Gifted education doctoral programme for teacher educators

The doctoral programme makes a unique contribution and values inclusive education at a time when inclusion is one of society's sustainability goals.

The doctoral programme has its foundation in a Nordic research collaboration network and includes leading international expertise.

Doctoral programme form and content

The doctoral programme is five years long. In the autumn of 2021, the doctoral students were admitted and the school was prepared; in the spring of 2022, the graduate school started.

Karlstad University (KAU), Mälardalen University (MDU) and Stockholm University (SU) are supervising and educating ten doctoral students. The universities offered three specialised doctoral courses:

1. high abilities, giftedness and learning theories,
2. gifted education didactics and differentiation in preschool and school; given at MDU
3. highly able or gifted pupils’ mental health.

The doctoral students follow the curricula for the doctoral programs at the respective universities and defend their thesis in these subjects: two in didactics (MDU), two in special education (SU) and five in pedagogical work, including two with a particular focus on students' mental health (KAU).

At the same time, the doctoral students spend 20% of their time teaching on a teacher education programme at each university.

At MDU, two doctoral students were admitted to the doctoral programme in didactics. The domain of didactics focuses on education, teaching and learning with significance for preschools, schools and teacher educations. Didactic research is related to pedagogy, psychology, and special needs education.

The doctoral programme gives doctoral students a shared platform and access to a collaborative environment.

The Graduate School offers doctoral students the opportunity to participate in international and national networks, exchanges of experience and research conferences to develop their own knowledge of research and the research field.

Why is the doctoral programme required?

Gifted or highly able children and pupils are not always given the support and stimulation they need in preschool and school and are not always identified and appreciated for their skills.

Gifted or highly able children and pupils are smart, creative and goal-oriented. However, this does not mean that they can handle and overcome difficulties on their own. As with other children/pupils, they need support and stimulation to reach their potential.

Their well-being, learning and development, like those of the other children and pupils, must be secured. They are important to their peers and to society in general. It may just be those children and pupils who will find solutions to the major societal challenges of the future!

Further information

Educational provisions for gifted or highly able pupils in inclusive educational systems: Gifted education doctoral programme for teacher educators. External link.