The Use of History in Teaching American Politics in Norwegian Upper Secondary Schools

Abstract

This thesis examines how American politics is taught in upper secondary schools in Norway, with special attention on VG3 English Social Studies. The thesis investigates the connection between history and politics through time and how history can be beneficial for understanding the present situation. In addition, the thesis examines the subject curriculum for VG1 and VG3 English in Norway to find how American politics is presented. Empirical evidence was collected through textbook analyses and interviews with both authors and teachers of English. The data retrieved from the analyses and interviews were used to answer three research questions: (1) How is American politics taught in upper-secondary schools in Norway, with primary focus on VG3 English Social Studies?, (2) How can history be used in American politics teaching? And (3) What is focused on when teaching American politics? Results from the study suggest that textbooks might affect the teaching of politics and that history is being used to make the pupils understand why the US is the way it is and why the Americans have the mindsets and culture they have. In addition, the study found that the implementation of the new curriculum can lead to some problems in relation to teacher students and the exams.