Marte Blikstad-Balas

University of Oslo · Faculty of Educational Sciences

Audio- and video-recordings are increasingly popular data sources in contemporary qualitative research, making discussions about methodological implications of such recordings timelier than ever. This article goes beyond discussing practical issues and issues of ‘camera effect’ and reactivity to identify three major challenges of using video to ‘ca...

The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of coding and observation manuals in classroom studies. While observation manuals have been a part of the methodological toolkit for measuring various aspects of instruction for decades, the field has also been suffering from ‘paradigm wars’, fragmentation and local production of instruments. Common fram...

The provision for every pupil in schools of one-to-one digital devices such as tablets and laptops is claimed to offer a range of benefits, both practical and educational. Opinions are still divided as to whether the benefits for teaching and learning in fact outweigh the cost, disruption to established teaching practice, and distraction for learne...

This study investigates the use of literary texts in 178 video-recorded LA lessons across 47 lower-secondary Norwegian classrooms. It offers a systematic overview of how literary texts are read, used, and dis- cussed across classrooms and investigates instructional practices related to literary texts and functions of texts in instruction. The resul...

Drawing on 178 video-recorded lessons from 47 lower-secondary classrooms with high technological infrastructure in Norway, the present study sheds light on how and for what purposes teachers use technology in their everyday instruction, providing important insights into what kind of digital literacy practices students experience in a classroom cont...

I forbindelse med innføringen av nye læreplaner (LK20) for grunnskolen høsten 2020, ble oppmerksomheten på kritisk lesing og kritisk tenkning forsterket. I norskfaget understrekes i tillegg betydningen av kritisk refleksjon over teksters troverdighet og pålitelighet, og betydningen av kunne lese og forstå tekster i relasjon til kontekster. Med krit...

Norway is in a privileged position globally in the sense that the country is wealthy, the population is well educated, and the digital infrastructure is robust and accessible to the entire population. However, Norway has some painful lessons to learn when evaluating its response to the global pandemic. Key aspects addressed in this chapter are the...

Utdanningsvitenskapene trekker på en rekke ulike teorier. Snarere enn å ta i bruk såkalte «grand theories», er det stadig vanligere at forskere kombinerer ulike teorier til ulike formål. I denne artikkelen har vi analysert 179 avhandlinger innenfor utdanningsvitenskap for å undersøke (1) hvor ofte det forekommer eklektisk bruk av teori, og hvordan...

Educational podcasting may support student collaboration and learning. However, little is known about how students talk with each other when developing podcasts in groups. In this study, eight groups of Norwegian high school students (N = 30) developed podcasts about contemporary poems in their literature class. The study focuses on the extent to w...

Digital competence is considered to be a crucial aspect of education, and the discourse around digital technologies has been full of promises of more and better learning. It has also been quite general and not taking into account subject specific differences in what digital competence may be across disciplines and grades. In this chapter, I will di...

Alle lærere har ansvar for å utvikle elevenes evne til å tenke – og lese – kritisk. For å lykkes med det, må de også kunne det selv. I artikkelen presenteres en studie som undersøker lærerstudenters kritiske lesing av et utvalg tekster distribuert via sosiale medier. Datamaterialet består av 58 lærerstudenters rapporterte bruk av sosiale medier, sa...

Background Globally, digital skills are a crucial aspect of education that schools should develop systematically. Research on digital skills tends to be measured using self‐reports, performance tests or interventions. There is less knowledge about student and teacher uptake of technology in school, making it important to investigate the actual use...

There is a growing use of standardized observation systems to directly measure teaching quality in classrooms. These systems are based on conceptual understandings of teaching that lead to carefully operationalized rubrics that decompose teaching quality into a number of distinct dimensions. In this paper, we argue that measurement and analysis cho...

Capturing and measuring instructional patterns by using standardized observation manuals has become increasingly popular in classroom research. While researchers argue that a common vocabulary of teaching is necessary for the field of classroom research to move forward, instructional features vary across classrooms and contexts, which poses serious...

Despite robust evidence of effectiveness, many teachers struggle to implement research-based recommendations of reading instruction into everyday practice. This study examined naturally occurring text-based instruction in 237 lower secondary language arts lessons in 62 different classrooms from Norway and Sweden. Using both quantitative and qualita...

This paper focuses on patterns of instructional practices in mathematics classrooms in two Nordic contexts, Finland and Norway. While sharing some key features in terms of ways of organizing schooling and education, these two contexts also exhibit interesting differences in instruction at the classroom level. In using a standardized coding manual t...

Within the Norwegian education system, equity, equal opportunities and education for all are fundamental principles, regardless of one’s socioeconomic background and academic achievement. In this article, we discuss how these ideals of equity for all students were challenged during the period of home-schooling that took place amid the Covid19 pande...

Det er et tilbakevendende tema at lærerutdanningen må være forankret i praksis i større grad, og at lærerstudenter fremhever nettopp praksiserfaringene som det mest verdifulle i studiene. I tråd med internasjonal forskning på alternative måter å gjennomføre praksis på, har lektorprogrammet ved Universitetet i Oslo utviklet fem dager med såkalt anal...

In this comparative study, naturally occurring literature instruction in Nordic lower secondary school is investigated in order to find out how lessons are organized, to what extent different genres are read and worked upon, and for what subject-specific functions and purposes literary texts are used. Implications for text selection by teachers are...

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced an unprecedented global shutdown that has greatly changed what it means to be a teacher, a student, and even a parent in the months that schools have been closed. While most school systems normally require daily physical attendance and bring students together in large groups to learn in a collective endeavor, the cl...

There is a growing use of standardized observation systems to directly measure teaching quality in classrooms. These systems are based on rich, theoretical understandings of teaching quality that lead to carefully operationalized rubrics that decompose teaching quality into a number of distinct dimensions. In this paper, we argue that many of the w...

The COVID-19 pandemic forced an unprecedented global shutdown that closed schools for months. In many nations, schools were closed to students, and teachers directed educational activities remotely via digital devices or homeschooling resources. This article explores how these months of homeschooling have affected the physical activity of Norwegian...

As new editors, we humbly take over the editorial responsibilities of a journal that we appreciate so highly. We would like to officially thank the former editors Uppstad, Solheim and Skaftun, for the opportunity to keep pursuing the journals’ bold ambitions. We believe the Nordic Journal of Literacy Research has become the go-to journal for those...

Sammendrag Norskfaget har et hovedansvar for å gi barn og unge meningsfylte møter med skjønnlitteratur. Men hvilken litteratur leses egentlig i norsktimene? I denne artikkelen utforsker vi hvilke skjønnlitterære tekster som blir lest i løpet av en uke med norsktimer i 47 ulike klasserom. I de 178 norsktimene vi har videofilmet og analysert, finner...

Lesing av skjønnlitteratur er en sentral del av norskfaget. Med innføringen av K06 ble listene over verk og forfatterskap fjernet fra norskplanen, og valg av tekster ble med dette opp til den enkelte lærer – et prinsipp som videreføres i fagfornyelsen 2020. Vi vet lite om hvilke tekster lærere velger å bruke i norskundervisningen, og i hvilken grad...

The use of video recording for data collection in educational research is increasingly popular. Drawing on seminal, contemporary research and the author’s own wide-ranging practical experiences, this chapter offers critical discussion about this approach. Four potential benefits are addressed: multiple review, detailed analysis, simultaneous perspe...

The authors examined naturally occurring reading comprehension strategies instruction (RCSI) across four consecutive lessons in 47 Norwegian language arts classrooms at the lower secondary level via video observations (n = 178). Although numerous studies have examined the effectiveness of RCSI for improving reading outcomes, few studies have focuse...

Norskfaget har et særskilt ansvar for skriveopplæring, og skriveopplæring kan foregå på mange måter. Denne artikkelen tar utgangspunkt i 178 norsktimer fra åttende trinn som den pågående LISA-studien har filmet i 46 ulike klasserom. Jeg har identifisert alle timene der elevene får en tydelig skriveoppgave (n=33), og vurderer hvilke av Roz Ivaničs (...

There is ample research on literacy practices in technology rich environment in the Nordic countries, especially drawing on New Literacy Studies (Blikstad-Balas, 2012; Michelsen, 2015; Sørvik & Mork, 2015), and these have contributed with important insight into new ways of using technology. However, as emphasized in the call for the symposium «Digi...

This study investigates use of literary texts in language arts(LA) lessons across 46 lower-secondary Norwegian classrooms. We examined what students read, sources of texts, and functions of texts in instruction.

Research suggests that student development as writers requires a supportive environment in which they receive sustained opportunities to write. However, writing researchers in general know relatively little about the actual writing opportunities embedded in students’ language arts lessons and how students’ production of texts in class is framed. Th...

In this article, we approach large questions regarding justice and equality in the Nordic classrooms. A substantial body of previous research emphasises the importance of student engagement in teaching and learning. Drawing on video data from Norway, Sweden and Finland, we focus on whole-class teaching, i.e. situations in which the teacher addresse...

All scientists depend on both reading and writing to do their scientific work. It is of paramount importance to ensure that students have a relevant repertoire of practices they can employ when facing scientific content inside and outside the school context. The present study reports on students in seventh grade acting as researchers. Over an 8-wee...

Educational research into instructional quality would benefit from macro- and meso-level instructional data – such as achievement data or large-scale student surveys – in relation to data from the micro level – such as detailed analyses of classroom practices. Several scholars have specifically asked for studies that correlate achievement data with...

In order for students to develop as writers, they must experience a supportive writing environment and be given time to engage in writing for a sustained period of time (eg. Graham, Harris & Chambers, 2016). However, we know little about what writing opportunities students actually have embedded in their lessons. The present study draws on180 video...

Hva er egentlig literacy? Og hvorfor er det så viktig for alle som jobber med skole? Vi er omgitt av tekster fra morgen til kveld. Evnen til å forholde seg til en rekke ulike tekster har blitt en av de aller viktigste ferdighetene et menneske trenger for å ta del i samfunnet. Literacy er fellesbetegnelsen for disse mangfoldige tekstkompetansene og...

This article provides an analysis of the integration of assessment for learning principles in the newly revised five-year Master of Education programme at the University of Oslo, Norway, across didactic subjects, pedagogy and school practice. The analysis draws on lecture notes, student videos and student exam papers among 143 student teachers, aim...

Internationally, little evidence of supporting purposes of classroom assessment exists. In the present study, we investigate feedback practices in language arts classrooms. By comparing video observations from 184 recorded language arts lessons across 46 secondary classrooms in Norway, this study considers the quality of feedback given orally by te...

This paper responds to the call for increased research in assessment education, by examining the integration of assessment principles in a specific teacher education programme . The integrated Master of Education (ME) programme examined in the study explicitly aims to educate future teachers in their application of assessment principles to promote...

I denne artikkelen belyser jeg de didaktiske konsekvensene av at vi i Norge har nærmest 100% (1:1) dekning når det gjelder tilgang til digitale teknologier, både i hjemmet og på skolen. Dette er en situasjon som også er stadig mer aktuell i de andre nordiske landene. Ved å gi elevene tilgang til Internett, svekkes grensene mellom det som er skolens...

Internationally, little evidence of supporting purposes of classroom assessment exists. In the present study, we investigate feedback practices in language arts classrooms. By comparing video observations from 184 recorded language arts lessons across 46 secondary classrooms in Norway, this study considers the quality of feedback given orally by te...

I denne artikkelen belyser jeg de didaktiske konsekvensene av at vi i Norge har nærmest 100% (1:1) dekning når det gjelder tilgang til digitale teknologier, både i hjemmet og på skolen. Dette er en situasjon som også er stadig mer aktuell i de andre nordiske landene. Ved å gi elevene tilgang til Internett, svekkes grensene mellom det som er skolens...

Innlegg om utfordringer og muligheter med den nye typen oppgaveformuleringen tl norskeksamen, der sjanger ikke oppgis men formål og teksttyppe er styrende.

In traditional classrooms, a textbook was often the only source of knowledge available; in stark contrast, today’s classrooms have an almost infinite number of knowledge sources available through the Internet. Nevertheless, a range of studies confirm that students systematically tend to favor the online encyclopedia Wikipedia in their school-relate...

I den nye eksamensformen er alle eksplisitte krav til sjangere utelatt. I stedet for oppgaver som ber om bestemte sjangre, sier oppgavene hva slags teksttyper elevene skal skrive og hvilket formål elevenes skriving skal oppfylle (Blikstad-Balas & Hertzberg, 2015). Selv om endringen har solid faglig forankring og gode intensjoner, er det ikke til å...

Kort presentasjon av forskningsprosjektet LISA (Linking Instruction and Student Achievement)

We report on research that explores students’ literacy practices in six Norwegian primary school science classrooms during integrated science-literacy instruction. The study combines observational video data and interview data to examine students’ encounters with and use of text, along with their views and experiences related to science and science...

Dette kapitlet handler om vurdering i klasserommet, sett fra både læreres og elevers perspektiver. Vi diskuterer hvordan lærerens observasjoner i klasserommet bidrar til vurdering for læring som kommer både læreren og elevene til gode. Innledningsvis vil vi presentere teoretiske perspektiver om vurdering for læring. Vi konkretiserer dette med to ca...

Redefining school literacy: Internet use in upper secondary school (where students have their own laptops) – aka "my PhD in twenty minutes") Background

This article argues that many key theoretical concepts and core areas of study in the educational sciences are couched in paradigmatically vague terms. The shared features of vague terms and two different readings of vagueness are discussed. “Practice”, which is widely used both as a theoretical and an empirical term in the field of educational res...

This article addresses how methodological approaches relying on video can be included in literacy research to capture changing literacies. In addition to arguing why literacy is best studied in context, we provide empirical examples of how small, head-mounted video cameras have been used in two different research projects that share a common aim: u...

I denne artikkelen diskuterer vi hvordan elever og lærere forholder seg til et av verdens mest populære nettsteder, det digitale leksikonet Wikipedia. Inter- nasjonal forskning antyder at mens leksikonet er svært populært blant elever, kan mange lærere styre sin begeistring for Wikipedia som faglig kilde i skolearbeid. Studien vi presenterer kombin...

Key developments within the field of video research, with a special focus on challenges of using video for researching multimodal literacy practices.

Summary: This thesis on school literacy focuses on how students employ different texts within classroom contexts. Based on a methodological, analytical, and theoretical foundation in New Literacy Studies (NLS), it explores how different texts are integrated into a variety of literacy practices across various subjects. The overarching aim of the th...

When the classroom is connected to the Internet, the number of possible sources of information is almost infinite. Nevertheless, students tend to systematically favor the online encyclopedia Wikipedia as a source for knowledge. The present study combines quantitative and qualitative data to investigate the role Wikipedia plays in the literacy pract...

Tidligere har skoleelevers tilgang til ulike kilder vært relativt begrenset, da kildevalget har vært avhengig av hvilke tekster som var fysisk tilgjengelig til enhver tid. Tilstanden på skolebiblioteket,hvor omfattende bokhylla hjemme var, og ikke minst hvilken lærebok som ble brukt på skolen, var det som langt på vei avgjorde hvilke kilder elevene...

When the classroom is connected to the Internet, the number of possible sources of information is almost infinite. Nevertheless, students tend to systematically favor the online encyclopedia Wikipedia as a source for knowledge. The present study combines quantitative and qualitative data to investigate the role Wikipedia plays in the literacy pract...

The present study uses video recordings and qualitative interviews to examine the digital literacy practices of Norwegian students who have a personal laptop for school use. It uses the dichotomy between dominant school texts and vernacular out-of-school texts to examine the new school literacy practices. Findings indicate that the teachers’ use of...