Fagstoff

Fagstoff is a term used in Norwegian and Danish educational contexts to denote the core subject matter that constitutes the content of a school topic. It refers to the material that students are expected to learn within the requirements of the curriculum, including key concepts, facts, skills, and competencies.

In Norway, fagstoff is closely tied to the læreplanen (curriculum) and its kompetansemål (competence aims). Teachers select fagstoff from textbooks, digital resources, and other materials to cover the required topics within a course or grade. The term helps distinguish essential content from supplementary material.

In practice, fagstoff is what students should understand and be able to do by assessment. Examinations and assignments are typically constructed to evaluate mastery of the fagstoff defined for a subject.

The concept also appears in Danish schooling, where fagstoff similarly means the subject content prescribed by the curriculum.

See also: curriculum, syllabus, textbooks.