Kursplanen

Kursplanen is a term used in several Nordic education systems to denote the official document that specifies the aims, content, assessment, and organisation of a course or subject. It translates policy goals into concrete learning outcomes and provides teachers with a basis for planning instruction, selecting materials, and organizing time. The kursplanen is commonly used in primary, secondary, and upper secondary education, and may also apply to specific higher education courses.

A kursplan typically lists the learning outcomes or competence goals for the course, the core content or topics to be covered, progression expectations, and any prerequisites. It also outlines assessment criteria, methods, and grading, as well as recommended hours, sequencing, and cross-curricular connections. Some plans include guidelines for teaching approaches, differentiation, and required resources.

The document is generally created or approved by national or regional education authorities and updated periodically to reflect policy changes and advances in knowledge. Local schools implement the kursplanen within the wider curriculum framework, preserving national or regional standards while adapting to local context and student needs.

In practice, kursplanen guides both instruction and evaluation and serves as a reference for students and guardians to understand what is expected. The concept exists under various names in different jurisdictions, but the common purpose is to ensure transparency, comparability, and a structured path of learning across schools and subjects.