The Swedish gifted doctoral programme and The Nordic Network for Gifted Education

Scientific

This symposium aims to spread knowledge from two relatively new initiatives within gifted education from the Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Island, Norway and Sweden. A Swedish doctoral programme on gifted education that started in the end of 2021 that aims to develop knowledge on gifted education related to the Swedish education system. Ten doctoral students will focus their research on education of gifted students in Swedish pre-school, primary and secondary school. The doctoral students will cover a wide range of areas and subjects such as for example language, sports, digital competence, dyslexia, and mental health in pupils. Methodologically there will be both quantitative and qualitative studies. The doctoral students will build capacity for gifted students needs in the Swedish education system. Professor Valerie Margrain at Karlstad University lead the doctoral programme in collaboration with Associated professor Johanna Lundqvist at Mälardalen University and Professor Mara Westling Allodi at Stockholm University, the program is founded by the Swedish Research Council. In this symposium we get the opportunity to listen and discuss the research plans of one of the doctoral students.In parallel with the development of the doctoral program, researchers in the Nordic countries found a need to create a Nordic network. The Nordic countries have similar education system and in many ways similar culture and traditions, in addition all Nordic countries are relatively small countries which makes collaboration extra important. The aim with the Nordic Network for Gifted Education (NNGE) is to connect and support Nordic researchers in the field of gifted education. In addition, the network aims to find and nurture research on gifted education that spans over some or all of the Nordic countries. An important part will for example be to apply for funding. We expect the researchers in the network to develop important research on gifted education that fits into the inclusive school systems in the Nordic countries. An important goal is that the results will help to improve practice to better embrace gifted pupils learning needs. Since this network is relatively new, cross-country projects are still not started, but sharing Nordic research in the network is another important aim. In this symposium two separate research projects are presented one ongoing Swedish project in mathematics at upper secondary and one that through a literature review presents current opportunities and possible future directions for gifted and talented students in Iceland.