Capturing students' needs through collaboration - exploring challenges experienced by Norwegian educational-psychological advisers

A system-based approach to expert assessment work presupposes collaboration between the Educational Psychological Service (EPS) and key stakeholders to capture students’ needs. Nevertheless, few studies have explored what challenges to collaboration exist and how they can be resolved. The purpose of this study was therefore to fill this knowledge gap by exploring EPS advisers’ experiences of challenges in collaborating with key stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers and principals. The results of eight interviews revealed challenges for EPS advisers in capturing the student’s voice, gaining legitimacy from teachers, involving principals, and being parents’ spokesperson, as well as challenges related to the perceived ambiguity of the EPS’s mandate. The findings suggest a lack of collaborative competence to lead a joint process of knowledge development; such competence could prevent conflicting expectations of EPS`s mandate, confusion about roles and contribute to trustful relationships between EPS and key stakeholders. A two-part strategy for a collaborative approach to expert assessment work is suggested.publishedVersio

Can school nurses improve the school environment in Norwegian primary schools? A protocol for a randomized controlled trial

This protocol describes a randomized controlled trial where additional school nurse resources are assigned to work systemically with schools to improve the school environment and reduce bullying among and absence of 5th–7th grade students. Approximately 9000 students will have participated each year from 2018 to 2020 from 107 schools located in 12 Norwegian municipalities. Academic performance is studied as a secondary outcome.acceptedVersio

University-school partnerships as arrangements in policy implementation

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to add to the knowledge base of school-university partnerships by exploring such partnerships in terms of policy implementation. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews. Findings – To achieve a joint understanding of roles, focus and work in the partnerships based on the schools’ needs and scholars’ competence was crucial. This was not easily achieved in all partnerships. Conflicting expectations were part of the process. Although they were demanding, the partnership arrangements also represented opportunities for the university scholars to learn. Originality/value –The findings suggest that partnership arrangements require parties that understand the implications of this collaboration and that respect, mutual trust and joint understanding are needed. It is likely that bringing different parties together will create conflicts that must be resolved. If unfamiliar to the parties, the use of partnership arrangements is itself an implementation that has its own process that operates in parallel to the work in focus.acceptedVersio

Kollegaveiledning – er det verd å bruke tid på?

Kollegaveiledning er en arbeidsmåte der kolleger skal bidra til hverandres kompetanseutvikling ved å ta utgangspunkt i hverdagens utfordringer. Tiltaket er blitt fremhevet som nyttig for å øke læreres profesjonalitet og å bidra til en kontinuerlig utvikling av lærerrollen. Men hva vet vi om hvor nyttig denne arbeidsformen er

University-school partnerships as arrangements in policy implementation

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to add to the knowledge base of school-university partnerships by exploring such partnerships in terms of policy implementation. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews. Findings – To achieve a joint understanding of roles, focus and work in the partnerships based on the schools’ needs and scholars’ competence was crucial. This was not easily achieved in all partnerships. Conflicting expectations were part of the process. Although they were demanding, the partnership arrangements also represented opportunities for the university scholars to learn. Originality/value –The findings suggest that partnership arrangements require parties that understand the implications of this collaboration and that respect, mutual trust and joint understanding are needed. It is likely that bringing different parties together will create conflicts that must be resolved. If unfamiliar to the parties, the use of partnership arrangements is itself an implementation that has its own process that operates in parallel to the work in focus

Læringsmuligheter i kollegamøter med strukturerte drøftinger : erfaringer fra et prosjekt om klasseromsledelse

Studien undersøker læreres opplevde læringsmuligheter fra kolleger i et prosjekt der målet var å utvikle en håndbok i klasseledelse gjennom strukturerte gruppemøter. 10 skoler i en kommune deltok i prosjektet. Datagrunnlaget er intervju med fem lærere, ansatt ved tre skoler. Skolene var omtrent halvveis i prosjektet da intervjuene ble foretatt. Gjennom intervjuene peker lærerne på forhold de opplevde ga læringsmuligheter så vel som forhold som kunne motvirke dette

Utfordringer ved implementering av skoleomfattende endringsarbeid : erfaringer fra seks skolers gjennomføring av Zero-programmet

Hva er rektors motivasjon for å gjennomføre et skolebasert program og hvor klar er skolen for oppgaven de går i gang med? Hvordan påvirker hvor klare de er, implementeringsarbeidet? Artikkelen bygger på artikkelen ”Schools implementing Zero: The process of implementing an anti-bullying program in six Norwegian compulsory schools” (Midthassel og Ertesvåg, 2008) De skolene som var best forberedt på arbeidet møtte færrest utfordringer underveis. I disse skolene gled arbeidet i programmet godt sammen med øvrig arbeid, uten at det krevde for mye energi. Et viktig spørsmål denne studien reiser er hvordan en kan hjelpe skoler som bare er delvis klare til en vellykket implementering

A system-based approach to expert assessment work - exploring experiences among professionals in the Norwegian Educational Psychological Service and schools

ABSTRACT The focus of this Q methodological study was to explore how professionals in the Educational Psychological Service (EPS) and schools experienced a system-based approach to expert assessment work. Forty informants from the EPS and schools sorted 60 statements about the assessment process. The following two shared viewpoints were identified: (1) teacher-focused EPS advisers and (2) principal-focused EPS advisers. While the two groups of EPS advisers seem to approach the school via either the teacher or the principal, joint collaboration on developing knowledge during the assessment process seems scarce in both viewpoints. The students’ experience with school life is the least emphasized. Challenges related to collaboration on developing expert knowledge between the EPS and the student, teacher and principal are discussed. Three practical implications for the realization of a system-based approach to expert assessment work are suggested and further linked to implications for understanding and interpreting EPS's statutory task. KEYWORDS: Educational Psychological Service, system work, inter-professional collaboration, special educational needs, school improvement, Q methodologypublishedVersio

Upper Secondary Teachers’ Experiences Promoting Belonging and Engagement in Culturally Diverse Classrooms

Formålet med studien var å undersøke hvilke erfaringer lærere hadde med å fremme tilhørighet og engasjement i flerkulturelle klasser i videregående skole. Lærerne som deltok i denne studien, var fra to videregående skoler og hadde lang erfaring fra fler­kulturelle klasser. De deltok i fokusgruppeintervju for å diskutere sine erfaringer. Tema som ble tatt opp i intervjuene var relasjoner i klassen, akademisk og sosial læring, diskriminering og mobbing, akademiske ressurser og forventninger, tilpasning og støtte i læringsaktiviteter. Intervjudata ble transkribert, analysert og diskutert ved bruk av tematisk analyse. Funnene viste at lærerne mente at 1) lærer-elev relasjoner, 2) aksept for mangfold og elev-elev relasjoner, og 3) deltakelse i læringsaktiviteter var viktige aspekt for elevenes opplevelse av tilhørighet og engasjement. Funnene indikerer videre at det er vanskelig å etablere kryss-kulturelle vennskap. For å løse dette trenger lærere strategier for å utvikle kryss-kulturelle vennskap mellom elever. Videre implikasjoner av funnene tilsier at lærere har behov for å vite hvordan og når de skal intervenere i situasjoner hvor det oppstår ekskludering eller segregering. For å forebygge eksklu­dering og segregering er det nødvendig med mer kunnskap om hvordan fremme til­hørighet og engasjement blant elever i flerkulturelle klasser.publishedVersio

Finding the balance between collaboration and autonomy among school nurses in interactions with schools

In Norway, new national guidelines for school service emphasize the importance of establishing structured collaboration with schools. Nevertheless, few studies have explored the characteristics of such collaboration. The purpose of the present study is to explore how principals, teachers, and school nurses collaborate and to identify barriers and facilitators of structured collaboration. The study is based on 46 qualitative interviews conducted in five Norwegian municipalities in 2018 and 2019. The results reveal that school nurses are highly valued among the school staff but collaborations between teachers and school nurses varied both within and between schools, often for arbitrary reasons such as personal relations and office locations at schools. Personal relationships built over time as well as regular meetings, seemed to foster stronger collaboration, while discontinuity in personnel, recruitment difficulties, and sick and maternity leaves were frequently reported factors that seemed to have negative impacts on collaboration