Competing disciplinarities in curricular L1. A Norwegian case

Abstract

This article explores historical changes within curricular L1 in search for key mechanisms that can illuminate the role of kinds of disciplinarity in current educational reforms. The article investigates written curricula for Norwegian, or L1 in Norway, especially focusing this school subject’s goals, content, and design following an idea of stages of curricular development. A first part, starting from 1739, describes how L1 Norwegian came into being in the first place, leaning mainly on meta-reading of former investigations. From 1939 onwards the article narrows the scope and studies L1’s curricular goals more in detail, searching possible kinds of disciplinarities. What is studied is compulsory curricular Norwegian, meaning the school subject or the discipline textualised in national plans for L1 in Norway. The approach implies textual, content analyses of sets of reform documents, with special focus on changes over time, accompanied by theorising over how and why. The article explores to which degree historical changes within curricular L1 have altered or may alter perceptions of different L1's disciplinarities. In particular discursivities and genre patterns in L1 curricula in relation to L1 as a goal in itself and as a means for promoting competencies and/or Bildung are discussed. 'Findings' lead up to the formulation of a paradox – increased essentialist disciplinarity, believed to promote both competencies and Bildung, might be counter-productive.