The following institutions are currently involved:
- Finland: Åbo Akademi University
- Denmark: DPU Aarhus University
- Iceland: University of Iceland
- Sweden: Umeå University and Dalarna University
- Norway: University of Tromsø/ UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, and Department of Teacher Education – Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
Dalarna University
Högskolan Dalarna has a long tradition of educating teachers and preschool teachers, but it was only in 2017 that our institution was granted the right to award PhD degrees in pedagogiskt arbete (Educational Work). Our PhD program offers opportunities for educators in various professional practices, from preschool to higher education, to develop new knowledge of current challenges in institutional educational practices. Central objects of study are teaching/instruction, learning, caring and fostering.
At the moment we have 19 doctoral students enrolled in our program. All our doctoral students have a background in some type of educational practice, and many of them are funded by municipalities in the region where they remain employed during their studies. Most of these “regionally” funded students study for a licentiate degree, even though many of them later continue toward a full PhD degree.
The PhD program in Educational Work is an integral part of the research profile Education and Learning which hosts some 60 researchers working with educational research, teacher education, and various cooperative community projects. Our research is in fields such as literacy; didactics related to school subjects; social interaction, ethics and values; power relationships and issues of leadership and organization in school and preschool; and the physical environment where teaching and learning take place. Further examples of fields of interest are the experiences of newcomers to Sweden in terms of schooling as well as sustainable development in preschool. Most researchers work with empirical research projects in close relation to schools and preschools, although some are involved with other types of projects, such as the role of education in society.
Danish School of Education (DPU)
The Danish School of Education (known in Denmark as DPU) constitutes Denmark’s largest and strongest university environment for basic and applied research within the field of education and educational theory (pedagogics). With its 155 scholars and 90 PhD students, it constitutes one of the largest education research environments in Europe.
The research at the school has an international foundation and is built around strong scientific perspectives on educational theory regarding:
- Didactics (subject-based and general didactics)
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- Anthropology
In addition, we conduct interdisciplinary research aimed at specific educational fields of inquiry, with daycare and schools playing the largest and most central roles.
The Danish School of Education offers advanced degree programmes with vocational relevance as well as high academic quality for university graduates, teachers, childcare professionals, nurses, and graduates with other professional Bachelor’s degrees.
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
- Department of Teacher Education (ILU), NTNU
- Doctoral program in Educational Sciences – Specialization Teaching Profession and School Research
This specialization focuses on educational research related to subject didactics and teaching in schools and teacher education, and to leadership and development in schools. The specialization is interdisciplinary and may centre on one or more basic disciplines. The thematic and methodological approach focuses on teachers’ professional education and professional practice, as well as the development of school subjects at the intersection between the subject and subject didactics, with the perspective of practice at the core.
University of Iceland, School of Education
University of Iceland, School of Education, is the leading institution in education studies and well-being in Iceland and has an important social role in regards to the education of teachers, social educators, leisure professionals, sports and health scientists as well as pedagogy and education studies.
The goal of the doctoral programme is to bolster the abilities of candidates in independent scientific research and scholarly activities. In addition, the programme is intended to strengthen Icelandic research in the fields of education, nurture, training, pedagogy, and leisure. This entails training in preparation and implementation of research studies, processing and interpretation of research findings, presentation and discussion of findings of the candidate’s own research in the context of the body of knowledge in the field of scholarship, and publication in international peer-reviewed journals. The NorTED cooperation will enhance the School’s efforts to offer more courses in English for Ph.D. students only.
See further: https://english.hi.is/node/52285/
Åbo Akademi University
Doctoral studies at Åbo Akademi University are organised in the form of doctoral programmes. A faculty may have several doctoral programmes and a single doctoral programme can have one or more major subjects. Together, the doctoral programmes comprise the Graduate School at Åbo Akademi University.
The Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies educates Swedish-speaking teachers for all levels of education. The faculty operates in Vaasa. The Doctoral Programme in Education at Åbo Akademi university is one of the faculty’s three doctoral programs. The Doctoral Programme in Education has about 50 doctoral students registered and about 5 postgraduate students graduate annually. The following major subjects are included in the Doctoral Programme in Education:
- Education (General)
- Education (Teacher Oriented)
- Early Childhood Education
- Special Education
- Adult Education
- Home Economics
- Sloyd (Craft) Science
Read more about the doctoral program and the main points of research in our major subjects.
The Arctic University of Norway (UiT)
UiT The Arctic University of Norway is the northernmost university of the world. UiT is a medium-sized research university that contributes to knowledge-based development at the regional, national and international level. UiT has become a multi-campus university spread throughout Northern Norway. The main campuses are located in Tromsø, Alta, Narvik and Harstad, with smaller departments in the towns of Mo i Rana, Hammerfest and Kirkenes. The number of students and study programmes increases due to this merger. The new university has become an even more important driving force for Northern Norway and international cooperation in the High North. At the Faculty of Humanities, social sciences, and education, the UiT offers a range of teacher education programmes aimed at early childhood, primary and secondary education. UiT also offers PhD programmes in Humanity and Social Sciences, with several ongoing projects focusing on teacher education, teaching, and learning.