Tracing the Recontextualization of Competence as a Transnational Concept into National Curriculum Policies

Abstract

Increased globalization exposes countries to a variety of challenges, such as the gap between education and professional life. Many countries globally develop competence-oriented curriculum reforms based on general knowledge to address the issue and educate future professionals that are flexible and able to adapt to rapid changes. International organizations such as the OECD, the EU, and the UNESCO provide competence-based frameworks to guide countries in the development of national curricula. Even though national curricula show a tendency to convergence in terms of competence orientation, research demonstrates that countries recontextualize transnational curriculum policies and concepts differently. This study explores the conceptualization of competence as a transnational concept with the aim to identify similarities and differences in national curriculum policies in Norway and Lithuania. Furthermore, based on the analysis of Bernstein’s theory of pedagogic device and especially the rule of recontextualization, the study examines identified similarities and differences through the contextual perspective.