The Nordic Dimension as a Metaspace for Educational Research

Abstract

The article argues that observing ‘the Nordic dimension’ as a metaspace in methodological terms harbors rich potential for qualifying educational research, policy, and debate. The metaspace gathers critical mass through aggregating the potential of smaller spaces. The five Nordic countries thus represent historical, linguistic, and societal similarities that produced similar societal and educational values, albeit along different trajectories. Understood as a floating signifier in scalar and topological terms, the Nordic dimension allows researchers and others to draw on the diversity that this metaspace represents as a tool for rethinking national solutions. The article draws on educational research and literature with a Nordic focus.