From Vocational Training to Academia: Legitimised Knowledge in Icelandic Police Culture

• In Event: POLWG Panel 4: Exploring Police Education in Europe: Educational reform, professionalisation, mentoring and military-style training

Abstract

In 2016, police education in Iceland transitioned from a vocational training model to a university-level program, aligning with broader international trends in police education reform. In many countries, this shift has generated tensions between policing and academia regarding what constitutes legitimate knowledge and the appropriate methodologies for developing policing practices. This study critically examines how different forms of knowledge are legitimized or constrained within the context of police education reform. Specifically, it explores which types of knowledge newly graduated police officers perceive as legitimate and the methods they consider valid for developing and integrating this knowledge into professional practice. Based on semi-structured interviews with 14 police graduates, from the Diploma in Policing program at the University of Akureyri (UNAK), this study investigates how knowledge is valued and constructed within Icelandic police culture. The interviews will be thematically analysed and contextualized using Lee Shulman’s notion of types of professional knowledge, offering insights into how police officers navigate the intersection of academic and practical knowledge in their professional development. The presentation will discuss key themes emerging from the data and their implications for police education and professional practice.

Authors

• Olafur Orn Bragason, University of Iceland/National Police/UNAK

• Gudrun Geirsdottir, University of Iceland

• Ingolfur Asgeir Johannesson, University of Iceland