Children with a large learning potential

In 2016, an Official Norwegian Report was published on the subject of ‘gifted’ pupils; schoolchildren with above-average cognitive abilities. The Jøsendal Committee, which was behind the report, called them ‘pupils with a large learning potential’, and showed that Norwegian schools can, unfortunately, be a difficult place for many of them. The myth that ‘gifted’ children always manage on their own is wrong.

The research group’s goal is to help find effective ways of addressing the challenges faced in educating this group of pupils. Keywords are openness, variety, adaptation and inclusive learning.
 
Internationally, considerable research has been conducted on this group of pupils under the umbrella terms of ‘gifted education’ and ‘inclusive education’. The research group has therefore mainly garnered knowledge by travelling to other countries, partly through Erasmus+ travel grants.

The research group draws inspiration from approaches found in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Wales, and wants to explore how to ensure inclusion for pupils with a large learning potential in Norway.
 
The group consists of teachers from several subjects. Here, educationalists and specialists in didactics work with school subjects such as mathematics, Norwegian, science, social studies and religious education. We use both theory and empirical knowledge in our research into ECEC, primary and lower secondary schools, and teacher education.

The intention is that the research group will contribute to international research in the field, introduce up-to-date knowledge to our own teacher education, and stimulate professional development in schools and early learning environments.

Members

Gunnvi Sæle Jokstad, Assistant Professor (head of research group)
Alette Aasvold Rolland, Assistant Professor
Ane Malene Sæverot, Assistant Professor
Cheng-Yu Peter Pan, Assistant Professor
Helga Bjørke Harnes, PhD Research Fellow (on leave from the group in 2020)
Johannes Kleppe, Associate Professor
Karin Landschulze, Associate Professor
Lise Einarsen Haukås, Assistant Professor (on leave from the group in 2020)
Miroslaw Grzegorz Wiacek, Assistant Professor (external member, HVL)
Tone Helene Skattør, Assistant Professor
Inge Andersland, Associate Professor (external member, HVL) 
Tove Hagenes (external member, ‘Lykkelige Barn’ network)
 
The research group meets three times during the semester.

Contacts

Head of the research group: Inge Andersland
Vice Rector for Research and Development: Torgeir Landro