About the project
This research project studied teaching and learning methods in human rights education (HRE) in primary and secondary schools in Norway. The project also examined how the relationship between HRE practices and the national curriculum corresponded with international obligations on HRE. As such, it investigated whether the curriculum at the time provided a sufficient mandate to develop education in, for and about human rights. HRE practices were examined through classroom observations in the common core subjects Religion and Ethical Education (REE) and Social Studies in primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education.
Some of the schools in the study used HRE programmes developed by non-governmental organisations (NGOs). These programmes were based on didactic guidelines and digital resources developed by the Council of Europe, the UN and affiliated organisations. Their objectives were to promote knowledge, skills and values related to human rights and conflict resolution.
Fundamental to the study were the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, adopted on 23 March 2011; the World Programme for Human Rights Education (2010–2014), initiated by the UN Human Rights Council; and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action from the World Conference on Human Rights.
Project Management and Organisation
The project manager was Professor Sølvi Lillejord, and the main researcher was Nini Ebeltoft (PhD). The project was affiliated with the research group Teacher Professionalism and Educational Change: Practices, Purposes, Policies (TEPEC), which studied teaching and working methods, teacher professionalism and professional practices. The use of local and international programmes, digital technologies and online collaboration in and between schools played a central role in this work.
Objectives
The aim of the research project was to study the objectives, content and consequences of human rights education (HRE) within the school sector. The project generated knowledge about educational practices, including teaching and working methods, learning processes and learning outcomes. HRE practices in primary and secondary schools were related to the national curriculum, international obligations, and the extent to which HRE was used as an instrument for collaboration in order to establish a “human rights culture”.
The project’s development of empirical and theoretical knowledge about various forms of HRE, in relation to teaching, learning and governing documents, was expected to have consequences for the renewal and development of teacher education. In accordance with the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, this could facilitate didactic efforts to promote knowledge, skills and values related to human rights.