Western Norway Graduate School of Educational Research II

The Western Norway Graduate School of Educational Research II (WNGER II) was established on 23 August 2018 to strengthen the PhD-education across 6 universities and university colleges in Western Norway. WNGER II is a research school in Western Norway where the aim is to create the best possible research education for our PhD candidates at both the host- and partner institutions. WNGER II shall be a good supplement to the existing PhD programs in Vestlandet and therefore it aims that candidates take the doctorate courses that match their progression and desires.

The target groups for the research school are PhD candidates in pedagogy, teacher education, university and college pedagogy, educational science, health and sports science, special education, and professional practice.

The host institution is the University of Bergen and partner institutions are the University of Stavanger, the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, the NLA University College, the VID Specialized College, and the Volda University College. The University of Agder has become our new associate member from 1.5.2020.

WNGER II course overview 2020

WNGER II course overview on Facebook

Read more about our doctoral courses and prioritizing applicants

Latest news

Course info spring 2022

Here is a tentative overview of courses in WNGERII for the spring semester (course info w/date, organization, and registration will be announced):

• WNGERII900: Introduction to literature Review on PhD-level (1 eller 3 studiepoeng), UiB (location TBA), v/professor Rune J. Krumsvik and associate professor Fredrik Mørk Røkenes, UiB/NTNU
• WNGERII903: Mixed Method Research: An Introduction (1 eller 3 studiepoeng), UiB (location TBA), v/professor Rune J. Krumsvik, UiB
• WNGERII901: Writing the Synopsis in a PhD-thesis (1 eller 3 studiepoeng), UiB (location TBA), v/professor Rune J. Krumsvik, UiB
• WNGERII905: Analyses, Ethics and Reflexivity in Qualitative Research (1 eller 3 studiepoeng), UiB (location TBA), v/professor Hanne Riese, UiB
• WNGERII Supervision: Supervision course for PhD-supervisors, UiB, (location TBA), v/professor Rune J. Krumsvik, UiB
• PS901: Research Design, Methods, Ethics and Philosophy of Science (8 studiepoeng), UiB (location TBA) v/associate professor Marina Hirnstein, UiB

In addition to these UiB-courses, there will be PhD courses at the WNGERII partner institutions that are open for WNGER-II members.

Course info fall 2021

Here is an overview of courses in WNGERII for the fall semester:

13 September 2021: PhD-kurs om Mixed Method Research (1 eller 3 studiepoeng), UiB (hybrid eller Zoom-kurs), v/prof. Burke Johnson & prof. Rune J. Krumsvik (trykk her for kursinfo og påmeldingslenke)

16 September 2021: Qualitative metasynthesis (1 eller 3 studiepoeng), fysisk doktorgradskurs, v/prof. Kirsti Malterud, UiB & prof. Rune J. Krumsvik, UiB (trykk her for kursinfo og påmeldingslenke)

4 October 2021, "Evidensbasert praksis og profesjonsutøving – kritiske perspektiv", UiB (hybrid eller Zoom-kurs), v/førsteamanuensis Lars Petter Storm Torjussen og prof. Henrik Berg (trykk her for kursinfo og påmeldingslenke)

20 October 2021: "Literature review on PhD-level", UiB (hybrid eller Zoom-kurs), v/professor Rune J. Krumsvik og førsteamanuensis Fredrik Mørk Røkenes, UiB/NTNU (trykk her for kursinfo og påmeldingslenke)

11 November: "Introduction to systematic review on PhD-level" (1 eller 3 studiepoeng, Zoom-kurs), v/førsteamanuensis Sabine Wollscheid, UiB/NIFU (trykk her for kursinfo og påmeldingslenke)

8 December: "Writing the synopsis in a PhD-thesis". PhD-kurs om kappen (1 eller 3 studiepoeng, hybrid eller Zoom-kurs), v/prof. Rune J. Krumsvik, UiB (trykk her for kursinfo og påmeldingslenke) 

In addition to these UiB-courses, there will be PhD courses at the WNGERII partner institutions that are open for WNGER-II members.

Two new Professor II positions

UiB as the host institution for WNGER II has prioritized funding for two new Professor II positions. In the faculty board meeting on 13 May 2021 at the Faculty of Psychology, UiB, the board voted in favor of hiring Researcher II Sabine Wollscheid and Professor Andreas Lund as Professor II in WNGER II from 01.08.2021 - 01.08.2023. We would like to welcome both Sabine and Andreas to WNGER II, and we are looking forward to working with you!

Covid-19 voluntary work (dugnad) in 2020

Since the pandemic affected Norway on 12 March 2020, WNGER II has taken on Covid-19 voluntary work (or dugnad) through increased course activities throughout the pandemic so that WNGER II PhD candidates have access to high-quality courses. In 2020, there have been about 300 participants across eight doctoral courses and 12 lunch seminars in WNGER II (where PhD candidates from pedagogy and educational sciences dominate, but also with PhD candidates from health sciences, special education, psychology, sports sciences, medicine, architecture, and law). A survey has been completed (WNGER II Monitor 2020) to map WNGER II PhD students' needs and wishes in addition to experiences with the pandemic (response rate 72 %). Course evaluations for all doctoral courses and lunch seminars in WNGER II have been completed with positive feedback from PhD candidates (despite the fact that most teaching has been online). There has been some internal collaboration within WNGER II regarding doctoral courses, co-publication, and doctoral supervision in 2020 across host and member institutions. WNGER II has arranged a supervisor seminar in 2020 with guest lecturers from the University of Bristol.

WNGER II development and staff

The research school WNGER II has developed significantly since the piloting phase in 2016/2017 and the official start-up in 2018. The host institution UiB has the main responsibility for the research school and has developed a course portfolio of 12 doctoral courses which are especially directed towards the research school WNGER II. In addition, partner institutions have opened up their doctoral courses for WNGER II PhD candidates. 

As a result, there are several doctoral courses in WNGER II to choose from in 2021 (see below). In addition, UiB as the host institution has expanded its staff significantly (1 March and 1 August 2021), with the result of more diverse courses being offered, better research-administrative support, and key staff who can contribute to WNGER II's course portfolio.

Because WNGER II's research assistant, Maria Ballidi, moved back to Greece in June 2020, the research school has not had a research assistant in the administration. It is great to announce that WNGER II has hired Fredrik Mørk Røkenes as Associate Professor II (20 %) and that he will fill the research-administrative tasks that Ballidi was responsible for (as well as contributing as an assessor, course instructor, and other research-related tasks). For the time being, Røkenes will be working from 1 March until 31 December 2021. We want to welcome Røkenes as an associate in WNGER II! You can watch the video below where Røkenes introduces himself: https://youtu.be/d2zRH4-5ki4 

Røkenes will be responsible for:

1. Maintaining and updating the research school's webpages
2. Updating the list of members in WNGER II
3. Issuing course diplomas for PhD candidates
4. Research support
5. Assessment of academic papers
6. Instruct the doctoral course in "Literature reviews on PhD-level"
7. Contribute as a researcher in WNGER II related projects 

New doctoral courses

The following doctoral courses are arranged in 2021 by the host institution at the Faculty of Psychology, Department of Education:

1. Research ethics (1 or 3 study points) (https://www.uib.no/emne/WNGERII902)

2. Evidence-based practice and professionalism - critical perspectives (1 or 3 study points) (https://www.uib.no/emne/WNGERII910) 

3. Introduction to Mixed Method Research (1 or 3 study points) (https://www.uib.no/emne/WNGERII903)

4. Academic writing: Writing the synopsis in a doctoral thesis (1 or 3 study points) (https://www.uib.no/emne/WNGERII901)

5. Academic writing: How to write scientific articles within educational research (1 or 3 study points) (https://www.uib.no/emne/WNGERII906)

6. The use of theory within educational research (1 or 3 study points) (https://www.uib.no/emne/WNGERII907)

7. Introduction to literature review on PhD-level (1 or 3 study points) (https://www.uib.no/emne/WNGERII900) 

8. Qualitative Case Study (1 or 3 study points) (https://www.uib.no/emne/WNGERII909)

9. Analyses, ethics and reflexivity in Qualitative Research (1 or 3 study points) (https://www.uib.no/emne/WNGERII905)

10. Inclusion and diversity. Fundamental questions to be asked at Ph.D.-level (1 or 2 study points, together with NLA) (https://www.uib.no/fs/wnger-ii/143083/inclusion-and-diversity-fundamental-questions-be-asked-phd-level?fbclid=IwAR1xqEEdDcvQgve94fU_7te4zGcf-x6aSJ4lzJ3I4eM66CqtFe-jrKbqnR4)

11. Introduction to Meta-analysis (1 or 3 study points) (https://www.uib.no/emne/WNGERII904)

12. Qualitative Meta-synthesis (1 or 3 study points) (https://www.uib.no/fs/wnger-ii/143349/qualitative-metasynthesis)

13. Qualitative research with NVivo (1 or 3 study points) (https://www.uib.no/emne/WNGERII908)

14. Legitimacy of Pedagogy in light of contemporary challenges with democratic participation (2 or 5 study points) (https://www.uia.no/arrangementer/ph.d.-kurs-ped609-pedagogikkens-legitimitet-i-lys-av-samtidens-utfordringer-for-demokratisk-deltakelse)

Out of these 14 doctoral courses, we want to highlight three new courses where two were held in spring 2021. These were "Inclusion and diversity. Fundamental questions to be asked. at Ph.D.-level" developed by professor Solveig Reindal, NLA and professor Frédérique Brossard Børhaug, VID in collaboration with UiB: https://www.uib.no/fs/wnger-ii/143083/inclusion-and-diversity-fundamental-questions-be-asked-phd-level?fbclid=IwAR1xqEEdDcvQgve94fU_7te4zGcf-x6aSJ4lzJ3I4eM66CqtFe-jrKbqnR4

The other new doctoral course is in "Qualitative Metasynthesis" in WNGER II where professor Kirsti Malterud, UiB/NORCE will be the main instructor. Malterud has extensive work with qualitative metasynthesis and has published a book in the field in 2019 (Routledge, https://www.routledge.com/Qua…/Malterud/p/book/9780367134181). https://www.uib.no/fs/wnger-ii/143349/qualitative-metasynthesis

The third new doctoral course is developed by Turid Skarre Aasebø, Aslaug Kristiansen, and Ilmi Willbergh at UiA. The course is about the legitimacy of pedagogy in light of contemporary challenges with democratic participation and will be held from 15-18 November 2021. (2 study points without paper or 5 study points with paper) https://www.uia.no/arrangementer/ph.d.-kurs-ped609-pedagogikkens-legitimitet-i-lys-av-samtidens-utfordringer-for-demokratisk-deltakelse

Follow all updates and events on WNGER II's Facebook page.