PhD Programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education Programme description

External practical training at a pharmacy takes place in the course FARBPRA in the third year of programme.

The students carry out supervised practical training at a community pharmacy. Supervised practical training entails supervision, assessment and the exchange of reflections between student and supervisor. The supervisor is an authorised pharmacist.

Practical training is an important arena for learning and developing action competence, a process that takes place when alternating between theory and practice.; The student will have an opportunity to train in a real work situation, apply theoretical knowledge and improve their knowledge of the professional field. Practical training must be evidence-based and related to situations and issues of relevance to professional practice in order to provide experience of the pharmacist’s duties and responsibilities. The student will gradually develop a basis for professional discretion as a pharmacist and work towards fulfilling the pharmacist's professional role.

A manual for practical training at a pharmacy has been prepared, which contains guidelines for the period of practical training.

The practical training establishments are mainly located in Oslo and in the Eastern region of Norway, but it is also possible to carry out the training in other parts of the country. The students may need to commute to and from the practical training establishment. Students must comply with the clothing regulations in force at the practical training establishment. Vaccination may also be required. Separate requirements for attendance apply to practical training; see the section ‘Assessment of practical training’.

Required coursework is all types of work, tests and compulsory attendance that are requirements for being permitted to take the exam. Required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved. The coursework requirements for each course are described in the respective course descriptions.

The primary purpose of coursework requirements is to contribute to the students' progress and academic development, and to stimulate the students to master the subject matter. The programme has coursework requirements in the form of compulsory attendance and laboratory assignments. Other coursework requirements may apply; see the course descriptions for more information.

Compulsory attendance

Attendance is compulsory for teaching activities that cover subject matter that the student cannot acquire on his or her own, or in teaching activities where cooperation with fellow students is a precondition for carrying out the activities.

A minimum attendance of 80% is required at seminars and compulsory scheduled and supervised group work. A minimum of either 80% or 90% attendance is required for skills training (laboratory courses and practical handling of prescriptions). Other activities may also be subject to compulsory attendance requirements. Detailed provisions on compulsory attendance are set out in the course descriptions and teaching plans.

The attendance requirements must be met before the student can take the exam in the course. Students will be contacted if they are at risk of exceeding the maximum limit for absence. If it emerges that a student has exceeded the limit for absence, the lecturer must assess whether and how the student can compensate for the absence. Whether or not it is possible to compensate for absence depends on the extent of the student's absence and which activities they have missed. Absence from compulsory teaching activities that cannot be compensated for may lead to delayed progress in the programme.

Laboratory reports

In certain laboratory courses, the student must document his/her laboratory work through written reports (lab reports).

Reports that are not approved after the first submission must be improved and re-submitted.

Different forms of assessment are used in the programme that are adapted to the learning outcomes of the different courses. The forms of assessment used are intended to support learning and document that the students’ competence is adequate in relation to the applicable learning outcomes. The students will receive advice and supervision and have their performance assessed during the programme. It is important and necessary to assess students’ knowledge and skills often, so that they receive feedback on whether their performance is in line with the programme's requirements and whether they have achieved the learning outcomes.

Exams and practical training are assessed in accordance with the applicable rules set out in the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet and the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet.

The forms of assessment are described in the individual course descriptions. All exams taken will be stated on the diploma, along with the title of the student's bachelor's thesis.

Exams

All courses conclude with an exam. The assessment is based on the learning outcome descriptions for the course, and it is assessed whether the student has achieved the stipulated learning outcomes. The grades pass/fail or letter grades from A to F are used, with A being the highest grade and E the poorest pass grade. The grade F means that the student has failed the exam.

In some courses, the exam consists of more than one part. The student's performance in each part of the exam is assessed by a separate grade, before a final overall grade is awarded. For courses that use exams consisting of more than one part, the course description will state how the final grade for the course is arrived at on the basis of the separate grades awarded for the different parts of the exam.;

Most courses have required coursework that must be approved before the student can take the exam. See the course descriptions for more details.;

Resit and rescheduled exams are carried out in the same manner as the ordinary exam unless otherwise specified in the course description.

For exams where a percentage of the exam papers are selected for assessment by an external examiner, the external examiner's assessment must benefit all the students. In such cases, one external and one internal examiner will first grade the selected papers. The internal examiner then continues grading the remaining papers together with another internal examiner. The assessments from the first part are summarised to serve as guidelines for the assessments carried out by the two internal examiners.

Grades awarded for written exams can be appealed, cf. Section 5-3 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. It is not possible to appeal the grades awarded for oral and practical exams. In a group exam, the result of an appeal will only have consequences for the candidates who have submitted the appeal. This means that all members of the group do not have to participate in the appeal.

Assessment of external practical training

Supervised external practical training is assessed as pass/fail. The assessment is based on the course’s learning outcomes, the assessment criteria and the continuous suitability assessment conducted throughout the practical training period.

To pass the practical training, the student must have met the compulsory attendance requirement. The student must attend at least 90% of the scheduled time. The attendance requirement applies both to time spent at the practical training establishment and any teaching activities provided as part of the programme. The following also applies to absence: ;

• Less than 10% absence: The student can complete the practical training course as normal.
• Between 10–20% absence: The student can make up for the practical training/teaching missed, if this is doable. This must be agreed with the practical training supervisor and the person responsible for the course at the university.
• More than 20% absence: The student must normally retake the whole practical training course. This will result in delayed progress in the programme.

If the student exceeds the maximum limit for absence, the practical training course will be registered as failed and count as an attempt.;Other criteria for passing the practical training are set out in the manual for practical training at a pharmacy and the programme’s own practical training compendium.

Suitability

Diplomas for the completed programme will only be awarded to graduates who are suited to practise the profession. A student who represents a potential threat to the physical or mental health, rights and safety of their patients and colleagues is not suited for the profession.

Suitability assessments are made on a continuous basis throughout the study programme, and will be included in the overall assessment of the students' professional and personal suitability for work as health personnel. Students who demonstrate little ability to master the pharmacist profession must be informed of this at the earliest possible stage of the programme. They will be given supervision and advice on how to improve, or be advised to leave the programme. Special suitability assessments are used in exceptional cases, cf. the Regulations concerning Suitability Assessment in Higher Education.

Programme description

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences on 14 October 2020.

Most recent amendments approved by the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences on 9 January 2022.

Applies to students starting the programme in 2022.

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