Formalistic obscurantism?

An attempt to decipher the curriculum in social studies

Authors

Keywords:

Curriculum analysis, competence aims, core elements, interdisciplinary topics, social studies didactics, teaching profession

Abstract

In 2020 the new National Curriculum, Knowledge Promotion Reform 2020, was implemented in Norwegian schools. In this article we present a detailed empirical analysis of the relationship between competence aims, core elements (disciplinary knowledge and transversals skills) and interdisciplinary topics in the National Curriculum. The discussion is limited to the school subject social studies at the secondary level (ages 13-15). The findings provide practical knowledge about the curricula that will prove useful for teacher educators and teachers. In the second part of the article, we discuss the implications of the findings and call for a theoretical informed discussion of (1) governance in school, (2) the content of curriculum, and (3) the teachers’ professionalism. We conclude that the curriculum structure is exceptionally complex, lacking both logical integrity and consistency. And since the digital module seems to obscure rather than amend this flaw, we suggest that “formalistic obscurantism” characterises the curriculum.

 

Author Biographies

Kari-Mette Walmann Hidle, Universitetet i Agder

Kari-Mette Walmann Hidle is associate professor at the University of Agder. Her research field is social studies didactics, and she takes special interest in human right education and questions related to diversity, identity and belonging.

Ove Skarpenes, Universitetet i Agder

Ove Skarpenes is Professor at the Department of Sociology and Social Work at the University of Agder. His research has centered on sociology of knowledge, education, class, work and culture.

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Published

2021-12-28

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 2021:3 (2021): Nordidactica 2021:3

Section

Articles