Teachers, Teacher Education, and Professional Development
Teachers in Grades 1 to 10 are employed by municipalities, and teachers in Grades 11 to 13 are employed by counties. The Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013 survey showed that the average age of Norwegian teachers in Grades 1 to 13 is 44, and the average number of years of teaching experience is 16. Approximately 15 percent of teachers in Grades 1 to 10 are 60 years old, or older. In Grades 11 to 13, approximately 17 percent of teachers are 60, or older. The majority of teachers are women. Approximately 80 percent of teachers are female in Grades 1 to 7; 60 percent are female in Grades 8 to 10; and 52 percent are female in Grades 11 to 13.12
Implemented in 2008, employment regulations in Norway require teachers to complete a minimum number of credits in Norwegian, mathematics, or English before they are employed. For primary school teachers, the minimum requirement is 30 credits in any of these three subjects. For mathematics teachers in lower secondary school, the minimum requirement is 60 credits; for science teachers in lower secondary school, the minimum requirement is 30 credits. Once employed, however, teachers in lower secondary school are allowed to teach any subject without necessarily holding credits in that particular subject. In upper secondary school, teachers are required to hold at least 60 credits in every subject they teach.
In Grades 1 to 10, in 2014 the rate of mathematics teachers holding at least 30 credits (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) in mathematics was 66 percent, while the rate of mathematics teachers holding no credits in mathematics was 19 percent. The rate of science teachers holding at least 30 credits in science was 55 percent, while the rate of science teachers holding no credits in science was 30 percent. The rate of mathematics teachers holding 60 or more credits in their subject was 28 percent, while the rate of science teachers holding 60 or more credits in their subject was 25 percent.13
Teacher Education Specific to Mathematics and Science
Until recently, teachers in basic school (Grades 1 to 10) were educated at teacher university colleges and qualified to teach all subjects at all levels, as generalist teachers. In 2010, generalist teacher education for basic school, still provided by university colleges, was reformed and divided into two types of programs: one type educates generalist teachers in Grades 1 to 7, and the other educates specialist teachers in Grades 5 to 10. Both types are four years long and include a minimum of 100 days of teaching practice.
University educated teachers are qualified to teach their subjects (usually two) in lower and upper secondary school (Grades 8 to 10 and 11 to 13, respectively), as specialist teachers. Teachers pursuing further education at a university may enroll in a five year master’s program, which includes 75 to 85 days of teaching practice. Alternatively, they may add a year of further education to a bachelor’s or a master’s degree, which includes pedagogy, subject matter didactics, and 60 days of teaching practice.
Enrollment in the two teacher education programs at university colleges requires completion of upper secondary school. Beginning in 2017, additional admission requirements will include a minimum mark of 3 in Norwegian and 4 in mathematics (on a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 indicating “failing” and 6 indicating “excelling”). In order to be admitted to a teacher education program at a university in mathematics and/or science, students must complete a certain amount of upper secondary school specialization in these subjects. To qualify as a specialist teacher, students must complete at least 60 university credits in each of their chosen subjects.
Requirements for Ongoing Professional Development
Teacher professional development is the responsibility of school administrators (i.e., municipalities or counties) and often is supported by government funding.
In 2014, teacher employment regulations were expanded. In addition to general employment requirements, teachers in primary school now are required to hold a minimum of 30 credits in a subject in order to teach it. In lower secondary school, teachers are required to hold 60 credits in mathematics and 30 credits in science in order to teach these subjects, respectively.
Since these new regulations came into effect, all teachers who do not fulfill the new requirements and wish to continue teaching are required to undertake further education by the end of 2025.14 Professional development courses for teachers most often are offered by universities and university colleges.