Governance through concepts: The OECD and the construction of “competence” in Norwegian education policy

Abstract

This article investigates how the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has influenced a shift in the meaning of the term competence in Norwegian education policy in the past two decades. Recent Norwegian policy documents partially redefined student and teacher competence so that the concepts became more individual and performance-oriented. This departed from previous policy documents. Thus, the author argues, the OECD not only governs through numbers and comparison but also through what can be described as "governance through concepts." Whereas evidence indicates that greater policy attention to outcomes and accountability, through policies directed at student and teacher competence, leads to increased student performance, researchers know less about whether such policies enhance opportunities for all students or whether there are reverse implications for social equality or the broader aims of education. This article investigates how the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has influenced the shift in the meaning of the term competence in Norwegian education policy in the past two decades. Broadly put, researchers typically describe how members of international organizations initiate, design, and organize processes and programs to influence domestic policymakers and their attempts to reform and transform national educational systems. The questions of how, to what extent, and with what consequences are constantly debated. Given the increase in international influences, the implications of international organizations' influence at the national level are critical. The OECD's influence on educational reform, especially through the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, has been extensively