In this issue of Learning Tech, we aim to explore the relationships and tensions between the intentions of curricula and the concrete realizations found in educational resources.
We invite submissions that address the connections (or lack thereof) between curricula and educational materials. This theme investigates the harmony and dissonance between curricular goals and the educational resource landscape.
Curricula serve as the foundation for pedagogical and didactic practice, for instance by outlining the aims and content of teaching. The concept of a curriculum is, in itself, multifaceted (Hansen, 2024).
Educational resources can be viewed as a prism (Hansen, 2024) or a lever (Gissel, 2024) for educational renewal. Both metaphors suggest the transformative potential inherent in educational resources. In the case of didactic resources—those developed specifically for use in teaching and learning—the intentions of the curriculum can potentially become clearly and concretely expressed through how the resource interprets and implements curricular formulations (Gissel & Hansen, 2021). Didactic resources thus hold the potential to help realize curricular objectives for individual students and to support teachers’ professional development regarding new curricular content.
In the Norwegian context, the didactic textbook has even been described as the most dominant form of educational resource (Hodgson et al., 2010). However, discrepancies between curricula, educational resources, and actual classroom practice are often observed (see e.g., Oksbjerg, 2021; Gissel et al., 2019; Hansen, Elf & Gissel, 2017).
Teachers’ use and didactic adaptation of semantic and functional resources can also play a crucial role in translating curriculum into practice.
Examples of topics that may be relevant for this themed issue include:
Studies of conflicts between innovative educational resources and existing practices in schools or educational institutions.
How should curricula be designed to best support the development of educational resources that realize curricular intentions?
How should educational resources be designed to effectively translate curriculum goals into practice?
Empirical research on the impact of educational resources on achieving curriculum objectives.
Case studies on the implementation, translation, or resistance to curricular goals through specific educational resources.
Comparative analyses of curricula and teaching materials across different educational systems.
Theoretical discussions on the connections (or lack thereof) between curricular aims and educational resources.
Articles that address other questions falling within the theme are also very welcome.
Referencer
Gissel, S. T., Hjelmborg, M. D., Kristensen, B. T., & Larsen, D. M. (2019). Kompetencedækning i analoge matematiksystemer til mellemtrinnet. MONA – Matematik- og Naturfagsdidaktik, 3, 7-27.
Gissel, S. T. (2024). Læremidlet som løftestang til at omsætte og realisere læreplanens intentioner. Retrieved from https://www.uvm.dk/-/media/filer/uvm/udd/folke/pdf24/dec/241204-vidensbidrag-til-ekspert-gruppe-for-fagfornyelsen.pdf
Gissel, S. T. & Hansen, T. I., (2021). Learning Materials between Didactic Potential and Control. In: Roos, M., Berge, K. L., Edgren, H., Hiidenmaa, P. & Matthiesen, C. (red.). Exploring Textbooks and Cultural Change in Nordic Education 1536–2020. Brill. 302-317.
Hansen, T. I., Frydensbjerg Elf, N., Misfeldt, M., Gissel, S. T., & Lindhardt, B. K. (2020). Kvalitet i dansk og matematik: Et lodtrækningsforsøg med fokus på undersøgelsesorienteret dansk- og matematikundervisning. (1 udg.) Læremiddel.dk.
Hansen, T. I. (2024). Læreplaner som prisme for fagfornyelse. Retrieved from https://www.uvm.dk/-/media/filer/uvm/udd/folke/pdf24/sep/240912laereplaner-som-prisme-for-fagfornyelse-af-thomas-illum-hansen.pdf
Hodgson, J., Rønning, W., Skogvold, A. S., & Tomlinson, P. (2010). På vei fra læreplan til klasserom: Om læreres fortolkning, planlegging og syn på LK06. Rapport. Nordland Research Institute. https://www.udir.no/globalassets/filer/tall-og-forskning/rapporter/2010/evakl/5/smul_andre.pdf
Oksbjerg, M. (2021). Undervisning med litteraturlæremidler på mellemtrinnet (Ph.d.-afhandling). Aarhus Universitet (DPU). https://doi.org/10.7146/aul.418
Contributions in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and English are welcome. We accept research articles that present new national or international research based on empirical studies or theoretical analyses.
Abstracts must be submitted by August 15m 2025 to the guest editors:
Marianne Oksbjerg, mao@ucn.dk
Marie Falkesgaard Slot, mafa@kp.dk
Rasmus Fink Lorentzen, ralo@via.dk
Stig Toke Gissel, sttg@ucl.dk
The article must be uploaded by October 15, 2025 in OJS on tidsskrift.dk. You must register (if you are not already registered) and then upload the article.
Double-blind peer review will be conducted in November 2025. Revisions can be made, with the deadline for the final manuscript being December 31, 2025.
It is expected that the author(s) ensure thorough proofreading of the manuscript, and that references adhere to APA style, 7th edition, and are correctly formatted.
Learning Tech 16 is scheduled for publication on January 15, 2026.
Theme Editors:
You can find the journal’s guidelines and templates here.
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