Educational technology provides an opportunity to improve the quality of education. There is, however, a lack of uptake in utilizing the equipment provided, as well as a lack of well-established methods for monitoring the use of educational technology. In this paper, which is based on one of the largest ICT studies in secondary schools in Norway, we explore the relationship between upper secondary school teachers' digital competence analysed by demographic, personal and professional characteristics. The implications of this study are that demographic, personal and professional characteristics, such as a teacher’s age, work experience, gender, screen time and ICT education, predict teachers’ high or low digital competence in upper secondary school to a certain degree. Further research is recommended in order to validate these preliminary findings.

In countries with no clear policy regarding gifted students, teachers are vital. Norway is such a case. Teachers might have stereotypical views and need knowledge about gifted students to facilitate them appropriately. This article aims to give descriptive insights into teachers’ views and perceptions of students with extraordinary learning potential (gifted) in Norway. To examine this, we used a survey of primary and secondary school teachers (N = 339), exploring teachers’ self-evaluated need for knowledge, how teachers evaluate different characteristics, and the teachers’ open-ended descriptions. We also report descriptive statistics from the survey. The results indicate that the Norwegian teachers wanted more knowledge about gifted students; they reported positive characteristics like performing well and being hardworking and intelligent but also being bored and, to some degree, displaying disruptive behavior. Here, 74% of the teachers reported they had experiences with teaching gifted students. One implication is including giftedness as a topic in teacher education. Our study points to important areas for further research – for example, more in-depth research with Norwegian teachers on their view and characterization of gifted students.

Language and literacy skills are essential for education, school achievements, work and social conditions. Some studies indicate an elevated incidence of problems with language and literacy in the prison population, potentially contributing to increased risks of maladjustment and recidivism. In general, the bulk of research on language and literacy has been directed towards children and adolescents. This study aimed to map the extent of the literature on language and literacy disorders in the adult prison population over the past 20 years, and what it reveals about the prevalence and nature of these disorders in prisoners. In total, 18 studies were identified. Of these, the majority (15) investigated literacy. The three studies investigating language all reported an elevated prevalence in the population. The literacy studies were altogether less clear, due to differences in theoretical approach and methods. In terms of the nature of the disorders, many studies assessed the behavioral level only. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical approaches, as well as recommendations for research, assessment, and intervention.

Implementation of tablets in Norwegian schools has become quite common, but we still have too little research knowledge about the learning outcome from these implementation measures. To achieve more knowledge about the topic, this trailing research examines the first cohort of Baerum municipality's implementation of tablets in primary school. The outcome measures in the study are external for the intervention, and are recorded data from National Tests (National reading, arithmetic and English Tests, Classes 5, 8 and 9, National Mapping Tests for reading and arithmetic, Classes 1-3, and the 2014-2016 National Pupil Survey). The whole study (N=15,708) relies on an explanatory, sequentially mixed-methods design (Fetters, Curry and Creswell (2013), and in this study we examine the quantitative effects of this implementation. The results stemming from the general focus areas, that is, spelling, reading, comprehension and arithmetic in the National Mapping Tests for reading for Classes 1-3, we find that there is no significant impact on pupil learning 1 with respect to Classes 1 and 2 at the Pilot 1 schools in 2015 and 2016, compared with the results obtained for the other Baerum schools. The same applies to Class 3, with the exception of arithmetic, where we see negative results as a consequence of being a pilot school and having used tablets. This differs to what we see in the results of the National Tests for Class 5 in 2015 and 2016, where we note significant positive outcomes with respect to arithmetic and English among boys at the pilot schools, compared with Class 5 boys at the other Baerum schools. The findings is only based on the first nine months from the implementation of tablets and therefore a second cohort of 1. In other words, the percentage above the limit for concern with respect to the expected level of learning in this context.