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.

Kandidaten skal etter fullført studium ha forskerkompetanse i utdanningsvitenskap for lærerutdanningsrelatert forskning, og skal ha følgende totale læringsutbytte definert i kunnskap, ferdigheter og generell kompetanse:

Kunnskap

Kandidaten

• er i kunnskapsfronten og behersker relevant vitenskapsteori og metodologi i utdanningsvitenskap for lærerutdanning
• har dyptgående teoretisk og empirisk innsikt i generelle utdanningsvitenskapelige problemstillinger som er relevant for lærerutdanning
• har omfattende kunnskap om og kan vurdere kritisk hovedtrekk i norsk og internasjonal utdanningsvitenskaplig forskning relevant for lærerutdanning.

Ferdigheter

Kandidaten

• kan fungere som selvstendig forsker og bidra til utvikling av ny kunnskap på høyt internasjonalt nivå i fagfeltet
• kan gjøre vitenskapelige analyser av komplekse sammenhenger i fagfeltet
• kan håndtere komplekse faglige spørsmål og problematisere forskningsfeltets kunnskapsgrunnlag
• kan gi faglig kompetente skriftlige og muntlige presentasjoner ved nasjonale og internasjonale konferanser

Generell kompetanse

Kandidaten

• kan identifisere behov for ny utdanningsvitenskapelig forskning som er relevant for lærerutdanningers kunnskapsgrunnlag og handlingsberedskap
• kan formidle egen og andres forskning gjennom anerkjente nasjonale og internasjonale publiseringskanaler
• kan bidra til forskningsbasert endring og utvikling i fagfeltet
• kan identifisere forskningsetiske utfordringer i egen og andres forskning på fagfeltet og utøve sin forskning med faglig integritet

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).

Students who have completed parts of the training component at OsloMet up to twelve (12) months before their admission can be exempted from the regulation that at least 20 credits must be taken after admission. Students may still be required to complete additional courses if it´s academically justified hence the learning outcomes for the Ph.D. and the project's theme and/or method. An evaluation of the training component is done in connection with the students' admission to the programme.

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 characterized 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.

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.