Chapter 1: The Impact of Cultural Values, Country Characteristics, and Educational Reform on Teacher Stress Levels in Norway

Recent research in Norway shows that many teachers feel a high level of stress and exhaustion and that many opt to exit the profession before they reach retirement age. This chapter proposes a model delineating forces leading to teacher burnout. While the focus is on Norway, similar forces may contribute to teacher burnout elsewhere. Five factors are seen as important. First are Norwegian leadership values characterized by modesty and little power distinction between administrators and employees. Second are the geographic and population characteristics of Norway, which have resulted in many small schools. Responsible for instructing multiple subjects to students of various ages, teachers in small schools have tended to be generalists but, due to educational reform, are now required to become specialists. Third are the demographic changes in the country with a tremendous influx of foreigners— many seeking political asylum—resulting in some school districts having to deal with thirty spoken languages and immense cultural differences. Fourth are the government-prescribed educational reforms including new curricula and mandated tests. Finally, the diminishing attainment of educational goals by Norwegian students as measured by a variety of European assessments is putting pressure on Norwegian teachers at all levels. Each of these factors will be discussed in further detail, and suggestions are made regarding practices to help teachers cope with these major changes in the Norwegian educational environment today.