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Töflur eru aftast í skjalinu, The literature on sexual minority adolescents and young adults has highlighted a poor mental status among those groups compared to their heterosexual peers. Sexual minorities are also more likely to experience stress factors such as bullying and physical violence. However, sexual minority young adults have not been studied much in Iceland, a Nordic country renowned for a high degree of sexual equality. Given what the literature has shown to date, a noteworthy question is whether patterns of mental well-being of sexual minority adolescents and young adults in Iceland are comparable to other countries. The aim of the present study was to provide an assessment of mental well-being in sexual minority young adults in Iceland. We used population data to examine a selection of mental well-being indicators in 16–20 year-olds, both-sex-attracted and same-sex-attracted participants, and compared them to other-sex-attracted peers. Findings indicated that sexual minority young adults exhibited significantly greater levels of depressed mood, anger, and perceived stress than other-sex-attracted young adults. However, when stratified by gender and sexual attraction pattern, the analyses revealed that both-sex-attracted young women scored significantly higher on all indicators than any other group. We conclude that studies in this area should strive to distinguish between same-sex and both-sex attraction as well as to stratify analyses by gender. The well-being of both-sex-attracted young women is a compelling topic for future research.

This doctoral study focuses on educational leadership at the municipal level in Iceland. Firstly, it aims to understand how leadership practices are shaped by policies and governance at the national, municipal and school levels, within a global and transnational context. Secondly, it aims to understand the characteristics of these leadership practices: how they are shaped by the diversity of municipal contexts and how those practices harmonize with municipalities’ legal obligations towards compulsory education. Thirdly, it seeks to explore how municipal leadership influences school practices in relation to the various challenges faced by schools. The focus is mainly on understanding municipal leadership through the practices of the school support services as an important platform. The study takes a social constructionist epistemological approach. The methodological approach is that of an embedded single-case study, with the case being municipal educational leadership in Iceland. The study applies mixed methods but with the main body of data collected using qualitative research methods. The data included legislation, policy documents, municipal homepages, national survey and interviews. The study is broken into four units of analysis, each with sub-questions that feed into the main question in different ways. The different methods were applied almost consecutively, following the course of the units: document analysis, content analysis, national survey and a cross-case study. The units correspond to each of the four papers that were generated from this study and present the findings. They were presented in a book chapter and three research journal articles, which of one is still in draft form, each feeding into the main question: How is educational leadership at the municipal level shaped by practices, policies and governance at the national, municipal and school levels; what characterises this leadership; and how does it influence school practices? Paper I focuses primarily on the national level and includes: the organisation of educational governance in Iceland; the influences of the main actors such as the Directorate of Education; and the main challenges that the educational system currently faces. Paper II focuses on the roles and responsibilities that national education legislation imposes on municipalities in terms of educational leadership. Paper III deals with the practises of educational leadership in the municipal school support services, as a key agent of educational leadership. This is explored from the perspective of municipal school support service leaders and preschool and compulsory school principals; it is related to how contextual and structural differences and human resources influence those practices. Paper IV deals with the main characteristics of leadership practices of school support services in seven municipalities in Iceland, who shapes them and the ways in which they influence schools as professional institutions. The study makes a theoretical and practical contribution to the continuing debate about schooling in Iceland; specifically, it contributes to the thinking around how the municipal level – and national level – might contribute in terms of policy, governance and leadership coherence. The main findings indicate that global influences have put their mark on leadership practices at national and municipal level. Political instability, lack of scaffolding, coherence in governance and leadership capacity at the national level, have affected the way municipal educational leadership has been established. The municipalities appear not to have developed leadership practices sufficiently for educational purposes. Their practices seem to overly depend on the people who are employed rather than guided by policy and strategic planning. Particular attention must be paid to strengthening human resources at the municipal level, especially in the more remote municipalities. It seems that limited educational leadership capacity and coherence at both national and municipal level undermines schools’ capacity to develop as professional institutions and provide inclusive education. The study makes the point that both national and municipal levels need to take more responsibility regarding their educational policy, governance and leadership practices., Viðfangsefni þessarar doktorsrannsóknar er menntaforysta á sveitarstjórnarstigi á Íslandi. Í fyrsta lagi miðar rannsóknin að því að varpa ljósi á hvernig menntaforysta mótast af stefnu og stjórnsýslu ríkis, sveitarfélaga, skóla og alþjóðlegu samhengi. Í öðru lagi að því að skilja hvað einkennir menntaforystu á sveitarstjórnarstigi; hvernig aðstæður í sveitarfélaginu hafa áhrif og hvernig hún samræmist lagalegum skyldum þeirra. Í þriðja lagi hvernig forysta sveitarfélaga hefur áhrif á hvernig skólar takast á við margvíslegar áskoranir sem þeir standa frammi fyrir og eflast sem faglegar stofnanir. Sérstaklega er rýnt í forystu sveitarfélaga út frá því hvernig þau standa að rekstri skólaþjónustu. Hugmyndafræði rannsóknarinnar byggir á félagslegri hugsmíðahyggju. Litið var á menntaforystu á sveitarstjórnarstigi sem tilvik. Blönduðum aðferðum var beitt við öflun gagna og úrvinnslu en meginþunginn var eigindlegur. Gögn voru meðal annars löggjöf, stefnuskjöl, vefsíður sveitarfélaga um skólaþjónustu, spurningakönnun og viðtöl. Tilviksrannsókninni var skipt í fjórar rannsóknareiningar. Mismunandi rannsóknaraðferðum var beitt í hverri einingu: skjalagreiningu, innihaldsgreiningu, spurningakönnun og tilviksrannsókn með þverskurði. Afraksturinn liggur fyrir í bókarkafla, tveimur tímaritsgreinum og drögum að tímaritsgrein. Með birtingunum fjórum er leitast við að svara meginspurningu rannsóknarinnar: Hvernig mótast menntaforysta sveitarfélaga á Íslandi af starfsháttum, stefnu og stjórnsýslu ríkis, sveitarfélaga og skóla; hvað einkennir þessa forystu; og hvernig hefur forystan áhrif á skólastarf? Fyrsta greinin (bókarkaflinn) fjallar um stjórnunarhætti og stjórnsýslu ríkis, þar með talið skipulag menntamála á Íslandi; helstu áhrifavalda, svo sem Menntamálastofnun; og helstu áskoranir sem menntakerfið stendur frammi fyrir. Önnur greinin fjallar um það hvernig menntaforysta sveitarfélaga birtist í lögum, reglugerðum og námskrá. Í þriðju greininni er sjónum beint að menntaforystu í skólaþjónustu sveitarfélaga út frá sjónarhorni forsvarsaðila skólaþjónustunnar og leik- og grunnskólastjóra og að hvaða leyti þættir á borð við landfræðilega legu, skipulag skólaþjónustunnar og mannauður hafa áhrif á forystuna. Í fjórðu greininni er kannað hvað og hver mótar menntaforystu í sjö sveitarfélögum, hvað einkennir forystuna og hvernig hún hefur áhrif á skóla sem faglegar stofnanir. Rannsóknin er fræðilegt og hagnýtt innlegg í áframhaldandi umræðu um skólamál á Íslandi og hvernig sveitarstjórnarstigið – og ríkið – leggja sitt af mörkum hvað varðar samfellu í stefnumótun, stjórnsýslu og menntaforystu. Helstu niðurstöður sýna að alþjóðleg áhrif hafa sett mark sitt á forystu ríkis og sveitarfélaga. Pólitískur óstöðugleiki, skortur á samræmi í stjórnsýslu og skortur á stuðningi og forystuhæfni ríkis hafa haft áhrif á mótun menntaforystu á sveitarstjórnarstigi á Íslandi. Sveitarfélögum virðist almennt ekki hafa tekist að þróa menntaforystu sína á skilvirkan hátt og hún stjórnast fremur af því fólki sem ræðst til starfa en af stefnumörkun um menntamál. Sérstaklega þarf að huga að því að efla mannauð á sveitarstjórnarstigi, því meira sem sveitarfélögin eru fjær höfuðborgarsvæðinu. Svo virðist sem takmörkuð forystuhæfni bæði á landsvísu og á sveitarstjórnarstigi grafi undan getu skóla til að þróast sem faglegar stofnanir og veita sem besta menntun. Niðurstöður benda til þess að bæði ríki og sveitarfélög þurfi að axla meiri ábyrgð á stjórnsýslu menntamála og menntaforystu og vinna betur saman í þeim efnum.

Student-centred models based on active learning have aroused interest among teachers and students. At the same time policymakers encourage the use of information and communication technologies in education. Research on active learning and flipped classrooms took an upward turn in quality and magnitude with the advent of COVID-19. The research proposal was developed just prior to the pandemic and was altered to deal with the new situation. This research has contributed to the research generated by the pandemic. This cover study incorporates the data and analysis from four published articles. The purpose of this research was to develop a classroom intervention in organic chemistry using ICT and assess the perspectives of three classes of student-teachers and their chemistry teachers (“the threesome”) on their experience. The data were gathered on-site in Ghana by the threesome and with online questionnaires for both educators and student-teachers, online interviews, and a focus group. The threesome and the researcher met regularly online before and during the COVID-19 period of restrictions on school attendance. The main aim was to understand the extent to which teacher educators and student- teachers could use ICT to adopt flipped classrooms as a pedagogical approach while teaching organic chemistry. Four weeks of instruction in the traditional format of classroom lectures and written homework were replaced by a flipped mode of instruction in which students studied organic chemistry in school and in out-of-school settings. No changes were made regarding the content as prescribed in the national curriculum for tertiary education. The same topics from organic chemistry were introduced in all three colleges at the same time, using the flipped, active learning and incorporating extensive use of ICT. The educators found it difficult to shift their pedagogical practice and adopt online teaching. ICT skills were weak as was the ICT infrastructure in the colleges. Some ICT resources in the form of data bundles were provided to all the student-teachers and the threesome and mobile Wi-Fi equipment to one educator. Some student-teachers who could not access the internet at home used these resources for their pre-class activities. On reflection, the threesome believed that integrating flipped classrooms could provide opportunities for student-teachers to develop their skills and change their pedagogical practices. The threesome had some ICT knowledge, but there were weaknesses in the colleges in using and integrating it into the teaching. One of the reasons was that participants had not received professional ICT training that would enable them to be competent in delivering or receiving technology-enhanced lessons. The threesome indicated further that even for those who had received some ICT training, it was not effectively organized or enough to enable teachers to put integration into practice. ICT-focused workshops were one-time only and too short and rushed to be beneficial. The student-teachers perceived that the flipped classroom approach would enable them to take a more active role and responsibility for their learning because of the flexibility of the approach. Student-teachers felt they could interact with their teachers and collaborate with their peers through the flipped approach. Further, they believed that the flipped classroom activities enhanced conceptual understanding and increased academic achievement and critical thinking skills. Both the threesome and student-teachers faced challenges implementing the national curriculum because of deficiencies in ICT infrastructure, and few opportunities to develop the relevant knowledge, skills, and competences for teaching and learning for the 21st century. The support that the researcher provided highlighted the value of teachers supporting each other when they have the same issues. In this case the context of the intervention with flipped classrooms, it is important to consider that educators with knowledge, skills, and competence in ICT could produce quality teaching and the necessary learning processes. Ongoing professional development enables educators and teachers to integrate ICT sufficiently into their teaching, for example, in chemistry. At the ed of the study, a so-called SWOT strategic analysis of innovation was carried out based on the data we had assembled before, during and after the intervention. Strengths and weaknesses of internal factors affecting the stated task of the institution, that is training teachers according to the national curriculum were identified as well as opportunities and threats to active learning found in the external environment. It is our conviction that the crucial factors for effective integration are adequate ICT knowledge and skills, functional ICT infrastructure, and regular use of ICT., Kennsluhættir sem byggja á virku námi hafa vakið áhuga meðal kennara og nemenda. Á sama tíma leggja stefnumótunaraðilar áherslu á notkun upplýsingatækni í skólastarfi. Rannsóknir á virku námi og vendinámi jukust bæði að fjölda og gæðum í COVID-19 faraldrinum. Rannsóknaráætlun var unnin og aðlöguð til að bregðast við þessum aðstæðum sem mörkuðust af breyttri viðveru. Rannsóknin er framlag til þeirrar þekkingar sem faraldurinn varð kveikjan að. Kápa þessi er byggð á gögnum og greiningu úr fjórum birtum vísindagreinum. Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar var að framkvæma íhlutun í kennslu á lífrænni efnafræði með notkun upplýsingatækni og meta viðhorf og reynslu kennaranema sem og kennara þeirra. Gögnum var safnað í þremur kennaraháskólum í Ghana með þremur efnafræðikennurum. Spurningalistar voru lagðir fyrir breiðan hóp kennara og kennaranema, og teking vour viðtöl og rýnihópaviðtal á netinu. Kennarar og rannsakandi voru í reglulegum samskiptum fyrir og á meðan samgöngutakmarkanir vegna faraldursins áttu sér stað. Meginmarkmiðið var að komast að því að hve miklu leyti háskólakennarar og kennaranemar gætu beitt upplýsingatækni við að tileinka sér vendinám- og kennslu við kennslu á lífrænni efnafræði. Skipulögð var kennsla í fjórar vikur þar sem hefðbundin kennsla byggð á fyrirlestrum í kennslustundum og skriflegri heimavinnu var skipt út fyrir kennsluhætti vendináms. Engar breytingar voru gerðar á innihaldi kennslunnar sem var samkvæmt námskrá fyrir háskólana. Þrjú viðfangsefni úr lífrænni efnafræði voru kennd með vendinámi, virku námi og með ríkri notkun á upplýsingatækni. Kennurunum í teyminu fannst erfitt að breyta kennsluháttum sínum og taka upp kennslu á netinu. Hæfni þeirra í upplýsingatækni var ábótavant rétt eins og tækniinnviðir í skólunum. Þeir töldu það að nýta vendinám gæfi nemunum tækifæri til að efla færni sína og breyta kennsluháttum. Kennararnir höfðu nokkra þekkingu á sviði upplýsingatækni en það voru ýmsir veikleikar við notkun hennar í kennslu. Kennararnir gáfu einnig til kynna að þeir sem þó höfðu fengið þjálfun í notkun upplýsingatækni, fannst hún ekki nógu skipulögð eða nægjanleg til að geta fléttað notkun hennar í kennslu. Kennaranemarnir töldu að sveigjanleikinn sem felst í vendináminu hefði gert þeim kleift að vera virkari og að taka meiri ábyrgð á eigin námi. Þeim fannst að þeir gætu átt samskipti við kennara sína og unnið með samnemendum í vendináminu. Þeir álitu einnig að vendinámið yki hugtakaskilning þeirra, námsárangur og gagnrýna hugsun. Stuðningurinn sem kennararnir sem leiddu verkefnið veittu hver öðrum dregur fram gildi þess að kennarar styðji hvern annan, þegar þeir eiga við sömu vandamál að stríða eins og gerðist í íhlutuninni. Þegar vendikennslu er beitt er mikilvægt að hafa í huga að þekking, leikni og hæfni kennara í upplýsingatækni geta aukið gæði náms og kennslu. Stöðug starfsþróun gerir háskólakennurum og nemendum kleift að nýta upplýsingatækni í skólastarfinu, til dæmis í lífrænni efnafræði. Við lok rannsóknarinnar var gerð SVOT stefnumótandi greining á lykilþáttum íhlutunarinnar. Greindir voru innri styrkleikar og veikleikar í þeim þáttum sem áhrif höfðu á það hlutverk skólanna að mennta kennara samkvæmt námskrám. Einnig voru tækifæri og áskoranir úr ytra umhverfi varðandi virkt nám dregin fram. Lykilþættir fyrir það að upplýsingatækni sé fléttuð í skólastarfið með árangursríkum hætti eru nægjanleg þekking og færni, nothæfir tækniinnviðir og regluleg notkun upplýsingatækninnar.

The thesis is published openly. Paper I is published openly in an English translation. Paper II is published openly in the publisher's version. Paper III is uploaded as an accepted manuscript, but not published openly as a modified version will be published in Nordic Studies in Mathematics Education (NOMAD). Its main results are presented in the thesis., The doctoral research project underpinning this dissertation was aimed at developing a deeper understanding of cognitive activation in mathematics teaching in Iceland and in a Nordic context through classroom video observations and student perceptions. Ten mathematics teachers in Iceland participated. Three to four consecutive lessons in grade 8 were video-recorded. In total, 34 lessons in Iceland were analysed using the observation system PLATO. Mathematical tasks were identified and analysed using the Task Analysis Guide. The students, aged 13–14 (N = 217), responded to the Tripod student perception survey and their responses were compared to the PLATO observation scores. Specific lessons where cognitive activation scored high were selected for further analysis, two from each country: Iceland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. These eight lessons were analysed qualitatively in terms of teacher-student interactions and instructional format. The findings show limited evidence of cognitive activation in a majority of mathematics lessons in Iceland. Lesson time was primarily used for students’ individual work and the way teachers implemented tasks commonly resulted in low observation scores. The task analysis showed that most tasks were aimed at procedural fluency with limited connections to understanding mathematical concepts. The connection between the observation scores and student perceptions as indicators of cognitive activation was weak. Variance in student ratings was generally greater within classrooms than between them. The qualitative analysis of the outstanding Nordic mathematics lessons showed a variety of topics and instructional formats. Group-work and whole-class discussions were dominant, but all lessons included brief intervals of whole-class direct instruction. Many of these lessons had short sprints of “traditional” individual work. The teaching in these lessons was exemplified by an emphasis on student understanding through mathematical connection-making, frequent shifts between types of interactions, use of explicit student roles in the classroom to facilitate student engagement, and formative feedback., Í rannsókninni sem þessi doktorsritgerð byggir á var miðað að því að þróa skilning á hugrænni virkjun í stærðfræðikennslu á Íslandi og á Norðurlöndum með því að rýna kerfisbundið í myndbandsupptökur úr kennslustundum og greina nemendakönnun. Tíu stærðfræðikennarar á Íslandi tóku þátt. Þrjár til fjórar aðliggjandi kennslustundir í 8. bekk voru teknar upp á myndband. Í heild voru 34 kennslustundir greindar með greiningarrammanum PLATO. Stærðfræðileg viðfangsefni voru greind með The Task Analysis Guide. Nemendur á aldrinum 13-14 ára (N = 217) svöruðu Tripod nemendakönnuninni og svör þeirra voru borin saman við athugunargildi út frá myndbandsgreiningu með PLATO. Til nánari greiningar voru valdar kennslustundir þar sem hugræn virkjun var metin á háu stigi, tvær frá hverju landi: Íslandi, Danmörku, Noregi og Svíþjóð. Þessar átta kennslustundir voru greindar eigindlega út frá bæði samskiptum kennara við nemendur og kennslusniði. Niðurstöðurnar sýna að athugunargildi fyrir hugræna virkjun voru lág í meirihluta kennslustundanna frá Íslandi. Tíminn í kennslustundunum var að mestu notaður til einstaklingsvinnu nemenda og útfærsla kennarans á verkefnum leiddi oft til þess að gildi voru lág. Greining stærðfræðilegu viðfangsefnanna sýndi að flest verkefni miðuðu að færni nemenda í að beita aðferðum á meðan tengsl við skilning á stærðfræðilegum hugtökum voru takmörkuð. Tengslin milli athugunargilda og skynjun nemenda sem mælinga á hugrænni virkjun voru veik. Dreifni í svörum nemenda var almennt meiri innan nemendahópa en á milli þeirra. Eigindleg greining á norrænu kennslustundunum sem metnar voru á háu stigi sýnir bæði fjölbreytt stærðfræðileg efnistök og kennslusnið. Hópvinna og bekkjarumræða voru fyrirferðarmikil snið, en allar kennslustundir innihéldu beina kennslu yfir stuttan tíma. Margar kennslustundir höfðu „hefðbundna“ einstaklingsvinnu í stuttum sprettum. Kennslan í þessum kennslustundum einkenndist af áherslu á stærðfræðilegan skilning nemenda í gegnum tengsl stærðfræðilegra hugtaka, tíðar breytingar á tegundum samskipta, skýr hlutverk nemenda í skólastofunni til að stuðla að þátttöku þeirra, og endurgjöf til leiðsagnar., The Icelandic Research Fund (Rannsóknasjóður Grant 206754-051 through University of Iceland, School of Education), QUINT (Nordforsk Grant 87663 through University of Oslo, Department of Teacher Education and School Research, and the QUINT mobility fund), University of Iceland’s Doctoral Student Travel Fund (Ferðasjóður doktorsnema), and the Steingrímur Arason Memorial Fund (Styrktarsjóður Steingríms Arasonar)

This research is a contribution to critical feminist scholarship on intimate partner violence (IPV). The project adopts the framework of affective–discursive practices to understand how violence thrives and is discursively maintained in Icelandic society, with a special focus on the project of heterosexuality and men who have been violent towards women. The research questions guiding the work are as follows: How do men who have committed violent acts against their female partners make sense of their actions, and how does the experience influence and contribute to the formation of the self, ideas on masculinity and perception of violence? How are normative heterosexual identities constructed and regulated in the context of Iceland, and how does the process relate to violence? How are hidden power relations, produced by (and inherent in) heterosexuality and IPV, maintained, and how do they become part of one’s identity? Critical feminist scholarship points out that IPV must be understood in relation to its gendered context and gender power imbalances, emphasising the importance of an intersectional lens. The mainstream discussion on IPV is generally focused on how well the violent act in question fits normative ideas about such violence, enforcing a stereotypical idea how ‘real’ or commonly recognised violence is manifested. Furthermore, the discursive framing of violence shapes the experiences of perpetrators and victims/survivors alike. This research draws on Liz Kelly’s and Linda Alcoff’s understanding of violence as spanning a spectrum where the impact of the violent act on the victim/survivor is central. The theoretical lens of affective–discursive practices highlights how accepted norms (e.g., violence and gender norms) draw one in, both affectively and discursively. In other words, the research takes interest in both the discursive/cultural/social context of IPV and the affective logic embedded in the participants’ understanding. The research data consist of a total of 35 hours of individual interviews with perpetrators of IPV, victims/survivors of IPV and group interviews with young people about relationships and consent. The results of the research project show, first, that young people draw heavily on heteronormative discourses and gendered norms in their understanding of consent in intimate relationships. Second, the research exposes the differences between the perpetrators’ and the victims/survivors’ perspectives and understandings of IPV. The perpetrators focus on the individual acts of violence that are unlawful, whereas the victims/survivors experience their relationships as characterised by abuse. The relationship itself becomes an affective–discursive practice informing their experience of violence. Shame also figures strongly in their narratives, traceable through its regulatory role in sustaining heteronormative practices. Finally, the discursive construction of the violent man as a monster is frequently brought up by the participants who identify themselves as perpetrators. The monster is a sticky category, representing the unknown Other; it attracts emotions such as fear and anxiety, affecting how others relate to the monstrous subject, as well as how the subject relates to oneself. Consequently, it discourages perpetrators from reflecting on their actions and masculinity and accepting responsibility for their violent behaviour. The participants’ experience of being identified as monsters does have a clear intersectional angle as it figures differently in their stories, depending on their social status and life histories. The research project highlights the latent power structures and gendered dynamics of heterosexual relationships and IPV in a country often regarded as a frontrunner in gender equality. The results contribute to the ongoing empirical and theoretical conversations about perpetrators of violence and masculinity, increasing the understanding of the subject matter by approaching IPV from the perspective of affective–discursive practices. The findings may further advise policymakers and inform the public debate on IPV in Iceland, as well as have a beneficial impact on the work of those concerned with the prevention of gender-based violence and the implementation of intervention measures., Rannsókn þessi er framlag höfundar til krítískra feminískra fræða um ofbeldi í nánum samböndum (ONS). Verkefnið byggir á aðferðum hrif- og orðræðugreiningar með áherslu á gjörninga (e. affective discursive practices) til þess að öðlast skilning á því hvernig ofbeldi þrífst og er viðhaldið í íslensku samfélagi, en sjónum er sérstaklega beint að hinu gagnkynhneigða regluverki og karlkyns gerendum ofbeldis. Rannsóknarspurningarnar sem reynt er að svara eru eftirfarandi: Hvernig skilja menn sem beitt hafa maka sinn ofbeldi verk sín og hvernig mótar reynslan sjálfsmynd þeirra, karlmennskuhugmyndir og viðhorf til eigin verka? Hvernig mótast hið normatífa, gagnkynhneigða sjálf í íslensku samfélagi, hvernig er því viðhaldið og hvernig tengist það ferli ofbeldi? Hvernig er duldum valdatengslum – sem sköpuð eru af (og rótgróin í) gagnkynhneigðu regluverki og ONS – viðhaldið og hvernig verða þau hluti af sjálfsmyndinni? Krítísk feminísk fræði benda á að ONS verði að skoða í samhengi við valdatengsl og kynjaðar víddir ofbeldisins, með áherslu á samtvinnun (e. intersectionality). Almenn umræða um ONS snýst gjarnan um það hversu vel tiltekið ofbeldisatvik fellur að viðteknum hugmyndum samfélagsins um slíkt ofbeldi, sem um leið rennir frekari stoðum undir steríótýpískar hugmyndir um hvað felist í „alvöru“ (þ.e. samfélagslega viðurkenndu) ofbeldi. Þessi orðræða um ofbeldi mótar bæði reynslu gerenda og þolenda ONS. Þessi rannsókn byggir á skilningi Liz Kelly og Lindu Alcoff á ofbeldi sem skala, þar sem áhrif obeldisverknaðarins á þolanda eru í forgrunni. Verkefnið byggir á aðferðum hrif- og orðræðugreiningar sem beinir sjónum okkar að því hvernig fyrirframgefnar hugmyndir um ofbeldi, kyngervi o.fl. móta skilning okkar og vekja með okkur ólíkar tilfinningar. Með öðrum orðum þá beinir rannsóknin sjónum að þeim orðræðum og hrifum sem birtast í frásögnum þátttakenda, og þeir nýta sér til þess að skilja og greiða úr reynslu sinni, en rannsóknin leggur áherslu á að skoða menningarlegt og samfélagslegt samhengi ONS. Rannsóknin byggir á yfir 35 klukkustundum af einstaklingsviðtölum við gerendur ofbeldis, þolendur ofbeldis og hópviðtölum við ungt fólk um sambönd og samþykki. Niðurstöður rannsóknaverkefnisins sýna í fyrsta lagi að skilningur ungs fólks á samþykki í kynlífi í nánum samböndum litast af kynjuðum viðmiðum og normatífri gagnkynhneigðri orðræðu. Í öðru lagi sýnir rannsóknin skýran mun á upplifun og skilningi gerenda og þolenda á ONS. Gerendur einblína gjarnan á einstök (ólögleg) ofbeldisatvik á meðan þolendur greina frá sambandi sem einkennist af stöðugu ofbeldi. Sambandið sjálft verður þannig að hrif- og orðræðugjörningi sem reynsla þátttakenda af ofbeldi byggir á. Í frásögnum þátttakenda skein skömmin í gegn, en stýrandi mátt hennar mátti skýrt greina í því regluverki sem viðheldur normatífri gagnkynhneigð. Að lokum kom orðræðan um menn sem beita ofbeldi í nánum samböndum sem „skrímsli“ ítrekað fram hjá þátttakendum sem skilgreina sig sem gerendur ofbeldis. Skrímslið er klístruð vera, það er fulltrúi hins óþekkta og verður því fyrir öðrun. Utan á það hlaðast tilfinningar á borð við ótta og kvíða, sem hefur svo áhrif á það hvernig aðrir nálgast og tengja við hina skrímslavæddu sjálfsveru, sem og hvernig sjálfsveran upplifir sig. Þetta gerir það að verkum að gerendur eru tregir til að líta í eigin barm og ígrunda gjörðir sínar, horfast í augu við hugmyndir sínar um karlmennsku og taka ábyrgð á ofbeldisfullri hegðun sinni. Reynsla viðmælenda af því að sýna af sér hegðun sem fellur undir viðteknar hugmyndir um „skrímslið“ ber skýr merki samtvinnunar þar sem það birtist okkur á ólíkan hátt í frásögnum þátttakenda, eftir félagslegri stöðu og lífshlaupi viðkomandi. Rannsóknarverkefnið sýnir glöggt dulin valdatengsl og kynjaðar víddir gagnkynhneigðra sambanda og ONS í landi sem gjarnan er álitið skara fram úr í kynjajafnrétti. Niðurstöðurnar eru þekkingarlegt og fræðilegt framlag til umræðunnar um gerendur ofbeldis og karlmennsku, en þær auka og dýpka skilning okkar á vandanum með því að nálgast ONS frá sjónarhorni hrif- og orðræðukenninga. Þá gagnast niðurstöðurnar stjórnvöldum og í stefnumótun, þær eru gagnlegar þeim sem vinna að forvörnum og meðferðarúrræðum í tengslum við kynbundið ofbeldi, auk þess að auðga samfélagslega umræðu um ONS á Íslandi., This work was supported by the Icelandic Centre for Research and the University of Iceland (grant: Gender Equality Fund and Eimskip Fund).

Two-year old children often express their understanding and intentions through embodied interactions as they co-produce social relationships. This article presents findings from an ethnomethodological study using conversation analysis to explore turn-taking in toddlers’ interactions in a preschool in Iceland. Here, we focus on how toddlers initiate interaction through touch and gaze. These findings demonstrate that toddlers are adept at reading social cues from their peers and are competent at turn-taking and repair in embodied interactions resulting in significant exchanges in the peer group. As such, this article contributes to a growing body of research that demonstrates toddler’s competencies in organizing their own social worlds through embodied strategies that co-construct peer relationships in competent ways., Peer Reviewed; published

Becoming Cosmopolitan Citizen Architects: A Reflection on Architectural Education in a Nordic–Baltic Perspective This doctoral thesis contributes to the discussion of how architectural education can be advanced to respond better to the current climate and social emergencies. Architecture as a composite discipline is dedicated to the exploration and design of the relationship between humans and their environment. Architecture is in a key position to educate future practitioners to become capable of dealing with the current man-made crisis. Yet the pedagogical path to follow is uncertain. Even though many commentators praise architectural education’s intention to form skilled, socially engaged, and civic minded professionals, others accuse schools of architecture of producing politically distanced and apathetic individuals, professionals whose main concerns are devoted to geometrical exploration alone. This thesis does not bring a single solution to this broad area of discourse. Instead, it focuses on understanding and advocating for the contribution cosmopolitan citizenship education can bring to architectural education, to advance its societal role by educating architects who are better equipped to deal with grand challenges. UNESCO explains cosmopolitan citizenship education as the acquisition of the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and behaviours necessary to become active promoters of more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure, and sustainable societies; its aim is also to form collaborative individuals who have a sense of belonging to the worldwide community of human and more-than-human beings. This type of education emphasises political, economic, social, and cultural inter¬dependency and interconnectedness that exist between the local, the national, and the global. It further emphasises the shared responsibilities that each individual carries as a distinct yet equal citizen of a shared and common world. This focus of this PhD research was not set a priori but is the result of my explorative journey into the practice of architectural education. This journey started with my sincere intention to become a better educator by providing comprehensive learning conditions for my students to develop both their personal interests and their societal agency. The journey involved qualitative mixed-method research that combined autoethnography and interviews with students and educators in architecture. It led to the formulation and activation of a theory explaining my main concern of making architectural education more socially relevant in a time when it is desperately needed. The journey began as an autoethnographic inquiry into my own architectural teaching practice as an educator who started his career in 2004. It uses two case studies of design studio courses, which I authored and supervised at the Iceland University of the Arts (IUA), to critically reflect on students’ intentions and their outcomes. These experiences highlighted the great capacity that students manifest to address and respond to issues of societal concern and use them as drivers of their design process. The journey then continued with the intention of learning from fellow educators and students in architecture at the Nordic Baltic Academy of Architecture (NBAA), thinking together about the societal value of architectural education. What emerged from these dialogues is the shared conviction to use architectural education as a project to develop not only the acquisition of knowledge and professional skills, but also to advance the attitudes, values, and behaviours necessary to respond to global challenges whilst creating conditions for students and educators to locally engage as active citizens in their com¬munities. This led me to investigate the fields of citizenship education, cosmopolitanism, global citizenship education, and critical pedagogy. Reflecting on the relationship between cosmopolitan citizenship education and architectural education guided me to explore how the first could further support the second; this became the central focus of the thesis. This reflection and exploration served as a theoretical framework to analyse and interpret the Nordic–Baltic voices and led me to build a grounded theory which I call Cosmopolitan Citizenship Architectural Education (CCAE). The purpose of this theory is to help students and educators cultivate a language and activate a pedagogy capable of advancing their positive societal agency. I noticed that despite the intentions expressed by the Nordic–Baltic interlocutors to use architectural education to produce citizen-architects aware of and engaged in local and global affairs, they lacked the confidence to fully embrace and include cosmopolitan citizenship education within architectural education. I believe this was a missed opportunity, so I used my research as an instrument to build a mandate for change, to raise questions to expand the meaning and scope of architectural education. To do this, I have presented the findings of this PhD in more than twenty conferences in the fields of education, design, planning, and architectural education and have published twenty articles. My intentions with this PhD are to: 1. identify and critically examine the strong relationship between the field of cosmopolitan citizenship and architectural education; 2. suggest how the first can help form a language and a pedagogy in architectural education capable of supporting students and their educators to further explore their societal roles; and 3. advance the societal relevance of architectural education. This research supports the conclusion that architectural education is a field of study not only receptive to the notion of cosmopolitan citizenship, but one that helps to activate it. As such, architectural education is of paramount importance not only for educating future designers of buildings but also to prepare students for active cosmopolitan citizenship. It is of the utmost importance to educate future architects who can contribute new perspectives and new stories of what architecture is and can do, architects who can enact new societal agencies necessary to face and respond to the present grand challenges and those yet to come., Nordic Baltic Academy of Architecture Iceland University of the Arts University of Iceland

The transition to primary school has been identified as a critical event in the lives of children that can have long term implications for their learning and development. The transition to primary school is also widely regarded as an emotional period of multifaceted transformations and adoptions of different strategies for parents, yet relatively little is known about the lived transition experiences of parents of children from diverse (linguistic, cultural, socio-economic) backgrounds. The aim of the research project is to examine the transitions from preschool to primary school from the perspectives of parents of children from diverse backgrounds in Iceland. Fourteen participants were recruited at two partner preschools in Reykjavík and invited to four rounds of semi-structured interviews over the course of twelve months, beginning at the end of their children’s stay at preschool and continuing throughout their first year of primary school. Photo-elicitation was employed during interview sessions and the data was interpreted through eclectic analytical frameworks and theoretical lenses. The findings of this study, which have been published in four articles, suggest both overlap and divergence in parental experiences and attitudes towards the transition to primary school. Preschools were generally regarded as positive places for the children but attitudes towards parental belonging in the preschool community were nuanced, with some participants preferring to stay on the ‘outside’. The start of primary school was characterized by the families’ acquaintance with parallel communities of practice: the primary school, after-school care centers, organized sports and leisure activities, and heritage language learning. Parents leveled criticism towards the former two and seemed more actively engaged in the latter two. At the individual level, narratives of taking action when the child’s wellbeing was considered at stake and of re-evaluation of the participants’ own cultural backgrounds and values of their upbringing were present in the data. So too were narratives of vulnerability, lack of opportunities of education and work, and disenfranchisement. At the methodological level, an interpreter’s overinfluence was uncovered and a new dimension opened in data from an interpreter-facilitated interview. The study highlights the importance of gaining understanding of diverse parental perspectives and the need for further research to support positive transitions for all children., Þáttaskil leik- og grunnskóla eru talin einn af lykilviðburðum lífsins og líkleg til að hafa áhrif á námsárangur, þroska og vellíðan langt fram eftir ævi. Þáttaskil þessi eru jafnframt talin vera tilfinningaþrunginn tími í lífi foreldra, sem sjálfir ganga í gegn um margvíslegar breytingar og tileinka sér ólík bjargráð. Lítið hefur verið vitað um viðhorf foreldra barna með fjölbreyttan tungumála- og menningarbakgrunn til þeirra þáttaskila þegar börn fara úr leikskóla í grunnskóla á Íslandi. Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að kanna reynslu foreldra barna sem hafa slíkan tungumála- og menningarbakgrunn af flutningi barnanna úr leikskóla í grunnskóla. Fjórtán þátttakendum sem áttu börn við tvo samstarfsleikskóla í Reykjavík var boðið í fjögur hálfstöðluð viðtöl á 12 mánaða tímabili, frá því að börn þeirra voru að ljúka leikskólagöngu sinni og allt til loka fyrsta árs grunnskólagöngunnar. Stuðst var við ljósmyndir foreldra í viðtalslotum og gögnin voru greind með margvíslegum aðferðum og frá ólíkum fræðilegum sjónarhornum. Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar, sem birtar hafa verið í fjórum ritrýndum greinum, gefa bæði til kynna skörun og sundurleitni í reynslu og viðhorfum foreldra til þáttaskila leik- og grunnskóla. Leikskólinn var almennt álitinn góður staður fyrir börnin en viðhorf foreldra til eigin hlutdeildar í leikskólasamfélaginu voru blæbrigðarík, þar sem sumir þátttakendur kusu frekar að standa „fyrir utan“. Upphaf grunnskólagöngunnar einkenndist af kynnum fjölskyldnanna af samhliða lærdómssamfélögum: grunnskólanum, frístundaheimilum, skipulögðu íþrótta- og tómstundastarfi og móðurmálsnámi. Foreldrar höfðu uppi gagnrýni á grunnskólann og frístundaheimilin og virtust virkari þegar kom að skipulögðu íþrótta- og tómstundastarfi og móðurmálsnámi. Frásagnir einstakra þátttakenda af því að grípa til eigin ráða þegar velferð barnsins var talið ógnað, af gagnrýnu endurmati og uppgjöri við eigin menningarbakgrunn og uppeldi, af berskjöldun, réttindaleysi og af skorti á náms- og starfstækifærum var einnig að finna í gögnunum. Aðferðafræðileg eftirgrennslan leiddi enn fremur í ljós ráðandi tilhneigingar túlks, sem opnaði á nýja vídd í gögnum úr túlkuðu viðtali. Við rannsóknina kom í ljós mikilvægi þess að öðlast skilning á ólíkum sjónarhornum foreldra og þörfin fyrir frekari rannsóknir til að styðja við jákvæð þáttaskil fyrir öll börn., Doctoral Grants of the University of Iceland Research Fund Nordforsk

The aim of this chapter is to look at what aspects enable and what aspects constrain the subject of drama in Icelandic compulsory education, using the lens of practice architectures theory. The chapter is based on my PhD study entitled Understanding Drama Teaching in Compulsory Education in Iceland: A Micro-ethnographic Study of the Practices of Two Drama Teachers. Based on a socio-cultural frame of understanding, an ethnographic study of the culture and the context for the implementation of drama was carried out. The ethnographic account is based on thick descriptions and thematic narrative analyses summed up as a cultural portrait of the drama teaching practices in two primary education schools in Iceland. The theory of practice architectures, proposed by Stephen Kemmis and Peter Grootenboer, was used to interpret the findings. Enabling and constraining arrangements in the practice architectures connected to the implementation of drama as a subject in compulsory education. The findings reveal that the enabling aspects of drama teaching are less visible than factors that constrain the teaching.

Publisher's version (útgefin grein), The co-creation of educational services that promote youth resilience and mental health is still scarce. UPRIGHT (Universal Preventive Resilience Intervention Globally implemented in schools to improve and promote mental Health for Teenagers) is a research and intervention program in the Basque Country (Spain), Trentino (Italy), Low Silesia (Poland), Denmark and Reykjavik (Iceland). UPRIGHT implemented a co-creation research process whose results, outcomes and policy implications are presented here. The co-creation had a mixed-methods participatory research design with nine specific objectives linked to paired strategies of inquiry for adolescents, families, teachers and school staff. The overarching objective was to generate a valid and feasible regional adaptation strategy for UPRIGHT intervention model. Participants answered surveys (n = 794) or attended 16 group sessions (n = 217). The results integrate quantitative and qualitative information to propose a regional adaptation strategy that prioritizes resilience skills, adolescents’ concerns, and preferred methods for implementation across countries and in each school community. In conclusion, a whole-school resilience program must innovate, include and connect different actors, services and communities, and must incorporate new technologies and activities outside the classroom. A participatory co-creation process is an indispensable step to co-design locally relevant resilience interventions with the involvement of the whole-school community., The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: UPRIGHT is a research and innovation project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (grant number 754919). UPRIGHT grant agreement (complete project description) has undergone peer-review by the European Commission reviewers (governmental and major funding organism) before getting approval. This paper reflects only the authors’ views, and the European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. The funding body has had no role in the study design, in the writing of the manuscript or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.

Due to increased migration in recent decades, universities must adapt their practices to meet the needs of a changing student body. Many immigrant students desire to complete their studies at universities, yet factors such as language of communication and cultural traditions limit their possibilities. This paper comes out of a study titled Educational Aspirations, Opportunities and Challenges for Immigrants in University Education in Iceland. The findings are based on individual interviews with immigrant students and university staff members and focus group interviews with immigrant students. The theoretical framework of the study draws from the ideas of culturally competent counselling. This helps to analyse immigrant students’ experiences of formal and informal support during their university studies (Arredondo et al., 1996; Maunonen-Eskelinen, Kaikkonen & Clayton, 2005). Formal support constitutes institutional support provided by the universities, such as orientation programs and social activities of various kinds. Informal support, in contrast, incorporates other means of assistance to immigrant students either through those whom they trust, such as instructors, or community members in the role of cultural brokers. Immigrant students also get support through their present and former friends and through their extended family members. The findings indicate that, despite the challenges that immigrant students face at Icelandic universities, the majority were quite positive about their experiences as they described different types of formal and informal support which they obtained throughout their studies., Rannís: 163516

Endamálið við hesi grein er tvíbýtt. Øðrumegin er tað at útvega eitt yvirlit yvir setningsgerðir við S1 (sagnorð-eitt), S2 (sagnorð-tvey) og S3 (sagnorð-trý) í høvuðssetningum í íslendskum og føroyskum, og roynt verður at kanna, í hvussu stóran mun tey bæði nær skyldu málini bera seg at á sama hátt í hesum sambandi. Dáturnar, ið verða lagdar fram her, stuðla hugsanini, at íslendskt og føroyskt hava líkar setningsgerðir við atliti at møguleikum fyri S1 og S3. Hinvegin verður víst á nøkur áhugaverd undantøk, serliga í sambandi við at hava negativ ávirki fremst í føroyskum (S3). Hinumegin verður serliga hugt at møguleikum fyri stílførslu sum S2-fyribrigdi í høvuðssetningum í íslendskum og føroyskum. Ført hevur verið fram, at stílførsla er meira avmarkað í eykasetningum í føroyskum enn hon er í íslendskum. Tað skuldi tí bent á, at føroyskt mennir seg sama veg sum danskt, norskt og svenskt, har ið stílførsla er um at vera púra burtur. Við støði í tí skuldi væntast, at stílførsla eisini er á veg út í høvuðssetningum. Samanberingar av stílførdum eindum av ymsum slag fremst í setningi, sum eru gjørdar í hesi kanning, vísa, at bæði málini geva seg undir avmarkingar av sama slag. Tó eru ávísar setningsgerðir við stílførslu munandi meira avmarkaðar í føroyskum enn í íslendskum., The goal of this paper is twofold. On the one hand, it provides an overview of V1 (verb-first), V2 (verb-second), and V3 (verb-third) constructions in main clauses in Icelandic and Faroese, and it seeks to explore to what extent the two closely related languages behave the same way in that resepect. The data presented here support the idea that Icelandic and Faroese have similar conditions with respect to the possibility of V1 and V3. However, some interesting exceptions are pointed out, in particular regarding the fronting of negative objects in Faroese (V3). On the other hand, special attention is given to the possibility of Stylistic Fronting (SF) as a matrix V2-phenomenon in the Insular Scandinavian languages. It has been claimed that SF is more restricted in embedded clauses in Faroese than it is in Icelandic, suggesting that Faroese is evolving in the direction of the Mainland Scandinavian languages, where SF has all but disappeared. Based on that, one might expect that SF is also on its way out in main clauses. The comparison of stylistically fronted elements of various kinds conducted in this study shows that both languages obey similar restrictions. However, certain SF-constructions are much more restricted in Faroese than in Icelandic.

Difficult eating behaviours such as fussy eating are consistently found in young children, and those with neurodevelopmental disorders (ND) such as Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression. Fussy eating tends to peak in early childhood and then reduce, but less so for children with ND. Studies have also found links to fussy eating and children with obesity. Understanding fussy eating in children with obesity and comorbid disorders is important as acceptance of healthy foods tends to be low. Studies also indicate that increasing acceptance of healthy foods is difficult, especially in children with ND. Although studies on fussy eating have furthered our knowledge on eating behaviours, it is unfortunate that no inclusive food interventions exist for children with ADHD in addition to ASD and TD children, and none include parents in these settings. There were two overarching study aims: The first aim was to gain deeper insight into eating behaviours such as fussy eating in children with and without ND. The second aim was to investigate the effectiveness of the Taste education intervention in a school setting, in children with and without ND, and their parents. In paper I, a preliminary study on a sample of children with obesity, we found that fussy eating was common, and heightened in children with obesity and anxiety. The results were also in general accordance with taste preferences in children with fussy eating. In paper II which was built on screening data from the study sample in paper III, we analysed associations between parents and their children’s fussy eating, in a cross-sectional sample of children, with and without ND. Overall, children with ND accepted fewer food items and consumed unhealthier foods more frequently than children without ND. Fussy eating parents had children who accepted fewer food items and consumed unhealthier foods more frequently than children whose parents were not fussy eaters. In paper III, our second study sample, we investigated the effect of Taste Education, a 7-week food-based intervention with children and parents. We found superior results for Intervention compared to waiting, on Food fussiness, with stable effects through six-months follow-up. Results also showed increased odds of accepting vegetables, nuts, and seeds, but no association for fruit. Trends were similar for children regardless of ND-status for both fussy eating, and food acceptance. The Taste Education program provided a simple, noniv invasive way to decrease fussy eating and increase food variety in the longterm for children regardless of ND-status. Taken together, these papers provide new insights into fussy eating in Icelandic children with and without ND, and their parents. The results highlight a further need to study fussy eating, especially the relationships between fussy eating in children, their ND-status, and parents., Matvendni og aðrar raskaðar fæðuvenjar eru algengar hjá ungum börnum, sér í lagi þeim sem einnig hafa taugaþroskaraskanir (TÞR) á borð við raskanir á einhverfurófi og athyglisbrest með ofvirkni (ADHD), en einnig kvíða og þunglyndi. Hjá flestum börnum dregur úr matvendni með hækkandi aldri, en síður hjá börnum með TÞR. Rannsóknir hafa einnig sýnt fram á tengsl á milli matvendni og offitu hjá börnum, þar sem fæðuvenjur eru mótaðar af umhverfi barnsins, erfðum og fjölskyldu, ekki síst foreldrum. Hollar fæðutegundir eru síður samþykktar en óhollar hjá börnum með offitu og aðrar raskani eins og TÞR, og því mikilvægt að öðlast dýpri skilning á fæðuvenjum þessara barna. Rannsóknir sýna einnig að erfitt er að fá matvönd börn almennt ̶ en ekki síst börn með taugaþroskaraskanir að auki ̶ til að samþykkja hollari fæðutegundir. Fæðumiðaðar íhlutanir fyrir börn með þessar raskanir eru af skornum skammti og oftast bundnar við börn með einhverfu eingöngu, eða þau sem ekki hafa TÞR, en ekki íhlutanir hjá börnum með og án TÞR (þar með talið ADHD). Þó að rannsóknir á matvendni hafi aukið þekkinguna svo um munar, er óheppilegt að engar fæðumiðaðar íhlutanir séu í boði sem henta foreldrum, og börnum án TÞR og einnig börnum með TÞR svo sem ADHD og einhverfu. Einnig er mikilvægt er að hafa í huga að börn með fjölbreyttar raskanir endurspegla skóla án aðgreiningar. Þátttöka foreldra í fæðumiðuðum íhlutunum er einnig æskileg þar sem þeir leika lykilhlutverk í mótun fæðuvenja hjá börnum sínum og því mikilvægt að skoða betur tengsl fæðuvenja hjá börnum og foreldrum þeirra. Í þremur rannsóknum er kafað dýpra í matvendni barna frá ýmsum sjónarhornum. Í grein I eru niðurstöður forrannsóknar kynntar á börnum með offitu þar sem matvendni var algeng og sérstaklega hjá börnum með kvíða að auki. Niðurstöður sýndu einnig að börnin í þessu þýði samþykktu og höfnuðu bragði svipað því sem sjá má í öðrum rannsóknum. Í grein II sem byggðist á skimunargögnum úr grein III voru skoðuð tengsl matvendni hjá foreldrum og börnum með og án TÞR. Niðurstöður sýndu að börn með TÞR samþykktu færri fæðutegundir og borðuðu óhollari fæðu oftar en börn án TÞR. Börn matvandra foreldra samþykktu færri fæðutegundir og borðuðu óhollari fæðu oftar en börn foreldra sem ekki voru matvandir. Í grein III sem einnig byggðist á gögnum úr þýði II skoðuðum við áhrif Bragðlaukaþjálfunar (Taste Education) sem var 7 vikna fæðumiðuð íhlutun með börnum og foreldrum þeirra. Niðurstöður sýndu betri árangur þ.e. minni matvendni hjá inngripshópi samanborið við viðmiðunarhóp og hélst árangurinn til 6 mánaða. Rannsóknin sýndi einnig auknar líkur á að samþykkja grænmeti, hnetur og fræ en ekki ávexti. Niðurstöður báru vitni um svipaðan árangur hjá börnum óháð TÞR. Gagnstætt því sem sjá má í flestum fæðumiðuðum íhlutunum mátti sjá þátttöku foreldra, barna með og án TÞR, og langtímaárangur hjá börnum óháð TÞR. Bragðlaukaþjálfun er einföld, mild aðferð til að draga úr matvendni og auka fæðufjölbreytni hjá börnum til langs tíma óháð TÞR. Greinarnar þrjár veita nýja og dýpri innsýn í matvendi og fæðuvenjur íslenskra barna með og án TÞR og foreldrum þeirra. Niðurstöður varpa ljósi á nánari þörf fyrir rannsóknir á matvendni, sér í lagi tengslum matvendni hjá börnum, út frá TÞR og foreldrum barnanna., University of Iceland's Research fund (doctoral fund and research grant). Public Health Fund of the Directorate of Health. Fjarðarkaup grocery (study food items) Ásbjörn Ólafsson wholesale (end-of-study gifts)

Background: Insufficient sleep is associated with an increased risk of a variety of negative health outcomes and has been shown to adversely affect academic and cognitive function. Despite strong evidence of the deleterious effects of short and disrupted sleep on health, studies that use objective methods to measure adolescent free-living sleep, in general, and its association with academic and cognitive performance, specifically, are scarce, particularly during the critical transition from compulsory to secondary education. Aim: The aim of this research was to use objective measures to quantify the free-living sleep of Icelandic adolescents at ages 15 and 17, as they transition from compulsory to secondary education, and to determine whether their sleep patterns are associated with academic and cognitive outcomes. Methods: The study sample came from six elementary schools in Reykjavík, Iceland. One week of free-living sleep measured with wrist actigraphy was collected at two time points. The first wave of data collection occurred in 2015, where 280 participants had valid sleep data (mean age 15.9±0.3 years). Two years later, 199 participants had valid sleep data (mean age of 17.7±0.3 years). In total, 145 participants had complete data at both data collection points. During the first wave of data collection, academic achievement was objectively quantified using the combined score from standardized national examinations administered to all 10th grade students in mathematics, English, and Icelandic. During the second wave of data collection, an n-back working memory task and Posner cue-target visual attention task were used to objectively assess cognitive function. Results: Over all measured nights at both time points, Icelandic adolescents averaged late bedtimes (00:43 at age 15, 01:12 at age 17), short total sleep time (6.6 ± 0.7 h/night at age 15 and 6.2 ± 0.7 h/night at age 17) and high variability in total sleep time (weekly standard deviations of 1.3 h and 1.4 h at ages 15 and 17, respectively). Thus, during the two year change from age 15 to age 17, students sleep duration decreased, night-to-night variability in sleep duration increased, and students went to bed 29 min/night later. Cross-sectional regression of the data collected at age 15 in those with standardized exam scores (n=253) demonstrated that both bedtime and night-to-night variability in total sleep time were negatively associated with the average score across all topics. Similarly, cross-sectional analysis of students who underwent cognitive function testing at age 17 (n=160) showed that time in bed the night before cognitive testing was negatively associated with response times during the most challenging memory task. However, sleep measures the night before did not correlate with performance on the attention task and weekly sleep parameters were not associated with either cognitive task. Conclusion: In general, Icelandic students go to bed late and have short and inconsistent sleep schedules at both age 15 and age 17. Cross-sectional results at age 15 indicate that those with earlier bedtimes and more consistent sleep schedules score higher on national exams. In addition, the cross-sectional results at age 17 demonstrated that shorter time in bed the night prior to the cognitive testing was associated with poorer performance on the most challenging short-term memory task. Despite the presence of several significant associations, the relationship between free-living sleep and academic and cognitive task performance in healthy adolescents is less clear than that identified in laboratory studies or with self-report, perhaps due to high night-to-night sleep variation. Future studies with longer observation periods and interventional components could further clarify the relationship between free-living sleep and academic and cognitive performance in adolescents., Bakgrunnur: Fyrri rannsóknir hafa sýnt fram á að nægur svefn á unglingsárum er lífsnauðsynlegur, og að stuttur og ófullnægjandi svefn getur haft áhrif á andlega og líkamlega heilsu. Enn fremur hefur verið sýnt fram á að stuttur svefn getur haft neikvæð áhrif á námsárangur og hugræna virkni. Þrátt fyrir sterkar vísbendingar um skaðleg áhrif ófullnægjandi svefns á heilsuna skortir rannsóknir sem mæla svefn hlutlægt (við frjálsar aðstæður). Einnig skortir rannsóknir sem nota hlutlægar mælingar til að kanna tengsl svefns á námsárangur og hugræna frammistöðu, sérstaklega á þessum mikilvæga tíma þegar ungmenni færa sig úr grunnskóla og yfir í framhaldsskóla. Markmið: Meginmarkmið þessarar doktorsritgerðar var að nota hlutlæga mælikvarða til að mæla svefn íslenskra ungmenna á aldrinum 15 til 17 ára, við skólaskiptin úr grunnskóla yfir í framhaldsskóla, og að skoða hvort svefnmynstur þeirra tengist námsárangri og hugrænum þáttum. Aðferðir: Rannsóknarúrtakið kom frá sex grunnskólum í Reykjavík. Gögnum var safnað vorið 2015, þar sem 280 þátttakendur höfðu gild gögn um svefn (meðalaldur 15,9 ± 0,3 ár). Tveimur árum síðar höfðu 199 þátttakendur gild svefngögn (meðalaldur 17,7 ± 0,3 ár). Hægt var að tengja gögn hjá 145 nemendum á báðum tímapunktum. Svefn var mældur í eina viku með actigraph hreyfimæli sem var staðsettur á úlnliði. Í fyrri gagnasöfnun árið 2015 var meðaleinkunn í samræmdum prófum í íslensku, stærðfræði og ensku notuð sem mælikvarði á námsárangur. Tveimur árum seinna var hugræn virkni mæld með n-back minnisprófi og Posner cue-target athyglisprófi. Við mat á gögnum var notast við ýmsar tölfræðilegar greiningar, keyrðar í R tölfræðiforritinu. Niðurstöður: Íslensk ungmenni fara að meðaltali seint í rúmið (00:43 við 15 ára aldur, 01:12 við 17 aldur) og heildar svefntími er stuttur (6,6 ± 0,7 klst /nótt 15 ára og 6,2 ± 0,7 klst./nótt 17 ára). Enn fremur er breytileiki í svefni hár á báðum tímapunktum (1,3 klst./nótt og 1,4 klst). Þegar heildarbreyting á svefni frá 15 til 17 ára aldurs er skoðuð, sést að svefnlengd nemanda minnkar, svefnbreytileiki á nóttu eykst og nemendur fara að meðtali að sofa 29 mínútum seinna. Við fyrri gagnasöfnun, árið 2015 (n=253) fundust neikvæð tengsl á milli svefnlengdar, háttatíma og einkunna á samræmdu prófi sem gefur til kynna að nemendur sem fara fyrr að sofa og eru með minni breytileika í svefni fá hærri meðaleinkunn á prófunum. Svipað fannst í seinni gagnasöfnun árið 2017 (n=160), en þar sást að styttri tími í rúminu nóttina fyrir hugræna prófið tengdist slakari árangri, en þó aðeins á mest krefjandi minnisprófinu. Hins vegar voru ekki tengsl á milli svefns kvöldið áður og frammistöðu á athyglisprófinu og engin tengsl fundust á milli heildarsvefns yfir vikuna og niðurstöðum á minnis- og athyglisprófinu. Samantekt: Almennt fara íslensk ungmenni seint að sofa og svefnbreytileiki er hár bæði við 15 og 17 ára aldur. Að sama skapi styttist svefnlengd á tveggja ára tímabili þegar nemendur útskrifast úr 10. bekk og skipta yfir í framhaldsskóla. Þversniðsniðurstöður við 15 ára aldur sýna að svefngæði og háttatími hafa áhrif á einkunnir, en þeir nemendur sem fara fyrr að sofa og eru með lítinn breytileika í svefni fá hærri einkunnir í samræmdum prófum. Að auki sýndu niðurstöður við 17 ára aldur að styttri tími í rúminu nóttina fyrir hugrænu prófin tengdist slakari frammistöðu á mest krefjandi minnisverkefninu. Svefn virðist því hafa áhrif á hugræna þætti hjá 17 ára unglingum. Þrátt fyrir að fyrri rannsóknir hafi sýnt mikilvæg tengsl milli svefns og hugrænnar frammistöðu hjá heilbrigðum unglingum, virðast tengslin sem mælast hlutlægt vera óljósari en þau sem koma fram á rannsóknarstofu eða sem mæld eru með huglægum mælitækjum eins og spurningalistum. Ein skýringin getur verið mikill breytileiki í svefni hjá úrtakinu en framtíðarrannsóknir með lengri athugunartímabilum og íhlutunum gætu skýrt sambandið milli svefns og náms- og hugræns árangurs hjá unglingum enn frekar., Háskólasjóður Eimskipafélags Íslands, Rannsóknamiðstöð Íslands (RANNÍS)

Creativity is an important component in education. Modern society with an unknown future calls for creative individuals who develop new ideas and solve problems in a creative manner. Computers have taken over much of the routine work in mathematics and other sciences, but these fields call for creativity, cooperation, and perseverance. However, mathematics taught in schools often lacks creativity and focuses on solving routine problems with given algorithms. Although some teachers see the value of creativity for mathematics learning, they struggle to foster this important component in their classrooms. This action research focused on a professional development program in an Icelandic compulsory school. The program intends to support teachers to foster creativity in their mathematics classrooms. The teachers partake in seminars and work towards bringing their learning into their classrooms. Data was gathered from seminars and work with teachers. The data was analyzed qualitatively and included interviews, surveys, videos, field notes, and reflective journals. Case studies were chosen to see how the teachers explain the effect of the program on their views, pedagogy, teaching practices and student learning. The case studies revealed that professional development on creative learning can influence teachers’ pedagogy and practice. The results further brought to light aspects for learning that have been developed into a model for creative mathematics learning. This model brings together the components of play and games, hands-on learning, and conversation in mathematics. These aspects helped the teachers bring the students to deeper learning modalities that connect to creative mathematics learning for the students. By partaking in this process, the teachers found that their views, teaching, and student learning were altered. They described barriers of time, student group size, learning space, standardized tests and limiting teaching materials. These research results and development of the PD program have value for teachers, teacher educators, those planning professional development, school management and policy makers., Sköpun skiptir sköpum fyrir menntun. Nútímasamfélag kallar eftir einstaklingum sem geta þróað nýjar hugmyndir og leyst vandamál óvissrar framtíðar. Tölvur hafa tekið yfir mikið af hefðbundnum aðgerðum í stærðfræði og vísindum en þörf er á sköpun, samvinnu og þrautseigju fyrir framþróun þessara greina. Þrátt fyrir það er stærðfræðin sem kennd er í skólum oft ekki skapandi og byggist á því að leysa hefðbundin verkefni með fyrirfram gefnum reikniritum. Jafnvel þó að sumir kennarar sjái gildi þess að leggja áherslu á sköpun í stærðfræðinámi eiga þeir erfitt með að efla þennan mikilvæga þátt í kennslu sinni. Þessi starfendarannsókn snýr að starfsþróun í íslenskum grunnskóla. Starfsþróunin leitast við að styðja kennara til þess að efla sköpun í stærðfræðinámi. Gögnum var safnað frá námskeiðum og í vinnu með kennurum. Gögnin voru greind með eigindlegum aðferðum og byggðu á viðtölum, könnunum, myndböndum, vettvangsnótum og ígrundunardagbókum. Tilvik voru valin til þess að skoða hvernig kennararnir lýstu áhrifum starfsþróunarinnar á viðhorf sín, uppeldisfræði, kennslu og nám nemenda sinna. Tilvikin leiddu í ljós að starfsþróun í skapandi stærðfræði getur haft áhrif á kennslu og nám. Auk þess komu í ljós þættir fyrir nám sem hafa verið settir fram sem líkan fyrir skapandi stærðfræðinám. Líkanið tengir saman verklega vinnu, leik og samræður í stærðfræði. Þessir þættir hjálpuðu kennurunum að búa nemendum skapandi nám. Með þátttöku í þessu ferli sáu kennararnir að viðhorf þeirra, kennsla og nám nemenda þróaðist. Þeir lýstu takmörkunum eins og tíma, stærð nemendahóps, kennslurými, samræmdum prófum og takmarkandi kennsluefni. Þessar niðurstöður og starfsþróunarprógrammið sem var þróað hafa gildi fyrir kennara, skólastjórnendur og þá sem skipuleggja kennaranám, starfsþróun, kennsluskrár og námsefni., Aðstoðarkennarastyrkur Háskóla Íslands 2020-2021 Rannsóknarsjóður Kennarasambands Íslands 2019-2021 Þróunarsjóður Skóla- og frístundasviðs 2018-2020 Sjóður Steingríms Arasonar Háskóla Íslands 2018

In seeking to explain intimate partner violence (IPV), feminist research has shifted its focus from individual explanations to the social contexts of such violence. Adopting such a perspective, we explore the narratives of three men who identify as perpetrators of violence and three women who identify as victims/survivors of IPV. Our analyses focus on how the participants present their relationships, employing the notion of affective – discursive practices as informing, at times constituting, the participants’ experiences. Their stories are characterised by a chronological line – retrospective, present and prospective. Their understandings change in framing their experiences, with the relationships themselves becoming affective–discursive practices, albeit figuring differently in the participants’ stories across time. Our findings also underline the significance of shame as a regulatory mechanism sustaining heteronormative practices., This work was supported by the Icelandic Centre for Research and the University of Iceland (grant: Gender Equality Fund and Eimskip Fund).

The project is an empirical qualitative research that aims to explore the concept of the “third space” as a collaborative learning arena with partners in Icelandic preschool teacher education. The explicit focus is preschool teacher education, specifically the connection between theory and practice during field practice and how the third space can be used to link theory and practice. The overall research question is: “How can ‘the Third Space’ become a meaningful learning arena in Icelandic teacher education?” Thus, emphasis was on the issues of importance in developing the third space—that is, partnership in preschool teacher education, preschool student teachers’ learning during their field practice, and communication and division of labor among actors. To achieve this goal, four studies were conducted, presented in four articles: Article I, Historical perspective of the third space in Icelandic preschool teacher education; Article II, University-preschool collaboration in preschool student teacher education in Iceland; Article III, Between a rock and a hard place: The importance of education and professional development of preschool student teachers in field practice; and Article IV, During the field practice, their professionalism increases: Collaboration in the practicum. The contribution of the project is threefold. First, the project is intended to contribute to the theoretical knowledge regarding third space and partnership in preschool teacher education, an issue that has not been at the forefront in preschool teacher education studies. Second, as the context of the project is Iceland, it contributes to the Icelandic and international discourse on preschool teacher education and policy. The dissertation explores partnership in preschool teacher education and how stakeholders perceive the collaboration. The four studies contribute to knowledge about the university-preschool partnership and how it affects student teachers’ learning. Third, the intention of the project is to contribute to professionalism in preschool teacher education. Sociocultural constructivism is the epistemological framework for this project. In cultural and social contexts, by interacting, asking questions, and discussing issues with each other, individuals construct meanings of situations (Creswell, 2009; Crotty, 1998; Edwards, 2005). The project is framed by Engeström’s theory of expansive learning (2015) and theory about the third space (Bhabha, 1990; Zeichner, 2010) and partnership (Halvorsen, 2014; Smith, 2016). The methodology is qualitative research (Creswell & Poth, 2018) using triangulated data collection. To get an in-depth understanding of the issue and to ensure triangulation, data were collected from different sources, in three different ways using multiple theories in data analysis (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The findings from the four studies provide an answer to the overall question” “How can ‘the Third Space’ become a meaningful learning arena in preschool teacher education?” The findings indicate that true partnership in the preschool teacher education in Iceland is scarce, and that the partnership is more separated than collaborative. The main findings show that participants found it important to build good partnerships, involve more stakeholders, and strengthen the collaboration between the field and the universities, with the overall goal of ensuring professionalism in the early childhood sector. They saw this as an important factor in creating a shared learning platform that held innovation, vitality, and flexibility—all fundamental steps to forming true partnership. Participants also discussed that lack of communication and discussions seemed to hinder the collaboration and decreases opportunities to develop true partnership.

Á undanförnum áratugum hefur innflytjendum á Íslandi fjölgað jafnt og þétt. Um leið hefur samsetning nemendahópa í skólum tekið breytingum og í dag eru töluð um eitt hundrað tungumál í grunnskólum landsins. Niðurstöður samræmdra prófa og útkoma úr prófum á landsvísu hafa í gegnum árin sýnt fram á slaka stöðu nemenda með innflytjendabakgrunn og er brottfall þeirra úr framhaldsskólum mikið. Í þessari rannsókn er brugðist við þessari stöðu fjöltyngdra grunnskólanemenda, þar sem árangur þeirra í íslensku er enn langt undir meðaltali í íslensku og öðrum kjarnagreinum auk þess sem rannsóknir og kannanir hafa sýnt að félagsleg staða þeirra og líðan er verri en jafnaldra af íslenskum uppruna. Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að kanna samspil tungumálaforða fjöltyngdra nemenda og skólareynslu þeirra í íslenskum grunnskólum. Í rannsókninni var sjónarhorn fjöltyngdra nemenda á eigin tungumálanotkun skoðað ásamt því að leitast var við að varpa ljósi á merkingu og hlutverk tungumálaforða þeirra í félagslegum og námslegum aðstæðum. Auk þess að leita svara við meginrannsóknarspurningunni „Hvernig er samspil á milli tungumálaforða fjöltyngdra nemenda og skólareynslu þeirra?“ var leitað svara við því hvað fjöltyngdir nemendur sögðu um notkun eigin tungumálaforða, hvernig þeir lýstu skólareynslu sinni, að hvaða leyti kennarar þeirra studdust við og byggðu á auðlindum þeirra og styrkleikum í námi og hvaða hlutverki tungumálastefnur fjölskyldna gegndu í skólareynslu nemenda. Þátttakendur voru fimm fjöltyngdir grunnskólanemendur frá Íslandi sem lærðu móðurmál sitt í móðurmálsskólum utan formlega skólakerfisins. Nemendurnir voru á aldrinum níu til tólf ára, en á þeim aldri fara þau að verða meðvitaðri um og móta tungumálasjálfsmyndir sínar, jafnaldrar fá stærra hlutverk í lífi þeirra og formlegt nám verður sífellt meira krefjandi. Sjónarhorn þátttakenda á eigin skólareynslu og tungumálaforða var stutt af sýn foreldra þeirra, móðurmálskennara og bekkjarkennara í grunnskólum. Fjöltyngi nemenda (Council of Europe, 2007; Piccardo, 2017) þróast í fjölbreyttum námsaðstæðum eða námsrýmum (e. learning spaces) (Cummins, 2014; Ragnarsdóttir & Kulbrandstad, 2018), sérstaklega í kjöraðstæðum þar sem tengsl skapast, upplýsingum er miðlað og samskipti byggjast upp (Gay, 2000). Kennsla í íslensku og erlendum tungumálum fer fram í grunnskólum þar sem hæfni er byggð upp á grundvelli aðalnámskrár en þróun læsis í móðurmálum fjöltyngdra nemenda skortir formlegan stuðning skólakerfisins og er sjaldan sjálfbær (Aberdeen, 2016). Þessi þverfaglega rannsókn var framkvæmd á árunum 2014–2020. Stuðst var við eigindlega aðferðafræði sem byggir á hugmyndafræði félags-hugsmíðahyggju, en um fjöltilviksrannsókn er að ræða. Með þessari aðferðafræði er hægt að skoða tungumálaforða og skólareynslu fjöltyngdra nemenda á dýptina. Við greiningu gagna var byggt á aðferðum þemagreiningar (Braun et al., 2015) og tungumálasjálfsmynda (Busch, 2012; Dressler, 2014). Siðareglum Háskóla Íslands og almennum siðareglum í eigindlegum rannsóknum og rannsóknum með viðkvæmum þátttakendum (innflytjendur, börn) var vandlega fylgt eftir í gegnum allt rannsóknarferlið. Niðurstöður sýna samspil tungumálaforða fjöltyngdra nemenda og skólareynslu þeirra, en það endurspeglast í því hvernig þeir móta tungumálasjálfsmynd sína í samskiptum við aðra og í þeim námsrýmum þar sem þátttakendur leitast við að upplifa vellíðan og árangur í námi. Nemendurnir í rannsókninni náðu félagslegum og námslegum árangri, byggðu ofan á tungumálaforða sinn áreynslulaust og löguðu sig vel að kringumstæðum. Metnaðarfullir, virkir foreldrar og móðurmálskennarar bættu starfsemi grunnskóla með því að styðja við tungumálaforða nemendanna, en með því sköpuðust kringumstæður sem gerðu fjöltyngdum nemendum kleift að líða vel og ná auknum árangri í námi. Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar sýna fram á mikilvægi allra tungumála nemendanna og þörfina á að í skólum sé byggt á viðeigandi kennslufræði fyrir fjöltyngda nemendur, að unnar séu tungumálastefnur í skólum og að fjölskyldur móti meðvitaða tungumálastefnu. Niðurstöðurnar gefa vísbendingar um að viðurkenna þurfi fjöltyngi nemenda og notkun alls tungumálaforða þeirra í námi og félagslegum aðstæðum. Þannig er stutt við sjálfsmynd nemenda, tilfinningu þeirra um að tilheyra og virka þátttöku. Niðurstöðurnar auka enn fremur skilning á því að innflytjendaforeldrar og kennarar deila hlutverki og ábyrgð á að viðhalda og þróa tungumálaforða fjöltyngdra nemenda. Fjöltyngi nemenda er sífellt til staðar og virkt í lífi þeirra. Skólar eru hluti fjölbreytts, lýðræðislegs samfélags og meðal hlutverka þeirra er að búa alla nemendur undir framtíðarstörf og virka þátttöku í samfélaginu. Fjölmenningarskólar sem vinna án aðgreiningar að menntun allra nemenda ættu að endurspegla raddir og tungumálaþarfir allra nemenda sinna. Þessi rannsókn sýnir fram á mikilvægi þess að tengja á milli tungumálastefnu fjölskyldna, móðurmálskennslu sem fer fram utan hins formlega skólakerfis og námsins sem fer fram í grunnskólanum. Auka þarf rannsóknir á valdeflandi kennsluaðferðum sem styðja við fjöltyngi og byggja á tungumálaauðlindum nemenda, samstarfi á milli kennara og innflytjendaforeldra sem einkennist af virðingu og um leið víðtækari skilningi á fjöltyngi sem viðmiði þar sem jafngildi allra tungumála í skólum og samfélögum er viðurkennt., Delta Kappa Gamma (2021) Soroptimist International of Europe Scholarship (2020) Vrouwen Studiefonds Soroptimist (2020) Þuríður J. Kristjánsdóttir Fund (2020) The Development Fund of Immigrant Matters (2018) Assistant teacher grant of the University of Iceland (2018-2019) The Eimskip University Fund (2016-2017) Assistant teacher grant of the University of Iceland (2015-2016) The Research Fund of the University of Iceland (2014-2015) Learning Spaces for Inclusion and Social Justice (2013-2014)

This article analyses five fourteenth-century Old Norse travel narratives in light of the learned geographical tradition of medieval Iceland. Three of the narratives, Þorvalds þáttr víðfǫrla, Eiríks saga víðfǫrla, and Yngvars saga víðfǫrla, focus on the travels of Nordic people to eastern Europe and Asia; while the latter two, Eiríks saga rauða and Grœnlendinga saga, tell of travels to the continent later named North America. While the travels to the East deal with pilgrimage and the search for the terrestrial Paradise in the service of individual salvation and missionary activities in Scandinavia and Iceland more specifically, the travels to the West are focused on the violent conquest and Christianization of newfound peripheral areas and their peoples. What these narratives have in common, and owe to the learned (Plinian) tradition, is their dehumanized view of foreign and strange people: the giants and monsters of the East, and the skrælingar (indigenous peoples) and einfœtingar (sciopods) of the West. In these sagas travels to the East, while dangerous, introduce heroes to courtly manners, encyclopedic knowledge, and salvation; whereas travels to the West lead to mayhem and death and all attempts at settlement there fail miserably, making Greenland the westernmost outpost of Christianity in the world. This article aims to show how this learned tradition was adapted for use in saga literature to contrast the monstrous and heathen periphery with the more central and piously Christian Iceland.

Greinin fjallar um mikilvægi athygli, lotningar og ástar í siðferðilegri hugsun, eink-um er varðar náttúruna. Greinin hefst á umfjöllun um algengan heimspekilegan skilning á siðferðilegu gildi og siðferðilegri stöðu manna, dýra og náttúrunnar í heild. Samkvæmt þessum skilningi ræðst siðferðilegt gildi og staða vera af því hvaða hugrænu eiginleikum þær eru gæddar. Færð eru rök fyrir því að þessi skilningur sé ófullnægjandi, og að dýpri skilningur á siðferðilegri þýðingu fyrirbæra fáist í ljósi hugtaka á borð við athygli, lotningu og ást. Rætt er um það hvernig þessi hugtök tengjast sýn á gildi manna og náttúru, og hvernig þau geta einnig hjálpað okkur að hugsa um blindu okkar á innra líf annarra og á það sem aðrir sjá af veruleikanum. loks eru náttúruskrif Henrys Davids Thoreau tekin sem dæmi um djúpa sýn á nátt-úruna og gildi hennar sem er í ríkum mæli mótuð af athygli, lotningu og ást. Hugsun Thoreaus leiðir í ljós að siðferðilegt samband okkar við aðrar verur er í grundvall-aratriðum mótað af þessum hugtökum, in this article i discuss the importance of the concepts of attention, reverence and love in ethics and moral thought, especially in relation to nature. Firstly, i examine a view that may be considered as a standard view in moral philosophy. According to this view the moral value of humans, animals and other natural beings depends on the mental and nonmoral characteristics, such as reason, consciousness or sentience, they may possess. Some proponents of the standard view make a sharp distinction between it and other standpoints in moral philosophy, claiming that the standard view rests on rational grounds, while other viewpoints rely merely on emotions, insight, and so forth. However, as i point out, the standard view usually rests on an insight into the elevated value or importance of one or another of mental charac-teristics. The standard view is therefore unsatisfactory in so far as its proponents do not acknowledge the basis of moral thought in deeper emotional insight. i consider, secondly, one aspect of this emotional insight by considering the virtue of reverence. Reverence is a capacity to see and have appropriate feelings toward something of great worth. Reverence is an important source of moral understanding, but also of moral disagreement since we do not always see eye to eye as to what has great worth. We are often blind to the worth others see in things. i argue that one of the main tasks of moral agency is to seek to lessen the influence of this kind of blindness, i.e. to try to see the world in the light of other people’s reverence and love. i argue also, following William James, that when it comes to seeing the true worth of things it is the side that feels the more, and not the side that feels the less, that we should pay greater attention to. This claim leads to the final part of my paper which deals with the nature-writings of Henry David Thoreau. in his meditations on nature Thoreau often uses words like wonder, awe, reverence and love to convey his thought. His thought on nature is, furthermore, charged with these notions and feelings. i argue that Thoreau shows us in his writings how our ability to see nature in all her starkness, beauty and worth depends on our reverence and love for her; nature is most significant to a lover, as he puts it.

Through a cross-national analysis of Iceland and Sweden, we investigate How are the two countries’ national and local educational systems ensuring access to education and social inclusion of immigrants and refugees? How do immigrant and refugee students talk about their agency in their classrooms, schools, and peer communities in rural contexts? Our analysis builds on fieldwork including classroom observations and interviews with immigrants (Iceland) and refugees (Sweden) aged 12–16 years, their teachers, and school principals, in four compulsory schools. The concept of ecology of equity is used to investigate power relations with regard to place and agency. The analysisalso includesinvestigation ofthepolitics oftheteaching profession in response to students’ diversity. Findings show that although some students describe that they do not feel “othered,” the majority, especially refugee students in Sweden, do feel excluded from theirpeers.TheIcelandicandSwedishruralschoolsareontheirownintacklingissuesofworking with these students, despite the fact that their practices may lead to reinforcing inequalities between schools and regions of the two countries. In this sense, the approach of the two countries does not reflect the ideals of the Nordic welfare system., Swedish Research Council, Ritrýnd grein

Publisher's version (útgefin grein), Background: Adolescence is crucial period for laying the foundations for healthy development and mental well-being. The increasing prevalence of mental disorders amongst adolescents makes promotion of mental well-being and prevention interventions at schools important. UPRIGHT (Universal Preventive Resilience Intervention Globally implemented in schools to improve and promote mental Health for Teenagers) is designed as a whole school approach (school community, students and families) to promote a culture of mental well-being and prevent mental disorders by enhancing resilience capacities. The present article aims at describing the rationale, conceptual framework, as well as methodology of implementation and evaluation of the UPRIGHT intervention. Methods: UPRIGHT project is a research and innovation project funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No. 754919 (Duration: 48 months). The theoretical framework has been developed by an innovative and multidisciplinary approach using a co-creation process inside the UPRIGHT Consortium (involving seven institutions from Spain, Italy, Poland, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland). Resulted is the UPRIGHT programme with 18 skills related to 4 components: Mindfulness, Coping, Efficacy and Social and Emotional Learning. Among the five Pan-European regions, 34 schools have been currently involved (17 control; 17 intervention) and around 6000 adolescents and their families are foreseen to participate along a 3-year period of evaluation. Effectiveness of the intervention will be evaluated as a randomized controlled trial including quantitative and qualitative analysis in the five Pan-European regions representative of the cultural and socioeconomic diversity. The cost-effectiveness assessment will be performed by simulation modelling methods. Discussion: We expect a short- to medium-term improvement of mental well-being in adolescents by enhancing resilience capacities. The study may provide robust evidence on intrapersonal, familiar and social environmental resilience factors promoting positive mental well-being. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03951376. Registered 15 May 2019., Horizon 2020 Framework Programme. The authors wish to thank all adolescents, their families and professionals from educational centres involved in the UPRIGHT programme. UPRIGHT is a research and innovation project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No. 754919. The grant agreement (protocol) has undergone peer-review by the European Commission reviewers (governmental and major funding organism) before getting approval.

Daily, we witness human rights violations linked to poverty, forced migration, discrimination and right-wing xenophobia, perpetuating positions of subordination and marginalisation. Human rights violations are also evident in schools. Human rights education (HRE) is a right, as articulated in human rights instruments, internationally and nationally. Yet in Iceland, HRE is not a recognised field of social justice education and research; human rights are addressed or assumed in multicultural, inclusive, sustainability, democracy and citizenship education. Democracy and human rights are one of six curriculum pillars in the 2011 national curriculum guides, suggesting a commitment to human rights. An interpretive narrative inquiry approach draws on ten upper secondary school teachers’ life stories, analysed using grounded theory and reflexive thematic analysis, to inform and extend understandings of transformative HRE. Professional knowledge from the researcher´s own narrative and analysis of human rights, HRE literature, education policy and the school context in Iceland, are used as additional data sets to inform analysis of the empirical data. Findings on teachers’ reasons for working with human rights, their practices, and perceptions of systemic challenges are used to inform teacher education. Findings suggest that teachers’ moral and political convictions, informed by cross-cultural experiences, are diluted by tacit knowledge of what human rights and HRE are. Teachers’ practices are reflective of learning through human rights rather than about and for human rights. Human rights risk being trivialised as teachers revert to familiar discourses and practices. Teachers report insufficient professional support, creating tensions and contradictions between their own human rights commitments and systemic expectations. The study argues that it is currently problematic to discuss HRE as transformative pedagogy in the context of conservative upper secondary schools. First, attention should be placed on human rights in teacher education. The study conceptualises an HRE teacher education framework aimed at developing teachers’ human rights and HRE knowledge and skills to generate human rights praxis as a counter-narrative to systemic constraints. The study contributes to international and local HRE scholarship by highlighting the responsibility and role of teacher education in sustaining human rights cultures., Á hverjum degi verðum við vitni að mannréttindabrotum sem tengjast fátækt, flótta, mismunun, útlendingaandúð, kúgun og jaðarsetningu. Mannréttindabrot eiga sér einnig stað í skólakerfinu. Mannréttindamenntun er réttur sem tilgreindur er í mannréttindaskuldbindingum, bæði staðbundnum og alþjóðlegum. Samt sem áður er mannréttindamenntun ekki skilgreind sem hluti af réttlætismenntun eða rannsóknum á félagslegu réttlæti en þó unnið með mannréttindi í fjölmenningarmenntun, menntun án aðgreiningar, sjálfbærnimenntun og borgaramenntun. Lýðræði og mannréttindi eru einn af sex grunnþáttum menntunar í aðalnámskrá frá árinu 2011 sem gefur vísbendingu um mikilvægi mannréttindamenntunar. Þessi túlkandi frásagnarrannsókn byggist á lífssögum tíu framhaldsskólakennara, þar sem grunduð kenning og þemagreining eru notaðar til að kryfja og víkka út skilning á umbreytandi mannréttindamenntun. Fagþekking sem byggist á reynslu rannsakandans sjálfs og greiningu hans á mannréttindamenntun, menntastefnu og skólastarfi á Íslandi, er notuð sem viðbótargögn til að dýpka greiningu viðtalsgagnanna. Niðurstöður um ástæður kennara fyrir því að vinna með mannréttindi, aðferðir þeirra, og upplifun af kerfisbundnum áskorunum eru notaðar til að leggja til umbætur á kennaramenntun. Niðurstöður benda til að siðferðileg og pólitísk sannfæring kennara, sem byggist á þvermenningarlegri reynslu, verði veikari vegna skorts á meðvitaðri þekkingu á mannréttindamenntun. Aðferðir kennaranna endurspegla áherslu á að læra í gegnum mannréttindi frekar en um mannréttindi eða fyrir mannréttindi. Þegar kennarar taka upp vanabundna orðræðu og vinnulag hættir þeim til að gefa mannréttindum lítið vægi. Kennarar segja frá ófullnægjandi faglegum stuðningi, sem veldur togstreitu á milli þeirra eigin skuldbindinga um mannréttindi og kerfislægra væntinga. Í rannsókninni eru færð rök fyrir því að í dag sé vandkvæðum bundið að ræða mannréttindamenntun sem umbreytandi kennslufræði innan hefðbundins framhaldsskóla. Beina þarf athygli að mannréttindum í kennaramenntun. Rannsóknin skilgreinir ramma fyrir mannréttindi sem viðfangsefni í kennaramenntun sem hefur það markmið að efla þekkingu og færni kennara í mannréttindamenntun og mannréttindastarfs sem andsvar við kerfislægum hindrunum. Rannsóknin er framlag til mannréttindamenntunar sem alþjóðlegs og staðbundins fræðasviðs og undirstrikar ábyrgð og hlutverk kennaramenntunar í því að viðhalda mannréttindamenningu., EIMSKIP University of Iceland grant

This thesis aims to explore how power relations are reproduced through parental choices and practices in Iceland, with a focus on classed and gendered dimensions. The thesis can be viewed as two separate yet connected parts. In the first part, I ask how parental practices contribute to class reproduction in Iceland, with a focus on school and neighbourhood choices. In the second part, I ask how the “good and worthy” parent is defined, with a focus on gendered family life in pandemic times. Three different datasets are used to achieve this overarching aim. In my exploration of school and neighbourhood choices, I use sixteen interviews with middle- or upper-class parents, thereof one father and fifteen mothers. Alongside these interviews, I use descriptive data on the socio economic background of families within the Reykjavík metropolitan area and families of children in private schools. The third dataset consists of ninety-seven stories of parenthood in pandemic times, collected with story completion method. Together these different datasets make possible a nuanced and diverse analysis of the topic in question. I analyse the data through the theoretical lens of Bourdieu and neoliberal governmentality. In particular, I use Bourdieu’s theories of the reproduction of class to explore if and how the middle class uses symbolic capital to reproduce class distinction, thereby enhancing privilege for their children through school and neighbourhood choices. In addition, I make use of feminist and post structuralist understanding of power relations. In this way I analyse the gendered and classed factors as they are shaped by choices, feelings, dilemmas, actions, words and discourses. Three scientific articles form the backbone of this thesis. Article 1 explores private school choice, Article 2 explores neighbourhood choice, and Article 3 is dedicated to manifestations of neoliberal governmentalities in pandemic parenthood. Together these articles achieve the aim of this thesis. On the whole we see that parenthood is now regarded as a social space that is fraught with dangers and pitfalls. The danger of the parent making the wrong choice of school (Article 1), neighbourhood (Article 2) or daily habits (Article 3) is ever-present. This presents the risk of the parents’ symbolic capital not being transmitted to the children. The instability of the rules of the social space of parenthood fuels this risk, which in turn creates 6 anxiety for the parents in question – in particular the mothers. When this anxiety is triggered, it begets the self-governing by which the neoliberal governmentality operates. Parents (especially mothers) begin to question their every move and to self-govern their choices, habits and feelings. These processes are intimately linked to the construction of the fit mother who must choose wisely, be organised, optimistic and happy. This ethos and this subject positioning of mothers contribute to the reproduction of the gendered and classed power relations in Icelandic society., Rannís og Jafnréttissjóður

This report presents some of the main results of research conducted on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the Nordic countries – one of Iceland’s presidency projects for the Nordic Council of Ministers initiated in 2019 under the heading A Common Path (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2018). Iceland’s presidency focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) with special attention to young people. This was emphasised by the Prime Minister of Iceland and the Minister for Nordic Cooperation who introduced the projects. The Icelandic Presidency will focus on issues concerning young people in the Nordic region – the generation born around the turn of the century beginning to make its way in life. We want to listen to young people and support projects that promote education, culture and health. (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2018, p. 5) The project presented in this report concerns the implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goal 4.7 in compulsory education in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The aim was both to receive an overview of how well each of the Nordic countries had integrated the UNSDGs into their educational policies and practices. There are seventeen UNSDGs; Goal 4 concerns education specifically. The sub-goal on which we focused our research was UNSDG 4.7 which states: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development. As one can immediately see, the goal is broad and, therefore, a thorough mapping of its implementation was outside of the present project’s scope. However, we attempt to outline a picture of how things stand in the Nordic countries, looking at legislation, curriculum, teacher education, and local implementation with the aim of identifying a “Nordic Perspective”. We try to bring out not only how things stand in each country, but also to shed light on what is common and where things differ. The more we have worked on this, the more we are painfully aware of how our work does little more than scratch the surface. But in order to go deeper, one has to begin by scratching the surface. We hope that what we present here goes a little further than the bare surface and, more importantly, will help others to continue to dig deeper., Nordic Council of Ministers, Edited

This research is about the learning journeys of artists at the Icelandic University of the Arts studying to become arts educators. This entails looking at their background and former experience and how that affects and shapes the educational practices and learning culture within the Department of Arts Education (DAEd). The purpose of this research is to shed light on the challenges artists face when entering a new field, specifically the field of teacher education. In entering a new field and academic studies, the artists, who have been working for several years in their respective field of art, are faced with new working methods and values. The research aims are to contribute to the knowledge of how artists learn through biography and to determine how we can bridge the gaps there might be between the arts and the academic worlds. The purpose is to use such knowledge in teacher education for artists in Iceland and hopefully in other areas of higher education for artists. The theoretical underpinnings of this study are cultural theories. Bourdieu’s theory of practice (Bourdieu, 1977, 1984) is used in the analysis of the structures and values of the fields relevant to this research, using his ‘thinking tools’ of field habitus and capital. This also sheds light on the evolving identities of arts educators based on their lifewide experience and education. The cultural theory of learning and learning cultures are used to determine the primary practices within the DAEd and the interaction between a learning culture and the participants within it. The study takes the form of practice-led biographical research. The research method is grounded theory. Data triangulation or the ‘triangulation of different methods’ allowed for different perspectives on the research subject. Data were collected from three different sources in two different ways. The sources included reflective journals from 22 students within their first semester in the programme and biographical interviews with 12 graduates from the DAEd and three practising artists in the field. The central themes derived from the analysis of the reflective journals were the foundation for the sensitising concepts leading to the interview framework. The findings show that there are three core categories essential to artists in their education to become arts educators. They are hidden power structures, the practices of the learning site and evolving identities. The findings show that conflicts can occur when artists move between fields. They often face negative attitudes from the community towards teacher education and being a teacher, especially from those in the art world. They need to cope with this form of devaluation from their field, be active agents and sharpen their willingness to engage in these changes. At the same time, the artists are entering a new learning environment with new learning habits and requirements they need to know. The journey is difficult at the beginning, but learning new theoretical approaches empowers them in the long run. The main conclusions are that the journey to develop a new identity as an arts teacher in addition to being an artist requires time. The lengthening of teacher education in Iceland has a considerable bearing on this. However, time is only one factor in the process as the learning culture of teacher education is the scene that shapes the use of this time. A learning culture that focuses on reflection, conversation and collaboration offers diversity in learning approaches and simultaneously looks to the student's previous experience and education, laying the ground for artists to develop identities and become arts educators. The value of the research is primarily in highlighting the concerns that artists face when they start a master's degree programme. The study’s results can be useful for the development and structure of further studies at the master’s and doctoral levels for artists in Iceland. Moreover, the results can be used to examine and analyse the structure of teacher education in Iceland., Þessi rannsókn fjallar um nám og námsferli þeirra listamanna sem bæta við sig kennaranámi. Vettvangur rannsóknarinnar var annarsvegar lífssaga listamannanna, þeirra fyrri reynsla og menntun og hins vegar uppbygging náms við Listkennsludeild Listaháskóla Íslands. Tilgangur rannsóknarinnar er að varpa ljósi á þær áskoranir sem mæta nemendum er koma inn á nýjan vettvang og hefja nám í kennslufræðum á meistarastigi, oft eftir nokkurra ára feril sem starfandi listamenn. Markmið hennar er að þróa áfram meistaranám fyrir listmenn og koma betur á móts við þarfir þeirra í meistaranáminu, byggt á þeirra fyrri reynslu og menntun.Fræðilegur grunnur byggir á kenningum Bourdieus (Bourdieu, 1977, 1984) um praxís, samspil einstaklings ogvettvangs tengt auðmagni og gildismati þeirra hópa sem þeir eru þátttakendur í. Kannað er hvað listamenn sem hefja nám í kennslufræðum á meistarastigi takast á við er þeir fara á milli vettvanga; annars vegar út frá lífssögum þeirra og reynslu og þróun sjálfsmyndar þeirra en einnig þátttöku þeirra í námsmenningu í listkennslunáminu, hvernig þeir hafa áhrif á hana og móta.Rannsóknaraðferðin sem beitt var er grunduð kenning þar sem lagt var upp með opna spurningu um hvernig listamenn tileinka sér það að verða listkennarar. Nemendahópur á fyrsta ári í listkennsludeild haustið 2012 samþykkti þátttöku og skilaði til rannsakanda dagbókum einu sinni í viku með hugleiðingum sínum um námið og hvað þeir voru að takast á við á sinni fyrstu námsönn. Niðurstöður dagbókanna lögðu grunninn að viðtalsramma, en tekin voru ítarleg lífsöguviðtöl við 15 listamenn, þar af 12 sem höfðu lokið meistaranámi og útskrifast sem listkennarar frá Listkennsludeild. Þrír viðmælendur eru starfandi listamenn og voru þeir valdir til að varpabetra ljósi á vettvang listheimsins.Með þessum ólíku aðferðum fékkst betri heildarmynd af því ferli sem listamaðurinn fer í gegnum og hvernig hann mótast sem listkennari út frá eigin lífssögu, þátttöku í listheiminum og síðar sem nemandi á nýjum vettvangi sem meistaranemi í kennslufræðum. Niðurstöður sýna að hjá þátttakendum eiga nokkur átök sér stað sem tengjast því að fara á milli vettvanga. Þeir mæta oft neikvæðu viðhorfi úr visamfélaginu gagnvart kennaramenntun og kennarastarfinu, ekki síst frá eigin listvettvangi. Þeir þurfa að takast á við eigin tilfinningar og taka skýra afstöðu til eigin langana og skerpa á grunnvilja sínum til þess að takast á við þessar breytingar. Á sama tíma takast þeir á við nýtt námsumhverfi með öðrum námsvenjum og kröfum en þeir hafa vanist. Það ferðalag reynist mörgum erfitt í byrjun en eflir þá þegar líður á námið og þeir ná tökum á nýjum og fræðilegri vinnubrögðum.Meginniðurstöður eru þær að sú vegferð að tileinka sé nýja sjálfsmynd sem listkennari meðfram því að vera listamaður krefst tíma. Lenging kennaranáms hefur því töluvert að segja. Tíminn er þó aðeins einn þáttur í mótuninni þar sem námsmenning kennaranáms er sá vettvangur sem mótar það hvernig tíminn er nýttur. Námsmenning, sem leggur áherslu á ígrundun, samtal og samvinnu samfara fjölbreyttum vinnubrögðum og því að líta til fyrri reynslu og menntunar nemenda í skipulagi, leggur grunninn að því að listmenn tileinki sér nýjan vettvang og nýja sjálfsmynd sem listkennarar.Gildi rannsóknarinnar felst fyrst og fremst í því að varpa ljósi á þær ögranir sem listamenn standa frammi fyrir er þeir hefja kennaranám á meistarastigi. Niðurstöður hennar má nýta við þróun og uppbyggingu frekara náms á meistara-og doktorsstigi fyrir listamenn á Íslandi. Niðurstöðurnar geta nýst til að skoða og greina uppbyggingu kennaranáms á Íslandi.

Teachers learn important things together through talking. Conversationbased continued professional development (CPD) for teachers has been insufficiently researched. In the context of current policy and practice - that remains top-down and controlling in terms of educators’ autonomy and self-direction - more agile and transformative means of professional learning are key. The research is a case study aiming to investigate the characteristics of the participation of education professionals (teachers, teacher educators, school heads…) from 50 European countries in an online professional learning community (OPLC) developed under the umbrella of Council of Europe’s Pestalozzi Programme (PP). The study is also interested in how online asynchronous conversation can be a sustainable mode of CPD helpful for the creation of democratic spaces for learning. It directs attention to the nature of the conversation, taking place in the online interaction, the details of which turn out to be of crucial importance. The study is based on activities and data, neither of which was planned or collected for research purposes. The data is composed of the transcripts of participants postings between 2012 and 2017, and the interactions that are contained in the dialogic space that is the PP platform. Therefore, the design of the study deals with the complexity and scope of the context and data, that brings in the international, intercultural composition of participants who arrive with different histories and perhaps engrained assumptions and norms; the professional development context that is unusual; the online set up that is also particular due to the conversational nature of its activities; and lastly the complexity of the issue of democracy in education which may not fit so easily in the school curricula, or the culture of school, or institution and their education aims. To address this complexity, the framework of ecology was chosen to cater to the many parts of the context and the relationships these entertain to form the environment of the OPLC. The framework of ecology and its analysis may inform on what affordances are observed for an OPLC to reach its full transformative potential for participating educators. It is helpful to consider these and to conceptualize conversation as an ecology of learning that is conducive to engagement in online professional learning and development. 6 Transcripts of asynchronous discussion threads were analyzed, through thematic analysis and statistical treatment, to capture the structure and affordances of conversation-based online professional learning communities that foster the establishment of an ecology of learning that is conducive to the development of democratic practices in educational settings. To answer this overall concern, three main research questions were identified and chosen to form the core of the investigation. The first question concerns the features of the collaboration to identify elements that support – or impede – co-construction of knowledge among participants. The second research question focuses on the discernible factors and conditions that foster participants’ motivation to engage and uses Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as a basis to investigate the data. The third research question is centered on participants’ mental models of what constitutes a democratic teaching practice, and how educators’ engagement in the conversation may support transformative action in the classroom. The results highlight enabling behaviors that help regulate pace, cohesion, topical persistence, strong ties, and congeniality in the conversation to enhance the potential for meaning making and coconstruction of knowledge. Two moderator-presences, ‘teaching presence ‘and ‘peer presence’, were found, thus the study enhances previous research on online presences (RQ1). Furthermore, eight factors were found to contribute to participants’ motivation to engage and remain active in the conversation, specifically: self-confidence in one’s practice, persistence towards attaining goals, sprightliness, inclusion, ethos, control, accountability, and curiosity. The SDT positing the need for competence, relatedness and autonomy was completed with a fourth need that is curiosity (RQ2). Finally, discursive alignments and tensions were found, that provoke a cognitive dissonance having the effect of helping participants to agree on objectives and seek ways to achieve more democracy in educational environments, which are not fundamentally democratic. As educators develop democratic dimensions, an ‘activist presence’ was found to be a response to these tensions (RQ3). Finally, concerning the overall question of affordances, the studied ecology, and the responses to the RQs suggest a development leading to the establishment of five structures in the OPLC. An ethos structure, an affect and identity structure, a communication structure, and a power structure are revealed as shaping the relations between members. All participate in forming an ensemble of affordances of conversation based OPLCs fostering an ecology of learning for the development of democratic practices in educational settings., Samræða kennara getur verið mjög lærdómsrík. Samt sem áður er ekki digur sá sjóður rannsókna sem beinist að starfsþróun og samræðu á vettvangi menntunar. Nútíma stefnumótun í menntun hættir til að vera stýrt að ofan og vantar fyrir bragðið ákveðinn sveigjanleika og sjálfræði sem laðar fram mikilvægar breytingar í starfinu og gefur faglegu námi kennara dýpri merkingu. Þessi rannsókn er tilviksrannsókn sem beinist að athugun á því sem einkennir þátttöku fagfólks í menntageiranum (sem eru einkum kennarar, skólastjórar og kennaramenntendur) frá fimmtíu Evrópulöndum í rafrænu lærdómssamfélagi sem var þróað á vegum Pestalozzi starfsþróunarverkefnis Evrópuráðsins. Mikilvægt áhersluatriði var að kanna hvernig samræða á netinu sem ekki er samstillt í tíma getur verið varanleg leið í starfsþróun á vettvangi fagfólksins. Sérstaklega þar sem markmiðið var að styðja við lýðræðislegt fyrirkomulag slíkrar menntunar. Í rannsókninni er sjónum beint eðli samræðunnar sem fer fram á netinu og bent er á fjölmörg einstök atriði sem þar skipta máli. Gögnin sem rannsóknin byggir á eru skrifleg samskipti fagfólks innan menntakerfa á svæði Pestalozzi starfsþróunarverkefnisins sem fram fóru á árunum 2012–2017. Hvorki val þátttakenda, útfærsla samskiptanna né gögnin voru skipulögð með rannsókn í huga. Skipulag rannsóknarinnar sjálfrar þarf því að taka tillit til fjölmargra flækja. Þær tengjast ekki síst fjölþjóða samsetningu þátttakenda og þeirri margmenningu sem í henni felst. Þeir höfðu afar ólíkan bakgrunn og ólíkar hugmyndir um viðmið og gildi. Starfsþróunarumhverfið var að ýmsu leyti framandi, m.a. vegna þess hve mikil áhersla var lögð á samræðuþáttinn á netinu. Við þetta bættist viðfangsefni námsins, þ.e. ýmsar hliðar lýðræðis í skólastarfi sem féll iðulega hvorki inn í það námsefni sem skólarnir glímdu við, né inn í menningu skólanna, eða annara stofnana, né almennt inn í höfuðmarkmið þeirra menntunar sem margir þátttakenda fengust við. Til þess að glíma við þetta flækjustig var hugmyndin um vistfræði menntunar notuð til þess að ná utan um ólíka þætti aðstæðna og tengsla á milli þeirra í rafrænu lærdómssamfélagi. Sá rammi og jafnframt greining sem vistræðihugtakið leggur til, bendir til ólíkra möguleika sem hið rafræna netsamfélag býður þáttakendum upp á. Það er því rökstutt að gagnlegt sé að greina samræðu sem beinist að þeirri flóknu starfsþróun sem um ræðir frá sjónarhorni vistfræði menntunar. Texti ofangreindra samræðna var þemagreindur og ákveðinni tölfræðilegri athugun beitt til þess að fá hugmynd um uppbyggingu hans og þá möguleika sem rafrænt samfélag, sem beinist að starfsþróun, felur í sér. Í þessu tilviki beindist samræðan að mótun og þróun lýðræðislegra hugmynda í skólastarfi. Til þess að svara þessari áskorun voru þrjár rannsóknarspurningar mótaðar og eru þær kjarni rannsóknarinnar. Fyrsta spurningin spyr um einkenni samstarfsins og leitast við að bera kennsl á þá þætti samvinnu þátttakenda sem styðja, eða hindra mótun sameiginlegrar þekkingar. Næsta spurning beinist að aðstæðum, í ljósi sjálfsákvörðunakenningar (SDT), sem laða þátttakendur til þátttöku. Þriðja spurningin beinir sjónum að hugmyndum þátttakenda um þeirra upplifun af lýðræðislegum kennsluháttum og menntun og hvernig framlag þeirra í umræðunni geti stutt við umbætur í kennslustofunni að þessu leyti. Niðurstöðurnar sýna hvað það er í samskiptunum sem stýrir hraða, samheldni, tryggð við umræðuefnið, tengsl þátttakenda og þægilegu viðmóti í samskiptunum sem allt stuðlar jafnframt að skilningi og mótun frekari þekkingar hjá hópnum. Það mátti auk þess sjá tvenns konar áhrif þeirra sem stýrðu umræðunni, annars vegar það sem kalla mætti kennaraáhrif og hins vegar áhrif sem eiga frekar skylt við jafningjaáhrif (RSP1). Átta þætti mátti greina sem stuðla að áhuga þátttakenda til virkrar þátttöku í þeirri samræðu sem boðið var upp á og skipta máli til að halda henni áfram (sjá Töflu 18). Þeir eru, sjálfstraust í faglegu starfi, ásetningur að ná settu markmiði, lifandi áhugi á verkefninu, ásetningur um að virða sjónarmið annarra og hafa jafnræði í samræðu, svipuð gildi og siðferði þátttakenda, tilfinning fyrir að hafa stjórn á aðstæðum, ábyrgð á þátttöku öxluð og forvitni um efni verkefnisins. Innviðir sjálfsákvörðunarkenningarinnar komu fram, þ.e. þörfin fyrir hæfni, tengsl og sjálfræði, en nauðsynlegt var að bæta við þættinum forvitni (RSP2). Hugrænt misræmi birtist í samstöðu annars vegar og togstreitu hins vegar þegar þátttakendur glímdu við markmið sem stefndu að auknu lýðræði í skólastarfi sem var fyrir, í grundvallaratriðum, ólýðræðislegt. Í glímu við þá togstreitu sem fram kom mátti greina að þátttakendur sýndu merki um aktífisma (RSP3). Þegar skyggnst er heildrænt eftir þeim möguleikum sem fólust í skipulagi Pestalozzi- starfsþróunarverkefnisins í ljósi þeirrar umgjarðar sem vistfræði menntunar leggur til ásamt svörum við rannsóknarspurningunum, þá eru dregnir fram í dagsljósið fimm þættir (sjá t.d. Mynd 31), eða kerfi sem saman mynda ákveðna heild. Þau eru nefnd gildiskerfi (sem snýst um að huga að megin markmiðum hins sameiginlega verkefnis), ímyndarkerfi (þar sem viðkomandi þróa faglega ímynd sína), samskiptakerfi (þar sem þátttakendur þróa samskipti í leit að sameiginlegum skilningi), netkerfi (þar sem þátttakendur stilla strengi til að virða og notfæra sér samskiptin) og valdakerfi (þar sem leitað er jafnvægis á milli stýringar og jafnræðis). Þessir þættir ofnir saman mynda hið margslungna vistkerfi menntunar sem er gagnlegt til þess að lýsa starfsþróun í netheimum og það sem þeir bjóða upp á þegar fengist er við þróun lýðræðislegra starfshátta og hugmynda í skólastarfi., Doctoral grant Number RSJ-PhD-2020 - University of Iceland's Eimskip Fund

The influx of refugees and immigrants into Iceland continues to affect the society socially, culturally, and politically. Like many other European countries, Iceland has become home to many refugees and immigrants, including young adults. This influx has affected the education system, and many schools have developed different models to serve the diverse needs of the increasing number of immigrant children entering the system. In spite of the obstacles – which include cultural and linguistic differences, struggles with different school systems and academic programs, educational level, financial standing or country of origin, little education, and limited family income – many refugee and immigrant students are enthusiastic about learning, and are able to succeed both academically and socially in their new learning spaces. Research has shown that immigrant students drop out of school as a result of different factors, such as not valuing school and having poor relationships with teachers and peers (Makarova & Herzog, 2013) and that immigrant teens in some ethnic groups suffer a higher dropout rate than the national average (Morse, 2005). According to a study conducted by Grétarsdóttir (2007) on educational progress among youth whose heritage language is not Icelandic, more than half of the respondents either never attended upper secondary education – i.e., the three to four years after compulsory school, typically about ages 16-19 – or dropped out. Understanding these students’ academic and social engagement and success may be critical for addressing the high dropout rates among immigrant students. Thus, the purpose of this study is to answer the question: What academic, personal, and social experiences account for the success of young immigrants and refugees while in upper secondary schools in Iceland? This study aimed to understand young immigrants’ and refugee students’ experiences of academic and social success in upper secondary schools in Iceland. In this study, 27 academically and socially successful students participated in one-hour semi-structured interviews. In the interviews, young immigrant and refugee students were asked about their attitudes toward their culture of origin and Icelandic culture and society, their experience of belonging to different groups, their aspirations and future goals in those settings, different learning environments and practise, their expectation of the schools and curriculum, and their motivations and obstacles including their language backgrounds. The study applies different theories, including culturally responsive pedagogy and multicultural education, that incline toward providing all students, regardless of their background, culture, language, race and ethnicities with the knowledge, tools and skills necessary to function harmoniously both in their community and globally. These theories facilitate the academic and social success of young immigrant and refugee students and create equity in the education system. The theoretical background chosen for this study aims to support the research questions and capture the depth of the data. Theories of inclusion and safe zones are discussed as ways to value diversity among these groups of students regardless of their background, language, ethnicity and race, and they address equitable opportunities for these students and to bring about equal, just and democratic society (Banks & Banks, 2013; Gay, 2018; Grant & Sleeter, 2013; Nieto, 2010; Pratt, 1991, 2007). Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2013) is used to analyze the data. This method is useful when one is trying to find commonalities in meaning among the participants’ responses. Knowledge about the reasons for the academic and social success of these students is important for policymakers, teachers, and governmental organisations, both in terms of societal stability and for the sake of individual refugee and immigrant youths. Bringing young immigrants’ and refugees’ academic and social success to light may also be significant in counteracting xenophobia. The findings reveal that various internal and external factors determine academic and social success of the refugee and immigrant students, including their desire, passion, and strength, as well as their interest in education and their future goals. They were intrinsically motivated, exerted effort, and refused to give up despite the various challenges they faced. Immigrant and refugee students’ journeys of success were also shaped by a set of visible factors both structural (inside their schools) and social (outside their schools, at home and in their communities).

Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að varpa ljósi á mat foreldra á gæðum leikskólastarfs í samhengi við menningarbundin viðhorf sem birtast í opinberri stefnu leikskóla. Jafnframt að skoða hvort marka mætti breytingar á viðhorfum foreldra á einum áratug. Einstaklings- og hópaviðtöl voru tekin við foreldra barna sem voru að ljúka leikskólagöngu sinni í þremur leikskólum í Reykjavík. Tíu árum áður höfðu sambærileg viðtöl verið tekin við foreldra í þeim sömu leikskólum. Viðhorf og gildi foreldranna eins og þau birtust í umræðum og frásögnum þeirra voru skoðuð í félags- og menningarlegu samhengi (Rogoff, 2003). Niðurstöðurnar sýna að viðhorf foreldranna til gæða leikskólastarfs eru í samræmi við opinbera stefnu leikskóla hér á landi og annars staðar á Norðurlöndum. Þeir lögðu fyrst og fremst áherslu á að börnin lærðu samskipti og félagslega hæfni í leikskólanum. Leikur, óformlegt nám, umhyggja og persónuleg hæfni voru þeir þættir sem foreldrarnir töldu mikilvæga. Hugmyndafræði norrænnar leikskólahefðar hefur átt undir högg að sækja á undanförnum áratugum og hefur sums staðar mátt víkja fyrir bóknámsreki og áherslum á mælanlegan árangur. Þau sjónarmið virtust ekki hafa haft áhrif á viðhorf foreldranna., The aim of this study was to shed light on the quality of preschool education from the perspective of Icelandic parents in light of Icelandic public preschool policy. The study also explored whether parents’ views had changed over a period of ten years. That ten-year period of time was characterized by enormous change in Icelandic society as it transitioned from being largely homogenous to diverse. During this same period, early childhood education internationally has also been confronted with challenges such as accountability and the pressure of academics. Lilian Katz has proposed that the quality of preschool programs can be assessed from different perspectives (Katz,1993). In the top-down perspective, quality is assessed from the views of adults who run the preschools. Inside perspective focuses on quality from the perspective of preschool educators. The bottom-up perspective depends primarily on how the program is experienced by the participating children. The focus of this study is on what Katz calls the outside-inside perspective, which is how the program is experienced by the families it serves. The study was inspired by socio-cultural perspectives and assumes that human life and values are culturally and historically situated and inseparable from the context and activities in which they are situated (Vygotsky, 1978). Barbara Rogoff (2003) focuses on people’s participation in their communities’ cultural practices and traditions. In her studies, she has shown that people develop as they participate in and contribute to cultural activities. She states, “Interpreting the activity of people without regard for their meaning system and goals renders observations meaningless” (p. 17). This study examines parents’ narratives and values in their social and cultural contexts. The following research questions led this inquiry: • What aspects of preschool education do parents find important? • Have parents’ views changed from 2006 to 2016? • How do parents’ perspectives conform with cultural views presented in public policy documents? As the study focuses on the outside-inside perspective, qualitative interviews were conducted with 26 parents of children in three preschools. Ten years earlier, focus group interviews were conducted with parents of children in the same preschools. Still located in various neighborhoods in the city of Reykjavik, all three preschools experienced changes in the 10 years that had passed since the previous study. Specifically, all became more diverse and one of the three saw an increase in the number of children attending, due to merging with another preschool (Jóhanna Einarsdóttir, 2010b). The original intention was to conduct focus group interviews with the 26 parents, but this had to be changed in order to accommodate the parents’ availabilities. Therefore, only one group interview with four participants was conducted. In addition, three interviews with three parents, five interviews with two participants, and three individual interviews were conducted. The findings showed that parents’ views towards the pedagogy of the preschool were in harmony with the Nordic social-pedagogical model and the preschool policies of the Nordic countries. The parents were satisfied with the preschools’ holistic approaches and their emphasis on child-centered orientation and play. Interpersonal relationships, social competency, friendship, and respect for other people were stressed. Personal issues such as independence, safety, self-reliance, well-being, and personal strength were also emphasized. In spite of much change in Icelandic society and children’s realities during the last two decades, parental views on preschool pedagogy were almost identical to the views of parents a decade ago (Jóhanna Einarsdóttir, 2019)., Rannsóknarsjóður Háskóla Íslands

The study explores how mothers in Iceland, a relatively new nation state that is perceived as being gender equal, classless and homogeneous, adapt and respond to international trends of consumer cultures. Building on studies about parental neighbourhood choice, parental practices and reproduction of social class, the study’s aim is to examine the local manifestations of those in an international context. To reach this aim, nine interviews with middle-class mothers who live in either disadvantaged or privileged neighbourhoods in terms of income, education level and ethnicity were analysed. Our findings on middle-class anxiety over class reproduction being mediated by neighbourhood and school choice are in accord with international literature. Our findings depart from the literature in the way that social capital reproduction plays out in the most affluent neighbourhood and the importance the most affluent middle-class mothers put on geographical closeness to their extended families., Icelandic Centre for Research [184857-052]

This paper presents findings from a collective case study focusing on the efforts of a grassroots team of seven pioneering women: teachers, IT consultants, and tech enthusiasts. The team was formed to introduce, encourage, and establish makerspaces in the Icelandic compulsory school system by educating and supporting teachers and young students (6–15 years) as makers and advocates of maker culture. All seven team members have developed or supported different models of makerspaces in their area of work and offered guidance to other educators. Our research examines learning on a personal, relational, and institutional level, reviewing values and practices of participants and what characterizes their social interactions, agency and empowerment in relation to making. It introduces new models of pedagogy, often supported by school leadership and social media action facilitating the development of making and maker culture. It attempts to map how makerspaces can be integrated into school practice in alignment with curricular objectives to support diverse engagements, digital literacies and creative design skills. Our findings further reveal how an all-women team has taken agency and through collaborative actions, collective creativity and self-empowerment managed to overcome challenges and provide leadership in this emergent field in Icelandic school practice., This research was partly funded by the European Commission Horizon 2020 Programme, Grant No: 734720.

Markmið þessarar rannsóknar er tvíþætt: Annars vegar að skoða félagslegan ávinning söngleikjaþátttöku og mikilvægi söngleikjaforms sem óhefðbundins náms og hins vegar að skoða hvaða áhrif söngleikjaþátttaka hefur á félagskvíða hjá nemendum með frammistöðukvíða. Rannsóknin var eigindleg viðtalsrannsókn þar sem viðtöl voru tekin við unglinga í grunnskóla sem tóku þátt í söngleik. Þá voru dagbókarfærslur rannsakanda einnig hluti af gögnum sem og reynsla hans á vettvangi. Niðurstöður sýna að óhefðbundið nám í söngleiksuppfærslu er mikilvægur vettvangur til að efla félagsfærni nemenda. Jafnframt hefur söngleikjaþátttaka góð áhrif á félagskvíða og eflir samskiptafærni nemenda. Þá sýndu niðurstöðurnar að söngleikur er mikilvægur vettvangur fyrir nemendur til að kynnast og losa um hömlur. Jafnframt hefur þátttakan jákvæð áhrif á félagsfærni og minnkar félagskvíða en margir nemendur upplifðu aukið öryggi í félagslegum samskiptum í gegnum söngleikjaferlið. Niðurstöðurnar eru mikilvægar til að sýna fram á hversu nauðsynlegt er að efla óhefðbundið nám og listgreinar og til að styrkja félagsfærni og sjálfstraust nemenda. Jafnframt skipta þær máli til að hjálpa félagskvíðnum nemendum þar sem félagskvíði byggir meðal annars á félagslegri fullkomnunaráráttu sem lýsir sér helst á þann veg að nemendur eru hræddir við að gera „samskiptamistök“. Söngleikur, þar sem eiga sér stað mikil samskipti, er því gagnlegur jafnt sem krefjandi vettvangur fyrir þá félagskvíðnu., The aim of this article is to shed light on social benefits of musical participation and the importance of musical form as a non-traditional type of learning, in which the art forms of music and drama are treated as one whole. Another aim is to discover the impact of musical participation by focusing on performance anxiety through drama therapy. Drama therapy can play an important role in helping young people deal with social anxiety. Drama therapy involves a relationship between a therapist and a client or clients who attempt to make sense of their life experience as they engage, partly or fully, in a creative process, in this case through the media of drama and theatre. Robert Landy talks about the role of drama, stating that it is ‘about people creating a distance between the everyday reality and the reality of the imagination. Role plays and improvisations can encourage participants to understand negative behaviours and to practice new ways of reacting and of being’ (Landy, 1994). He also describes ‘the dramatic experience of role as being one of paradox: I am me and not-me at the same time. It is one of engagement and separation’ (Landy, 1991). In his study Daniel J. Siegel (2007) reports on the positive effects improvising has on anxiety in the book The Mindful Brain. According to him, the reason for the positive effects of improvising is that the medial frontal cortex is very active when improvising and has the effect that individuals become better in communication with others. Then some social-minded individuals find it easier to be around people in a role because they feel they are freer. At the same time, the role does not have “negative consequences” as in everyday life where individuals are judged by others (Sóley Dröfn Davíðsdóttir, 2017). The research question for this article is: What are the effects of participation in a school musical on social skills and self-perception of adolescents? This was a qualitative interview study in which interviews were conducted with elementary school teenagers who participated in a musical. The investigator’s journal entries were also part of the data as well as his experience in the field. All interviewees reported that the musical process had helped them forge connections with one another. Those students who experienced anxiety said that throughout the process, their anxiety had diminished and that it had helped them express themselves to fellow students, enhancing their self- confidence. The results show that non-traditional learning within a musical is an important platform for enhancing students’ social skills. Furthermore, musical participation has a positive impact on social anxiety and enhances students’ communication skills. Practitioners say it can empower people who struggle with communication to express their needs and feelings. It can help to forge relationships by enhancing confidence or bringing people together. It can provide opportunities to experience positive self-esteem and self-worth, and help people gain control over conflicts and anxieties. The results clearly demonstrated the necessity of non- traditional learning and arts in enhancing students’ social skills and self- confidence. At the same time, it is important to help students who suffer from social anxiety, since the base of social anxiety is social perfectionism, which is best described by the fact that students are afraid to fail during communication with other people. Music-based projects, in which there is considerable social interaction, are, therefore, a helpful as well as a challenging platform for those who suffer from social anxiety disorder. The study is useful to all those who work in primary and secondary education and consequently important to the school community, especially to those who are socially excluded and often find themselves in the world of creative arts

Tilgangur rannsóknarinnar var að bera saman áhrif beinnar og óbeinnar orðaforðakennslu hjá börnum með málþroskaröskun. Einkenni málþroskaröskunar er slök færni í tungumálinu, bæði í málskilningi og máltjáningu. Beina orðaforðakennslan fólst í að lesa sögubók og skoða hvort börn lærðu ný orð með því að útskýra og vinna sérstaklega með ákveðin markorð sem komu fyrir í textanum. Við óbeina kennslu var sama bók lesin án þess að staldra við markorðin eða útskýra þau. Þátttakendur voru tveir, báðir í elsta árgangi í leikskóla, og höfðu niðurstöður málþroskamælinga fyrir íhlutun sýnt slaka færni, bæði í málskilningi og máltjáningu. Kennslan fór fram í leikskóla barnanna fjórum sinnum í viku, í sex vikur. Niðurstöður leiddu í ljós að góður árangur náðist með þann orðaforða sem kenndur var með beinni kennslu. Orðaforði barnanna jókst hins vegar mun minna við óbeina kennslu. Sú þekking sem börnin höfðu tileinkað sér að lokinni íhlutun hélst að nokkru leyti mánuði eftir að íhlutun lauk. Mikilvægt er að lesa fyrir leikskólabörn og skapa aðstæður þar sem markvisst er verið að kenna ný orð. Jafnframt er nauðsynlegt að huga sérstaklega vel að börnum með slaka málfærni og auðvelda þeim að hlusta á sögu með því að útskýra orð jafnóðum. Þessar niðurstöður gefa vísbendingar um að til að auka orðaforða barna við sögulestur þurfi að útskýra ný orð sérstaklega. Foreldrar, kennarar og talmeinafræðingar geta ekki gert ráð fyrir að börn tileinki sér ný orð með því að heyra þau lesin í sögubók og geti sér til um þýðingu þeirra út frá samhengi., Children diagnosed with developmental language disorders (DLD) have difficulty learning language. This affects both language comprehension and expression and occurs without any obvious explanation. Many children with DLD have coexisting conditions, such as attentional or emotional problems. Children with DLD can have different types of difficulties learning language and the severity varies. The symptoms are numerous, including problems with learning and applying the rules of grammar, sentence construction, and language use. One common symptom is limited vocabulary. Children with DLD have smaller receptive and expressive vocabularies than their peers. They learn new words at slower rate and forget newly acquired words more rapidly. They know fewer words and have weaker semantic connections within their lexical system. This deficit is visible in their expressive language as they often use simple, high frequency vocabulary. This lack of vocabulary diversity can affect their future reading comprehension and academic performance. Research have shown that DLD is common, with approximately 9% of children displaying signs of language impairment without other coexisting difficulties. Considered in the context of the population of Iceland, this means that approximately 400 children in every year-based age group could be affected by DLD. The aim of this project was to examine the effect of an intervention which aimed to increase the vocabulary of two children diagnosed with DLD. Both attended the same preschool and were in their last year in the preschool where the training took place. The training involved reading a story book where two different methods of teaching target words were compared. The words were either (a) explained explicitly and directly when they occurred in the text, or (b) indirectly when the children were exposed to the words in the text but without explicit teaching. A multiple baseline design was employed by comparing the intervention methods between the children. The intervention took place four times a week for six weeks. Child A received indirect teaching in the first week, then two weeks of direct teaching, followed by three weeks of indirect teaching. As regards Child B, indirect teaching occurred in the first four weeks, followed by direct teaching during the last two weeks. The effect of the intervention was measured by testing how well the children could define the target words and by language samples of spontaneous speech. Measurements were made before, during, and immediately following training, as well as a month after training ended. Expanding vocabulary by direct teaching was found to be a more powerful method than indirect teaching. Vocabulary training using direct teaching had a positive effect with regard to the words taught. Measurements showed that when direct teaching was conducted the children in this study knew the words and were able to explain them, whereas their vocabulary improved only slightly when indirect teaching methods were applied. Measurements taken a month after intervention showed that the children did not fully retain the newly gained vocabulary. It is clear, however, that to maintain the newly gained vocabulary repeated reading, including discussion of target words, is necessary for children with DLD. Reading storybooks with or without direct teaching of target words did not affect the children’s spontaneous vocabulary use as measured by language samples; that is, they did not begin to use more complex and different words when speaking spontaneously. However, on average the children produced more grammatically correct sentences and made fewer morphemic errors. The findings of this study show the importance of reading story books to children during their preschool years. The findings demonstrate that for learning new words children with poor language skills need direct teaching and repeated intensive instruction. It is not enough merely to read the stories without explaining unknown new words. Furthermore, repeated measurements showed that during and after the intervention the children spoke with fewer grammatical errors. This is probably because the researcher made intensive use of the method of recasting during the intervention. Recasting has been shown to be an effective way of correcting syntactic and grammatical errors. The study also demonstrated the importance of supporting children with poor language skills and facilitating their language acquisition. These results can be used for the benefit of parents, teachers and speech pathologists alike.

The aim of this paper is to present and analyze how university students experience teaching methods of Icelandic as a second language and communication with teachers during the learning process. The theoretical framework includes multicultural education theory and second language teaching and learning theories. The findings are based on qualitative interviews with twelve students who study Icelandic as a second language at the University of Iceland. The analysis of the interviews revealed that the participants were generally satisfied with the learning environment and had positive experiences of communication with the majority of the teachers. Nevertheless, the participants described themselves as being rather passive recipients of knowledge in the courses where explicit teaching of grammar was applied, and lacking active participation in the learning process. Additionally, the participants encountered several challenges during the learning process such as issues related to task-based and group assignments and, in some cases, teachers lacked understanding of different students’ needs, such as that of providing extra learning materials., Rannís: 163516

Greinin er byggð á rannsókn sem ætlað er að varpa ljósi á viðhorf og reynslu leikskólakennara og leiðbeinenda í einum leikskóla í Reykjavík af samstarfi við foreldra- og barnahóp með fjölbreyttan bakgrunn og menningu í upphafi leikskólagöngu. Tímamótin eru kölluð aðlögun og er þar vísað til inntöku nýrra barna í leikskóla. Hugmyndafræðilegur grunnur rannsóknarinnar er að mestu sóttur í smiðju fræðimanna sem hafa rannsakað þau þáttaskil sem verða þegar börn hefja grunnskólagöngu. Margir sömu þættir koma einnig við sögu við upphaf leikskólagöngu. Litið er á börn sem mikils megnug og skapandi og að námsumhverfi og námskrá skuli byggjast á áhuga og aðstæðum barna og taka tillit til þess að þau eru ólík (Educational Transitions and Change Research group, 2011). Gagna var aflað með eigindlegum rannsóknaraðferðum; einstaklingsviðtölum, rýnihópaviðtölum og vettvangsathugunum á þremur deildum í leikskólanum. Greining gagna fór fram með þemagreiningu, en hún er sveigjanleg aðferð sem notuð er til að skipuleggja og greina gögn (Braun og Clarke, 2013). Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar sýndu að leikskólakennarar lýstu hlutverki sínu í aðlögunarferlinu sem tvíþættu. Annars vegar að koma á og viðhalda tilfinningalegum tengslum við foreldra og börn. Hins vegar að hafa yfirsýn, ýta undir samstarf innan deilda og miðla þekkingu til samstarfsfólksins. Leiðbeinendur ræddu um virka þátttöku í aðlögunarferlinu og í samskiptum og tengslum við foreldra barnanna eftir að formlegri aðlögun lauk. Þátttökuaðlögun var talin reynast vel sem sameiginlegt námsferli foreldra, barna og leikskólastarfsfólks. Fram komu vísbendingar um að foreldrar af erlendum uppruna ættu frekar í erfiðleikum með þátttöku og að börn af erlendum uppruna upplifðu í mörgum tilvikum erfiðari aðlögun en börn íslenskra foreldra. Rannsóknin sýnir að það er fagleg áskorun að þróa starfshætti sem stuðla að því að skapa samfellu í lífi barna með fjölbreyttan bakgrunn og menningu frá upphafi leikskólagöngu., The aim of the article is to shed light on the attitudes and experiences of educators in a preschool in Reykjavík, in collaboration with parents and children with diverse backgrounds and cultures, in the transition to preschool. The purpose is to understand the meaning of this aspect of the work and thus add to existing knowledge. The ideological foundation of the study is largely drawn from scholars who have studied the changes that occur when children begin compulsory schooling. Although the research mainly focuses on the beginning of primary schooling, it can be argued that many of the same factors also apply to the onset of preschool for young children. Children are considered to be powerful and creative, and the learning environment and curriculum should be based on children’s interests and circumstances and take into account that they are different (Dockett & Einarsdóttir, 2017; Dunlop, 2017; Educational Transitions and Change Research group, 2011). Thus, continuity in children’s lives should allow for the experience of the children’s homes in their transition to preschool (Margetts, 2002). The changes are characterized by a complex process in which the concepts of transition and adaptation are intertwined. The process of adaptation begins at home and continues until the child and his or her family experience themselves as participants and belong to the new environment (Margetts, 2014). The child is moving from one environment to another, from home or day-care to a new place: the preschool. The process is considered to be an integrated learning experience for children, parents and preschool teachers (Drugli & Undheim, 2011). The article aims to answer two questions: What are the views of educators working with children with diverse backgrounds and cultures in the transition to preschool? How is the preschool emphasizing the continuity of the children’s lives? The preschool that participated in the study has extensive experience in working with families of foreign origin. Children under the age of two started in three units in the fall. Five individual interviews were conducted with the unit leaders. Interviews with two of them were carried out in August, before the children’s transition to preschool. The second phase of interviews took place when most of the children had been in the preschool for two to three months. Interviews were also conducted with the preschool principal and the acting assistant principal. All the interviews were semi-structured (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009). Two focus group interviews were conducted; on the one hand, with the personnel who worked with the children, and, on the other, with one of the unit leaders and a preschool teacher who supported a child in one of the groups. In focus group interviews, it is not assumed that people agree but that within-group communication influences participants’ thoughts and ideas (Lichtman, 2013; Litoselliti, 2003). Observations were made at the beginning of the children’s start in the preschool, where the focus was mainly on communication between parents, children and staff. Observations were also made when some time had passed since the children started. The formal analysis process was inspired by thematic analysis. Thematic analysis, according to Braun and Clarke (2013), is a flexible method of organising and analysing data to identify and describe repeated patterns or themes within a set. The findings revealed that professionals described their role in the transition process as twofold. Establishing and maintaining emotional relationships with parents and children was important. Furthermore, having an overview, fostering collaboration within the units and disseminating knowledge to colleagues was also essential. Other staff working with children discussed active participation in the transition process and maintaining relationships with the children’s parents after the formal transition was completed. Parental participation in the transition process was considered to be successful as a joint learning process for parents, children and preschool staff. However, there were indications that parents who did not speak Icelandic had difficulties in participating. Also, that children of foreign origin in many cases experienced a more difficult transition than children of Icelandic parents. The study shows that it is a professional challenge for preschool educators to develop, from the beginning, a pedagogical approach that contributes to all families experiencing themselves as participants and belonging to the new environment.

Frá því að Kennaraháskóli Íslands öðlaðist lagaheimild til að útskrifa kennara með framhaldsgráður háskólanáms árið 1988 hefur þar verið boðið upp á fjölmargar leiðir í framhaldsnámi og starfsþróun kennara og fleiri stétta. Vorið 2014 stóð Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands fyrir könnun meðal grunnskólakennara með bakkalárgráðu í samstarfi við Kennarasamband Íslands. Spurt var um æskilegt inntak og skipulag framhaldsnáms, hugsanlega hvata til að sækja slíkt nám og hvernig mætti útfæra það. Af 734 svörum mátti ráða að umtalsverður áhugi væri á slíku framhaldsnámi. Haustið 2015 hófu 35 starfandi kennarar sérsniðið framhaldsnám byggt á niðurstöðum könnunarinnar og stefnu Háskóla Íslands um meistaranám grunnskólakennara. Hér er greint frá rannsókn á viðhorfum og reynslu þeirra sem sóttu hið sérsniðna nám á tímabilinu 2015 til 2019. Sjónum var beint að samhenginu milli fræða (teoríu) og starfs á vettvangi (praxis), hugmyndum þátttakenda um eigin fagmennsku og fagvitund og hugmyndum um möguleika og þarfir á starfsþróun. Niðurstöður benda til þess að tengsl fræða við starfið á vettvangi séu óskýr þegar kemur að starfsþróun og tilteknir þættir í kerfinu hindri jafnvel eðlilega þróun fagmennsku og fagvitundar kennara. Þar ber helst að nefna margþættar væntingar til starfsins og óljósar hugmyndir um það í hvers þágu starfsþróun kennara ætti að vera., This article addresses continuing professional development among experienced compulsory school teachers. In May 2014 a survey was conducted among practicing elementary and lower-secondary school teachers, where 734 participants gave answers to questions about a specially organised master’s program. The program was offered to all experienced teachers in elementary and lower-secondary schools, who had not finished a master’s degree. Nearly 80% confirmed that they were interested in the program, most arguing that it would strengthen their professional status, they would become more qualified in their professional environment and increase the possibilities of promotions in their work. When asked what kind of contents they would prefer, most participants answered that they wanted to develop their skills regarding ICT and knowledge about general literacy, mathematical literacy and science literacy. Furthermore, many said they needed to strengthen their competence regarding assessment and testing, arts and crafts and, finally, there was considerable interest in inclusive education. The first cohort that started the program in 2015 comprised 35 participants. According to official directives the program was defined as education on a second higher education cycle including a final master’s thesis of 30 ECTS. The purpose of this paper is to give an insight into the experience of those first participants in the program. University teachers involved in the program were also interviewed. The first problem organisers had to deal with was how to adjust this new program to the prescribed learning outcomes included in the M.Ed. program for general teacher education. The second hurdle was the fact that most of the students had not attended academic education for some time so they were not expected to be as well prepared for the theoretical part as regular students attending teacher education. Thirdly, the program was offered to teachers working full time in the field, some needing to travel a long way to attend courses at the university. Finally the organisers had to consider the university’s policy in adopting the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) stressing defined competences regarding teachers’ learning outcomes with respect to praxis and theory. Data comprised interviews and questionnaires. Collection started with the survey mentioned above. Collection of qualitative data took place in March and April 2017 featuring interviews with six students and five university teachers. Finally, a questionnaire was sent to all those who still participated in the program in spring 2019. All this data was organised and analysed from which three main themes emerged, leading to the results. The first theme concerned questions about theory versus praxis. The results indicated that some believed there was a good balance between theory and praxis, but it turned out to be a stronger belief among participants that courses were too theoretical and there was a call for more praxis. The results indicate that participants believe empirical experience in the field (cf. McDonough, 2012) is an important precondition for combining theory and practice. The second theme concerned professionalism and professional identity. According to the findings professional identity appears to be declining and the notion of conceiving teaching as a ʻjobʼ seems stronger than conceiving it as a ʻprofession ʼ. The third theme was professional development, and questions about how to organise it and for whom? According to literature and research regarding professional development, the kind of education offered here has been considered an important part of a three step model of teacher development (Donaldson, 2010); firstly, initial teacher education; secondly, enculturation into the field of practice and; thirdly, actual life-long professional development. Results indicate that after being employed as teachers, most participants appear to find themselves trapped in a ʻjobʼ that needs to be done rather than having joined a community of ʻprofessionalsʼ. Opportunities for professional promotion and development seem hard to find, and lack of support from the environment, especially from administrators and local authorities, was confirmed.

Publisher's version (útgefin grein), Aim: To explore the lived experience of individuals' in chronic pain of participating in a pain rehabilitation programme in Iceland. Design: Phenomenological research. Method: The Vancouver School of Doing Phenomenology. Eleven participants were interviewed. Results: The overarching theme was as follows: “the journey of breaking the vicious circle of chronic pain.” Before the programme, the participants felt they were in survival mode, trying to survive each day; they were stuck in a vicious circle of chronic pain, simultaneously trying to ease and conceal the pain. Reaching out for professional help was a turning point. While attending the programme, participants began deconstructing their old ways of dealing with chronic pain. After completing the programme, they were still reconstructing their daily lives. In conclusion, pain rehabilitation programmes can be the first step towards breaking the vicious circle of chronic pain., The University of Akureyri Research Fund (R1508, R1609, R1705, R1906), Research Fund of Ingibjörg R. Magnúsdóttir and KEA Research Fund are thanked for funding.

This study aims to explore the social and ethnic background of pupils admitted to private schools at the compulsory level in Iceland so as to identify possible social class segregation between public and private schools. Additionally, we examine how parents reason their choice of private education for their children. Bourdieu’s concepts of capital, symbolic power and distinction are used to think through our findings. Data consist of descriptive statistics and interviews with parents. Our findings show that many of the private schools attract privileged parents, but that this is contingent upon the schools’ geographical location. Parental discourse links good behaviour and ambition with the private schools, while simultaneously labelling the public schools as failing. Parents who align with the intellectual fraction show signs of experiencing a moral dilemma over their choice. Overall, our findings suggest that to some extent, private schools serve as a tool for educational distinction., Icelandic Centre for Research [184857-053]

Haustið 2018 hófst rannsókn meðal kennaranema á fyrsta námsári í B.Ed.-námi við Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands. Tvær spurningakannanir voru lagðar fyrir haustið 2018 þar sem kennaranemar voru inntir eftir bakgrunni sínum, viðhorfum til námsins, hvort þeir væru í stað- eða fjarnámi, hvort þeir væru í launaðri vinnu og fleira. Á vormisseri var ein könnun til viðbótar lögð fyrir þar sem áhersla var lögð á spurningar sem tengdust mati á náminu og framvindu í því. Á öðru ári var áfram verið að skoða aðstæður leikskólakennaranemanna og viðhorf en sérstaklega var beint sjónum að því í spurningakönnun hversu mikið ýmsar tæknilausnir væru notaðar í náminu og ánægju með þær. Um 50 leikskólakennaranemar svöruðu spurningalistum sem lagðir voru fyrir haustið 2018 og 45 um vorið. Á haustmisseri 2019 var lögð ný könnun fyrir þessa sömu nema og svöruðu 40 nemar sem þá voru komnir á annað ár í náminu., Rannsóknarsjóður Háskóla Íslands

Background Sleep and physical activity are essential functions of human health. According to International recommendations, adolescents should sleep 8-10 hours each night and engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 60 minutes per day for overall wellbeing. Previous studies have shown that during adolescence, sleep patterns change and most sleep studies up to date are based on subjective data for sleep duration and quality. Technological advancement in measurement of sleep and physical activity with objective measures adds value to the literature. Aim The main aim of the dissertation was to measure free-living sleep and physical activity in Icelandic youth at baseline (15 years) and two years later (17 years), and explore associations between sleep (duration, quality and timing), physical activity, and body composition. In addition, to compare sensitivity and agreement between subjective and objective measurements of sleep among and between ages of 15 and 17 years old. Methods The study sample came from six elementary schools in Reykjavík. Data was collected during spring 2015 among 315 participants at age 15. In 2017, follow-up data was gathered from 168 repeating participants at age 17. Data from one week of free-living sleep and physical activity was collected with accelerometers. Participants filled out a sleep diary to support accelerometer data and filled out a comprehensive questionnaire on sports participation, physical activity, mental health and parental education, etc. All measurements took place at the research lab (2017) or at individual schools (2015). Body composition was assessed at The Icelandic Heart Association with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Results The majority of adolescents did not get the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep per night according to accelerometer data. This especially applied during the school week (7 hours/night in bed, 6.2 hours/night actual sleeping, about 11% met the recommendation). In comparison, subjective self-reports estimated bedtimes about 1 hour earlier and two-year changes in self-reported bedtimes did not correlate with changes measured by accelerometry. While there was no association between recommended levels of physical activity and sleep measures, higher physical activity and lower day-to-day sleep variability were associated with lower fat percentage. Conclusions The thesis highlights patterns of sleep and physical activity in Icelandic youth, as they transitioned from age fifteen to seventeen. These are two modifiable behaviors of great importance for health. Most adolescents did not get enough sleep during school nights. This, together with insufficient physical activity, could negatively impact their future health. This study provides the foundation for future follow-up studies and potential targets for intervention studies, while serving as a reference for public health specialists, educators, and parents to support good sleep and activity practices., Bakgrunnur Svefn og hreyfing eru grundvallarþættir í heilsu mannsins. Alþjóðlegar svefn ráðleggingar fyrir ungmenni gera ráð fyrir 8-10 klukkustunda nætursvefni og að minnsta kosti 60 mínútna daglegri hreyfingu af miðlungs- eða mikilli ákefð til að viðhalda góðri heilsu. Á unglingsárum verða miklar breytingar á svefnmynstri einstaklinga en fyrri rannsóknir á svefni ungmenna hafa flestar byggt á huglægu mati á svefnlengd og gæðum svefnsins. Hlutlægar mælingar á svefni og hreyfingu bæta við þekkingu en fáar rannsóknir hafa beitt hlutlægum mælingum til skoðunar á þessum þáttum samtímis. Markmið Aðalmarkmið rannsóknarinnar var að mæla svefn og hreyfingu íslenskra ungmenna, við 15 ára aldur og aftur tveimur árum síðar (17 ára), í sínu náttúrulega umhverfi með hreyfimælum og rannsaka tengsl svefns (lengdar, gæða og tímasetningar) og hreyfingar við holdafar og efnaskiptaþætti. Að auki var næmni huglægra og hlutlægra mælinga á breytingum á svefni milli 15 og 17 ára aldurs borin saman. Aðferðir Úrtak rannsóknarinnar kom úr sex grunnskólum í Reykjavík. Gögnum var safnað á vormánuðum 2015 meðal 315 þátttakenda sem þá voru 15 ára. Árið 2017 var framkvæmd framhaldsrannsókn og gögn fengust frá 168 þátttakendum, þá 17 ára gömlum. Gögnum um svefn og hreyfingu var safnað með hröðunarmælum í eina viku. Þátttakendur fylltu út svefndagbók til hliðsjónar svefnmælingum og svöruðu spurningalista um íþróttaiðkun, hreyfingu, líðan, félagslega stöðu o.fl. Mælingar fóru allar fram á rannsóknarstofu (2017) eða í skólum þátttakenda (2015). Líkamssamsetning, mæld með tvíorku röntgengeisla-gleypnimælingu (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, DXA) fór fram í Hjartavernd. Niðurstöður Fæst ungmennanna náðu að uppfylla ráðleggingar um a.m.k. 8 klukkustunda nætursvefn þegar svefn var mældur með hröðunarmælum. Þetta átti sérstaklega við á skóladögum (7 klst/nótt liggjandi í rúmi, 6,2 klst/nótt svefn, um 11% ná ráðleggingum). Huglægar mælingar tímasetningu á háttatíma voru um klukkustund fyrr en tímasetning metin með hröðunarmælum. Ekki fundust tengsl á milli huglægra og hlutlægra mælinga á breytingum á háttatíma frá aldrinum 15-17 ára. Þeir sem uppfylltu ráðleggingar um daglega hreyfingu sváfu ekki mælanlega lengur. Aukin hreyfing og minni breytileiki á svefnlengd tengdust lægri fituprósentu og kviðfituprósentu. Samantekt Samspil hreyfingar, svefns og holdafars var skoðað í úrtaki íslenskra ungmenna 15 og 17 ára. Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar benda til þess að lífsstíll ungmennanna virðist ekki endurspegla viðmið opinberra aðila um daglega hreyfingu og svefn. Skoða þarf þá þætti sem hafa áhrif á svefnvenjur og þátttöku í daglegri hreyfingu svo bæta megi heilsu íslenskra ungmenna, en niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar nýtast sem þekkingargrunnur á stöðu svefns meðal ungmenna og grunnur fyrir íhlutunarrannsóknir sem hafa það markmið að bæta svefn og auka hreyfingu.

Haustið 2018 hófst rannsókn meðal kennaranema á fyrsta námsári í B.Ed.-námi við Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands. Tvær spurningakannanir voru lagðar fyrir haustið 2018 þar sem kennaranemar voru inntir eftir bakgrunni sínum, viðhorfum til námsins, hvort þeir væru í stað- eða fjarnámi, hvort þeir væru í launaðri vinnu með náminu og fleira. Á vormisseri var ein könnun til viðbótar lögð fyrir þar sem áhersla var lögð á spurningar sem tengdust framvindu í náminu og mati á gæðum. Á öðru ári var áfram verið að skoða vinnu með námi, vinnuálag og almenna ánægju með námið en í þeirri könnun var sjónum sérstaklega beint að því hversu mikið ýmsar tæknilausnir væru notaðar og ánægju með þær. 69 grunnskólakennaranemar svöruðu spurningalistum sem lagðir voru fyrir haustið 2018 og 58 um vorið. Á hausmisseri 2019 var lögð ný könnun fyrir þessa sömu nema sem þá voru komnir á annað ár í náminu og svör fengust frá 51 nema. Fjöldi nema sem lauk kjarnanámskeiðunum Nám og kennsla eldri nemenda í grunnskóla og Nám og kennsla yngri nemenda í grunnskóla var 51., Rannsóknarsjóður Háskóla Íslands

Haustið 2019 var lögð spurningakönnun fyrir nýnema sem hófu nám á Menntavísindasviði. Það haust voru 90 nýnemar skráðir á námsleiðina íþrótta- og heilsufræði við Deild heilsueflingar, íþrótta og tómstunda, 55 karlar og 35 konur. Könnunin var lögð fyrir í kennslustund í október 2019 þar sem nemar fengu krækju í spurningalista á rafrænu formi. Þátttakendur voru 61, eða 68% skráðra nýnema, og voru karlar 56% en konur 44%.

The positive mental health and well-being perspective represents innovative public health research of first-rank priority in Europe. Good mental health is both a state and a resource for everyday life. Hence, the concept often refers to a subjective feeling (hedonic component) as well as positive functioning (eudaimonic component). Different conceptualisations of mental health-related issues are a background to this paper, which gives a brief overview of three research issues in the Nordic countries. First, the development in the occurrences of adolescent mental health-related indicators such as life satisfaction, health, sleep, and school pressure. Second, review of Nordic methodological studies reporting on different mental health-related measures. Third, the selection of measures of positive mental health employed in the 2017–2018 Health Behaviour among School-aged Children (HBSC) data collection in the Nordic countries. Using the Nordic HBSC data for 2002–2014, it was found that symptom and problem-oriented analyses of mental health can improve our understanding of the challenges adolescents face. However, there is also a need to examine positive aspects of mental health in order to enhance our understanding of different mental health-related dimensions. New measures were included in the 2017–18 HBSC data collection in the Nordic countries, enabling researchers to answer different research questions including analysing factors mediating and moderating positive mental health among school-aged children. Extending the perspective from a symptom- and problem-oriented view to a more positive and asset-based perspective adds additional value to studies of mental health.

Purpose This article presents a model based on a review of international and European policy and current European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education work on school leadership for inclusive education. The model aims to support analysis of the policy context and interactions between the structures and processes at different levels to ensure effective support for inclusive school leadership and development of appropriate competences. Key issues addressing competences for inclusive school leadership, support and professional development opportunities for inclusive school leaders and policy frameworks that support inclusive leadership across the whole education system are explored. Design/methodology/approach This paper reports on a current Agency project, Supporting Inclusive School Leadership (SISL), a cross-national project that considers how best to ensure that school leaders meet the needs of all learners in their school communities. The SISL project examines current theories of school leadership together with the core functions of school leaders in participating countries in order to develop a model specifically focused on inclusive school leadership. Findings Agency projects such as SISL focus on research findings and policy developments that support countries to chart their own course toward a common goal. This process of cross-national working permits member countries with their distinctive national, ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversities to work together on common goals. In this project an ecosystem model of inclusive education was adapted to reflect on the policy context needed to enable school leaders to fulfill the complex responsibilities associated with inclusive school development. Originality/value Although the Agency is strongly associated with the education of children with special educational needs and disabilities, all member countries have the shared vision to support inclusive education systems so that all learners of any age are provided with meaningful, high-quality educational opportunities in their local community. While its projects are firmly rooted in the 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, its work is also influenced by the concept of inclusion as promoted in the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4) “to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

Samvirkni er af mörgum talin vera grundvöllur farsæls umbótastarfs sem leiðir til aukins árangurs í námi nemenda. Markmið rannsóknarinnar sem hér er til umfjöllunar er að öðlast skilning og þekkingu á því hvernig samvirkni í stefnumótun í skólamálum birtist í þremur sveitarfélögum á Íslandi, með því að varpa ljósi á samskiptaform og vinnubrögð sem gætu stuðlað að eflingu og varanleika umbótastarfs. Kastljósinu var beint að áhrifum stefnumótunar sveitarfélaga á umbótastarf í skólum og hvernig vinnubrögð við stefnumótun og innleiðingu gæti mögulega ýtt undir eða hindrað varanlegar umbætur í skólastarfi að mati fræðslustjóra, skólastjórnenda og kennara. Byggt er á kenningum um menntastjórnun sem hvetja til heiltækrar nálgunar til umbóta og eflingar forystu kennara svo drifkraftur þeirra og þekking nýtist í skólaþróun. Heiltæk nálgun tekur til flestra sviða skólastarfs og stuðlar að samvirkni (e. coherence) einstaka áhrifaþátta, t.d. námskrár og kennsluhátta. Raunveruleg völd sveitarfélaga felast í samspili við stjórnendur og kennara skólanna. Gagna var aflað með viðtölum við fræðslustjóra sveitarfélaganna, skólastjóra og meðlimi þróunarteyma þriggja skóla sömu sveitarfélaga. Einnig var rýnt í skólastefnur sveitarfélaganna og skólanna og ýmsar skýrslur um skólastarfið. Gögnin voru skoðuð með tilliti til þriggja þátta: (1) hvernig skólastefnan verður til, (2) hvaða aðferðir eru notaðar við innleiðingu hennar og (3) hvernig stefnan birtist í viðhorfum kennara og í skólastarfinu. Niðurstöður benda til að meiri líkur séu á samvirkni í þróunar- og umbótastarfi þar sem unnið er eftir hugmyndafræði um faglegt lærdómssamfélag, stjórnendur veita faglega forystu, kennarar eru hafðir með í ráðum og samskipti skóla við skólaskrifstofu og fræðslustjóra byggja á trausti og fagmennsku. Þar sem miðstýring er meiri spyrna kennarar frekar við fótum og upplifa skólastefnu sem kröfur um breytingar sem jafnvel samræmist ekki hugmyndum þeirra um fagmennsku., Policy planning in education is an important and complicated undertaking that demands systematic work and extensive co-operation between actors to ensure successful implementation. In this matter, many consider coherence and collaboration to be the basis for successful educational development efforts that lead to increased achievement in student learning (Hopkins, Stringfield, Harris, Stoll, &Mackay, 2014; Robinson, 2018). The aim of the research discussed in this paper is to gain understanding and knowledge of how this coherence appears in policy work in three municipalities in Iceland and in one school in each of the municipalities. The focus is on how local government policy and methods of implementation might support or hinder sustainable school improvements and how they might appear in school practices on a daily basis. The discussion is based on educational leadership theories that encourage a systemic approach to reform, encompassing all levels of the system and different areas, such as curriculum, teaching methods, leadership, and families. This systematic approach is meant to support the coherence of all entities that influence teaching and learning (Fullan & Quinn, 2016) and enhance teacher leadership and the professional skills of those working towards the same purposes. Coherence is achieved through collaboration and communication between actors at different levels rather than through checklists or strict surveillance (Robinson et al., 2017). Data was collected by interviewing school district leaders in the three municipalities, one school principal from each municipality, and one development team from each school in the respective municipalities. The developmental teams consisted of four to six teachers, leaders, and department heads in the school. Other data included the documents addressing the policies of districts and schools. The data was analysed by seeking information on the following themes: (1) the making of the policies; e.g., where did it originate from and who participated; (2) the methods by which the policies were implemented in schools; and (3) how the policies actually influenced classroom practices. The results revealed that coherence in policy and school development was more apparent in one of the municipalities than in the other two. There, an approach emphasizing a professional learning community was used to decide on policy issues and methods of implementation. This approach was openly discussed by interviewed participants. The principal practised instructional leadership, teachers were included in decision making, and communication between schools and school district leaders was based on professional discussion and mutual trust to a greater extent than in the other two municipalities. There, policy decisions were most often taken by politicians or at the central school office and presented and discussed with teachers and leaders in the schools. The teachers felt overwhelmed by requirements for implementing many different projects and complained about lack of preparation and support. As such, the Robinson, Bendikson, Mcnaughton, Wilson, & Zhu (2017) findings about the importance of communication in order to enhance coherence were supported. It should be noted that the findings only apply to the three municipalities and schools at the time when data was collected and therefore cannot be generalized to other municipalities nor to the relevant municipalities where circumstances may have changed. The municipalities differ in size, position, political focus, and history; therefore, they should not be compared. The intention was to learn about how the process of implementation from policy making to day-to-day schoolwork is achieved as well as whether and how a municipality’s policy is reflected in the work and attitudes of teachers. The results should be beneficial for school authorities, school districts, and schools and further encourage a collaborative approach in educational development.

Erlingur Jóhannsson prófessor og Rúna Sif Stefánsdóttir doktorsnemi fjölluðu um fyrirbærið svefn, hvað gerist þegar við sofum og um mikilvægi svefns fyrir líðan okkar og heilsu., Óritrýnt

Guðrún Ragnarsdóttir, lektor og Súsanna Margrét Gestsdóttir aðjunkt ræddu um áskoranir og leiðir til að hvetja framhaldsskólanemann af stað í náminu eftir páskafrí. Rúmlega 100 þátttakendur hlýddu á erindi þeirra og sendu inn spurningar. Guðrún og Súsanna hafa safnað gögnum undanfarnar vikur sem endurspegla hvað kennarar, foreldrar og nemendur í framhaldsskólum eru að ganga í gegnum á tímum kórónaveirunnar., Óritrýnt

Greinin fjallar um hvernig staðið er að kynjajafnréttismenntun elstu barna í leikskólum. Viðtöl voru tekin við sjö leikskólakennara í elstu deildum í sex leikskólum á höfuðborgarsvæðinu ásamt því að dvelja á vettvangi til að fá innsýn í starf deildar. Úrtak var valið til að fá sem fjölbreyttastan hóp leikskóla í fleiri en einu sveitarfélagi með í rannsóknina. Greint er frá helstu niðurstöðum í þremur efnisflokkum: Samfélagið og leikskólinn, kyngervi og leikefni og undirbúningur og aðstaða leikskólakennara. Í fyrsta efnisflokknum um samfélagið og leikskólann kom fram hjá viðmælendunum að hið kynjaða samfélag endurspeglaðist í leikskólastarfinu, til dæmis í kynjaskiptu búningavali. Leikskólakennararnir voru gagnrýnir á staðalímyndirnar í samfélaginu og töldu að fjölga þyrfti körlum í starfshópnum, það skapaði meiri fjölbreytni varðandi fyrirmyndir barnanna. Leikskólakennararnir voru gagnrýnir á mótun kyngervisins hjá börnunum og töldu það hlutverk sitt að efla gagnrýna hugsun barnanna. Í öðrum efnisflokknum, sem sneri að kyngervi og leikefni, reyndust leikskólakennararnir hafa talsvert sterka sýn á að leikefni og leikjaval festi börnin ekki í staðalímyndum. Þó bar einnig á leikefni sem sýndi hefðbundin kynhlutverk, svo sem púsl. Í þriðja efnisflokknum um undirbúning og aðstöðu leikskólakennaranna komu fram einkunnarorð í nafni greinarinnar um að kynjajafnréttismenntunin væri „kannski alltaf svona á bak við eyrað“; sem markaðist af því að gripin væru tækifæri í dagsins önn fremur en að fræðslan væri fyrir fram skipulögð. Rannsakendur álykta að kynjajafnréttismenntunin í leikskólunum sex hafi verið fremur ómarkviss. Hún virðist hafa verið á ábyrgð einstaklinga og var stundum ekki meðvituð. Hins vegar er áhugi til staðar, til dæmis í vali á leikefni og að baki þeirri hugmynd að grípa tækifærin þegar þau gefast. Höfundar telja mikilvægt að efla stofnanalega ábyrgð á kynjajafnréttismenntun barna og að leikskólarnir þurfi rækilegan stuðning til þess, ekki síst með fræðslu til starfsfólksins., The aim of the study was to explore the practice of gender equality education in the oldest age groups in Icelandic preschools. Seven preschool teachers in six preschools in the capital city area were interviewed, and the researcher conducted around three hours of observation in each of the schools to gain insight into classroom practice. The sample of schools and teachers was determined by employing a stratified random sampling, from different parts of Reykjavík and its surrounding towns. The interviews were rich in content and observations insightful into daily operations at the preschools. The findings are reported here in three thematic groups. The first group contains four main themes: How the children dress, role models, stereotypes about sex roles, and gender division. The interviewees reported on the ways in which the gendered and gender-divided society tends to be reflected in preschool operations. This appears, for example, in the gendered dress code of the children which may be influenced by popular children’s television programs. The preschool teachers were critical of gender stereotypes in society, and they expressed the view that if more men worked in preschools, a greater variety of role models would be presented to the children. The preschool teachers were also critical of how gender was constructed among the children and argued that they had the role of fostering critical thinking in the children. The second group comprises six themes: Books, what appeared on the walls, blocks, jigsaw puzzles, role play, and rough and tumble play. The interviewees emphasized the importance of scrutinizing books according to the type of gender images and stereotypes they present. When posters and wall art in the schools were examined, examples of stereotypes were not typical. The blocks were considered to be gender divided-toys in spite of being “unbelievably ungendered phenomena”, as one of the teachers put it. In their experience, boys played more with blocks than girls did. The teachers are conscious of gendered toys, such as Barbie or “princess jigsaw puzzles” or “car jigsaw puzzles” and tried to encourage children to cross boundaries that assign certain toys to one gender. In the third group, there are three themes that concern the preparation and situation of preschool teachers; gender equality policy, and the call for gender equality education for teachers, and for other staff. It was under this umbrella that the title of the article appeared: that gender equality education is “always somehow in the back of the mind; that is, opportunities were taken when they arose. We asked about gender equality policy documents which apparently exist in the municipalities. Teachers and other staff do not seem have been informed about the content of such policies. One of the teachers suggested that educational material, “packages”, should be prepared for the preschools to apply in their practice, and other teachers reported that staff development seemed to focus on issues unrelated to gender. Although we witnessed positive examples in relation to gender equality work, the overall conclusion is that work promoting gender equality education in the six preschools was scarce and coincidental, and most often not preplanned. But we noted a keen interest, among teachers, and in some of the schools, in selecting appropriate play materials. We believe it is vital that municipal and other authorities assume institutional responsibility for gender equality education. Furthermore, the preschools need a high level of support for enhancing this area of practice. This does not only apply to preschool teachers but also to other staff in the preschools who do not have professional education. And although this an educational responsibility, we also argue that it is a feminist project to identify what is of value in the current activities and to enhance this important aspect of Icelandic society, currently and for the future.

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