Civic education in the professional training of future teachers in the Kingdom of Norway

Abstract

The article analyses the importance of civic education in the professional training of future teachers at the University of Oslo (Norway). The content of the curricula for students studying to become teachers at the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels, as well as Ph.D. students, is briefly described.
It has been found that at the University of Oslo, educational programmes for students differ both in terms of the duration of study and further employment opportunities. The educational institution offers a one-year course in practical teacher education (Praktisk-pedagogisk utdanning) (for those who have already obtained a master’s degree) and a five-year Lecturer Programme (Lektorprogrammet) to obtain a master’s degree and the right to work as a teacher. There are also bachelor’s degree programmes (3 years). However, such education does not give the right to teach, but allows for the creation of courses or manuals, work as an administrator in an educational institution, or conduct extracurricular activities. Based on the collected normative source base, conclusions are drawn regarding the implementation of civic education content in educational programmes for future educators.
It is established that since 2023, a new interdisciplinary initiative, UiO: Democracy. Its activities unite four research groups, including: «Science and Democracy», «Voicing Democracy», «The Medicalisation of Democratic Rights in the Debate about Abortion (MEDRA): The US, Ireland and Argentina» and «Objections to democracy». Each of the groups is researching a specific problem related to democracy, such as finding connections between democracy and science, exploring democratic motifs in works of various genres from 1750 to the present, analysing opinions on the restriction or expansion of abortion rights, and seeking answers to the following questions: «Is a democratic system necessary at the current stage of society’s development?». Experts from different faculties are involved in the work on each issue.
Promising areas for the implementation of Norwegian experience in implementing the content of civic education in the professional training of future primary school teachers in Ukraine are highlighted.