PhD Programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education Programme description

The PhD Programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) is a researcher education programme that focuses on disciplines such as childhood and adolescence, culture, early childhood education and schools, and teacher education and professional qualifications in a national and international perspective. The goal is to improve the teacher education programmes’ action competence and research-based knowledge base. The programme forms the basis for constructive and critical research assessments of education and education policy in fields of relevance to teacher education. In the programme, this takes place through analyses of childhood and adolescence, teaching, knowledge development and learning in various communicative, cultural and institutional contexts. The programme contributes to research that considers education, childhood and adolescence, and development from a more comprehensive perspective, from early childhood to higher education, in formal and informal learning arenas, both nationally and internationally.

Educational sciences of relevance to teacher education are characterised by single-discipline and multidisciplinary approaches and a diversity of theories and methods. It is a rapidly growing field that have led to academic differentiation and specialisation, as well as collaboration across disciplinary boundaries and scientific fields.

The programme facilitates research efforts in specific fields where the university has a special social remit and has developed special expertise. This applies in particular to the university’s remit to offer research-based early childhood, primary and lower secondary and vocational teacher education in a multicultural city context. The programme is also relevant to research relating to various vocational teacher education programmes aimed at upper secondary education and to research with a more general connection to the field of teacher education. The programme is based on, among other things, the requirement for more research-based teaching in higher education and the need to increase the level of insight into the preconditions for and effects of changes in the education system.

The PhD programme is somewhat different from similar educational science programmes in that it prioritises research whose relevance to teacher education in the field in question can be documented. The programme also offers a comprehensive compulsory course in theories of knowledge in teacher education research. The programme’s particular focus on teaching, learning and societal contexts for the various education pathways means that it is also clearly practice and profession-oriented.

The programme’s target group are people who wish to qualify for research in the field of educational sciences for teacher education, for teaching positions at universities and university colleges, or for other types of positions that require a high level of scientific expertise.

(1) To be admitted to the PhD Programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education, the applicant must normally have completed a five-year master’s degree programme (three years + two years) or equivalent teacher education, have other teaching qualifications, or a degree in science of education, development studies or other relevant education at a corresponding level in fields of relevance to teacher education.

(2) Applicants to the programme are normally required to have achieved a grade of B or better on their master’s thesis.

(3) Applicants who achieved a grade lower than B on their master’s thesis but who meet the general admission requirement, must have achieved a grade of C on their master’s thesis and an average grade of B or better for the rest of the master’s degree. For five-year integrated master’s degree programmes, the requirement for an average grade of B or better applies to the last two years of the master’s degree programme (cycle 2). In addition, the applicant must meet at least two of the following criteria:

• the applicant must be able to document scientific publication
• the applicant must have a particularly good project outline
• the applicant’s application must be particularly relevant to the advertisement text
• the applicant must have research-related work experience

(4) The grade requirement does not apply to applications for admission to individual courses.

(5) Applicants who hold a master’s degree with a scope of less than 120 ECTS credits can be admitted to the programme on the basis of an individual assessment. The master’s degree in question must formally qualify the applicant for admission to PhD programmes in the country in which the master’s degree was taken. Applicants must have written a master’s thesis as part of their master’s degree and been awarded a grade of B or better. The requirement for a grade of B or better for the master’ thesis cannot be waived for this category of applicants. Considerable weight will be given to the project outline’s quality, relevance and originality.

Requirements relating to the contents of applications for admission are set out in Chapter 2 of the Regulations relating to the Degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at OsloMet (hereinafter called the Regulations). The application for admission must document the applicant’s basis for admission and contain descriptions of the research project, a plan for implementation, funding, dissemination and stays at other institutions. The applicant must also describe his/her needs in term of supervision and infrastructure, and specify which language he/she prefers to write the thesis in, and any problems relating to intellectual property rights.

The faculty’s doctoral committee makes a decision on admission based on an overall assessment of the application.

On admission, the doctoral committee will appoint one or more supervisors. The main supervisor should preferably be affiliated to OsloMet. Admission is formalised in an agreement between the PhD student, the supervisor and the university, and, if relevant, other academic environments and institutions. The agreement regulates the parties’ mutual rights and obligations during the agreement period, cf. Chapter 2 of the Regulations, and complies with the template prepared by Universities Norway (UHR). The students will be affiliated to a research community in the relevant field.

Students who complete the programme are awarded the degree PhD of Educational Sciences for Teacher Education. In Norwegian: Ph.d. i utdanningsvitenskap for lærerutdanning.

After completing the programme, the candidate is expected to have researcher qualifications in educational sciences for teacher education-related research, and is expected to have achieved the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate

• is in the forefront of knowledge and masters relevant philosophy of science and methodology in educational sciences for teacher education
• has in-depth theoretical and empirical insight into general educational science issues of relevance to teacher education
• has extensive knowledge of and can critically assess the main features of Norwegian and international educational science research of relevance to teacher education

Skills

The candidate

• can act as an independent researcher and contribute to the development of new knowledge at a high international level in the field
• can carry out scientific analyses of complex connections in the field
• can handle complex academic questions and problematise the field's knowledge base
• can give academically sound written and oral presentations at national and international conferences

General competence

The candidate

• can identify needs for new educational science research of relevance to the knowledge base and action competence in teacher educations
• can communicate his/her own and others' research through nationally and internationally recognised publication channels
• can contribute to research-based change and development in the field
• can identify ethical challenges in in his/her own and others' research in the field and carry out his/her research with academic integrity

The programme consists of a training component and a research component. The training component has a scope of 30 ECTS credits, and the research component is worth 150 ECTS credits. Through the training component, the students acquire theoretical and empirical insight into and methodological expertise in studies of general educational science issues of relevance to teacher education. Through the research component, the students develop their ability to identify needs for new educational science research of relevance to the knowledge base and action competence in teacher educations, as well as the ability to problematise and disseminate such knowledge.

The programme emphasises combining academic depth and breadth. In the training component, the students are expected to achieve academic breadth through the common compulsory course (10 ECTS credits) Theories of Knowledge in Teacher Education Research, as well as elective courses in philosophy of science, methodology and ethics (minimum 10 ECTS credits) and elective specialisation courses (10 ECTS credits).

In the research component, the students are expected to achieve academic depth through work on a scientific thesis with a view to acquiring researcher qualifications in educational sciences for teacher education characterised by an ability to identify, design, conduct and disseminate relevant research.

Multicultural and international perspective

Multicultural and international perspectives are discussed in all specialisation courses included in the programme.

Gender perspective

Gender and equality perspectives are discussed in all specialisation courses included in the programme.

Ethics

Ethical issues are a particular focus in the philosophy of science, research methodology and ethics courses.

The training component (30 ECTS credits)

The training component is intended to underpin the student’s research.

In the course Theories of Knowledge in Teacher Education Research, the student is expected to acquire theoretical and empirical insight into general educational science issues of relevance to teacher education. The course is compulsory for the PhD Programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education. The course is taught every academic year.

In the philosophy of science, methodology and ethics courses, the student is expected to acquire insight into philosophy of science, methodology and research ethics topics with a view to developing their ability to conduct scientific analyses and critically analyse and assess complex connections in the field using adequate methods. The PhD programme offers courses in philosophy of science, methodology and ethics. These courses will vary between academic years. In consultation with the supervisor, the student will choose philosophy of science, methodology and ethics courses that meet his/her needs in relation to the thesis. The student may also choose philosophy of science, methodology and ethics courses from other programmes at OsloMet or from other universities and university colleges. International PhD courses may also be included in the degree.

The elective specialisation courses are intended to give students an opportunity to acquire knowledge in areas of relevance to their work on the thesis. Every year, the PhD Programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education offers different elective specialisation courses with a scope of 5 ECTS credits each. These courses will vary between academic years. Students may also choose a course or courses from their own PhD programme or from other programmes at OsloMet or from other universities and university colleges. International PhD courses may also be included in the degree.

All courses taught as part of the PhD Programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education will be announced on the programme’s website. The courses are described in separate course plans with information about the number of ECTS credits, content, learning outcomes, forms of assessment, assessment, teaching plan and a reading list.

Up to 5 ECTS credits of the training component may be taken pursuant to the following rules:

• Studies or a research stay at a foreign institution: 1 ECTS credit for the first two weeks, and then 1 ECTS credit per week. The stay must last for at least two weeks. The plan for the stay must be approved by the main supervisor, and the external institution must confirm that the plan has been complied with. A written report must be submitted after the stay. The ECTS credits can only be awarded if no ECTS-conferring course credits are awarded during the same stay.
• Upon application, presentations of papers at international conferences can be recognised as part of the training component, conferring a maximum of 3 ECTS credits.
• Upon application, ECTS-conferring generic courses for PhD students can be recognised as part of the training component

Recognition of courses taken at other institutions

If any PhD students wish to take courses at institutions other than OsloMet, the head of the PhD programme at the Faculty of Education and International Studies (LUI) must approve the inclusion of these courses in the PhD programme's training component.

The research component (150 ECTS credits)

Course code: PHUV9900.

The key component of the programme is the work on a scientific thesis. Provisions concerning the thesis are set out in Chapter 5 of the Regulations. In principle, the programme uses article-based theses. Alternatively, the thesis can consist of a single text (monograph).

The thesis shall be an independent piece of scientific work that meets international standards in the field. It shall contribute towards developing new academic knowledge and shall be of a sufficiently high standard to merit publication as part of the scientific literature in the given field. Joint work can be accepted as a thesis if the PhD candidate's independent contribution can be identified and documented.

Work and teaching methods

The individual courses in the training component are usually taught over one semester. As a rule, the compulsory course will be taught in the autumn semester. The teaching methods used are lectures, seminars and supervision. For more information, see the individual course descriptions.

Supervision

The students are entitled to up to 210 hours of supervision during their work on the thesis. They are expected to make active use of this offer. The main supervisor should preferably be affiliated to OsloMet. Students can apply to have a co-supervisor from another institution appointed. The supervision agreement should stipulate the planned use of the supervision hours. At the first supervision session of each semester, a meeting schedule and a plan for how to use the time must be prepared. The supervision sessions include preparation, conversations with the PhD student and follow-up work. The supervisor’s obligations and rights are regulated in Chapter 3 of the Regulations.

The main supervisor has formal responsibility for matters concerning the student. If the main supervisor does not work at OsloMet, the co-supervisor must be affiliated to OsloMet, and the main supervisor and co-supervisor will share responsibility in such cases. Reports and written works must be presented to both the external and internal supervisor.

The internal supervisor is obliged to maintain contact with the student and to stay informed about how the work is progressing. The student shall be included in and be supported by a relevant and active academic and research community. The internal supervisor is responsible for involving the student in the academic community. However, the supervision shall consider that the thesis is to be a piece independent scholarly research.

Seminars

Each semester, seminars on interdisciplinary topics will be organised where relevant issues will be discussed. In these seminars, the students will be given an opportunity to present and problematise their projects.

Dissemination

PhD students are expected to present their research at least once at an international conference. Students are also encouraged to communicate about their projects via relevant forums and channels.

Midway evaluation

A midway evaluation of the work on the thesis will be held halfway through the programme. The midway evaluation comprises an academic assessment, the purpose of which is to let the students present and evaluate the progress of their own project and provide an opportunity for the student to mention factors of importance for supervision and future progress. An external researcher will be appointed, who, together with the supervisors, the student, and the person responsible for the course, will constitute a panel. The evaluation can take around four hours. The midway evaluation is compulsory. Special guidelines have been drawn up for the student’s submission. The midway presentation, with subsequent midway evaluation of the PhD project, must take place before the PhD student has completed two years' worth of the PhD programme.

Annual progress reporting

To ensure quality and student throughput, the student and the supervisor are both obliged to submit a progress report every year. This report forms the basis for an assessment of the student’s progress in terms of his/her own research and the courses. An evaluation is also held at the end of the student’s research work during the admission period. Failure to submit a report or an unsatisfactory report may constitute grounds for terminating the agreement before the agreement period expires.

Stays abroad will be facilitated. Researchers from foreign institutions will be invited to give lectures and seminars. Students are encouraged to seek membership in relevant international research networks.

The compulsory and elective courses comprise required coursework. The required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved. The required coursework must be submitted/completed by the stipulated deadline(s). Absence for valid reasons documented by e.g. a medical certificate does not exempt students from meeting the coursework requirements. Students who fail to submit required coursework by the deadline due to illness or for other documented valid reasons can be given an extended deadline. A new deadline for meeting the coursework requirements must be agreed with the lecturer in question in each individual case.

Students who submit the required coursework by the deadline, but whose work is assessed as ‘not approved’, will be given one opportunity to resubmit the work. In such cases, the student must agree with the lecturer on resubmission of the coursework in question. Students who do not submit required coursework by the deadline without a documented valid reason will not be granted another attempt.

The coursework requirements are described in more detail in the individual course descriptions.

Students must write an essay as part of the compulsory course.

The elective courses offered use various exam forms which are described in more detail in the individual course descriptions.

The essay will be assessed and approved by the person responsible for the course and a member of the academic staff affiliated to the PhD programme. The learning outcome descriptions are used as assessment criteria.

If the essay is not approved, the student can submit a revised essay once by a specified deadline. The PhD Regulations Section 4-3 states that the provisions regarding cheating in the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University apply to exams or tests taken during the PhD programme's training component.

The degree PhD of Educational Sciences for Teacher Education is awarded on the basis of:

• approved completion of the training component, alternatively other approved academic training or qualification
• an approved trial lecture on a specified topic
• an approved research thesis and approved public defence of the thesis.

Assessment is regulated by Chapter 6 of the Regulations. The supplementary provisions for assessment for the degree of philosophiae doctor (PhD) at OsloMet contain more detailed guidelines on the assessment procedure for submitted theses. The diploma will state the title of the thesis and information about the academic training programme the PhD candidate has completed.

Right of appeal

Rejections of applications for assessment of the thesis and decisions not to approve a thesis, trial lecture or public defence can be appealed to the Board of Appeal pursuant to the Public Administration Act Section 28 ff. The Appeals Board at OsloMet is the appeals body.

PhD Programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education (180 ECTS)

Programplan for ph.d.-studiet i utdanningsvitenskap for lærerutdanning (180 studiepoeng)

Programme code: PHUV

Programme code, individual courses: PHUVEK

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee of Oslo University College on 21 February 2011

Accredited by NOKUT – Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) on 14 February 2012

Most recent amendments approved by the Academic Affairs Committee at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University on 3 May 2018

Minor amendment approved by the faculty’s Academic Affairs Committee on 25 January 2021

The programme description applies from the autumn semester 2021

Faculty of Education and International Studies