Research on pedagogical professions and practices (PEPP)

The environment conducts research on teachers’ work and children’s/pupils’ everyday life and learning at preschool, preschool class, extended school teaching, and school. The research is practice-oriented and is often conducted in close collaboration with active professionals in pedagogical practice. There is also a close link between the environment and the teacher education programmes at the higher education institution.

In the environment Research on pedagogical professions and practices (PEPP), we want to stimulate research with focus on pedagogical professionalism and pedagogical practices. The research projects are aimed at the different institutions within the education sector – primarily preschool, extended school teaching, preschool class, and school, but also professional education and training with particular focus on teacher education.

We want to encourage practice-oriented studies where problem definitions are based on actual problems, conditions and challenges in the daily practice of a profession, as well as studies on children’s and pupils’ participation in the practice of pedagogy. Our research is conducted with close connections to pedagogical practices and has clear links to teacher education.

Leading Nordic research environment

PEPP has the ambition to constitute a base for national and international research collaboration and to develop into a leading Nordic research environment in the field. The environment also has a pragmatic ambition to utilise research through near-field analyses where concepts, models or theories are developed that can be used by active teachers to communicate challenges in their own professional practice. In this way, PEPP wants to contribute to the development of professionals’ vocational expertise as well as to the pedagogical activities.

The area of research covers questions relating to several categories of professions, forms of school, and activities. However, PEPP has a special interest partly in teachers and their work and partly in children during early years education and their experiences of pedagogical practice. The environment is connected to international research fields like, for instance, Teachers’ work, knowledge and professional development, and Early childhood education.

There are also sub-groups to the research environment PEPP: Forskargruppen för fritidspedagogisk forskning (text in Swedish only) and Digital Tools and Digital Competence in Preschool and School Teaching.

Projects

Current

News

Publications

Staff

Education and mission

PEPP representatives take part in teaching as well as course development on the teacher education. Two examples being the development of student placement training (VFU) and how to think concerning scientific basis and professional relevance in degree projects. The environment has also been responsible for the development of the new supervisor training for the teacher education. As for VFU, we have produced a framework for all syllabi concerning VFU on primary teacher programmes and early years education programmes. We have also actively taken part in all stages of the implementation work.

In 2015, PEPP members were highly involved in the Swedish Higher Education Authority’s (UKÄ) evaluations of the VFU courses, as well as in the work to adapt goals, criteria, assessment basis and guides within VFU to the implementation of a three-point grading scale. In addition, the environment was involved as scientific management in pilot projects on practice schools – a commission from the Ministry of Education and Research that was financed by the Swedish Government and ran between 2015 and 2019.

On commission from the Ministry of Education and Research, PEPP has also conducted trial activities with suitability assessments of applicants to the teacher education. The project was financed by the Swedish Government and ran between 2014 and 2017.

Networks and collaboration

PEPP has collaborations with different networks, nationally as well as internationally.

  • Coordinator for the Nordic research network Teachers’ Work and Lives, a network under NFPF (among other things, we arrange sessions every year in connection to the Nordic conference for pedagogical research).
  • Member of Nationellt nätverk för professionsforskning and Forum för professionsforskning.
  • Member of AERA’s (American Educational Research Association) research network Lives of Teachers.
  • Participant in the working group for the national network VILÄR, a collaboration focusing on research and exchange of experiences on integration between higher education and work life.
  • Member of ETEN, the European network for teacher educations.
  • CiCe – Children’s Identity and Citizenship in Europe, one of the EU Commission’s Socrates-funded theme networks. Some 100 higher education institutions from 29 different European countries are part of the network. The common interest concerns the civic upbringing of children and youth and the creation of identity in a European context.
  • OMEP – Organisation Mondiale pour l´Éducation Préscolaire.
    The organisation consists of national committees in more than 60 countries. OMEP works for children aged 0–8 years worldwide with the aim to give them the best possible conditions for a good childhood. OMEP counsels UNSECO, UNICEF and the European Council and arranges world congresses and international meetings. Twice a year, OMEP publishes the International Journal of Early Childhood.
  • EECERA – European Early Childhood Education Research Association.