Children with High and Extraordinary Learning Potential

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

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

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

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

Medlemmer fra NLA Høgskolen

Gila Hammer Furnes, Assistant Professor
Gunnvi Sæle Jokstad, Professor
Valerie Margrain, Professor 
Helga Bjørke Harnes, Assistant Professor
Alette Aasvold Rolland, Assistant Professor
Karin Landschulze, Assistant Professor
Cheng-yu Pan, Assistant Professor
Johannes Kleppe, Assistant Professor
Hilde Kartveit Sundnes, Assistant Professor
Anne-Lise Flaa, Assistant Professor
Kari Kvandal, Assistant Professor
Darko Kocev, Assistant Professor

Medlemmer ansatt ved eksterne institusjoner

Inge Andersland, FAssistant Professor (HVL)
Ane Malene Sæverot, Assistant Professor (HVL)
Ingrid Kvam Steinshamn, Assistant Professor (HiV)
Kai Håkon Sunde, Vilvite
Maria Abusdal Tveit, head of department, Krokeide vgs

Eksterne samarbeidspartnere

Tove Hagenes, external member, ‘Lykkelige Barn’ network

Contacts

Head of the research group: Gila Hammer Furnes
Vice Rector for Research and Development: Torgeir Landro