Friluftsliv and adventure: Models, heroes and idols in a Nansen perspective

With the ambition of penetrating into the very core of the Norwegian and Nordic friluftsliv: An ecologically responsible life in the open air-in nature, people will have to become acquainted with Fridtjof Nansen—with the thinker as well as the practitioner. Outdoor life with natural and strong links to the national friluftsliv—tradition was his ideal, and quite a lot of people in the years after him have been fired with his enthusiasm for the wonderful experiential and health—giving meetings with nature. Obviously, he has been a hero and an idol for generations of people. His reputation as an arctic explorer, as scientist and sportsman, as an internationalist and a humanitarian, have been emphasized by a great many books and articles about him. The main purpose of this article is to shed more light upon his thinking about friluftsliv, to show and explain its focus, its models and paragons.     

Practice and theory in teaching practice

Christensen, O.Ø., “Practice and theory in teaching practice,” Revue ATEE Journal 3 (1980) 43‐48.

The thesis of this word for student teachers on their way to acquire school‐based experience is that there is no direct link between the theory of teacher education and the practice of the school. It is pointed out that, just like the school, teacher education has its own theory and practice. During teaching practice a synthesis is established between the theory‐practice relation of teacher education and that of the school. That is why it is extremely important that the teaching practice tutor should be able to: (a) give justification of his own practice when teaching children; and (b) to function as an adult educator who can argue for his own contribution towards widening the student teacher's growing perception of the teacher's role in society.     

Behavioral Inhibition and Stress Reactivity: The Moderating Role of Attachment Security

The role of the mother-toddler attachment relationship in moderating the relations between behavioral inhibition and changes in salivary cortisol levels in response to novel events was examined in 77 18-month-olds. Behavioral inhibition was determined by observing toddler inhibition of approach to several novel events. Attachment security to mother was assessed using the Ainsworth Strange Situation. Changes in salivary cortisol were used to index activity of the stress-sensitive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system. In addition, toddler coping behaviors and the behaviors used by mothers to help toddlers manage novel events were examined. Elevations in cortisol were found only for inhibited toddlers in insecure attachment relationships. Mothers in these relationships appeared to interfere with their toddlers' coping efforts. These results are discussed in the context of a coping model of the relations between temperament and stress reactivity.     

Learning to Teach Through Teaching and Being Taught

Teacher shortage has been a problem in northern Norway for decades. The authorities have taken steps to stimulate the supply of teachers in these regions through economic incentives and decentralized or part‐time teacher education. The full effect of these measures cannot be fully evaluated till the early or middle 1990s. In this article, structure and assessments of first and second generation decentralized and part‐time teacher education are referred. Even though this approach to teacher education has been disputed, it now seems to be accepted by most interest groups. The main problems of these programs seem to be related to the pressures on students trying to fill multiple roles (student, part‐time teacher, mother), and the supervision of students.     

Reading and writing self-efficacy of incarcerated adults

This paper is the first to examine the Reading and Writing Self-Efficacy Scale among incarcerated adults. The aim was to examine whether performance of reading and spelling tests (Reading Speed, Nonsense Words and Spelling) explained individual differences in the participants' efficacy beliefs in reading and writing. Six hundred subjects rated their efficacy beliefs in reading and writing, and 92 of them were also sampled for a reading and spelling test. Factor analysis yielded a two-factor solution dividing the reading items and writing items into separate factors and hierarchical regression analysis revealed that education level and test performance accounted for 36.9% and 34.9% of the statistical variance in reading self-efficacy and writing self-efficacy, respectively. The results suggest that assessment of self-efficacy in reading and writing should be included in a screening procedure of reading and spelling difficulties.     

A Perspective on the Intended Science Curriculum in Iceland and its ‘Transformation’ over a Period of 50 Years

In recent decades, a consensus has emerged among educators and scientists that all compulsory school students need good science education. The debate about its purpose and nature as a school subject in an emerging information society has not been as conclusive. To further understand this, it helps to examine how the science curriculum has transformed and what forces have shaped it as a core curricular area over time. This article sheds light on the transformation of the science curriculum for compulsory schools in Iceland in force from 1960 to 2010. Using criteria based on curriculum ideologies regarding the function of learners, instructors and subject matter in the learning process and the orientation of content and product versus process and development, it offers findings from content analysis of the intended science curriculum. The official curriculum was studied and conceptualised as it has evolved over time. The curriculum developers appear to have been striving for a compromise between conflicting views, resulting in what the authors of this article conceive as a ‘kaleidoscopic quilt’ of ideas over the period studied.     

Negotiating and reshaping Christian values and professional identities through action research: experiential learning and professional development among Christian religious education teachers

In European societies, major patterns of plurality have changed over recent decades due to modernization and globalization. In schools, these new patterns of plurality have consequences for learning processes and may be challenging for students and teachers. This article investigates these issues, taking as its point of departure the way they surfaced in the Norwegian subject-oriented research project ‘Teaching about Religious Diversity in Schools. Applying and Developing an Interpretive Cultural Approach to Religious Education’ (2007–2010). Nine teachers and two researchers worked together in a community of practice, adopting an action research mode of collaboration. Each participant carried out and documented individual development projects, mostly within their own student groups. Developments and results were discussed in regular community-of-practice workshops. The data analysed in this article were generated from these workshops and from interviews with participants. The main research question raised is how an action research project in the field of religious education can lead to professional development for the participants. More specifically, the question is how such development can be described with respect to the relationship between personal and professional aspects of teacher identity and practice. The introduction of core concepts from theories of religious education and action learning triggered a collective inquiry among the participants into their own professional knowledge. Gradually a common professional discourse developed within the community of practice, and the participants became aware of and started to investigate critically how personal values and beliefs played a role in their professional work.     

Agroecology Education: Action-oriented Learning and Research

Abstract

Purpose: This article examines and evaluates the potential contributions from action learning and action research with stakeholders to higher education in agriculture and food systems.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The research is based on our experiences over the past two decades of running PhD courses and an MSc degree programme in Agroecology in Norway that have attracted students from the Nordic region and other countries.

Findings: We conclude that collaborating with non-university stakeholders as an integral part of a university course or programme serves four main purposes, two directly related to learning and two that can be considered as practical implications. Firstly, it enables learning about complex topics, a learning that cannot be achieved by merely reading or listening. Secondly, the real-life flare of such activities provides the students with enthusiasm and energy to delve into theory.

Practical Implications: Thirdly, students collaborating with non-university stakeholders connect university and society. Fourthly, this process builds social relevance and civic engagement not found in conventional courses or curricula.

Originality/Value: The article presents conceptual foundations and practical implementation of a unique educational programme in agriculture and food systems.