Teachers as macro curriculum makers: Mandate and influence in the Norwegian <scp>LK20</scp>

Abstract This study investigates teacher participation in Norway's most recent national curriculum reform. During the reform period, teachers were invited to take part in macro curriculum making as members of national curriculum committees. In policy documents, teacher participation is emphasised as key to the legitimacy of the curriculum. In this study, what the teachers were expected to contribute to the process and the extent to which they were able to influence the final national curriculum are examined. Through interviews and document analysis, the study investigates teachers' mandate as macro curriculum makers and their perception of their own influence on the final curriculum. The findings show that the teachers' mandate is unclear and that official documents are vague regarding teachers' influence. The interviewed teachers believed they had some degree of influence on the final curriculum; however, they were largely excluded from the final decision‐making, which may have impacted their influence. The study contributes to the field of curriculum research by illuminating the complexity of participatory approaches and by discussing what teachers can contribute to national reform work. Implications for future reform include the need for clearly defined roles, as well as transparency and accountability in decision‐making on behalf of central authorities.