Research Collaboration on Education for Newly Arrived Students – More Important Than Ever
Researchers from six countries have established a network to share research and experiences related to second-language acquisition, with a particular focus on education for newly-arrived students. The network includes researchers from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, and Scotland.
– We are living in a time when research—especially certain kinds of research—is under immense pressure. If our research were conducted in the U.S., it might have been dismissed entirely, says Line Møller Daugaard, the head of the network. She is a professor at VIA University College in Aarhus, Denmark, and adjunct professor of second-language pedagogy at NTNU in Trondheim.
– Collaboration is especially crucial when working in a politicized field such as the education of newly arrived students, she continues.
– This is true for teachers, who may find it difficult to navigate a field that receives such significant public attention. But it is also a politicized field for researchers. Meeting across borders to share experiences and realize we are not alone, makes a real difference, Daugaard adds.
Researching Multilingualism and Education for Newly Arrived students
Daugaard, along with her research colleague Finn Aarsæther from OsloMet, was one of the initiators that first applied for funding from Nordplus to establish the “Nordic Languages as Second Languages” network. The network includes researchers from Denmark (VIA University College, University of Southern Denmark, and University College Absalon), Norway (OsloMet and University of Inland Norway), Sweden (Mälardalen University), Finland (University of Jyväskylä), Iceland (University of Iceland), and Scotland (University of Strathclyde). The group meets both in person and online to share ongoing research from the Nordic region.
Finn Aarsæther is Vice Dean of the Faculty of Education and International Studies at OsloMet and an associate professor of Norwegian language and Norwegian didactics, with a particular research interest in Norwegian as a second language.
– The researchers in the network come from different academic backgrounds such as language studies, pedagogy, and migration studies, Finn Aarsæther explains. What unites them is their interest in second-language research and education for newly-arrived students. Second language’ as a school subject is treated differently across the Scandinavian and Nordic countries. In Sweden, it’s a distinct subject. In Norway, it is no longer a separate subject. In Denmark, there’s an ongoing debate about whether it should be a subject or not. These are the kinds of issues that are interesting to explore across countries, says Aarsæther.
– Even though our education systems are rooted in the same pedagogical values and there are obvious similarities across the Nordic countries, we see significant differences in how the education of newly-arrived students and other minorities is organized, says Daugaard.
Several researchers in the network have been interested in examining how the Nordic countries have received Ukrainian families. Daugaard notes that while there may be differences in legislation and organizational structures, there are also shared societal discourses and practical challenges.
– Newly-arrived students in schools are also a matter of international and European concern, Aarsæther adds. Migration affects all countries. And none of us can claim we’re handling it perfectly. We face challenges that we believe can be better addressed collectively than individually.
Connecting Research to Practice
Helene Fulland, senior adviser at the National Centre for Multicultural Education (NAFO) at OsloMet, is also part of the network. She has written a doctoral dissertation on multilingual children. Fulland and Aarsæther have in recent years conducted research on newly-arrived students in Norway and emphasize the link between research and practice within the network.
– The research within the network highlights various aspects of being a teacher or student in multilingual classrooms or classrooms for newly-arrived students. It also shows differing perspectives on second-language education. I believe it’s useful for those working with this student group to be aware of these perspectives, says Fulland.
– Research and practice are not two separate spheres. They go hand in hand, adds Aarsæther. The projects we’ve had within the network so far are oriented towards school and adult education. They provide useful knowledge and insights for educators, he adds.
Presenting Research at a Nordic Education Conference
Participants in the “Nordic Languages as Second Languages” network connected through a major arena for Nordic educational research called The Nordic Educational Research Association (NERA). NERA holds annual conferences, and at this year’s event in Helsinki, Finland, the network presented ongoing research on multilingual students’ education in the Nordic countries. The research abstracts were compiled into a symposium titled: «Nordic languages as second languages: Rethinking policy and practice in the education of multilingual students in the Nordic countries». The symposium emphasized the need for changes in policy and practice due to increased migration. In addition to Nordic contributions, researchers from Scotland provided cross-border perspectives and posed new questions.
– The role of the Scottish participants is important—they prevent this from becoming an exclusively Nordic perspective, Daugaard points out. The Scottish researchers highlighted many issues that we’ll be discussing in the coming months. The situation looks quite different in the UK, and even between England and Scotland. That external perspective was invaluable.
Continued Collaboration More Important Than Ever
The Nordplus project period runs until August 2025, but there are strong prospects for continued collaboration. The network is planning a joint research publication, either as a book or a special issue in a Nordic journal. They also aim to share research-based knowledge through NAFO’s website. Furthermore, there is potential to expand the collaboration and apply for new cross-Nordic projects.
– At this year’s NERA conference, the NERA president emphasized that in a time when research on diversity and equality is under immense pressure, having a place to exchange and discuss Nordic educational research is more important than ever, says Daugaard.
– And that’s an established tradition here. We can do it, we dare to do it, and we will do it, Daugaard concludes.
Written by Line-Marie Holum, translated by The National Centre of Multicultural Education (NAFO).
The text was first published in Norwegian on March 31, 2025.
Forskningssamarbeid om opplæring av nyankomne elever – viktigere enn noensinne – NAFO