Advanced methods in educational research: what counts as evidence?

Course provider: Danish School of Education, University of Aarhus, in cooperation with University of Gothenburg and University of Oslo. The course is supported by NERA.

Date: March 4-5, 2008

Deadline for applications: February 18, 2008

Venue: Danish School of Education, University of Aarhus, Tuborgvej 164, 2400 Copenhagen NV

ECTS-credits: 3

Application: Please use the application form at http://www.dpu.dk/site.aspx?p=10150 .

Limit: 25 students
The pre-conference/course is free; however, participants must also register for the NERA conference, which takes place at School of Education in Copenhagen, March 6-8 2008.

Teachers:
Professor Jan-Eric Gustafsson, University of Gothenburg
Professor Sven Erik Nordenbo, Danish School of Education, Aarhus University
Professor Henning Salling Olesen, Roskilde University Centre
Postdoktor Rolf Vegar Olsen, University of Oslo
Docent Fritjof Sahlström, University of Uppsala and Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies

Content:
Current developments in methods suitable for educational research draw heavily not only on advancements in relation to theory, but also on technological development in generating data material and doing analyses. This development is boosted by researchers´ need for specialisation with the consequence that an increasing number meet barriers when trying to understand and draw upon research findings related to their own area of interest, but generated within methodological approaches other than their own. Parallel to this development there is a growing interest in “mixed methods” to cast light on particular phenomena by using different methods in generating and analysing data. In this pre-conference, the focus will be on what counts as evidence within different branches of educational research.

Form:
The course will consist of presentations followed by plenum and/or group discussions.

Reading:
Participants are expected to have read in advance a set of articles sent out by mail. The articles will be sent out when the application form has been received by Laila Parbst.

Programme:
March 4, 2008:
09.00 – 09.30                       Opening by Anne Holmen, School of Education, University of Aarhus

09.30 – 10.30                       Systematic research reviews in the field of education, Sven Erik Nordenbo

11.00-12.30                          The discourse on PISA, Rolf Vegar Olsen

12.30-13.30                          Lunch

13.30-16.30                          Life history and biographical approaches in learning Research, Henning Salling Olesen

March 5, 2008:
09.00-12.00                          Causal inference from non-experimental data, Jan-Eric Gustafsson

12.00 – 13.00                       Lunch

13.00 – 16.00                       Interactional analysis/video analysis, Fritjof Sahlström

16.00 – 16.30                       Evaluation of the course and ideas for future Nordic Courses, Anne Holmen                          

Responsible for the course:
Professor Anne Holmen, School of Education, University of Aarhus, anho@dpu.dk