Research Areas

NeVa work package 1 explores the political, theoretical, and philosophical contexts for the selected three core values prioritised in Norway’s LK20 core curriculum: human dignity, identity and cultural diversity, and critical thinking and ethical awareness.

Work package 1 will answer the following research questions:

1. What are the normative, legal and political framework for public education and how did the LK20 core curriculum framework emerge as a result of political and social negotiations of values?
2. What foundational principles form the political and theoretical contexts for designating the LK20 core values?
3. Is there coherence between the foundation principles and the textual construction of the values in the LK20 core curriculum, and how are these values meant to be constitutive of educational pedagogy and practices?

NeVa work package 2 explores how teacher-students in Norway (HVL, UiS og UiA)  and the UK (York og Bedfordshire) are taught and trained in the negotiation and teaching of the selected core societal values in theoretical and didactical teaching at their universities. A Ph.D. project in Norwegian or English literature didactics is part of this work package.

Work package 2 will answer the following research questions:

1. How do Norwegian university teachers and students understand the selected core values in LK20 and how do British university teachers and students understand UK’s ‘fundamental British values’?

2. In which university subjects, and through which teaching materials and methods are teacher-education students in Norway and the UK taught and trained in the negotiation and teaching of the selected core societal values. What are the main challenges they face in doing so?

3. What words and expressions do teacher-students and teacher-education lecturers use when they talk about and discuss values and value negotiations, and to what extent can their choice of language, including the use of metaphors, be viewed and experienced as inclusive?

NeVa work package 3 explores how teacher-students in Norway (HVL, UiS, UiA) understand and experience value negotiations and the possible teaching of core values in their practice as teacher-students in schools in Norway and the UK (York). A Ph.D. project studying how Norwegian 7^th grade children understand the selected core societal values in LK20 is part of this work package.

Work package 3 will answer the following research questions:  

1. How do teacher-students approach their value negotiation and teaching of values in their teacher-training practice in schools in Norway and the UK?
2. How do the teacher–students’ mentors advise and support the teacher-students regarding their value negotiation and possible teaching of values in their teaching practice in schools in Norway and the UK? How may Neva Co-Creative Workshops be designed to support teacher-students’ practice on the negotiation and teaching of the selected LK20 values in schools?
3. How do Norwegian 7th grade pupils understand the core values of the national curriculum LK20 and how may Neva Co-Creative Workshops be designed to support the negotiation and teaching of values among Norwegian pupils? (Ph.D. project)