The NeVa project examines how core educational values are interpreted, negotiated, and taught within teacher-education programs in Norway and the UK. Rooted in the Norwegian national curriculum reform Knowledge Promotion 2020 (LK20), which identifies specific values as “the basis of […] democracy,” NeVa investigates how teachers and teacher educators can engage students in critical and dialogic reflection on fundamental values including human dignity, identity and cultural diversity, critical thinking, and ethical awareness. 

Schools and teacher-education institutions are not neutral spaces, but arenas where diverse and sometimes conflicting value perspectives meet. The NeVa project therefore explores how educators can navigate these value encounters through reflexive dialogue—a process that requires openness, empathy, and recognition of multiple viewpoints. Drawing on the philosophical perspectives of Nussbaum (on negotiation), Ryan (on reflexivity), and Fraser and Honneth (on recognition), NeVa aims to develop pedagogical methods that strengthen teachers’ ability to engage productively with ethical complexity in their classrooms. 

NeVa is a collaborative research partnership between the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL), the Universities of Agder (UiA) and Stavanger (UiS), and UK universities —York, Bedfordshire, and Loughborough—alongside Fridalen School in Bergen.  

By comparing how core curriculum values are understood and enacted in Norwegian and English teacher education, NeVa seeks to contribute to broader conversations on value negotiations in education. Ultimately, the project aims to transform educational practice by promoting reflective engagement with values as a cornerstone of all levels of education.