Questioning the Neutrality of Learning Strategies: teachers' and pupils' use of background knowledge

Abstract

This article investigates educational practices aimed at equitable trainability by looking into an American project on learning strategies that is also being used in Norwegian schools. One special feature of the project is its focus on the pupils' background knowledge. The author examines how background knowledge is interpreted and used in specific classroom contexts. The variation in interpretations from both teachers and pupils demonstrates that it may be hard to channel knowledge and pedagogy in school in specific directions using the learning-strategy project in question. Furthermore, the social background of the student may influence whether legitimate background knowledge is activated and used strategically. The author argues that the research on learning strategies can be developed by drawing on perspectives from the sociology of education.