Norwegian teacher education is under constant reform, and in this paper the history will only go back to 2010. The last 5 years of reforms provide more than enough material for one paper. The reforms reflect political trends striving to make the Norwegian school competitive in an international perspective as regards international measures alongside a future economical perspective, to maintain the high standard and quality of living we enjoy in Norway. Initiatives taken are to make elementary school teacher education more specialized (Ministry of Education and Research, 2010), and to strengthen teachers’ subject competence. This has been reinforced by the new government’s policy paper ( Ministry of Education and Research, 2014). Other intentions are to increase practicum during teacher education and strengthened support during induction (2010; 2014). In 2014 the new government officially stated that from 2017 all teacher education will be at a master level, not only education to teach in secondary school. In the same policy document (Teacher Empowerment, (my translation), 2014) formal education of school leaders will be continued and strengthened. We can recognize several international trends in the above intentions, PISA results and other documents from OECD (e.g. TALIS reports). Norway does not reach the position politicians aim at, and our geographical proximity to Finland causes stress. It is positive in Norway that initiatives are accompanied by funding, e.g. for further education of teachers, mentors and school leaders. Research has been prioritized through support of R&D projects, and the establishment and continued funding of the National Research School in Teacher Education (NAFOL) (Östern and Smith, 2013). If teacher education is to be at a master level, teacher education institutions need to have teacher educators at a doctoral level to be able to supervise the students’ master dissertations. Teacher education in Norway is on the move, and it is an exciting time for those involved.

Ministry of Education and Research (2010).Regulations on curriculum for primary and secondary education for steps 1 to 7 and steps 5-10. Ministry of Education and Research (2014). Teacher Empowerment (my translation). Policy document. Östern, A.L. & Smith, A. (2013). Response of the National Graduate School for Teacher Education NAFO, to the call for a more research based teacher education in Norway. In. A.L. Östern, K. Smith, T. Ryhaug, T. Krüger & M.B. Postholm (Eds.) Teacher Education Research between National Identity and Global trends. Trondheim, Norway: Akademia Publishing: 13-28.