Early Childhood Education (ECE)

• Meaningful leisure time, development and learning in school-age educare
  During 2020-2021, the Swedish School Research Institute conducted a systematic research review with the aim of finding out how teachers create conditions for students' meaningful leisure time and promote their development and learning in school-age educare programs. The results of the review provide a multifaceted picture of how teachers in school-age educare centres can organize teaching and relate to students. The results from the 37 included studies were compiled based on an analysis that resulted in three central themes. The knowledge review can be found via the following link: https://www.skolfi.se/forskningssammanstallningar/systematiska-forskningssammanstallningar/meningsfull-fritid-utveckling-och-larande-i-fritidshem/ External link.
  Contributors from ECE: Björn Haglund
  
  
• Digital Movement
  The study investigated visual and aesthetic opportunities in children's use of digital technology in the preschool atelier (art studio) and how digital technology can stimulate aesthetic learning processes and initiate literacy, mathematics and science learning. The project ran between 2019 - 2022. Project manager: Lena O Magnusson External link.
  
  
• Education and Teaching in Early Years From International Perspectives
  The project has partners from preschools and universities from England, Norway, Spain and Sweden. The project aims to support preschool teachers' professional development and awareness related to teaching and values from international perspectives by participating in each other's activities and reflecting together. The project includes both in-service training and research. The project is funded through Erasmus+ KA2.
  Project leaders: Kerstin Bäckman and Kia Kimhag
  
  
• The pedagogical mission of the school-age educare
  The purpose of the research and development project is to use research to develop quality and equivalence in the activities of school-age educare centers. The project is carried out in collaboration with Ifous and focuses on teaching in school-age educare centers, cooperation between school-age educare centers and schools, and the principal's management of school-age educare center activities. Based on the aims and objectives of the R&D program, the following questions have been formulated for the research part: How can a clarified and at the same time more delimited mission for the professionals in the school-age educare center create a greater unity and cohesion with the rest of the school? How can teaching in school-age educare programs be defined and what does teaching in school-age educare programs contribute to students' development and learning? Project leaders: Björn Haglund and Helena Ackesjö (Linnaeus University)
  Read more about the project on Linnaeus University's website External link.
  
  
• What is an innovative (preschool) teacher
  The research project is carried out within the European ATEE network where the intention is to characterize what characterizes innovative teachers and school leaders. The focus of HIG's participation is on preschool teachers. Project manager: Johan Liljestrand
  Read more about the European ATEE network External link.
  
  
• Preschool teachers' subject knowledge
  The project is a practice-oriented research project on subject knowledge and subject didactics in preschool in relation to mathematics, science and technology. The project uses both surveys and interviews but also collegial conversations in research circles. The project is a collaborative project between Dalarna University, the University of Gävle and Uppsala University. Project leader: Kerstin Bäckman
  The project is documented in the report: Bäckman, K., Johansson, A.-M., & Arnqvist, A. (2021). Preschool teachers' professional knowledge in preschool subject teaching. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-35605 External link.
  

• Teaching in mixed-age and age-homogeneous groups
  This study has been conducted as a pilot study based on a question from a preschool director in the region. The purpose was to investigate how and in what ways teaching, based on the preschool curriculum, is designed and benefited by dividing children in preschool into age-homogeneous or mixed-age groups. The pilot study ran during 2020 and is financed with internal so-called ULF funds for practice-oriented research.
  Project report: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-34252 External link.
  Project leaders: Kerstin Bäckman and Lena O Magnusson
  
  
• Children, books, participation and influence
  Follow-up research in the region focusing on younger children's participation in reading, reading activities and the design of reading environments in preschool. A small study in which a researcher from the University of Gävle followed parts of a bookstart project taking place in some of Region Gävleborg's preschools. Funded by the Swedish Arts Council. The final report is available on Region Gävleborg's website. Magnusson, L. (2020). Children, books, participation and influence. Report from a book start project in the Gävleborg region. Gävle: Region Gävleborg. http://hig.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1458109/FULLTEXT02.pdf External link. Responsible researcher: Lena O Magnusson
  
  
• Preschool teachers on the school-like mission
  A research project that aims to make visible, through interviews with preschool teachers, how they understand their mission in relation to the curriculum and where subjects such as mathematics, knowledge of nature and linguistic awareness are in focus. Project leader: Johan Liljestrand

Lecturers / Researchers

• Maryam Bourbour
• Matteo Cattaneo
• Tobias Fredlund
• Christina Gustafsson
• Björn Haglund
  
• Kristina Wallden Hillström
• Johan Liljestrand
• Lena O Magnusson
  
• Anna Ramberg
• Catarina Wahlgren
  

Assistant professors

• Cecilia Eriksson
• Anna Eriksson
• Tor Frykmo
  
• Christina Holmgren
• Kia Kimhag
• Lotta Lindberg
  
• Ingela Fernström