It is a commonly heard argument in Norway that all pupils, regardless of ability, should be given optimal individually adapted instruction in their local school. Together with criticisms of special education's diagnostic traditions and concerns over its effectiveness, this movement has meant that the need for special education in Norway has come under question (Bachmann & Haug, 2006). Furthermore, the shift toward inclusion has resulted in special educators increasingly being seen as resources or advisors to classroom teachers and less often acting as teachers themselves (Dalen, 2006). Perhaps as a reaction to these pressures, would be special educators are expanding their professional spheres beyond the realm of children with disabilities and schooling. Consequently, there is little clarity regarding exactly what the societal role for the special educator is or what it might become. This has left many in higher education somewhat confused about where they should focus their attention with respect to preparing future special educators. Therefore, the goal of this 3 year investigation was as follows: (a) to determine whether newly trained special educators with different educational backgrounds held different beliefs about the field of special education and its key concepts and practices, (b) to examine their career expectations, and (c) to find out what career choices they made when completing their studies.

Four groups of students from different programs at a mid-sized Norwegian university (8000 students) were given a questionnaire concerning their beliefs and attitudes with respect to the field of special education. The first group consisted of students in the beginning (year 1) of teacher education (n = 90). The second and third groups consisted of students in year 4 of training after having chosen to take this final year of studies in either special education (n = 22) or another area of emphasis (n = 16). The fourth comparison group (n = 27) comprised students in a 3-year special education bachelor program intended to approach the field of special education as an academic discipline. In other words, this program was not designed with the intention of preparing students for a career as "special education teachers" in the Norwegian school system. To assess the success and relevance of this program, students were given surveys at the middle (year 2) and in their final year (year 3) of studies. In addition, we are currently collecting data from these students 1 year after completing their degree. Response rates vary across comparison groups (68% to 100%).

Evidence from the first year of the study indicate that preservice teachers believe teaching should be adapted for students with disabilities, yet many do not feel skilled in the use of effective strategies. This finding is somewhat worrisome given that research and theory indicates that confidence in one's ability to perform a given task largely determines whether effort in that area is initiated and maintained (Ames, 1992; Bandura, 1986). However, participants with more practical experience in schools and explicit instruction in teaching strategies rated their skills higher than those without this type of training. Other aspects of the findings reflect national trends indicating that the field of special education is diversifying and becoming more accessible to those who do not define themselves as special educators. This conclusion is likely to have an impact on the development of higher education programs in the field of special education as well as the career prospects of their graduates.