Fagbegrep

Fagbegrep is a Norwegian term referring to the essential concepts and vocabulary used within a school subject. It encompasses the central ideas, definitions, and terms that students are expected to know to understand the subject content and to communicate about it accurately. In Norwegian curricula, fagbegrep is used in planning, teaching, and assessment to make disciplinary language explicit.

The word is a compound of fag, meaning subject or discipline, and begrep, meaning concept or term. The approach emphasizes a shared vocabulary across grade levels so that students build a consistent disciplinary language as they progress.

Purpose and use: It supports disciplinary literacy by helping students recognize, understand, and apply core concepts; it provides teachers with concrete targets for instruction; and it enables clearer assessment criteria.

Implementation often involves explicit vocabulary instruction, where teachers introduce each fagbegrep with its definition, examples, and non-examples, provide usage in context, and encourage students to use the terms in writing and discussion. Glossaries, concept maps, and recurrent revisiting of terms are common strategies.

Examples by subject: In mathematics, fagbegrep might include tallord such as tallinje, brøk, prosent; in natural science, terms such as energi, kraft, celle; in social studies, demokrati, politikk, samfunn. The exact set varies by curriculum and grade level.

Benefits include clearer communication, stronger student engagement with subject matter, and more consistent assessment. Challenges include the need for regular updating as curricula evolve and the risk of cognitive overload for newcomers or multilingual students if terms are introduced too quickly.