ERIC Number: EJ1198441
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Oct
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2158-2440
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Critical Analysis of an Innovative Approach: A Case of Diversity in Norwegian Education
Burner, Tony; Biseth, Heidi
SAGE Open, v6 n4 Oct 2016
This article investigates an innovative approach that has as its aim to ensure that more students complete secondary education. The national program, called "Competence for Diversity," puts emphasis on children with minority language background, that is, children with another first language(s) than the Norwegian national languages. In this article, we report on how educators participating in this program understand the term diversity and how they work to enhance diversity in their local contexts. The study applied mixed methods, where questionnaires (n = 86) and interviews (n = 40) were used to collect data. In addition, document analyses were performed. The results suggest that there is a significant gap between the educators' and the educational authorities' understanding of diversity as outlined in official documents. We claim that there is a need to define diversity, rather than implicating and addressing "the Others" when launching and implementing a national program on diversity.
Descriptors: Instructional Innovation, Teaching Methods, Language Minorities, National Programs, Norwegian, Second Language Learning, Student Diversity, Teacher Attitudes, Program Implementation, Foreign Countries, Educational Policy, Faculty Development, Cultural Awareness, Cultural Pluralism, Secondary School Teachers, Elementary School Teachers, Elementary Secondary Education, Kindergarten, Preschool Teachers, Culture Conflict
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Secondary Education; Elementary Education; Elementary Secondary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education; Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Norway
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A