are briefly described below, together with the measures proposed in this White Paper.

Increasing recruitment to teacher educationThe Ministry is currently preparing to launch a broad-based recruitment campaign aimed at raising the status of the teaching profession in the minds of the general public and especially of potential applicants. The campaign is intended to attract a greater number of applicants to teacher education and thereby improve recruitment to the teaching profession. It aims at highlighting teacher education as an attractive choice of education and that working in the school system opens the door to many opportunities. The campaign will be implemented in the spring of 2009.

More teachers with language and natural science expertise are needed. From 2009 a new scheme will therefore be set up providing a partial waiver of student loans for students completing teacher education in science and foreign language subjects. The scheme is meant as a recruitment incentive, as well as to encourage students who have already started such

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studies to complete the programme. The scheme will cover students completing the following programmes Integrated master’s programme in teacher education with science and foreign language

subjects 2-year subject didactics master’s programme for teachers in science and foreign language

subjects 1-year programme in educational theory and practice, if the borrower has previously

completed a master’s degree or graduate degree in mathematics-natural sciences, technology subjects/engineering studies or foreign languages

1-year programme in educational theory and practice, if the borrower has previously completed an engineering programme of studies.

Students who have completed the programmes above will benefit from a write-off of up to NOK 50 000 of their student loans. As mentioned in chapter 2.2.8, the Ministry will also partially waiver the student loans of students taking a minimum of 60 credits of Sámi as part of their teacher education programme.

It is the school owner who appoints teachers. School owners are therefore responsible for providing information about the teaching profession and the types of skills needed. Teachers needed to be recruited from both genders and from different population groups so that pupils can find appropriate role models. School owners must contribute in this respect through vocational and educational counselling to pupils in basic education.

In the Action Plan for Gender Equality in Kindergartens and Basic Education 2008-2010, universities and university colleges are called upon to work toward a better gender balance among students in teacher education. The planned recruitment campaign will target a number of different groups and aim at encouraging more men to apply for admission to teacher education.

Having good role models with multicultural backgrounds is essential. Multicultural teachers have experience that is valuable, not only to pupils with multicultural backgrounds but also to Norwegian-background pupils. Bilingual teachers are also needed to strengthen bilingual instruction in school subjects. The recruitment of multicultural teachers is an element of the recruitment campaign.

Admission requirementsAble and motivated students are essential to the quality of teacher education. Other countries have reaped positive experience from the use of a variety of selection methods for student admission to teacher education. A clear relationship has been seen between entrance grades, on the one hand, and completion rates and grades awarded in teacher education, on the other. However, research is not conclusive about determining specific criteria for selection or for predicting who will turn out to be good teachers.

In recent years there has been little competition for admission to teacher education in Norway. As a result, some student teachers have had relatively poor grades from upper secondary school and a weak subject-knowledge foundation in school subjects.

This resulted in the introduction of special admission requirements from 2005 for all general teacher education programmes. The requirements are at least 35 school grade points and a grade of at least 3 in Norwegian and mathematics and they had the desired effect of higher

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average grades among students from upper secondary school. At the same time, this resulted in a significant reduction in the number of qualified applicants to general teacher education programmes. However, the drop in the number of applicants with good or average grades suggests that there might also be other causes for the decline. One explanation could be that there was a relatively high unemployment rate among teachers during the period 2004 to 2005.

One of the core objectives of this White Paper is to ensure that teacher education maintains a high standard of quality and thereby represents as a demanding and attractive option for well-qualified and ambitious applicants. The Ministry has considered whether admission requirements should be toughened even further, but following an overall evaluation has come to the conclusion that such a measure would not be appropriate at the present time. The changes recently adopted in the Regulations on Admissions to Universities and University Colleges will automatically entail a toughening of requirements, as fewer bonus points will be awarded for natural science subjects and in-depth studies. The more long-term objective is to increase the number of applicants to teacher education and that admission requirements are raised as a result of increased competition for student places. However, the Ministry will follow future developments closely and will also take a closer look at the question of admission requirements.

The Ministry underlines that teacher education institutions must place high demands on their students, cf. chapter 2.2.4, and ensure that the instruction given maintains a high standard of quality. In priority areas, e.g. natural science subjects, institutions are urged to offer preparatory courses to students who lack the necessary prior knowledge, if this is needed to guarantee good recruitment to specific subjects.

The Ministry wishes to see more research on the factors influencing applicants to teacher education and on the motivation for and views on the education programme and profession among student teachers and newly qualified teachers in order to form a better basis for recruitment work and for improving completion rates.

Student capacityIncreasing the number of applicants to teacher education is a prerequisite for a larger supply of teachers. Generally speaking, the Ministry believes that a new and improved teacher education and increased quality in school will contribute to better recruitment and to ensuring that greater numbers complete the education and stay in the profession.

In order to achieve a rapid increase in the supply of new teachers, the Ministry will increase the capacity of the 1-year programme in educational theory and practice (PPU). This programme is offered to students who have already completed a bachelor’s or master’s programme or a vocational training programme. There are many applicants to this programme and the drop-out rate is relatively low. Teachers who have completed the PPU programme are qualified to teach in upper and lower secondary school and at intermediate level. Hence the Ministry will allocate funds in the 2009 budget to increase admissions to the PPU programme with 180 new student places, cf. Recommendation to the Storting No. 12 (2008-2009). The Ministry will assess the capacity of teacher education in the annual budget.

Better throughput and fewer dropoutsTo increase the supply of teachers, dropout rates from teacher education must be reduced. Although dropout rates from teacher education are not particularly high compared with other

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education programmes, there is room for an improvement of completion rates and a reduction of dropout rates. The Ministry will follow up the development of throughput rates in teacher education and expects teacher education institutions to implement the necessary measures to reduce the number of dropouts and improve throughput.

Recruitment of teachers from other programmes of study and professionsThe Ministry will develop a special trainee programme for especially competent candidates coming from education programmes other than teacher education. USA and England have gained much positive experience from this type of programme. During a very short period of time Teach First has become an attractive career path in England.

The aim of the programme is to increase the subject-knowledge competence in schools and to bring in new and different expertise, as well as to open for new recruitment routes into the teaching profession.

There are various ways of organising this type of programme. The essential move is to provide relevant candidates with a preliminary intensive introduction to the teaching profession. Upon completion of this introductory course, they will be given teaching responsibilities in schools in their specific discipline. In parallel with their teaching duties they will be followed up with mentoring and management training. The trainee programme can bring valuable experience that candidates can use as a stepping stone to a future career in the school system or to working life in general. Together with the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) and other relevant players, the Ministry will initiate a pilot trainee programme for especially competent candidates.

Furthermore, the Ministry is working on a special scheme for adjunct lecturers (lektor II-ordning) to attract working professionals to teach in disciplines where schools need more expertise, cf. Recommendation to the Storting No. 12 (2008-2009).

This special scheme allows persons from the business community to teach part-time in disciplines where schools have special needs and its aim is to give pupils relevant, updated instruction closely linked to practical work in the field. It is also meant to allow those recruited to work in schools to continue as teachers and to stimulate specialists working in the school system without the required teaching qualifications to complete the necessary pedagogical courses.

The Ministry will carry out a pilot project in the spring of 2009 prior to the implementation of a more comprehensive project from August 2009. The pilot project will initially focus on natural science subjects, but if and when the scheme is extended, other subjects may also be included.

2.4.2 Better transition between education and working life

Mentoring offered to all newly qualified teachersTeacher education is meant to give student teachers the best possible qualifications for exercising their profession as competent teachers, but it cannot fully prepare them for the everyday life that awaits them in schools. Certain aspects of the teaching profession are best experienced and learned through professional practice itself.

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The first years of a teacher’s career are important ones. New teachers are given daily responsibility for the learning of their pupils and they will wish to exercise their profession in line with their ideals. It is during this period in particular that the teacher develops his/her professional identity. New teachers are eager and conscientious, but much is new and much needs to be learned and considered.

The research referred to in chapter 7.3 shows that there is a clear need for systematic mentoring and follow-up during the first years of a teacher’s working life. Effective mentoring is essential for new teachers to develop good skills and to master the job. Effective mentoring can also contribute to improving retention rates in the profession.

A number of countries have implemented schemes aimed at easing the transition from education to professional life. Mandatory induction programmes and the use of supervisors/mentors are common measures used to introduce new graduates to the teaching profession. Following a resolution by the Storting trials were initiated in 1997 to provide mentoring to newly qualified teachers in Norway. From 2003 the scheme “Mentoring of Newly Qualified Teachers” has been in place, where teacher education institutions offer school owners support in their work to follow up and mentor newly qualified teachers in kindergartens and school. Today this facility is available in all counties, but not all municipalities are part of the programme.

SINTEF has evaluated the scheme and found that two out of three who participated in the scheme were very well satisfied or well satisfied with the mentoring provided. New teachers, school management and local supervisors all felt that the programme had contributed to improved reflection on their own practice, faith in their own abilities as well as a better mastery of their interactions with pupils and of their job situation.

The Ministry believes the experience gained from mentoring newly qualified teachers is so useful and the scheme so essential that mentoring must be made available to all new teachers. Similarly, the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) in its Education Policy Platform maintains that local authorities must offer a mentoring scheme to all newly appointed teachers. The employer is responsible for ensuring that newly qualified teachers receive the necessary training and mentoring to exercise their teaching assignments.

In 2009 allocations to the scheme “Mentoring of Newly Qualified Teachers” will be doubled to a total of NOK 33 million. This opens for considerable growth in the number of teachers in basic education offered such mentoring. The Ministry is in dialogue with the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities to engage in formal cooperation to offer mentoring to all newly qualified teachers in basic education from the 2010-2011 academic year. Mentoring of preschool teachers in kindergartens will be dealt with in the White Paper on the Quality of Kindergartens, which will be presented in the spring of 2009.

Certification of newly qualified teachersSeveral professions and occupations have some system of required certification, authorisation or approval in order to practice in the profession. In the longer term, the Ministry will consider introducing such certification/authorisation/approval requirements – hereafter referred to as certification – for new teachers. Certification will be a continuation of the mentoring scheme for newly qualified teachers.

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There are various ways of organising certification. The main element will be that new teachers, upon completion of their education programme, carry out a trial year in a school. Mentoring and assessment by an experienced mentor will be performed during this trial year. Newly qualified teachers will need a positive assessment, based on national criteria for what is required of a teacher, to be certified. Certification will be needed for permanent employment in the school system. Teacher certification may also be revoked.

The purpose of certification is to ensure that teachers are qualified to meet the requirements and responsibilities of a job in the school system. Furthermore, a certification scheme can contribute to clarifying what is expected of new teachers – which skills and qualifications new teachers must possess in order to be able to work in the school system. In addition, stringent requirements for new teachers can contribute to raising the status and standing of the teaching profession.

Introducing a certification scheme for newly qualified teachers at national level is a comprehensive and costly process that will have to be studied more closely. The Ministry will invite key partners to take part in this study.

2.4.3 Retaining competent teachers in the school systemThe teaching profession is a knowledge profession. Hence teachers need to undergo continuous subject-related updating and development. The opportunities for academic development and careers are also important to many when choosing their education and profession. In this respect, the existence of development opportunities will determine who applies to join the profession and who chooses to stay, and is therefore crucial to the quality of school.

Further and continuing educationThe most important arena for a teacher’s learning is his/her work in school and participation in local R&D work. However, teachers also need to receive necessary further and continuing education in universities and university colleges. Local and regional authorities and private school owners are responsible for the competence development of their employees, cf. Section 10-8 of the Education Act. In recent years the State has provided considerable support to competence development, most recently through “Competence for Development – Strategy for Competence Development in Basic Education 2005-2008”.

In the White Paper on Quality in School (Report to the Storting No. 31 (2007-2008)), cf. Recommendation to the Storting No. 42 (2008-2009), the Government put forward a proposal for a permanent system of continuing education. The State proposes to provide more support to continuing education than in the past. An agreement was recently concluded by the Ministry of Education and Research, the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities, teachers’ organisations and the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions on a permanent system of continuing education. The parties have agreed on a funding system where the State is to cover the full cost of student places. In addition, the State will cover 40 percent of the cost for substitute teachers, as will local authorities. The final 20 percent represents the teachers’ own contribution.

Continuing education is to focus primarily on disciplines and topics that need strengthening nationwide. From 2009, priority will be accorded to continuing education in Norwegian, Sámi, mathematics, English at lower secondary level, and to teaching reading skills, mainly at primary level. Continuing education in other subjects will be prioritised according to local

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needs. The scheme provides teachers with continuing education up to 60 credits in a specific subject or field. The scheme is to cover teachers who have no prior in-depth study qualifications, teachers who have completed some in-depth studies and teachers wishing to incorporate continuing education into a master’s degree.

Career paths in the school systemTraditionally, the teaching profession has been a flat-structured profession with small salary differences and few career opportunities other than becoming a school leader.

In recent years the teaching profession has become somewhat more specialised and characterised by a greater degree of work-sharing, as a result of a stronger focus on specialists, advisers, mentors and a greater emphasis on school management. Despite this, future career opportunities remain limited for those teachers who wish to stay in the classroom.

Chapters 2.2.3 and 2.4.2 provide an account of measures related to teaching practice and mentoring of newly qualified teachers. The quality of such measures depends on the existence of competent, qualified teachers who wish to become practice supervisors and mentors, and presupposes that such teachers are offered appropriate training and follow-up.

In recent years the number of teachers holding a master’s degree has increased. There are also specialist teachers with a master’s degree in e.g. teaching literacy skills and second language instruction. This allows for a greater degree of specialisation in schools and thereby also career differentiation.

The Ministry appreciates the importance of attracting and taking care of good teachers in these specialist functions, e.g. through the use of various salary and promotion incentives. A wider variety of academic career paths in the school system can give competent teachers new opportunities for further professional development and transform schools into vital, exciting workplaces.

It is up to the social partners to consider how best to introduce new career paths into the school system.

2.4.4 Responsibilities and follow-up of the players involvedTo meet the objective of more competent teachers in school, teacher education institutions and school owners will have to shoulder their share of responsibilities.

The Ministry will Offer mentoring to all newly qualified teachers Conduct a study on a national certification scheme for teachers Test a trainee programme for especially competent candidates Assess the capacity of teacher education in annual budgets.

The following measures have already been adopted, cf. Recommendation to the Storting No. 12 (2008-2009) Allocating 180 new student places in the 1-year programme in educational theory and

practice in 2009 Introducing a fund scheme for candidates with natural science subjects and foreign

languages in their subject combination Introducing a special scheme for adjunct lecturers (lektor II-ordning)

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Carrying out a recruitment campaign.

Teacher education institutions are expected to Contribute to ensuring that teacher education is perceived as exciting, demanding and

challenging – both for applicants to higher education and candidates with the relevant educational background who are already in work – and work to recruit applicants to teacher education

Work to improve throughput and reduce dropouts from teacher education Cooperate with school owners to organise and train local mentors and mentoring schemes

for newly qualified teachers Draw up long-term plans and develop continuing and further education courses

responding to challenges in priority areas, and serve as active competence-building environments for local R&D work.

School owners are expected to Integrate the mentoring of newly qualified teachers as a natural part of their

responsibilities as employer and ensure support for the scheme at management level Make arrangements to provide teachers with the necessary update of subject knowledge

and contribute to ensuring that school is a workplace that fosters continuous learning and development

As an employer, contribute to the increased recruitment of students to teacher education programmes

Work to make the teaching profession attractive and to retain teachers in the profession until retirement age.

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