The ICMI Country Representative for Norway is nominated by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (DNVA), the Adhering Organisation of the IMU, acting through its National Committee for Mathematical Sciences. This committee is chaired by the head of the Group for Mathematical Sciences in the DNVA and further consists of the president of the Norwegian Mathematical Society and the chair of the Norwegian Mathematical Council.
Mathematics education research is conducted at all 11 universities and several university colleges with teacher education programmes. Research groups vary in size, from small units integrated in teacher education to larger, more established communities with several professors and PhD students. MatRIC (Centre for Research, Innovation and Coordination of Mathematics Teaching) at the University of Agder, a Centre of Excellence in Education from 2014 to 2023, played a central role in strengthening the field nationally.
Doctoral programmes in mathematics education are offered at several universities, often embedded in programmes in educational sciences or mathematics/teacher education.
NOMAD – Nordic Studies in Mathematics Education is a journal that publishes research in mathematics education with relevance particularly to the Nordic and Baltic countries. It covers theoretical, methodological, and empirical contributions and welcomes articles in English as well as in the Scandinavian languages. The journal aims to support the development of mathematics education research in the region and to provide a forum for international exchange.
Tangenten is a Norwegian journal directed towards teachers of mathematics in primary and secondary schools. It publishes practice-oriented articles, teaching ideas, and discussions of mathematics teaching and learning, alongside research contributions.
Acta Didactica Norden is a peer-reviewed open access journal in the Nordic region with a broad focus on subject didactics, teacher education, and pedagogical content knowledge. It publishes articles in Scandinavian languages as well as English and regularly includes contributions in mathematics education.
Norsk pedagogisk tidsskrift (Norwegian Journal of Education) is one of Norway’s oldest educational journals, founded in 1917. It publishes research on general educational issues as well as subject didactics. Mathematics education is not its main focus, but articles in the field appear occasionally.
Initial teacher education in Norway is offered as integrated five-year master’s programmes, regulated by national framework plans (Forskrift om rammeplan) and complemented by national guidelines (Nasjonale retningslinjer). There are three main pathways: primary and lower secondary teacher education for Grades 1–7 and 5–10, and the lektor programme (lower and upper secondary teacher education) for Grades 8–13. All programmes combine subject studies, subject didactics, pedagogy, and extensive school practice. The regulations define both structure and scope, ensuring a common standard across institutions while allowing for local adaptations.
The lektor programme for Grades 8–13 is currently available at six universities. Teacher education programmes for Grades 1–7 and 5–10 are more widely available, offered at the majority of universities and university colleges. Mathematics holds a central place within teacher education. In the 1–7 and 5–10 programmes, mathematics is a compulsory subject with a national examination, and the national guidelines specify requirements for content, progression, and links between research and practice. For the lektor programme, mathematics can be chosen as a major or minor teaching subject. Further information about Norwegian education is available on the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training’s website.
The national curriculum, Kunnskapsløftet 2020 (LK20), specifies competence aims, core elements, and interdisciplinary themes for mathematics and other subjects. These competence aims guide teaching, learning, and assessment throughout compulsory and upper secondary education. Relevant curriculum documents in English are available for Mathematics Grades 1–10, Practical Mathematics (Grade 11), and Theoretical Mathematics (Grade 11). Norwegian versions of the curricula for Mathematics for Natural Science Studies (Grades 12 and 13), and Mathematics for Social Science Studies (Grades 12 and 13) are also published.
Norway does not have separate standards in the sense of detailed performance benchmarks as found in some other countries. Instead, the curriculum functions as the main standard-setting document, supported by the national qualifications framework for life-long learning. National examinations and national tests also provide reference points for expected levels of achievement in mathematics. In addition, requirements defined in framework plans for teacher education serve as standards for the professional preparation of teachers.