PHUV9480 Nyere barnehageforskning i et nordisk perspektiv Emneplan

This course will describe historical, political and pedagogical ideas in the Nordic welfare model for kindergarten and explore their ramifications within the broader international debates of early childhood education and care (ECEC). The course will provide a theoretical overview and analytical competence and contribute to academic concentration and depth through its focus on research methodology. In this way, the course will strengthen the candidate’s knowledge base for working on his or her thesis and provide sufficient breadth for future research in ECEC.

Teaching language: English (Norwegian, depending on the language of the participants).

After completion of the course, the student will have acquired the following learning outcomes, defined as knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• is in the forefront of knowledge about the body of Norwegian and Nordic ECEC research

• has methodological insights into research in early childhood education and can evaluate how different epistemological and methodological positions influence that research

• has state-of the art knowledge of tendencies and critical topics in Nordic and international research in the field

Skills

The student

• can identify problems and challenges in the field and formulate research questions

• can analyse different empirical and theoretical approaches to research in ECEC and the relations between them

• can provide academic texts and presentations demonstrating epistemological and methodological insights

General competence

The student

• can document the ability to identify new research areas in early childhood education

• can position his or her project within the field of ECEC research

The field of research in early childhood is characterized by a variety of methodologies (i.e. strategies for research connected to epistemology and ontology), and in this course we focus specifically on how research is embedded in political, theoretical and scientific knowledge.

The course covers the following topics:

• Insights into recent Nordic research in ECEC
• The development of ECEC research in the Nordic countries
• Epistemological, theoretical and methodological aspects of diverse research approaches
• Analysis of how ECEC research is embedded in Norwegian and Nordic policies and educational systems

The working methods include lectures, discussions, practical workshops and student presentations. Candidates are expected to participate actively in all teaching activities, including presenting their projects. The course will mainly be taught digitally, except for one in-person meeting that will be arranged at OsloMet.

Throughout the course, PhD candidates will work on co-creating a map of historical and geographical ECEC discourses found in the Nordic ECEC literature and policy documents.

Students must participate in a three-hour peer session in which they present and discuss their individual maps in order to co-create a map of the research.

The examination consists of an oral conference presentation (panel contribution, round table contribution, poster or single paper presentation), including a hand-out and a discussion. Duration of the presentation: 15 minutes. The hand-out must be no more than two A4 pages, not counting references. Duration of the discussion: 20 minutes. In sum, the presentation, hand-out and discussion must be based on relevant research literature and relate to the candidate’s PhD work.

New and postponed examination

In case of a failed exam/valid absence, the candidate may have a new exam under the same conditions when a new/postponed exam is arranged.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for referencing sources are followed.

The grades are pass or fail.

Two internal examiners will assess the exams.

Target group

PhD students with a specific interest in early childhood research.

Admission requirements

The admission requirement is a five-year master’s degree (three years + two years) or equivalent qualifications in teacher education, other pedagogical education, educational science, development studies or other education at an equivalent level in subjects relevant for teacher education.

If there are a large number of applicants, PhD students enrolled in the research school NORBARN and PhD students enrolled in the PhD programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education will be prioritized, followed by students in other PhD programmes and academic employees in the Faculty of Teacher Education and International Studies, in that order.

Applicants who are not enrolled in the PhD programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education must send a summary of no more than 400 words with relevant information about their own PhD project or other project or sphere of interest containing the topic, methodology, theoretical approach, how far along they are in their PhD work and why this particular course is relevant for their project.