Ingrid Lund

Listening to Shy Voices: Shy Adolescents’ Experiences with Being Bullied at School

This study examined bullying related to adolescents exhibiting shyness as an emotional and behavioral problem in the school context. It is based on in-depth interviews and observations of severely shy girls between the ages of 14 and 18 years. Given this group of students’ difficulties with social skills, peer rejection, and victimization, we sought to explore (a) the form that bullying takes, (b) the genders commonly represented among aggressors, and (c) the reasons that shy adolescents give for being bullied. Results show that shy adolescents perceive a nonsupportive class environment to be a primary explanation for why they are bullied, and relational bullying is the dominant form of bullying exclusion.

An exploration of self-awareness among shy adolescents

The aim of this article is to explore the concept of self-awareness related to adolescents with shyness as an emotional and behavioural problem at school. In its extreme form shyness can be seen as an emotional and behavioural problem that interferes with an individual’s potential for growth, learning and overall well-being. Self-awareness is a rather ambiguous term, and psychological, philosophical and neuro-scientific literature discuss the term from different angles that are relevant for this group of adolescents. During interviews and observations in school, 15 adolescents presented their experiences and challenges. Their narratives are the foundation for a discussion related to self-awareness and implications for future practice in the context of school in relation to this group.

Learning Environment in Light of Positional, Institutional, and Cultural Interpretations: An Empirically-Based Conceptual Analysis

This study explores the possibility that the concept of learning environment (LE) is understood and interpreted differently by various users, depending on their relative positions in the educational system, institutional affiliation, and cultural heritage. The study employs a qualitative approach and is based on 14 semistructured separate interviews with professionals in the field of education. The participants in the study have been chosen from 3 different levels in the educational system (assistants, kindergarten and school teachers, and principals/county government representatives) and across different institutions (kindergartens and schools). The data reveal a clear pattern in which the conceptualization of LE is influenced by the relative positions of the actors, established practices and norms inside the specific system, and the cultural heritage of the given context. The tendency of various stakeholders to understand and interpret LE differently has direct implications for development and implementation of future educational policies. The study emphasizes that the awareness of these effects is important for (a) successful communication between educational professionals operating in different positions in the system, and (b) the academic community, which tends to shape the manner in which the theoretical concepts are defined.

Empirically based analysis of methodological and ethical challenges in research with children as participants: the case of bullying in kindergarten

ABSTRACT When conducting research with children it is essential to consider not only the data, which have been produced as a result of the research, but also the research process itself. This article represents an attempt to contribute the accumulation of knowledge regarding methodological and ethical issues concerning research with children. The data in this article are based on individual and focus-group interviews with children where ethical and methodical challenges related to dealing with childrens experiences in the context of bullying in kindergarten are discussed. The topics that will be discussed related to methodical issues are (1) the nature of interaction between the researcher and children and the interpersonal style adopted by the researcher, (2) the style of questioning and (3) challenges in group dynamics in focus-group interviews. Furthermore, topics related to ethical subjects are (1) how to gain access and seek consent with the aim of protecting children as research participants and (2) the issues of privacy and confidentiality.

Directional motion: An empirically based model of development in educational institutions:

Although the quantity of literature on organizational sustainability in the realm of education represents a well-developed research area, the literature in this field does not sufficiently emphasize the notion of directional motion as important to institutional change. The aim of this work is the attempt to propose an empirically based model of ‘directional motion’ that is based on the intrinsically motivating process of experiencing movement. The study draws upon empirical material from six different educational institutions. The model systematically maps representations of the various stakeholders in terms of experienced motion in the participating institutions. The main elements in the model are ‘Pulsation’, ‘Motor’, ‘Direction’, and ‘Tempo’. Each of these main elements consists of several underlying processes that support the process of ‘directional motion’. Awareness about the sub-processes in the model creates a psychological sense of movement in the organization and consequently stimulates development and sustainable change on the institutional level.