Purpose: This article draws upon evidence from a contemporary study of all-through schools (ATS) in three countries. ATS combine at least two stages of a child's education in a single establishment. Many admit children aged 3-19. Most children join the school at nursery or kindergarten level and continue there for their entire education before…

This article aims at exploring family language policies and practices of immigrant families in Iceland as well as educational practices and partnerships in their children's preschools. The article draws on interviews with preschool principals and teachers in three preschools in Iceland, and presents findings related to state, municipal, and school…

Critical thinking as a concept, has a rich history and is central to much of the debate within international educational research and increasingly within environmental and sustainability education (ESE). Currently, it is gaining a foothold in the curriculum and in practice in Nordic countries. However, to date, there has been no proper account of…

Purpose: This study aims to identify students' perceptions of the importance and objectives of sustainability and business ethics education, considering contextual factors (ethics-friendly environments) and including the social desirability (SD) bias to strengthen data robustness and assess response truthfulness. Design/methodology/approach: A…

This article focuses on how students make use of different spaces in one compulsory school in Iceland and how gender is produced through activities in these spaces. Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted for three months in 2016 among 8th and 9th graders at one public school in Iceland. Our analysis is based on poststructural and material…

In Iceland, and around the world, the working environment in upper secondary schools changed dramatically with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In our research, we aimed to illuminate the ever-changing working conditions of teachers in Icelandic upper secondary schools during the first year of the pandemic, especially in the context of gender…

Teacher-student interactions are crucial in understanding the role of a supportive climate in instructional practices. The present study investigates the perceptions of 15-year-old Nordic students regarding four aspects of their science class: teacher support, fairness, feedback, and class discipline. Multilevel modelling analysis is used to…

The article addresses children's perspectives of belonging in early childhood education settings in five European countries. Children's belonging is understood to be dynamic processes that are formed through multiple relations. Twenty children aged 4-8 with diverse backgrounds participated in the study: two boys and two girls from each country.…

Cloud cover created fog and many days of low visibility. With surprisingly no wind for weeks on end, water droplets in the fog froze on impact with tree branches, poles, doors--any stable object, creating a magical display of rime ice, which is heavier and denser than hoarfrost. The picturesque result made the month seem so much less dreary,…

The aim of this research was to gain a deeper understanding of young children's participation in a diverse peer culture within an Icelandic preschool and their sense of belonging in the preschool community. The participants were 12 children, aged 5-6 years. Data were constructed with each child while they engaged in a walking tour of the preschool…

Youths' development can be positively or negatively impacted by various factors in their internal and external environment. This study investigated the interactive effects of self-regulation and internalizing and externalizing problems on academic achievement (reading and maths) and positive youth development (PYD) across one year. Data were…

This paper presents and discusses the findings of a collaborative investigation into Nordic approaches to evaluation and assessment in early childhood education and care. The project explored values and principles that underpin and guide evaluation in ECEC systems and practices in five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and…

This review investigates how the scholarly fields, themes and concepts of 'inclusive education' are applied in the research and educational contexts of Finland, Iceland and the Netherlands. It identifies and outlines which thematic areas of research and sub-fields of study are referenced in each country by applying a systematic, multilingual…

As the first level of schooling, preschools are part of the educational system in Iceland. All preschools operate according to Preschool Act. No. 90/2008 and the National Curriculum Guidelines, where the emphasis is on children's learning through play and high-quality practice. The aim of this study was to shed light on how the first wave of…

The "Innovative Leadership and Change Management in Higher Education" (NEWLEAD, 2020-2023) focused on capacity building of university leaders to steer change and address new priorities on the institutional transformation agenda. Findings from the NEWLEAD project demonstrate that leading and transforming universities is a complex…