Teaching Practices in Arts and Crafts and Food and Health in Primary Schools – Tension Between Established Decisions and Subjective Perceptions

This study, based on Goodlad’s (1979b) curriculum theory, examines how decisions on societal, institutional, instructional, and personal levels impact teaching practices in arts and crafts and food and health in seven Norwegian primary schools. The analysis shows that institutional decisions play a decisive role in instruction, but teachers’ perceptions of practical creative work are most influential. Teachers also believe that decisions on one level affect other levels, creating complexity in their practices. The results are discussed in light of curriculum theory, and the impact of decision-making levels on future teaching practices.