Håvard Helland - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Håvard Helland

Sosiologisk tidsskrift, Sep 14, 2007

British Journal of Sociology of Education, Oct 20, 2022

This study examines high-achieving students in Norwegian lower secondary schools who follow accel... more This study examines high-achieving students in Norwegian lower secondary schools who follow accelerated learning trajectories in mathematics, so-called fast tracks. The study examines whether and how fast tracks improve high-achieving students' learning and performance. The analyses rely on high-quality administrative register data from Norway with complete information for all students. The results show that fast-track students outperform regular students in mathematics. The results suggest that (1) the fast tracks improve the students' learning, and (2) the students are selected and self-selectedbased on prior performance and background characteristics. When comparing teacher-set grades vs. exam grades set by anonymous random assigned examinators, the results suggest that (3) teachers give fast-track students even better grades than regular students. One plausible explanation is that teachers perceive or label fast-track students as more talented than other students. The findings especially suggest that Norwegian teachers compensate disadvantaged fast-track students.

Nordisk politiforskning, Nov 4, 2014

The article examines the reasons fresh police students have for choosing police education and wha... more The article examines the reasons fresh police students have for choosing police education and what kind of backgrounds they have. Previous research has indicated that police students' social background has changed in that their parents have much higher education than before. Students' perceptions of and attitudes toward police training and police work has, however, changed little, which can be seen as a paradox. This research has primarily analysed survey data. We have combined qualitative interview data with data from public administrative registers. First, we find that police students are not interested in academic and intellectual pursuits. Theoretical work in offices and in front of computers is considered negatively as boring, one-sided, and resulting in decay and the «fading away» of the employees. Practical work outdoors, however, has positive connotations. These kind of preferences and work values fit nicely with our analyses of the register data, which show that most police students are not children of academics. Our findings, thus, show far greater accordance between the students' values, attitudes and beliefs, and their parents' level of education than previous research has shown.

Sosiologisk tidsskrift, Mar 21, 2006

European Sociological Review, Mar 2, 2006

ABSTRACT The article examines how the probability of obtaining an apprenticeship as a part of upp... more ABSTRACT The article examines how the probability of obtaining an apprenticeship as a part of upper secondary education varies between ethnic Norwegians and minority groups. The analyses show considerable differences between the ethnic majority and the minority groups of non-western origin. Although grades and school attendance record have a marked effect on the probability of obtaining an apprenticeship, there are ethnic differences that are not due to such human capital factors. Furthermore, good grades are more important for the minority than for majority applicants. Overall the results suggest that the ethnic minority applicants of non-western origin have to outperform their majority peers in order to have the same chance of obtaining an apprenticeship.

The Second ISA Forum of Sociology (August 1-4, 2012), Aug 1, 2012

Journal of Education and Work, Sep 1, 2009

The paper analyses the labour market situation among youth with low or medium levels of formal ed... more The paper analyses the labour market situation among youth with low or medium levels of formal education. The analyses focus on studying the effects of level of competence, grades and immigrant background. Which factors contribute to labour market success among this group of youth? And which factors may increase the risk of not getting into the labour market? The findings indicate that both achieved characteristics, such as grades and level of competence ('merits'), and ascribed characteristics, such as ethnic background, are important for their labour market opportunities. Among those with the lowest competence level, the ethnic Norwegians do not fare the best. Else, immigrants with non-Western background have a higher risk of unemployment and a lower rate of employment than the ethnic Norwegians, but second-generation immigrants have a better situation than first-generation immigrants.

European Societies, Apr 13, 2023

Organizational research has revealed considerable variation in immigrant–native pay inequalities ... more Organizational research has revealed considerable variation in immigrant–native pay inequalities across workplace contexts, but less is known about how broader labor market institutions intersect in local dynamics of wage setting between employees of immigrant and native backgrounds. We argue that increased workplace concentrations of union members and employees in licensed occupations constrain organizational opportunity structures for discrimination and reduce immigrant–native wage gaps. We analyze longitudinal linked employer–employee administrative data for the Norwegian labor market and find that immigrants and their descendants experience smaller wage gaps relative to native Norwegian coworkers in highly unionized and, to a lesser extent, licensed workplaces. The advantages of high workplace unionization and occupational licensure are larger for immigrant-origin employees who are union members or working in licensed occupations. Our findings support the claim that institutiona...

This study examines high-achieving students in Norwegian lower secondary schools who follow accel... more This study examines high-achieving students in Norwegian lower secondary schools who follow accelerated learning trajectories in mathematics, so-called fast tracks. The study examines whether and how fast tracks improve high-achieving students’ learning and performance. The analyses rely on high-quality administrative register data from Norway with complete information for all students. The results show that fast-track students outperform regular students in mathematics. The results suggest that (1) the fast tracks improve the students’ learning, and (2) the students are selected and self-selected – based on prior performance and background characteristics. When comparing teacher-set grades vs. exam grades set by anonymous random assigned examinators, the results suggest that (3) teachers give fast-track students even better grades than regular students. One plausible explanation is that teachers perceive or label fast-track students as more talented than other students. The finding...

Sosiologisk tidsskrift, 2006

Nordisk politiforskning, 2014

The article examines the reasons fresh police students have for choosing police education and wha... more The article examines the reasons fresh police students have for choosing police education and what kind of backgrounds they have. Previous research has indicated that police students' social background has changed in that their parents have much higher education than before. Students' perceptions of and attitudes toward police training and police work has, however, changed little, which can be seen as a paradox. This research has primarily analysed survey data. We have combined qualitative interview data with data from public administrative registers. First, we find that police students are not interested in academic and intellectual pursuits. Theoretical work in offices and in front of computers is considered negatively as boring, one-sided, and resulting in decay and the «fading away» of the employees. Practical work outdoors, however, has positive connotations. These kind of preferences and work values fit nicely with our analyses of the register data, which show that most police students are not children of academics. Our findings, thus, show far greater accordance between the students' values, attitudes and beliefs, and their parents' level of education than previous research has shown.

Sosiologisk tidsskrift, Sep 14, 2007

British Journal of Sociology of Education, Oct 20, 2022

This study examines high-achieving students in Norwegian lower secondary schools who follow accel... more This study examines high-achieving students in Norwegian lower secondary schools who follow accelerated learning trajectories in mathematics, so-called fast tracks. The study examines whether and how fast tracks improve high-achieving students' learning and performance. The analyses rely on high-quality administrative register data from Norway with complete information for all students. The results show that fast-track students outperform regular students in mathematics. The results suggest that (1) the fast tracks improve the students' learning, and (2) the students are selected and self-selectedbased on prior performance and background characteristics. When comparing teacher-set grades vs. exam grades set by anonymous random assigned examinators, the results suggest that (3) teachers give fast-track students even better grades than regular students. One plausible explanation is that teachers perceive or label fast-track students as more talented than other students. The findings especially suggest that Norwegian teachers compensate disadvantaged fast-track students.

Nordisk politiforskning, Nov 4, 2014

The article examines the reasons fresh police students have for choosing police education and wha... more The article examines the reasons fresh police students have for choosing police education and what kind of backgrounds they have. Previous research has indicated that police students' social background has changed in that their parents have much higher education than before. Students' perceptions of and attitudes toward police training and police work has, however, changed little, which can be seen as a paradox. This research has primarily analysed survey data. We have combined qualitative interview data with data from public administrative registers. First, we find that police students are not interested in academic and intellectual pursuits. Theoretical work in offices and in front of computers is considered negatively as boring, one-sided, and resulting in decay and the «fading away» of the employees. Practical work outdoors, however, has positive connotations. These kind of preferences and work values fit nicely with our analyses of the register data, which show that most police students are not children of academics. Our findings, thus, show far greater accordance between the students' values, attitudes and beliefs, and their parents' level of education than previous research has shown.

Sosiologisk tidsskrift, Mar 21, 2006

European Sociological Review, Mar 2, 2006

ABSTRACT The article examines how the probability of obtaining an apprenticeship as a part of upp... more ABSTRACT The article examines how the probability of obtaining an apprenticeship as a part of upper secondary education varies between ethnic Norwegians and minority groups. The analyses show considerable differences between the ethnic majority and the minority groups of non-western origin. Although grades and school attendance record have a marked effect on the probability of obtaining an apprenticeship, there are ethnic differences that are not due to such human capital factors. Furthermore, good grades are more important for the minority than for majority applicants. Overall the results suggest that the ethnic minority applicants of non-western origin have to outperform their majority peers in order to have the same chance of obtaining an apprenticeship.

The Second ISA Forum of Sociology (August 1-4, 2012), Aug 1, 2012

Journal of Education and Work, Sep 1, 2009

The paper analyses the labour market situation among youth with low or medium levels of formal ed... more The paper analyses the labour market situation among youth with low or medium levels of formal education. The analyses focus on studying the effects of level of competence, grades and immigrant background. Which factors contribute to labour market success among this group of youth? And which factors may increase the risk of not getting into the labour market? The findings indicate that both achieved characteristics, such as grades and level of competence ('merits'), and ascribed characteristics, such as ethnic background, are important for their labour market opportunities. Among those with the lowest competence level, the ethnic Norwegians do not fare the best. Else, immigrants with non-Western background have a higher risk of unemployment and a lower rate of employment than the ethnic Norwegians, but second-generation immigrants have a better situation than first-generation immigrants.

European Societies, Apr 13, 2023

Organizational research has revealed considerable variation in immigrant–native pay inequalities ... more Organizational research has revealed considerable variation in immigrant–native pay inequalities across workplace contexts, but less is known about how broader labor market institutions intersect in local dynamics of wage setting between employees of immigrant and native backgrounds. We argue that increased workplace concentrations of union members and employees in licensed occupations constrain organizational opportunity structures for discrimination and reduce immigrant–native wage gaps. We analyze longitudinal linked employer–employee administrative data for the Norwegian labor market and find that immigrants and their descendants experience smaller wage gaps relative to native Norwegian coworkers in highly unionized and, to a lesser extent, licensed workplaces. The advantages of high workplace unionization and occupational licensure are larger for immigrant-origin employees who are union members or working in licensed occupations. Our findings support the claim that institutiona...

This study examines high-achieving students in Norwegian lower secondary schools who follow accel... more This study examines high-achieving students in Norwegian lower secondary schools who follow accelerated learning trajectories in mathematics, so-called fast tracks. The study examines whether and how fast tracks improve high-achieving students’ learning and performance. The analyses rely on high-quality administrative register data from Norway with complete information for all students. The results show that fast-track students outperform regular students in mathematics. The results suggest that (1) the fast tracks improve the students’ learning, and (2) the students are selected and self-selected – based on prior performance and background characteristics. When comparing teacher-set grades vs. exam grades set by anonymous random assigned examinators, the results suggest that (3) teachers give fast-track students even better grades than regular students. One plausible explanation is that teachers perceive or label fast-track students as more talented than other students. The finding...

Sosiologisk tidsskrift, 2006

Nordisk politiforskning, 2014

The article examines the reasons fresh police students have for choosing police education and wha... more The article examines the reasons fresh police students have for choosing police education and what kind of backgrounds they have. Previous research has indicated that police students' social background has changed in that their parents have much higher education than before. Students' perceptions of and attitudes toward police training and police work has, however, changed little, which can be seen as a paradox. This research has primarily analysed survey data. We have combined qualitative interview data with data from public administrative registers. First, we find that police students are not interested in academic and intellectual pursuits. Theoretical work in offices and in front of computers is considered negatively as boring, one-sided, and resulting in decay and the «fading away» of the employees. Practical work outdoors, however, has positive connotations. These kind of preferences and work values fit nicely with our analyses of the register data, which show that most police students are not children of academics. Our findings, thus, show far greater accordance between the students' values, attitudes and beliefs, and their parents' level of education than previous research has shown.