Heidi Biseth Research project R & D fields of interest Working areas/ Teaching Network participation Curriculum Vitae Publications Other issues

Heidi Biseth  Research fellow at the Urban Research Programme  Assistant Professor at Master's in Multicultural and International Education  Heidi.Biseth@lui.hio.no  Oslo University College  Faculty of Education and International Studies  Visiting Address: Holbergs Terrasse, Stensberggaten 27, office HT223  Postal address: P.O.Box 4 St. Olavs Plass, N-0130 Oslo  Tel. +47 2245 2783, mobile +47 9599 5313 NB: This website will no longer be updated. Please visit my new personal website: www.heidibiseth.no

Research project:

Title of the project: 

Educators as Custodians of Democracy: A comparative investigation of multicultural school environments in the Scandinavian capitals

 Project period: 1 January 2007 – 31 December 2010

 Abstract:

This study explores how educators perceive their task as guardians and advocates of democratic values in our societies. Furthermore, the focus is to investigate and determine how democratic values are implemented in everyday practices in multicultural school environments, through the perspectives of educators and students. The underlying assumption is that the cultural, linguistic, religious, and political diversity among students create an educational environment where educators have to make more than usual endeavors to achieve the necessary training of future citizens. Additionally, these environments offer exceptional opportunities for teaching democracy.
           The research material is provided by 64 educators and 23 students in three junior high schools and 11 senior high schools in the Scandinavian capitals; Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm. To unravel the democratic mandate assigned to the educational sector, educational legislation and legislative regulations have been examined. The results have informed the subsequent in-depth interviews conducted. A comparative and multilevel research design is chosen as it enables me to examine the multiple ways in which societal factors, educational policies, and practices may vary and interact.

Research and development interests:

Key words: Multicultural Education, Democracy, Citizenship Education, Human Rights, Education and Development, Language in Education
 

Working areas / Teaching:

Network participation:

Curriculum Vitae:

Personal data:

Education:

• PhD-course: "Research Ethics" with Professor Berit Rognhaug, October 2009
• PhD-course: "Qualitative Methodology" with Professor Leif Chr. Lahn, May 2009
• PhD-course: "Quantitative Methodology" with Associate Professor Tor Arnfinn Kleven, January 2009
• PhD-course: "Pragmatism, Neo-pragmatism and Education" with Professor Tone Kvernbekk, Professor Harvey Siegel and Professor Paul Standish, May 2008
• PhD-course: "Professions and the Multicultural Society" with Professor Alain Pierrot and Professor Joron Pihl, January 2008
• PhD-course: "The Philosophy of Science" with Professor Tone Kvernbekk, Fall 2007
• PhD-course:  "Kvalitativ analyse ved hjelp av dataprogrammet NVivo7" with Associate Professor Reidun Tangen, October 2007
• PhD-course: "Analysing Comparative Research: Qualitative and Mixed Methods" with Professor Julia Brannen, Professor Alan Bryman and Professor Linda Hantrais, April 2007
• PhD-course: "Publishing" with Professor Charles Hulme, March 2007
• University teaching courses: Major module with several pedagogical aspects including didactics, minor module in "Academic supervision", minor module in "Lecturing", minor module in "Learning and learning environments", 2006/2007
• Leadership training (6 months) through the Norwegian Red Cross, 2006/2007
• "Human Rights and Inclusion (Education for All)", 10 ECTS module at Master's level, Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo, fall 2006
• Master of Philosophy in Comparative and International Education, University of Oslo, 2005
• Certificate for completed the Socrates/Erasmus Intensive Programme "Borders, Mobilities, Identities - European Educational Action", 10 ECTS, Oulu, Finland, August 2004
• Bachelor degree in Cultural and Social Sciences, University of Oslo, minor in Philosophy and Social Anthropology, major in Education, 2003
• University admission Certificate, 2001
  

Work experience:

• Research fellow, Oslo University College, Faculty of Education and International Studies, January 2007 - June 2011
• Assistant Professor (20% position), Oslo University College, Faculty of Education and International Studies, Master in Multicultural and International Education, September 2010 - September 2011
• Lecturer, "Human Rights, Language Rights and Education" 10 ECTS, Master in International Education and Development, Juba, South Sudan, January/February 2010 and April 2011
• Seminars for students at the Master's in Multicultural and International Education, Oslo University College, 2007/2008/2009
• Supervision of master students in their thesis work at Oslo University College, Faculty of Education and International Studies, and the University of Oslo, Institute for Educational Research, 2007 - to date
• Administrative NOMA coordinator at Oslo University College, Faculty of Education and International Studies related to the Master's Programme in International Education and Development, January 2007 - November 2008
• The Pestalozzi seminar on "Interculturalism, Democracy and Human Rights in Education", 2008 (www.hio.no/pestalozzi)
• Senior Executive Officer, Institute for Educational Research, University of Oslo, May 2005 - December 2006. Administrative coordinator of M.Phil. in Comparative and International Education and M.Phil. in Higher Education, responsible for exchange agreements, exchange students and internationalization of studies
• Secretary, Torshov kompetansesenter, 1996 - 1999
• Administrative position, Fylkesbarnevernet i Vestfold, 1994
• Administrative position, Fylkesbarnevernet i Vestfold, fosterhjemsseksjonen, 1992 - 1994
• Administrative position, Holtanløkka kortidsinstitutsjon barn 0-12 år, 1990 - 1994
• Administrative position, Oslo Overformynderi, 1987 - 1989
• Administrative position, Fylkeslandbrukskontoret i Vestfold, 1986 - 1987

Languages:

• Norwegian
• English
• Danish
• Swedish

Honors:

• The 2011 Dr. Judith Torney-Purta Outstanding Paper Award in Citizenship and Democratic Education for the paper “Citizenship Education in Scandinavian Multicultural Schools: A Comparative Study of Students’ and Teachers’ Perceptions”

Contribution at conferences:

• “Democratic success in Scandinavian education? Perspectives of minority students”, at the CIES conference “Education is that which liberates”, Montreal, 1-5 May, 2011
• "Girls' education in the diaspora as an agent of change: An Afghan minority in Pakistan", at the CIES conference “Education is that which liberates”, Montreal, 1-5 May, 2011
• "Multiculturalism gone wrong? Enunciations from the proposed marginalized youth in Oslo", at the conference "Is there a Nordic form of Multiculturalism?" at University of Turku, Finland, 30 September - 1 October, 2010
• "Diversity and Democracy in Education: Examples from Scandinavia", the XIV WCCES Congress "Bordering, Re-bordering and New Possibilities in Education and Society", Istanbul, 14-18 June, 2010
• "Education and democratic values in multicultural contexts: Confronting challenges in Scandinavian schools". CIES Conference "Reimagining Education", Chicago, February 28 - March 5 2010
• “Educators as Custodians of Democracy? From Policy to Practice”, Pestalozzi seminar “Interculturalism, Democracy and Human Rights in Education”, Oslo, 29 October – 1 November 2008
• “Teachers’ perspectives on Democracy and Intercultural dialogue in Scandinavian multicultural schools”, XXIII CESE Conference , Athens, 7 – 10 July 2008, Symposium: Views from the North on Education: Practice, Policy and Method
• “Democracy and Citizenship Education in the quest for Educational Equity in Norway and Sweden”, CIES Conference “Gaining Equity Around the World”, Columbia University, New York, 17 – 21 March 2008 
• “A Job to be Done! Democracy and Education in Scandinavian Multicultural Schools”, the XIII WCCES Congress "Living Together: Education and Intercultural Dialogue", Sarajevo, 3 – 7 September, 2007
• “South Africa's Education Language Policy and Practice: The Perspective of the "Other"”, LEA (Language and Education in Africa) Conference, Oslo, 19 – 22 June 2006
• “Language issues in education influenced by global trends – South African experiences”, CIES Conference “Rethinking the Comparative”, Honolulu/Hawaii, 14 – 18 March 2006

Key notes:

• "Barnehagen som inkluderings- og språkopplæringsarena: flerspråklighet og mangfold", Dalsenget barnehage, Trondheim, 7 October 2010
• ”Hvordan har språk- og samfunnskunnskap betydning for deltakelse og medborgerskap? Om språklæreren som demokratibygger”, Voksenopplæringskonferansen, Trondheim, 17 March 2009
• “Flerspråklighet, mangfold og demokrati – er det en sammenheng?”, Mangfaldsseminar (Norsk Målungdom), Bergen 11 October 2008
• "Mulige mottiltak mot etnisk segregering? Et forskerpespektiv", Medlemsmøte Søndre Nordstrand Arbeiderparti, Oslo 27 April 2010 

General information:

• Chair of the Finance Standing Committee, World Council for Comparative Education Societies (WCCES), July 2010 – present
• Visiting scholar, Center for Multicultural Education, University of Washington, Seattle, USA - March 2010
• Field work in Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm: data collection for PhD, 2007-2009
• Board member of the International Student Network in Education (ISNE), Faculty of Education, University of Oslo, 2006 - 2010
• Board member of the Alumni at the Institute for Educational Research, University of Oslo, 2007 - present
• Teaching at the Oslo Red Cross Summer School, 2006 and 2007
• Board leader in Bertramjordet borettslag, May 2006 - April 2009
• Board member in Bertramjordet borettslag, May 2003 - May 2006, April 2009 - present
• Weekly voluntary work in Oslo Red Cross, Mortensrud Resource center, May 2003 - May 2009
• Field work in Cape Town, South Africa: data collection for Master thesis, September - October 2004

Publications:

Other issues: