Deregulation, Privatisation and Marketisation of Nordic Comprehensive Education : Social Changes Reflected in Schooling

Peer reviewe

When assessment defines the content—understanding goals in between teachers and policy

© 2020 The Authors. The Curriculum Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Educational Research Association.Education policy development internationally reflect a widespread expansion of learning outcome orientation in policy, curricula and assessment. In this paper, teachers’ perceptions about their work are explored, as goals and assessment play a more prominent role driven by the introduction of a learning outcomes‐oriented system. This is investigated through interviews of Norwegian teachers and extensive policy analysis of Norwegian policy documents. The findings indicate that the teachers are finding ways to negotiate and adjust to the language in the policies investigated in this study. Furthermore, the findings show that the teachers have developed their professional language according to the policies. The teachers referred to their self‐made criteria and goal sheets as central tools in explicating what is to be learned. In many ways, the tools for assessment, thus determine the content of education as well as what is valued in the educational system.publishedVersio

Oral contraceptive use and risk of melanoma in premenopausal women

Melanoma has been increasing in white populations. Incidence rates rise steeply in women until about age 50, suggesting oestrogen as a possible risk factor. Oestrogens can increase melanocyte count and melanin content and cause hyperpigmentation of the skin. We examined prospectively the association between oral contraceptive (OC) use and diagnoses of superficial spreading and nodular melanoma among 183 693 premenopausal white women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS II) cohorts. One hundred and forty six cases were confirmed in NHS during follow-up from 1976 to 1994, and 106 cases were confirmed in NHS II from 1989 to 1995. Skin reaction to sun exposure, sunburn history, mole counts, hair colour, family history of melanoma, parity, height and body mass index were also assessed and included in logistic regression models. A significant twofold increase in risk of melanoma (relative risk (RR) = 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–3.4) was observed among current OC users compared to never users. Risk was further increased among current users with 10 or more years of use (RR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.7–7.0). Risk did not appear elevated among past OC users, even among those with longer durations of use, and risk did not decline linearly with time since last use. In conclusion, risk of premenopausal melanoma may be increased among women who are current OC users, particularly among those with longer durations of use. Further research is needed to determine whether low-dose oestrogen pills in particular are associated with an increase in risk and to describe possible interactions between OC use and sun exposure or other risk factors for melanoma. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

The Plasticity of Bildung - Towards a New Philosophy of Education

Sometime around 500 BCE, Heraclitus is supposed to have said that it is impossible to step in the same river twice. Since then, the problem of being and change has never left Western philosophy. Evidently important in and to education, change continues to be an important field of inquiry. In this text, I approach the concept of change by way of an examination of Catherine Malabou’s philosophy of plasticity. I revisit what I identify as three main moments in her philosophy: Her re-elaboration of Hegelian time and dialectics as the process through which change happens; the open potentiality of the moment as she finds it in Heidegger; and change as driven by, and dependent on, concepts and schematization as she finds it implied in Derrida. By setting change at the center for what might be called her post-post-structural, materialist, yet non-deterministic ontology, Malabou’s three moments could open up for a rethinking of the changeable character of the Nordic model, as well as the character of ethical-political education

Rethinking ethical-political education. Beyond the Nordic Model

Abstract: Ethical-political education is an area of continuous disputes and conflicting beliefs, values and world-views related to its embedded complexity embracing social, cultural and not least political community and identity. In short, “education” is a name for those phenomena through which a community or society preserves and renews itself. The term “ethical-political education”, however, more explicitly relates to those aspects of education through which the communal and formative values and norms of a community, culture or society seem to be at stake. Discourses on ethical-political education, however, do not only mirror conflictual values and beliefs. They also carry the potential to shape, justify, uphold and direct shared images, values, norms and practices. So, taking the fact that communal beliefs, values and worldviews are at stake in an ever-changing globalized and multi-faceted world, a systematic re-thinking of the many faces of ethical political education seems today more urgent than ever. This chapter gives and overview of this book by introducing some overall perspectives on ethical-political education; a few of the hot topics of today; and the ways in which the authors of this book explore and discuss these topics