- The goal is to develop knowledge and competence in early childhood leadership and in how to teach leadership in the field. Internationalisation is one of the strategic priorities at DMMH, and through this project we extend that opportunity to our master’s students as well, says project leader Gjertrud Stordal.
Master’s Exchange in South Africa
Students in the master’s programme in Early Childhood Education Leadership have the opportunity to travel to South Africa on exchange while writing their master’s thesis. They receive supervision from both DMMH and STADIO.
Birgitte Ljunggren, programme coordinator for the master’s degree, explains that leadership development grounded in academic knowledge is a central focus throughout the programme. She sees great value in giving students the opportunity to participate in the project by going abroad.
- International collaboration is important to our Masters Degree. It opens possibilities for knowledge development and comparison, and becomes an important source of learning about what happens outside Norway. Seeing our own practice from the outside provides new perspectives on things we often take for granted. At the same time, early childhood institutions in South Africa are organised differently than in Norway, so students also gain system-level understanding. Being part of this project strengthens the entire master’s programme. I’m proud that we are involved, I don’t know of any other master’s programme doing something similar.
Students going to South Africa can stay for about four weeks and can apply for a grant that covers part of the costs. The programme facilitates visits to various institutions where students can collect data for their thesis. So far, three students have participated, and this autumn there is space for two more.
- We have also tested a digital exchange with a student on the programme who is living in Germany, informs Gry Mette D. Haugen, who is responsible for the exchange.
- The student is writing a comparative thesis on early childhood institutions in Norway, Germany, and South Africa. She conducted digital interviews in South Africa, and it worked very well with supervisors from both DMMH and STADIO.
Joint Supervision
- Supervising together with a lecturer from another country is also very educational for us as staff, Haugen continues. - In some ways it is challenging. We may have different perspectives and views on which methods should be used and on the process itself. But it is also enriching. We have had joint supervision with one student and with two students - meaning six people in total. It creates a completely different kind of academic conversation.
- After joint supervision sessions, I am left with a much more nuanced view of supervision. It has taught me that I need to adapt my approach more closely to the student’s individual needs. I’ve learned a lot about how students learn and about different ways of guiding them, says Stordal.
-Our perspectives are challenged in joint supervision, and we’ve learned that we need to be more concrete and detailed about how we think the process should unfold. It’s easy to talk about “the South African model” and “the Norwegian model,” but I’m actually very opposed to that. They are not necessarily two different models — we simply come from different traditions, perhaps with different academic foundations, and that leads to very good professional discussions. Students gain multiple perspectives on their own thesis, which forces them to take a clearer position themselves, Haugen explains.
Joint Teaching
Some of the master’s programme sessions are conducted as joint digital lectures. This gives students in Norway insight into South African practice and teaching.
- Each year we create and deliver four lectures together with lecturers from STADIO, across different course modules, says Stordal.
- It has been very rewarding and also a bit challenging — we experience some of the same challenges as the students, Haugen adds. - It’s incredibly exciting to gain new contacts and perspectives in our teaching. We consistently receive positive feedback on these sessions; students appreciate the opportunity to ask questions to experts in another context.
Not Only Differences
- There is a much wider gap in living conditions in South Africa than in Norway. But despite both major and minor differences, there are also many similarities between the countries, Haugen explains.
- This is especially true for academic work and supervision. We share a type of professional community and language that enables very good conversations and discussions. Many of the challenges related to students and supervision are the same, creating a sense of shared understanding - something I think is particularly important in today’s world.
Continuing the Exchange
The project is now in its third year and will formally conclude at the end of the year. However, that does not mean the window for student exchange will close. A condition for the project’s funding is that the researchers continue to develop what has been built during the project period.
- Now we will discuss what we want to carry forward, says Stordal. - What has been valuable, and what can we continue without external funding? One of the things we want to strengthen is our ability to receive international master’s students. That comes with challenges — for example, early childhood leadership is not an established field in South Africa — but they are investing in educational leadership, and academic development is happening there as well.
The lecturers and researchers are not aware of similar collaborations focused on developing leadership education competence between other educational institutions.
-Internationalisation is more than student exchange, Stordal continues. - It is, of course, about giving students experiences from other countries, but it is also very much about our role as a university college. It is an opportunity to develop ourselves and the quality of our educational programmes, making us better for all students.
Ljunggren points out that internationalisation is also about building relationships — something that must be nurtured and further developed.
- It doesn’t come by itself. We must build it step by step to create lasting collaboration that benefits the university college and the early childhood sector.