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For the Public Good? Mathematics Grouping Policy Shifts in Norway

Sat, April 18, 2:15 to 3:45pm, Virtual Room

Abstract

Norwegian culture has traditionally emphasized equality defined as sameness, and Norwegians consider their country to be egalitarian (Hjellbrekke & Korsnes, 2014). An important aspect of this egalitarianism has been the practice of teaching in heterogeneous schools and classes. Indeed, Norwegian law (Education Act §8-2) states that “pupils shall not normally be organized according to level of ability, gender or ethnic affiliation”. In recent years, international tests have revealed that few Norwegian students perform at the highest levels in mathematics (OECD, 2016), fueling concerns for the most “gifted” students (National Centre for Science Education, 2015), and the comparatively large number of students at the lowest levels (Kjærnsli & Jensen, 2016). One response to such concerns has been a growth of grouping by attainment. This paper reports on the process and impact of these strategies at school and classroom levels.
Previous research indicates that grouping by attainment has little benefit (Hallam & Parsons, 2013; Nomi, 2009). Indeed, it can be detrimental, particularly for lower attainers or students from poorer socio-economic backgrounds (Author, 2017; Higgins et al., 2018). Steenbergen-Hu et al’s (2016) second-order meta-analysis concludes that, although within-class grouping was beneficial, between-class grouping was not. These findings suggest that classroom level practices are more important: the type of teaching that a student is exposed to is more influential on their learning in mathematics than which group they are in, and there is no evidence to suggest that grouping by attainment enables teachers to better adapt teaching to students’ needs. However, we know little about the details of teachers’ practice in grouped classrooms in Norway, or how it is impacted by school-level decision-making or teachers’ prior practice and pedagogic values.
Recognizing the role of various stakeholders in community policy (Engeström 1999), the study focuses on national and local interpretations of Norwegian education policy and its enactment in mathematics classrooms. Data comprise:
● A survey of school leaders from all Norwegian middle and secondary schools (N=c1700); a survey of teachers’ pedagogic beliefs and practices; parent and pupil surveys;
● Case studies in 12 schools selected to reflect the range of grouping practices revealed by the national mapping, documenting school-level decision-making and planning, and investigating teachers’ classroom practice in grades 5-10.
This paper focuses on the analysis of teacher practice in different mathematics attainment groups, employing the TRU framework (Schoenfeld, 2014). This analysis is embedded within the national mapping of practices and school-level data. We report on conflicts for teachers in including all students in all types of classrooms.
Historically, teachers in Norway have been strong promoters of equality and inclusion within a comprehensive system, raising questions for how they enact grouping practices. This study contributes to our understanding of the impact of attainment grouping by incorporating dimensions of school decision-making within the context of a shift in both policy and ideology, how teachers navigate the inherent tensions involved and addresses the challenges of researching practices that are counter to cultural norms.

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