<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">I have just been added to the CRITICS-L list, and the proper thing to do is to introduce myself:</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">First of all, I feel a need to say that I have been added to the list even though I have not worked or published in CDA yet. I've only just started! So I don't know how much I'll be able to contribute to the discussions, I might lay low for a while to come.</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">The field I will be studying is the discourse of 'social and emotional development' or as it is commonly referred to: 'social and emotional problems among children and adolescents'. A colleague of mine (at the faculty of teacher Education) and I started a new research project this spring which involves both questionnaire surveys of all 3rd and 4th year students at the Faculty of Teacher Education and a more in-depth and longitudinal study of a group of 19 students who volunteered. These 19 students have been /will be observed and videofilmed during their practice session plus interviewed. We will observe, videofilm and interview the same group next year and the year after - follow along as they qualify as teachers and start working. In addition, a new group will be selected spring 2002 from two colleges that will be followed up in the same way, giving us a chance to make comparisons too. Our total number of students/teachers should then be about 40+. We have funding from the Norwegian Research Council for 3 years but believe it will be possible to continue so that we plan to meet the same group of teachers after they have taught for 5 years as well. </font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">How do Norwegian teachers talk about and interact with students who are struggling in school? (There might also be a possibility to compare with American teachers - will investigate this further!) In which contexts? And what about the discourse of social and emotional development in the greater society? What does this mean for the pupils? One of the 'interesting' (when speaking in research terms...) results from the questionnaire survey we conducted this spring is that the students in this pilot study report not having learned much about this field and they spread out quite evenly over all of the response categories on questions about their understanding of the stability or possibility of change concerning children who show more aggressive or introvert behavior. Will we see any changes as the students in our group develop into qualified and then experienced teachers? Where will changes occur? </font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">These are some of my initial questions - I'm very open for comments and suggestions!!! I am very aware that I have a long way to go before I have an idea about how I can best analyze our material to investigate 'How do Norwegian teachers talk about children who are struggling in school'... I am also wondering how to include the child perspective in this. I see that it might be possible to extend the project to include some of the children in question since our student teachers will most likely have the same class of children over several years once they start working as teachers. There are possibilities, and I truly believe it is necessary and timely to focus more on this discourse in a critical way!</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">About me: My field is pedagogy - I started out as a teacher (have taught most grade levels) and I am currently working on my PhD on 'teachers' professional certainty'. The project described above has become a natural prolongation of my PhD work and will keep me busy both besides working on my PhD and after I've completed it. Otherwise; I'm 43, my closest family is my husband and three children who are now 20, 16 and 12. The city we live in (Stavanger) is located in the south western part of Norway and is known as 'the oil capital of Norway' - a lot of international business! It has a population of about 100 000 and is the 4th largest city in Norway - a nice place to visit, too!</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Wishing you all a great summer - and looking forward to taking part on this list!</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Regards,</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Elaine</font>
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Elaine Munthe<br>
Center for Behavioral Research<br>
Stavanger University College<br>
POB 2557, Ullandhaug<br>
N-4091 Stavanger<br>
NORWAY<br>
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tel: 47-51832919 fax: 47-51832950<br>
home page: http:/www.his.no/sentre/saf<br>
e-mail: elaine.munthe@saf.his.no<br>
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