KINDknow - Kindergarten Knowledge Centre for Systemic Research on Diversity and Sustainable Futures
KINDknow generates knowledge that is locally sensitive and internationally relevant. International comparative surveys combined with qualitative, close-to-practice research approaches provide overviews over the diversity of early childhood education and inspiring insights into local practices.
As a research centre, KINDKNOWs main aim is to take a national and international lead in developing systemic understandings and knowledge about education for diversity (EfD) and education for sustainable futures (ESF) in kindergartens. It builds on existing research done by the researchers participating in KINDKNOW in these areas and develop new collaborations with researchers and other stakeholders. To meet the needs of Norways increasingly diverse society, this centre will engage in vital, socially-relevant and ethically-committed research that has the intention of improving future lives and outcomes for children, families and staff in kindergartens. To achieve its aim, the centre engage in high-level interdisciplinary research with kindergartens, across diverse regions in Norway and internationally, about Education for Diversity and Education for Sustainability
Collaboration
As sustainability is a recognized, global core value, now included in the new Norwegian curriculum for kindergartens, there is a need for new research methodologies particularly participatory research methodologies for research studies that will inform practice. The center is located at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL), but collaborates with researchers at HVL, UiT and UiS. These institutions have large cohorts of kindergarten preservice teacher, located in two counties in the north and three counties in the west have common strategic interests and cooperate closely to changing social and environmental milieus.
The work of the centre is informed by Bildung which has formed the background to the research and PhD program at HVL. Different conceptual, methodological and partnership models is combined in new ways to improve understanding and create new knowledge in ways that kindergartens can meet the methodological knowledge needs in kindergartens and to build competence in kindergartens as well as meet staff that teach kindergarten teachers.
Conferences
Exploring Visual Worlds of Education
in Context of Crises and new Spaces of Opportunities
Exploring Visual Worlds of Education in the Context of Crises and New Spaces of Opportunity is an international conference arranged by KINDknow - Kindergarten Knowledge Centre in cooporation with UiB Slate og Association for Visual Pedagogies – AVP.
We move forward together after postponing our 2020 conference planned for in June 2020 with the same main theme Exploring Visual Worlds of Education and by widening the strands, opening up for addressing our ever-shifting global context. This is a
Our 2021 hybrid conference will feature both asynchronous and synchronous events. The asynchronous events will consist of pre-recorded presentations from the key notes and artistic events. The paper sessions, symposiums and workshops will be synchronic events following a time and place schedule. A limited number of workshops will be held on site (Norway, Bergen campus) and can be attended virtually. Detailed information of the conference can be found here.
Norwegian Kindergarten research conference 2021
The Norwegian Kindergarten research conference will be held 26th - 28th of October. Like last year the conference will be held digitally. Visit Filiorum - UiS webpages for more information. Please note that new dealine for sending in an abstract is 23rd of April.
IRECE 2022
Diversity in early childhood education - global and local arctic perspectives
International research conference on Early Childhood Education´s theme this year is Diversity in Early Childhood Education - Global and Local Perspectives. The conference will be situated in the arctic region, and muitit ja muitalit* transformative and innovative research, practices and stories is encouraged.
The Arctic University of Norway arranges this conference in partnership with Monash University in Australia, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, and Sámi University of Applied Sciences, Sápmi. The conference is held in collaboration with KINDknow, research centre for systemic research on diversity and sustainable futures funded by the Norwegian Research Council. IRECE 2022 is partly funded by the Norwegian Research Council.
* remembering and narrating in North Sámi