The NeVa Project
The NeVa project is comprised of researchers in Norway, England and Wales who together research the teaching and negotiation of vales in different national and cultural contexts.
Since 2015, schools in England have been required by law to promote the “Fundamental British Values,” whereas Norway implemented its “Core Values of the Education and Training” in the curriculum reform of 2020. Both countries present their values as universal, but the curriculum in Norway states that its values are explicitly rooted in “Christian and humanist heritage and traditions”.
The FBV and LK20 are connected to broader European debates on increased diversity, rising intolerance and populism.
What are the core values that should be promoted in schools in Norway and in England?
Core Values of Education in Norway (LK20):
The Norwegian curriculum lists six core values that all education in Norway is to be based on: Human dignity; identity and cultural diversity; critical thinking and ethical awareness; the joy of creating, engagement and the urge to explore; respect for nature and environmental awareness; and democracy and participation.
The NeVa project focuses on the following three values:
Human dignity: that all people are equal regardless of what makes us different
Identity and cultural diversity: historical and cultural insight will provide a good foundation for pupils to preserve and develop his or her identity in an inclusive and diverse environment
Critical thinking and ethical awareness: applying reason in an inquisitive and systematic way when working with specific practical challenges, phenomena, expressions and forms of knowledge
Fundamental British Values (FBV)
The NeVa project also researches the four values listed as “British Fundamental Values” by the UK government:
Democracy: An understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process
Rule of law: An appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their well-being and safety
Individual liberty: An understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law
Mutual respect for and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs: An acceptance that people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour.
Welcome!
Welcome to the blog for the project, “Negotiating Values in Teacher Education”. You can find out more about us by visiting the “About” page, or the HVL project website.
The NeVa project was created to strengthen teachers, teacher educators and researchers in promoting the 2020 educational curriculum reform in Norway, also called “The Value Promotion in Education” curriculum (LK20). Clashes of values occur not only in political debates, but have become a part of our daily experience, in classrooms, neighborhoods and throughout Norway. Because teachers play a significant role in the formation of future citizens, the NeVa project seeks to promote knowledge that will support teachers and teacher educators in the negotiation of values and in fostering democratic participation. Being rooted in and being able to reflect on our own personal values is a necessary part of successful classroom management when value clashes arise. By shifting the focus from difference to interconnectedness, the project aims to foster an appreciation of complexity through constructive dialogue and collaborative problem-solving.
The NeVa project’s core research aims are:
To explore how values are currently understood and negotiated: We will explore how teachers and teacher education students understand the values of LK20, and how conflicting values are currently negotiated in schools and in teacher education.
To develop research-based methods that support teachers and teacher education students with knowledge and skills in handling how values are interpreted and negotiated.
To inform national policy directives and aid local authorities and teacher education institutions in the implementation of a values-based pedagogy
In addition to providing the public with information from our research, events, and personal insights, this blog will provide a space for the exploration of values, for engagement with other ways of being in the world, and for the practice of reflexive approaches to our own life and learning.
If you have comments or suggestions for topics that can be explored here, please send an email to the project leader.
Solstrand seminar, Fall 2025
The NeVa team met in November 2025 to discuss our research plan for 2026. Among other things, we reflected on the key concepts that shape our research direction: reflexivity, recognition, value negotiation, and critical thinking. In addition, we welcomed our two new Ph.D. candidates—Leona Mihaljović-Kolčić and Linda Eide Onarheim—to the project.