Art and Craft in Norwegian Primary Education: A Curriculum Subject on the Move From Craft to Art?

• In Event: Aesthetic and Practical Curriculum Subjects in Modern Primary Schooling: Nice or Just Necessary?

Abstract

Norway is the only country in Scandinavia that has compiled the different fields of visual art, design and craft to one integrated curriculum subject in public schooling, art and craft. The challenges and dilemmas of this situation will be highlighted in this paper through findings in the Norwegian national survey described in the symposium session abstract (Skolefagsundersøkelsen 2011).

My data is based on responses from practicing teachers taking part in a multi-subject national online survey in Norway (primary schools). Answers were analyzed using SPSS and discussed in a multi-subject research group. Theoretical perspectives are inspired by practice theory (Handal and Lauvås 1999), by progressive education (Dewey 1916), Bildung theories (Klafki 2001) curriculum theory (Shulman 1986), and theories on relational pedagogy (Bingham & Sodorkin 2004, Biesta 2013)

Resent research on school subject Art and Crafts, suggest there have been conflict between different positions within the school subject both prior to-, and after the fusion of the previous school subjects ‘drawing’, ‘sloyd’ and ‘textile’ (Brænne 2011). The idea behind the fusion was that the primary goals for drawing and crafts should be personal development trough creative work in materials. While this ideal was significant in official curriculum development between 1960 and 1997, many teachers continued teaching according to the goals from the “old” disciplines. The teacher training, however, did not allow such specialization, making it difficult to sustain teacher competence within the crafts, as well as the arts.

Findings in the survey suggest that practices are very differentiated, that art and craft teachers in the primary school have low formal competence in terms of teacher training background, and that teachers for the most part teach art and craft within the framework of their own class or group. Findings also show that a great number of the teachers don’t teach woodwork, ceramics and textiles. The responses from teachers also suggest that gender, rather than formal education and training, influence teaching priorities. In relation to the national curriculum for art and craft and its implementation, this is a finding ´that should create some concern among policy makers.

A summary of findings suggest that art and craft seems to be on the move from craft to art and that this development might seem impossible to turn because of a primary school model favouring classroom teacher competence before curriculum subject competence.

In my discussion I will compare the findings of the survey to aspects of curriculum subject history and art and craft traditions as part of the Norwegian national model for primary compulsory schooling. My conclusions focus on the significance of identifying the different traditions of craft as well as of art that should be integrated in in the curriculum subject, and allowing space in teacher training for these traditions to develop. A clearer definition of the traditions existing within the school subject would contribute to a more efficient and community oriented approach to the implementation practices of art and craft in primary public schooling.

Author

• Kjetil Somoe, Stord Haugesund University College