Thor André Skrefsrud

• Iversen, Jonas Yassin; Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Somby, Hege Merete (2026). Conceptualising ‘Learning Barriers’ in Educational Research: A Scientific Concept Analysis. International Journal of Inclusive Education. ISSN 1360-3116. doi: 10.1080/13603116.2026.2747818. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Researchers need accurate and appropriate terminology to appropriately analyse the continuous marginalisation of substantial groups of the student population, as well as the resulting reproduction of social inequalities. In the present article, we therefore propose that researchers should distinguish between personal pathologies as ‘learning disabilities’ and environmental hindrances as ‘learning barriers’. However, it is also necessary to investigate whether such a distinction can be supported by the current definition and application of the term ‘learning barrier’ in the existing research. Hence, we investigate the following research question: How is the concept of ‘learning barriers’ conceptualised in international educational research? This research question is investigated through a scientific concept analysis in the form of a systematic review of 40 scientific journal articles published between 1990 and 2020 that were written in Danish, English, and Swedish. This analysis shows that 40% of the articles contain a conceptualisation of learning barriers that emphasises structural factors outside the learner, 37.5% emphasise an interaction between internal and external factors, and 22.5% emphasise individual factors within the learner. As a result, we argue that there is support from international research for distinguishing learning barriers from the learning difficulties associated with personal predispositions.

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2026). Å arbeide som lærer i den flerkulturelle skolen. In Krumsvik, Rune Johan & Säljö, Roger (Ed.), Praktisk-pedagogisk utdanning: En antologi (3.utg.). Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245062052. p. 385–414. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Praktisk-pedagogisk utdanning – en antologi, 3. utgave består av 23 vitenskapelige kapitler. Kapitlene er knyttet til pedagogikkdelen i praktisk-pedagogisk utdanning (PPU) og til de delene av læreplanverket for skolen som har spesiell relevans for trinnene 8.–13. i fagfornyelsen. Boken er delt inn i seks hoveddeler. Kapitlene er organisert tematisk, med sikte på å dekke de mest sentrale delene av utdanningen. Den har også et spesielt blikk på hvordan det er å være lærer i ungdomsskolen og den videregående skolen. Redaktørene og forfatterne har derfor lagt vekt på at antologien både skal være forskningsbasert og praksisnær, slik at lærerstudentene som tar praktisk-pedagogisk utdanning, ser verdien av begge disse kjerneområdene. Denne tredje, reviderte utgaven har to helt nyskrevne kapitler: ett om den flerkulturelle skolen og ett om den delen av lovverket som angår skolen og de som er ansatt der. Boken retter seg primært mot PPU-studenter, studenter i integrert lektorutdanning samt studenter i grunnskolelærerutdanningen.

• Iamroz, Olena & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2026). Navigating Transitions: Enhancing the Educational Integration of Newly Arrived Students in Norwegian Upper Secondary School. In Borg, Anna-Lena; Fransson, Helene & Peskova, Renata Emilsson (Ed.), Educational Transitions for Marginalized, Multilingual and Migrant Youth: Northern European Perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9783032187345. p. 111–130. doi: https:/link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-032-18735-2_7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This chapter explores the question of how the Norwegian educational system can better support newly arrived students in their transition to upper secondary school. As immigration continues to shape Norway’s demographic landscape, schools increasingly have been tasked with accommodating students from diverse linguistic, cultural and educational backgrounds. Drawing on qualitative interviews with Norwegian teachers and programme leaders who work closely with newly arrived students—in a preparatory programme that provides extended basic education and in upper secondary school—the chapter examines the specific challenges and systemic barriers that these students encounter during their integration into the education system. In this chapter, these teachers and programme leaders’ experiences are used to shed light on everyday classroom realities and broader structural issues, offering insights into areas where educational policy and practice may be improved.

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2026). Resource-oriented pedagogy: Exploring dilemmas, challenges, and pedagogical considerations. In Aschim, Anders; Berglund, Jenny; Erdal, Marta Bivand & Schweitzer, Friedrich (Ed.), Minorities, Migration, and Religion: New Perspectives on Religious Education in Faith Communities and Schools in Europe. Waxmann Verlag. ISSN 9783818851392. p. 337–354. doi: https:/www.waxmann.com/shop/download?tx_p2waxmann_download%5Baction%5D=download&tx_p2waxmann_download%5Bbuchnr%5D=205139&tx_p2waxmann_download%5Bcontroller%5D=Zeitschrift&cHash=7eca0954363671ec57c92e954e98c3e4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This chapter critically analyzes a resource-oriented pedagogy, exploring complexities and challenges of aligning the curriculum with students’ lived experi‍ences and cultural backgrounds. Building on the seminal works of Taylor, Dewey, and Freire, it unpacks the power dynamics that emerge when teachers position students’ diverse experiences as valuable resources within mainstream classrooms. The discussion moves beyond a superficial use of this approach as a mere motiva‍tional strategy for educators, advocating instead for its role in fostering transforma‍tive practices that nurture critical thinking and deeper engagement with learning. The chapter concludes with recommendations for integrating these principles into teachers’ professional development to cultivate inclusive and reflective educational environments.

• Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn; Hustvedt, Marianne & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2026). Experiences of religious diversity in Norwegian public schools: Insights from school leaders, RE teachers, and students. In Aschim, Anders; Berglund, Jenny; Erdal, Marta Bivand & Schweitzer, Friedrich (Ed.), Minorities, Migration, and Religion: New Perspectives on Religious Education in Faith Communities and Schools in Europe. Waxmann Verlag. ISSN 9783818851392. p. 187–201. doi: 10.31244/9783818851392. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This chapter is based on three studies about Norwegian public schools and religious diversity, investigating how school leaders, Religious Education (RE) teachers, and lower secondary students approach religious diversity (Kjørven et al., 2023; Hustvedt & Skrefsrud, 2025; Kjørven & Hurtic, 2025). Following a re‍view of the key findings from these individual studies, this chapter discusses the similarities and differences in how school leaders, RE teachers, and students reflect upon and experience religious diversity. The chapter ends with a discussion on the implications of the findings in relation to the Norwegian public school’s aim and vision of inclusion, highlighting the significance and the potential of recognizing students’ normalized interactions across boundaries of faith.

• Iversen, Jonas Yassin; Faldet, Ann-Cathrin & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2026). Skogfinske temaer i skolen: Skogfinske læreres perspektiver. Nordisk tidsskrift for utdanning og praksis. 20(1), p. 106–121. doi: 10.23865/up.v20.7510. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Skogfinner er én av Norges fem nasjonale minoriteter, og læreplanverket slår fast at alle elever skal lære om dem. Likevel viser undersøkelser at kunnskapsnivået om skogfinner i befolkningen er lavt. Artikkelen undersøker derfor problemstillingen: Hva mener skogfinske lærere bør vektlegges i undervisning i skogfinske temaer i skolen? Gjennom seks kvalitative intervjuer med ti lærere analyseres deres perspektiver med utgangspunkt i fire didaktiske tilnærminger: å lære om, av, til og for. Lærerne uttrykker et sterkt ønske om at skolen skal bidra til å synliggjøre skogfinsk kultur og historie, og motvirke den usynliggjøringen de selv har erfart. Flere mener at undervisning i skogfinske temaer ikke bare gir kunnskap om en nasjonal minoritet, men også kan fremme toleranse, respekt for mangfold og bevissthet om naturens tålegrenser. Noen peker på at slik undervisning kan være særlig viktig for skogfinske elever, ved å styrke deres identitet og gi dem stolthet over egen bakgrunn. Artikkelen avslutter med å drøfte funnene i lys av tidligere forskning, og argumenterer for at skogfinske temaer har en naturlig og viktig plass i dagens skole, både som del av mangfoldsundervisning og som identitetsskapende læring.

• Hustvedt, Marianne & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2025). «De sitter jo mye inne på lørdager, da …»: Om læreres erfaringer med sammenhenger mellom skolens KRLE-undervisning og elevens deltakelse i religiøs trosopplæring. In Aschim, Anders; Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn & Kleive, Hildegunn Valen (Ed.), Hvor skal du i helga? En bok om religionsmangfold, trosopplæring og skole. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202882259. p. 25–42. doi: 10.23865/cdf.248.ch1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Ja, rundt omkring i Norge arrangerer ulike trossamfunn religionsundervisning for barn og unge i helger og på ettermiddagstid. Denne boka er en døråpner inn til flere av disse stedene gjennom kapitler som beskriver undervisningen i moskéer og katolske kirker i Norge. Boka gir innsikt i hvordan slik undervisning oppleves av barn, ungdommer, foreldre, undervisere og ledere. I tillegg belyses forholdet mellom religionsundervisningen i trossamfunnene og KRLE-undervisningen i grunnskolen, samt hvordan religions- og livssynsmangfold kommer til uttrykk i grunnskolen. Elevene, men også KRLE-lærere og skoleledere kommer til orde når disse sammenhengene diskuteres. Boka formidler kunnskap fra forskningsprosjektet «Ikke-formell trosopplæring, offentlig skole og religiøse minoriteter i Norge» (FAITHED). I dette prosjektet, som er finansiert av Forskningsrådet, har et team av utdanningsforskere, samfunnsforskere og religionsforskere gått sammen for å synliggjøre og forstå mangfold i skolen og i samfunnet med særlig blikk for religiøst mangfold. Denne kunnskapen er relevant for lærere og skoleledere, utdanningsforskere og studenter i lærerutdanningene. Ledere, lærere og medlemmer i trossamfunnene vil også ha nytte av å kjenne til hvordan barn og unge selv opplever rollen trossamfunnene og skolen spiller i livet deres. Håpet er at boka kan bidra til refleksjon og diskusjon i utdanningsfeltet, i trossamfunnene, men også i den offentlige samtalen om det mangfoldige norske samfunnet.

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2025). Reinterpreting intercultural dialogue for sustainability in the Anthropocene era. Visions for Sustainability. p. 1–16. doi: 10.13135/2384-8677/11856. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article explores the concept of intercultural dialogue in an era shaped by significant human impact on the planet, commonly framed as the ‘Anthropocene’. Addressing concerns that intercultural dialogue may be limited to human-centered interactions, the article argues that the Anthropocene narrative offers a critical and imaginative reassessment of intercultural dialogue, extending its scope beyond traditional anthropocentric perspectives. Furthermore, the article suggests that critically rethinking intercultural dialogue within the context of the Anthropocene can, in turn, lead to a more nuanced understanding of the Anthropocene narrative itself. Central to this argument is the need for a critical analysis within the Anthropocene discourse, highlighting how a small group of nations disproportionately contributes to climate change while the world’s most vulnerable communities bear the consequences. By situating intercultural dialogue within an ecological context, the article underscores its potential to challenge dominant narratives, amplify marginalized voices, and thus foster more just and sustainable ways of coexisting. Ultimately, the article calls for a deeper recognition of the interconnectedness of human and non-human life, ensuring that environmental awareness becomes a central component of intercultural communication and collaboration.

• Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre; Somby, Hege Merete & Stalheim, Odd Rune (2025). Integrating virtual reality as a pedagogical tool into teacher education: experiences from Norwegian preservice teachers. Professional Development in Education. ISSN 1941-5257. p. 1–20. doi: 10.1080/19415257.2025.2518536. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study explores the experiences of Norwegian preservice tea-chers using virtual reality (VR) simulations to practice home – schoolconversations with parents, aiming to support children’s academicand social development. The VR simulation was part ofa professional development course grounded in Vygotsky’s theoriesof cognitive development and was structured in three phases:literature review, VR interaction with animated characters, andgroup reflection. Based on observations and interviews with 23preservice teachers, the study found that participants were highlyengaged and perceived the VR experience as realistic and valuablepreparation for future teaching. Analysis through a Vygotskyan lenshighlighted strong emotional engagement and benefits from dia-logue and collaboration, though less evidence of concept develop-ment was observed. The VR environment offered practical, situatedexperiences that fostered shared understanding – crucial for effec-tive communication and relationship-building between schoolsand families. The findings suggest that when used reflectively andsystematically, VR can be a powerful tool for developing profes-sional skills in home – school collaboration. It helps prepare pre-service teachers to navigate complex family dynamics and engageempathetically with caregivers, ultimately supporting strongerpartnerships between home and school.

• Ruiz-Cecilia, Raúl; Capperucci, Davide; Didham, Robert J.; Dodman, Martin; Guijarro-Ojeda, Juan Ramón & Jonsson, Susanne Gunvor [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2025). The RESPOND glossary. In Capperucci, Davide & Dodman, Martin (Ed.), RESPOND: Sustaining the professional development of teachers within schools as professional learning environments. Edizioni FrancoAngeli. ISSN 9788835176619. p. 159–168. Full text in Research Archive
• Capperucci, Davide; Didham, Robert J.; Dodman, Martin; Jonsson, Susanne Gunvor; Langaas, Ylva & Nymo, Kristine [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). The RESPOND framework for mentor and peer-to-peer support guidelines. In Capperucci, Davide & Dodman, Martin (Ed.), RESPOND: Sustaining the professional development of teachers within schools as professional learning environments. Edizioni FrancoAngeli. ISSN 9788835176619. p. 51–75. Full text in Research Archive
• Capperucci, Davide; Didham, Robert J.; Dodman, Martin; Jonsson, Susanne Gunvor; Nymo, Kristine & Piccioli, Marianna [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). The RESPOND framework for promoting and monitoring sustainability indexes. In Capperucci, Davide & Dodman, Martin (Ed.), RESPOND: Sustaining the professional development of teachers within schools as professional learning environments. Edizioni FrancoAngeli. ISSN 9788835176619. p. 113–138. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Intercultural Dialogue in Diverse Classrooms: Debating the Socratic Dialogue Method from a Postcolonial Perspective. Religions. 15(15), p. 1–9. doi: 10.3390/rel15010098. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article provides a critical examination of the Socratic Dialogue method, exploring its potential benefits and pitfalls in fostering intercultural and interreligious understanding in the classroom. Drawing on postcolonial theoretical perspectives, the analysis delves into the method’s capacity to amplify marginalized student voices while acknowledging the risk of unintentional silencing. Emphasizing the importance of teachers’ attentiveness to diverse experiences, this article underscores the need for a nuanced approach that avoids othering opinions and rationales that are different from the mainstream. The study calls for an academic challenge to the idealization of dialogue, urging deeper reflection to identify blind spots and ensure an inclusive intercultural dialogue.

• Iversen, Jonas Yassin & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Minority Identities on Display: Youth Experiences from Three Multicultural Events. In Hammaren, Nils; Ivemark, Biörn & Stretmo, Live (Ed.), Migrant Youth, Schooling and Identity: Perspectives and Experiences from Northern Europe. Springer Nature. ISSN 9783031633447. p. 265–280. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-63345-4_18. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Debating the practice of separate plurilingual programs in Norwegian schools from a spatial perspective. In Mañoso-Pacheco, Lidia; Chichón, José Luis Estrada & Sánchez-Cabrero, Roberto (Ed.), Inclusive education in bilingual and plurilingual programs. IGI Global. ISSN 9798369305638. p. 233–247. doi: 10.4018/979-8-3693-0563-8.ch012. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Applying Edward W. Soja's work on spatial justice as an analytical lens, this chapter discusses the use of separate introductory programs for newly arrived migrant students in Norway. Although the use of separate programs for newcomers has been criticized for counteracting the aims of inclusion, this chapter suggests that from a spatial perspective, separation in itself is not necessarily a sign of exclusion; rather, it is what happens in an introductory program and how the actual space affects practices that matter. Furthermore, a sensitivity toward place and space can help educators pay attention to newly arrived students' backgrounds and needs without separation from their mainstream peers becoming a perceived barrier to inclusion. Acknowledging Soja's idea that social processes and discursive practices also influence place and space, a spatial perspective warns against letting ideological (and sometimes superficial) ideas about inclusion shape and govern practices.

• Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn; Dewilde, Joke & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Negotiating Indigenous participation and heritage at a multicultural museum event in Norway. Museum and Society (M&S). 22(2), p. 1–14. doi: 10.29311/mas.v22iAdditional.4401. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article investigates how Indigenous participation and heritage are negotiated at a multicultural festival at the Norwegian Railway Museum. While such events respond to the call for meeting places fostering social inclusion and belonging, researchers within museology and festival research warn against promoting superficial and biased understandings of Indigeneity. Based on fieldwork and semi-structured interviews with festival organizers and Greenlandic contributors, we found that Indigenous participation was negotiated along two lines. First, the organizers and the Greenlanders shared enthusiasm for the festival’s inclusive vision, yet they experienced different levels of ownership. The organizers were in charge; one Greenlandic contributor took on an active role while others became more silent consultants. Second, the negotiations revealed contrasting perceptions of Indigeneity, ranging from the organizers’ traditional understanding to the Greenlanders’ ambivalence toward the term. We argue that for multicultural museum and festival events to succeed in being inclusive, they must adopt critical and reflective approaches to ownership, as well as more complex understandings of Indigenous participation and heritage.

• Sæther, Elin; Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn; Dewilde, Joke & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Listening to young people’s voices: Attempts at developing context- and participant-sensitive approaches. Childhood. ISSN 0907-5682. 31(2), p. 176–191. doi: 10.1177/09075682241246394. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article explores the methodological impact of sharpening researchers’ listening skills as part of the development of more context- and participant-sensitive approaches to research. The starting point is an analysis of structured app interviews with young people at a multicultural festival. Through the research process, we became increasingly aware of forms of communication we were prone to overlook, such as the here-and-now engagement of the participants, their carnivalesque expressions and associative and fragmented narration. Listening more openly required a reflexive extension of the data analysis and gave us unexpected glimpses into the life world and identity formation of young people.

• Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Iversen, Jonas Yassin & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Et jevnere utdanningsløp: Reduserte forskjeller eller selvforsterkende marginalisering? Nordisk tidsskrift for pedagogikk og kritikk. 10(4), p. 82–93. doi: 10.23865/ntpk.v10.6573. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Med utgangspunkt i utredningen Et jevnere utdanningsløp: Barnehage og skole/SFO som innsats mot ulikhet blant barn levert av et regjeringsoppnevnt ekspertutvalg i februar 2024, gir artikkelen en kritisk drøfting av elev- og læringssynet som rapporten bygger på. Vi mener at ekspertgruppen bygger på et til dels deterministisk elevsyn, samt et individualistisk og kognitivt læringssyn. Med utgangspunkt i Bourdieus teorier om habitus og kapital, samt Biestas kritikk av et teknologisk utdanningssyn, problematiserer vi ekspertgruppens elev- og læringssyn og skisserer en alternativ tilnærming til sosial ulikhet i utdanningssystemet. Avslutningsvis argumenterer vi for at det er behov for pedagogisk forankrede perspektiver på elevene og læring når viktige avgjørelser knyttet til det offentlige utdanningssystemet skal fattes.

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2023). Enhancing Student Teachers’ Professional Development through Active Learning. In Ortega-Sánchez, Delfín (Eds.), Education - Annual Volume 2023. IntechOpen. ISSN 9781837685691. p. 1–13. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.112399. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  As a contrast to traditional approaches to learning, this chapter explores two examples of active learning conducted with student teachers in Norway. In the first example, the chapter reports from a case study on student teachers’ engagement with the Scandinavian Romani exhibit at a local museum. For this example, the chapter discusses student teachers’ possibilities for developing a critical consciousness through immersive experiences. In the second example, the chapter presents and discusses a project using virtual reality (VR) technology designed to build student teachers’ capacity for their future professional role in schools. For this example, the chapter addresses the development of student teachers’ awareness of their own professionality and their active role in home-school cooperation. In both examples, the chapter draws attention to the leading role of the teacher educator, who actively facilitates a collaborative, interactive, and participatory learning environment. Theoretically, the chapter elaborates on student-centered learning from the perspectives of John Dewey and Paulo Freire, underlining the significance of active engagement and critical reflections.

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2023). Potensialet for publikums interkulturelle forståelse i møte med «MEG – jeg vil fortelle deg noe». In Nielsen, Sigurd Solhaug & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (Ed.), Folkemuseene i mangfoldige samfunn – publikums erfaringer av forskjellighet og tilhørighet. Oplandske Bokforlag. ISSN 9788275182843. p. 93–110. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Folkemuseene i Norge ble til i en tid preget av nasjonsbygging og kulturell homogenisering. Hvilken rolle spiller folkemuseene i et moderne og sammensatt samfunn? Hvordan tilpasser folkemuseene seg et stadig mer mangfoldig publikum? Hvilke dimensjoner av mangfold erfarer de besøkende i folkemuseene? «Folkemuseene i mangfoldige samfunn – publikums erfaringer av forskjellighet og tilhørighet» ønsker å stimulere til en fordypet og fornyet faglig samtale om hva folkemuseene kan være i dag og hvordan de oppleves av publikum. Boka henvender seg til museumsansatte, forskere, lærere, lærerstudenter og andre som interesserer seg for mangfoldstematikk. Kapitlene er skrevet av en rekke fagfolk ved ulike museer i Norge, i tillegg til fagpersoner fra universitet- og høgskolesektoren. Redaktører for boka er førstekonservator Sigurd Solhaug Nielsen, Anno museum, og professor Thor-André Skrefsrud, Høgskolen i Innlandet.

• Nielsen, Sigurd Solhaug & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2023). Innledning: Folkemuseene i fortid og nåtid – om tilhørighet, mangfold og behovet for publikumsstudier. In Nielsen, Sigurd Solhaug & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (Ed.), Folkemuseene i mangfoldige samfunn – publikums erfaringer av forskjellighet og tilhørighet. Oplandske Bokforlag. ISSN 9788275182843. p. 13–28. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Folkemuseene i Norge ble til i en tid preget av nasjonsbygging og kulturell homogenisering. Hvilken rolle spiller folkemuseene i et moderne og sammensatt samfunn? Hvordan tilpasser folkemuseene seg et stadig mer mangfoldig publikum? Hvilke dimensjoner av mangfold erfarer de besøkende i folkemuseene? «Folkemuseene i mangfoldige samfunn – publikums erfaringer av forskjellighet og tilhørighet» ønsker å stimulere til en fordypet og fornyet faglig samtale om hva folkemuseene kan være i dag og hvordan de oppleves av publikum. Boka henvender seg til museumsansatte, forskere, lærere, lærerstudenter og andre som interesserer seg for mangfoldstematikk. Kapitlene er skrevet av en rekke fagfolk ved ulike museer i Norge, i tillegg til fagpersoner fra universitet- og høgskolesektoren. Redaktører for boka er førstekonservator Sigurd Solhaug Nielsen, Anno museum, og professor Thor-André Skrefsrud, Høgskolen i Innlandet.

• Basha, Shpresa & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2023). Countering Narratives of Identity and Belonging: Multicultural School Events from a Student Perspective. In Tavares, Vander & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (Ed.), Critical and Creative Engagements with Diversity in Nordic Education. Lexington Books. ISSN 9781666925852. p. 313–336. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Teacher education in the Nordic European context continues to change rapidly in response to diversity. However, this context tends to receive less attention globally, despite being a part of the interconnected effort to prepare teachers and students for an increasingly complex and uncertain future. Against this backdrop, this volume presents timely research that identifies and critically explores some of the challenges and opportunities which researchers, educators, and teacher educators may encounter while working in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts of education in Nordic Europe. In doing so, this volume aims to contribute to the broader conversations about diversity and education on an international level, particularly those focused on how to improve and enhance teacher education through more inclusive, responsive, and social justice-oriented practices. Critical and Creative Engagements with Diversity in Nordic Education offers empirical, conceptual, and theoretical contributions on topics such as religion, gender and sex, language, culture, nationality, race, and ethnicity that reflect the experiences, concerns, and needs of both teachers and students from primary to higher and teacher education. By recognizing, promoting, and understanding the importance of diversity in the classroom, educators can contribute to the achievement of academic success of every student

• Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn; Hustvedt, Marianne & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2023). Skolelederes erfaringer og møte med religiøst mangfold. Prismet. ISSN 0032-8847. 74(4), p. 255–275. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Artikkelen undersøker hvordan en gruppe skoleledere i den norske grunnskolen ser på religionsmangfoldet i skole og samfunn. Studien viser at skolelederne har en sterk bevissthet om å synliggjøre elevenes mangfoldserfaringer som en ressurs for skolefellesskapet. Samtidig synes det å være et sprik i synet på om og eventuelt hvordan religiøst mangfold kan inn­lemmes i en inkluderende skole. Skolelederne har begrenset kjennskap til trosopplærings­programmer som elevene deltar i og er usikre på relevansen trosopplæringsarenaen kan ha for skolen. Slik identifiserer artikkelen et paradoks. På den ene siden er skolelederne opptatt av en ressursorientert mangfoldspedagogikk der elevens livsverden speiles i skolens innhold. På den andre siden signaliseres det usikkerhet om og hvordan religion kan anerkjennes som en erfart dimensjon ved mangfoldet

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2023). Rethinking the Intercultural Potential of Religious Education in Public Schools: Contributions from Intercultural Theology. Religions. 14(2). doi: 10.3390/rel14020224. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper asks how intercultural theology can inspire a critical and constructive reflection on the intercultural potential of non-confessional religious education (RE). Taking the Norwegian non-confessional RE subject as a starting point, the paper draws attention to the tendency to present religions, worldviews, and denominations as single entities with distinct characteristics. As emphasized by Jackson, Jones and Meyer, and others, a systemic-oriented approach will largely capture the institutionalized sides of religion. Consequently, in schools, the intercultural dimension of RE can easily be reduced by emphasizing students’ need for encyclopedic knowledge about different traditions, overlooking how religion is embedded in social life and transforms, develops, and interconnects through everyday practices outside of institutionalized religious life. This line of argument sets the stage for the next part, examining how intercultural theology can create critical awareness of the inner diversity and interconnectedness of denominations and religious traditions. The paper argues that the descriptive and normative framework of intercultural theology can inspire educators to reflect critically on the intercultural dimension of a non-confessional RE

• Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Somby, Hege Merete (2023). Å forberede seg på hjem-skole-samarbeid: Lærerstudenters bruk av virtual reality-teknologi i et Vygotsky-perspektiv. In Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Somby, Hege Merete (Ed.), Læring i et Vygotsky-perspektiv. Muligheter og konsekvenser for opplæringen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202811501. p. 177–195. doi: 10.23865/noasp.191.ch10. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2023). Perezhivanie og elevens subjektive opplevelse av læringsmiljø. In Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Somby, Hege Merete (Ed.), Læring i et Vygotsky-perspektiv. Muligheter og konsekvenser for opplæringen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202811501. p. 103–117. doi: 10.23865/noasp.191.ch6. Full text in Research Archive
• Capperucci, Davide; Dodman, Martin; Didham, Robert J.; Jonsson, Susanne Gunvor; Sundby, Kristine Nymo & Langaas, Ylva [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). The role of mentoring and peer-to-peer support in sustaining teacher professional development. In Petrache, Anca-Denisa; Mara, Daniel & Bocos, Musata (Ed.), Sharing and learning for mentoring in education. Editura Universitara. ISSN 9786062817237. p. 192–204. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper presents a part of the RESPOND European Erasmus+-project on the mutually sustaining relationship between teacher professional development and overall school development. The focus is on one of four product results from the project, “The RESPOND Teacher Professional Development Support Guidelines” developed as a tool for understanding the roles of and interactions between different actors in school, with particular reference to the role of mentors for formal institutional support and peer-to-peer support for informal support between colleagues. The paper concludes with a reflection on the aims and the intended impact of the guidelines.

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2023). Multicultural School Events: Possibilities and Pitfalls for Refugee Students and Their Families. In Wolsey, Thomas DeVere & Karkouti, Ibrahim M. (Ed.), Teaching Refugees and Displaced Students. What Every Educator Should Know. Springer Nature. ISSN 9783031338335. p. 197–208. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-33834-2_13. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Multicultural school events have become a useful tool for schools to highlight the different cultures and languages present in the school and draw attention to international solidarity and tolerance of diversity. While prior research has found that multicultural school events play a powerful role in the mobilization of group-based identities—often in ways that promote cultural stereotypes and essentialist cultural identities—much less research has focused on how the events are experienced by the participants, especially by students and families from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds. This chapter examines how refugee students and their families experience the practice. A theoretical lens of belonging and diasporic identity is used to critically discuss the possible limitations of such events as well as their positive potential. The chapter identifies the risk of reducing multicultural education to exotic happenings separated from the everyday activities in school. At the same time, the chapter draws attention to the productivity of multicultural school events by presenting counter-narratives about diasporic identity, belonging, and learning.

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Tavares, Vander (2023). Reconceptualizing non-confessional religious education in Norway from a Freirean perspective. In Tavares, Vander & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (Ed.), Critical and Creative Engagements with Diversity in Nordic Education. Lexington Books. ISSN 9781666925852. p. 173–186. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Teacher education in the Nordic European context continues to change rapidly in response to diversity. However, this context tends to receive less attention globally, despite being a part of the interconnected effort to prepare teachers and students for an increasingly complex and uncertain future. Against this backdrop, this volume presents timely research that identifies and critically explores some of the challenges and opportunities which researchers, educators, and teacher educators may encounter while working in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts of education in Nordic Europe. In doing so, this volume aims to contribute to the broader conversations about diversity and education on an international level, particularly those focused on how to improve and enhance teacher education through more inclusive, responsive, and social justice-oriented practices. Critical and Creative Engagements with Diversity in Nordic Education offers empirical, conceptual, and theoretical contributions on topics such as religion, gender and sex, language, culture, nationality, race, and ethnicity that reflect the experiences, concerns, and needs of both teachers and students from primary to higher and teacher education. By recognizing, promoting, and understanding the importance of diversity in the classroom, educators can contribute to the achievement of academic success of every student

• Tavares, Vander & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2023). Experiential education, museums, and student teachers’ intercultural learning: Reflections on the Scandinavian Romani exhibition. In Tavares, Vander & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (Ed.), Critical and Creative Engagements with Diversity in Nordic Education. Lexington Books. ISSN 9781666925852. p. 45–65. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Teacher education in the Nordic European context continues to change rapidly in response to diversity. However, this context tends to receive less attention globally, despite being a part of the interconnected effort to prepare teachers and students for an increasingly complex and uncertain future. Against this backdrop, this volume presents timely research that identifies and critically explores some of the challenges and opportunities which researchers, educators, and teacher educators may encounter while working in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts of education in Nordic Europe. In doing so, this volume aims to contribute to the broader conversations about diversity and education on an international level, particularly those focused on how to improve and enhance teacher education through more inclusive, responsive, and social justice-oriented practices. Critical and Creative Engagements with Diversity in Nordic Education offers empirical, conceptual, and theoretical contributions on topics such as religion, gender and sex, language, culture, nationality, race, and ethnicity that reflect the experiences, concerns, and needs of both teachers and students from primary to higher and teacher education. By recognizing, promoting, and understanding the importance of diversity in the classroom, educators can contribute to the achievement of academic success of every student

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2022). Enhancing social sustainability through education: Revisiting the concept of multicultural education. In Hufnagel, Levente (Eds.), Sustainability, Ecology, and Religions of the World. IntechOpen. ISSN 9781803554365. p. 1–16. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.103028. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development holds that education is essential to achieving a sustainable future. Thus, many countries around the world have made multicultural education imperative. However, a pertinent question is how multicultural education should be understood and how inclusive teaching and learning approaches should be initiated and integrated within educational systems. In this chapter, I critically discuss the concept of multicultural education and explore how it may contribute to realising the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. First, I give an overview of the main characteristics and goals of multicultural education. Second, I discuss what I see as two major hindrances to realising a sustainable multicultural education: the lack of integrating issues of diversity into everyday school practices and the deficit discourse that still characterises contemporary educational debates on diversity.

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2022). A transcultural approach to cross-cultural studies: Towards an alternative to a national culture model. Transcultural Studies. 12(1), p. 81–100. doi: 10.17885/heiup.jts.2021.1.24153. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The conventional tendency to identify culture as a delimited system of beliefs, values, and practices continues to capture the imagination of policymakers, educators, and practitioners. In particular, Geert Hofstede’s national culture model has become an influential and widely used tool to identify and compare cultural differences and similarities based on a presumed national identity that characterizes people living together within a geographic community. However, researchers have criticized Hofstede’s model for being static and deterministic, arguing that the framework should be supplemented with a more dynamic approach to cultural interaction. This article contributes to the discussion by proposing a transcultural approach to cross-cultural studies as an alternative. In the first section of this article, I examine Hofstede’s national culture model and critically address its shortcomings. In the second section, I present Wolfgang Welsch’s work on cultural transformation and demonstrate how Welsch’s concept of transculturality offers a convincing alternative to Hofstede’s model. Central to this approach is a nuanced and multidimensional understanding of the dynamic space in which cross-border social formation and identity construction operate. I conclude the article with a discussion of the relevance of a transcultural perspective for teachers working in an increasingly diverse classroom.

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2022). The Buber-Levinas Debate on Otherness: Reflections on Encounters with Diversity in School. In Kleive, Hildegunn Valen; Lillebø, Jonas Gamborg & Sæther, Knut-Willy (Ed.), Møter og mangfold: Religion og kultur i historie, samtid og skole. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202753894. p. 229–247. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article turns to the underexposed debate between Martin Buber and Emmanuel Levinas in order to develop a reflection on encounters with otherness in an educational setting. First, I introduce a well-established and well-intended, yet problematic, way of approaching cultural diversity in school, looking at how the asymmetry between the other and the self may be reduced in a process of predicting and explaining the other. This will set the stage for the next part, examining how a positive recognition of alterity is addressed in the dispute between Buber and Levinas. Analysing the controversy between the two philosophers, the article contributes to a pedagogical reflection on how to meet the student as the other in closeness and distance without reducing him or her to a representative for a predefined cultural entity. Attention is also directed towards the ethical foundation of intercultural relations and what our responsibility for the other implies.

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2022). A Proposal to Incorporate Experiential Education in Non-Confessional, Intercultural Religious Education: Reflections from and on the Norwegian Context. Religions. 13(8), p. 1–13. doi: 10.3390/rel13080727. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In Norway, religious education (RE) is a non-confessional and common core subject that should be taught in an objective, critical, and pluralistic manner. As a primary school subject, students learn about a variety of religions and worldviews together in the same classroom. The inclusive framing intends to provide an intercultural space in which the students can enhance their understandings of the beliefs of people whose worldviews differ from their own. Consequently, the subject has privileged an outsider approach, wherein students should learn about religion in a non-partial way, that is, not from religion. However, the claim for objective, critical, and pluralistic teaching still calls into question the role of learning from religions. First, an outsider approach has been criticized for promoting a dated view on learning, ignoring pedagogical knowledge on how students learn. Second, the latest national curriculum states that RE should not only provide students with in-depth knowledge about world religions, but also foster personalized learning experiences. Against this background, the paper asks how the concept of experiential learning in the tradition of Freire, Dewey, and Vygotsky invites a reflection on the ways by which the Norwegian RE subject is passed on most meaningfully in a diverse learning context.

• Dewilde, Joke; Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2021). Multicultural school festivals as a creative space for identity construction–the perspective of minority parents. Intercultural Education. ISSN 1467-5986. 32(2), p. 212–229. doi: 10.1080/14675986.2020.1851173. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this article, we explore how minority parents construct and promote cultural identities through a multicultural school event in Norway. Such events respond to the call for diverse and inclusive initiatives to facilitate learning, belonging, and cohesion in schools. Interestingly, while schools see these events as helping further inclusion, prior research on the subject has criticized such events for promoting essentialist understandings of cultural identities, hence regarding them as counterproductive to the aim of promoting inclusion. This research has directed scarce attention to the participant perspective, among them minority parents. Using the stall of the Kurdish parents as an example, we conducted fieldwork applying the method of Linguistic Landscaping. In addition, we conducted semi-structured interviews with the parents asking questions about the festival and the meaning of the displayed representations in their stall. The findings indicate that the Kurdish parents involved view the event as an important space for creative construction of transnational and diasporic identities, as well as an opportunity for a minority group to strive for acceptance for its cause. We end the article by reflecting on the pedagogical potential in multicultural school events as tools for creating inclusive school practices.

• Dewilde, Joke & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2021). Revisiting studies of multicultural school events from the perspective of strategic essentialism. Nordisk tidsskrift for pedagogikk og kritikk. 7, p. 196–209. doi: 10.23865/ntpk.v7.2145. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The article discusses schools’ use of multicultural school events as a practice designed to enhance inclusion and to prevent prejudice and negative intergroup attitudes in school. While prior research has largely criticized such events for promoting cultural stereotypes and essentialist cultural identities, in this article we argue for a more nuanced way of perceiving such practices. Based on our previous empirical work, we apply the idea of strategic essentialism (Spivak, 1996) and discuss how multicultural school events may also represent an opportunity for minority parents to achieve certain objectives. The minority temporarily adopts the image provided by the majority and uses it in a strategic manner to act and pursue chosen political advantages. However, we also critically discuss possible limitations and pitfalls of the idea of strategic essentialism as the concept may in fact essentialize the minority group contrary to the intention of the multicultural school event. The contribution of the article is a theoretically informed discussion of how these events may ascribe agency to the participating families, reducing the way critics perceive them solely as victims of a majority-dominated and non-inclusive practice.

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2021). Rethinking inclusive education: What can be learned from an ecological theology of liberation? In Heimbrock, Hans Günter & Persch, Jörg (Ed.), Eco-theology : Essays in honor of Sigurd Bergmann. Brill | Schöningh. ISSN 9783506760364. p. 232–250. Full text in Research Archive
• Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Somby, Hege Merete (2021). Exploring the pedagogical potential of virtual reality simulations for pre-service teachers from a Vygotskyan perspective. Digital Culture and Education. 13(1), p. 67–80. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper discusses the pedagogical potential of a flipped classroom practice in which advanced virtual reality simulations are used to place pre-service teachers in work-related situations, such as a home-school collaboration. The paper applies a Vygotskyan perspective and discusses the simulation’s potential for contributing to pre-service teachers’ professional development. The article argues that, as understood through the lens of Vygotsky’s sociocultural approach to learning, virtual reality simulations may enhance pre-service teachers’ ability to learn through imitation, while also encouraging collaborative interaction and reflection. The aim in using virtual reality simulations in the flipped classroom is to counteract the reduction of pre-service teachers to passive interpreters and teachers to the providers of prescribed curriculums. We end the article by drawing attention to the potential limitations of the simulation when used as a flipped classroom practice.

• Dewilde, Joke; Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Sæther, Elin (2021). Young people’s experiences and meaning-making at a multicultural festival in Norway. Journal of Peace Education. ISSN 1740-0201. p. 1–19. doi: 10.1080/17400201.2021.1911792. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article explores young people’s experiences and meaning-making at a multicultural festival. Multicultural festivals aim to promote inclusion and challenge problem-oriented discourses in current debates on diversity and migration. Listening to youth voices from such a festival gives a sense of how young participants perceive representations of cultural difference, and how they relate these representations to their own identity and sense of belonging. The participants in our study are 86 young people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds between the ages of 12 and 20. They recorded answers to our questions about what they did at the festival as well as the memories that participation evokes using a specially developed app. Interpreting the broad spectrum of their reflections in the light of theories about intercultural learning and citizenship, we found that the young people were eager to learn about the Other by experiencing cultural differences and engaging with traditions different to their own. In addition, they experienced the festival as an inclusive space, open for transnational identities, and evoking a sense of safety and belonging. We conclude by arguing that the young participants take with them experiences and memories of diversity as the norm rather than the exception.

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• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Løven i havet. Om forliset ved Husevågøy i 1903. Oplandske Bokforlag. ISBN 9788275182898. 190 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Å leve tett på havet har vært et liv under marginale forhold. Havet gir utsyn mot verden, liv og velstand, men også tap og savn. Historier om kystbefolkningens kår og hverdag er en fortelling om overlevelse, tilpasninger og brottsjøer. 1900-tallet innebar en brytningstid der tradisjonelle kystsamfunn møtte nye tanker og teknologier. Skipsfart og fiske endret seg med overgangen fra seil til motor. Utvandringen til Amerika forandret befolkningssammensetningen. Det samme gjorde økende urbanisering. Nye politiske vinder og dype religiøse vekkelser endret folket. Boka plasserer seg innenfor fagområdet mikrohistorie, der enkelthendelser og lokalsamfunn danner utgangspunktet for å si noe om kulturell brytingstid, sosial klasse og mangfoldet som preget Norge på denne tida.

• Fuglseth, Kåre Sigvald & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Innføring i KRLE-didaktikk Undervisning i religion, livssyn og etikk i et flerkulturelt samfunn. IKO-forlaget A/S. ISBN 9788282495561. 288 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Nielsen, Sigurd Solhaug & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2023). Folkemuseene i mangfoldige samfunn – publikums erfaringer av forskjellighet og tilhørighet. Oplandske Bokforlag. ISBN 9788275182843. 326 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Folkemuseene i Norge ble til i en tid preget av nasjonsbygging og kulturell homogenisering. Hvilken rolle spiller folkemuseene i et moderne og sammensatt samfunn? Hvordan tilpasser folkemuseene seg et stadig mer mangfoldig publikum? Hvilke dimensjoner av mangfold erfarer de besøkende i folkemuseene? «Folkemuseene i mangfoldige samfunn – publikums erfaringer av forskjellighet og tilhørighet» ønsker å stimulere til en fordypet og fornyet faglig samtale om hva folkemuseene kan være i dag og hvordan de oppleves av publikum. Boka henvender seg til museumsansatte, forskere, lærere, lærerstudenter og andre som interesserer seg for mangfoldstematikk. Kapitlene er skrevet av en rekke fagfolk ved ulike museer i Norge, i tillegg til fagpersoner fra universitet- og høgskolesektoren. Redaktører for boka er førstekonservator Sigurd Solhaug Nielsen, Anno museum, og professor Thor-André Skrefsrud, Høgskolen i Innlandet.

• Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Somby, Hege Merete (2023). Læring i et Vygotsky-perspektiv. Muligheter og konsekvenser for opplæringen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202811501. 243 p. doi: 10.23865/noasp.191. Full text in Research Archive
• Tavares, Vander & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2023). Critical and Creative Engagements with Diversity in Nordic Education. Lexington Books. ISBN 9781666925852. 367 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Teacher education in the Nordic European context continues to change rapidly in response to diversity. However, this context tends to receive less attention globally, despite being a part of the interconnected effort to prepare teachers and students for an increasingly complex and uncertain future. Against this backdrop, this volume presents timely research that identifies and critically explores some of the challenges and opportunities which researchers, educators, and teacher educators may encounter while working in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts of education in Nordic Europe. In doing so, this volume aims to contribute to the broader conversations about diversity and education on an international level, particularly those focused on how to improve and enhance teacher education through more inclusive, responsive, and social justice-oriented practices. Critical and Creative Engagements with Diversity in Nordic Education offers empirical, conceptual, and theoretical contributions on topics such as religion, gender and sex, language, culture, nationality, race, and ethnicity that reflect the experiences, concerns, and needs of both teachers and students from primary to higher and teacher education. By recognizing, promoting, and understanding the importance of diversity in the classroom, educators can contribute to the achievement of academic success of every student

• Fuglseth, Kåre Sigvald & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2021). Innføring i KRLE-didaktikk. Undervisning i religion, livssyn og etikk i et flerkulturelt samfunn. IKO-forlaget A/S. ISBN 9788282494786. 288 p. Full text in Research Archive

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• Faldet, Ann-Cathrin & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2026). Teachers' Perspectives on Acting-Out Girls in School: Professional Understandings, Challenges, and Relational Practices. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre; Faldet, Ann-Cathrin & Iversen, Jonas Yassin (2026). Forest Finnish Teachers' Perspectives on Teaching About and For a National Minority. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2026). Historisk: Kirken slipper skogfinsk naturtro inn i varmen. [Internet]. NRK.no. doi: https:/www.nrk.no/innlandet/den-norsk-kirke-tar-et-oppgjor-med-fortiden-og-anerkjenner-skogfinnenes-forhold-til-naturen-1.17928090. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Tavares, Vander (2026). Preparing Teachers for Diversity in the Neoliberal and Neoconservative “North”: Undoing and Redoing Teacher Education. McGill Journal of Education (MJE). ISSN 0024-9033. Full text in Research Archive
• Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2025). Religiøst mangfold og inkludering - erfaringer fra klasserommene. Bedre Skole. ISSN 0802-183X. p. 69–72. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2025). Religious Literacy Beyond the Classroom: Exploring Teachers’ Engagement with Students’ Faith Backgrounds. Full text in Research Archive
• Faldet, Ann-Cathrin & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2025). Identity, Relationship, and Education: A longitudinal Study on Women who Engaged in Violent Behaviour during Adolescence. Full text in Research Archive
• Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Iversen, Jonas Yassin & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2025). Enhancing Equality in Education: Challenging a Deficit Discourse in Educational Policy. Full text in Research Archive
• Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn; Dewilde, Joke & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2025). Forhandling om urfolks deltakelse på et flerkulturelt museumsarrangement. Full text in Research Archive
• Aschim, Anders; Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn; Kleive, Hildegunn Valen; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre; Hustvedt, Marianne & Erdal, Marta Bivand [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2025). Boklansering: Hvor skal du i helga? En bok om religionsmangfold, trosopplæring og skole. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2025). Potensialet for interkulturell forståelse: I møtet med "MEG - jeg vil fortelle deg noe". Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Panel - boklansering Folkemuseene i mangfoldige samfunn. Full text in Research Archive
• Hustvedt, Marianne & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Public school and non-formal religious education - complementary or not? RE teachers' perspectives. Full text in Research Archive
• Nestegard, Dag H & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Ragnhild mista mannen og tre søner på same dag. [Journal]. Fjordenes Tidene. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre; Iversen, Jonas Yassin & Massao, Prisca Bruno (2024). Forskning på mangfold i utdanning: Innlegg på Norsk studentorganisasjons ledersamling. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn (2024). RE teachers’ approach to students’ non-formal faith education. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Drop Out or Push Out? Newly Arrived Students' Transitions to Upper Secondary Education in the Norwegian Context. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre; Kooij, Kristin Skinstad Van der & Tavares, Vander (2024). Museums as Alternative Learning Environments in Teacher Education. Full text in Research Archive
• Jonsson, Susanne Gunvor & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). RESPOND: Sustaining the professional development of teachers within schools as professional learning environments: Erfaringer fra et Erasmus+-prosjekt. Full text in Research Archive
• Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn; Hustvedt, Marianne & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Religious Diversity: Perspectives of Norwegian School Leaders, RE Teachers and Students. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Musum, Maja L. (2024). Student Teachers' Encounters with Subjective Narratives in the Museum - How Personal Approaches to Exhibitions Can Empower Students in Teaching about Race and Racism. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Connecting the Curriculum to Students' Experiences: Dilemmas, Challenges, and Pedagogical Considerations. Full text in Research Archive
• Moe, Erlend & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Skriv om dramatisk historie frå Vestlandsbygd. [Internet]. INN.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Transitions to upper secondary school - perspectives from the Norwegian context. Full text in Research Archive
• Nestegard, Dag H & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Skriv om dramatisk forlis ved Klovningen. [Internet]. Fjordenes Tidene. Full text in Research Archive
• Jonsson, Susanne Gunvor; Nymo, Kristine & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Teacher Professional Development Support: International Guidelines for Mentorship and Peer-to-peer Support. Full text in Research Archive
• Sund, Steinar Steinkopf; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Nielsen, Sigurd Solhaug (2024). Folkemuseene i en ny tid. [Journal]. Museum. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Panel discussion: What roles do values and culture play in achieving transformative learning for sustainable development, and how can we best integrate these perspectives into educational programmes? Full text in Research Archive
• Hustvedt, Marianne; Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2023). Religious Education in Diverse Contexts: School Leaders’ Understanding of Religious Diversity and Interconnections between Non-formal and Formal Religious Education. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Tavares, Vander (2023). Reflecting on the Potential of Experiential Education in a Museum to Enhance Student Teachers’ Intercultural Knowledge of Roma Peoples. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Tavares, Vander (2023). Introduction: Education for diversity in the Nordic context. In Tavares, Vander & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (Ed.), Critical and Creative Engagements with Diversity in Nordic Education. Lexington Books. ISSN 9781666925852. p. xiii–xxiii. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Teacher education in the Nordic European context continues to change rapidly in response to diversity. However, this context tends to receive less attention globally, despite being a part of the interconnected effort to prepare teachers and students for an increasingly complex and uncertain future. Against this backdrop, this volume presents timely research that identifies and critically explores some of the challenges and opportunities which researchers, educators, and teacher educators may encounter while working in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts of education in Nordic Europe. In doing so, this volume aims to contribute to the broader conversations about diversity and education on an international level, particularly those focused on how to improve and enhance teacher education through more inclusive, responsive, and social justice-oriented practices. Critical and Creative Engagements with Diversity in Nordic Education offers empirical, conceptual, and theoretical contributions on topics such as religion, gender and sex, language, culture, nationality, race, and ethnicity that reflect the experiences, concerns, and needs of both teachers and students from primary to higher and teacher education. By recognizing, promoting, and understanding the importance of diversity in the classroom, educators can contribute to the achievement of academic success of every student

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn (2023). Bruk og betydning av mat i flerkulturelle arrangement. Full text in Research Archive
• Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Somby, Hege Merete (2023). Forord. In Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Somby, Hege Merete (Ed.), Læring i et Vygotsky-perspektiv. Muligheter og konsekvenser for opplæringen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202811501. p. 7–8. doi: 10.23865/noasp.191. Full text in Research Archive
• Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Somby, Hege Merete (2023). Vygotsky i forskning og praksis: Hvorfor rette blikket mot et sosiokulturelt læringssyn? In Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Somby, Hege Merete (Ed.), Læring i et Vygotsky-perspektiv. Muligheter og konsekvenser for opplæringen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202811501. p. 9–18. doi: 10.23865/noasp.191.ch1. Full text in Research Archive
• Somby, Hege Merete; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre; Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Stalheim, Odd Rune & Parish, Karen (2022). VR Simulation as a Learning Method for Pre-Service Teachers. Full text in Research Archive
• Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Iversen, Jonas Yassin; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Somby, Hege Merete (2022). Understandings of ‘Learning Barriers’ in International Research: A Systematic Review. Full text in Research Archive
• Moe, Erlend; Iamroz, Olena; Randen, Gunhild Tveit & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2022). Nå kommer de ukrainske elevene. [Internet]. HINNs nettside. Full text in Research Archive
• Moe, Erlend; Iamroz, Olena; Randen, Gunhild Tveit & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2022). Hvordan kan vi best møte de ukrainske flyktning­barna i skolen? [Internet]. Forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Randen, Gunhild Tveit & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2022). Slik kan skolen hjelpe elever fra Ukraina. p. 16–17. Full text in Research Archive
• Fuglseth, Kåre Sigvald & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2021). Forord. In Fuglseth, Kåre Sigvald & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (Ed.), Innføring i KRLE-didaktikk. Undervisning i religion, livssyn og etikk i et flerkulturelt samfunn. IKO-forlaget A/S. ISSN 9788282494786. p. 3–3. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Fuglseth, Kåre Sigvald (2021). Invitasjon til KRLE-didaktikk. In Fuglseth, Kåre Sigvald & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (Ed.), Innføring i KRLE-didaktikk. Undervisning i religion, livssyn og etikk i et flerkulturelt samfunn. IKO-forlaget A/S. ISSN 9788282494786. p. 10–18. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Med utgangspunkt i den didaktiske relasjonsmodellen presenterer kapittelet grunnleggende sider ved KRLE-fagets didaktikk. De ulike kapitlene i boka ses i lys av didaktiske kategorier som mål, rammefaktorer, læreforutsetninger, læringsaktiviteter og vurdering. Kapittelet er en invitasjon og faglig introduksjon til innholdet i boka og gir en oversikt over perspektivene som boka presenterer.

• Larsen, Noorit & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2021). How we use metaphors changes how we see the world. [Journal]. ScienceNorway. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre; Faldet, Ann-Cathrin & Somby, Hege Merete (2021). Digital simulation of home-school collaboration - exploring the pedagogical potential of pre-service teachers engagement with virtual-reality technology in a Vygotskyan perspective. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2021). KRLE-lærere og det flerkulturelle klasserommet. In Fuglseth, Kåre Sigvald & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (Ed.), Innføring i KRLE-didaktikk. Undervisning i religion, livssyn og etikk i et flerkulturelt samfunn. IKO-forlaget A/S. ISSN 9788282494786. p. 123–139. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Det flerkulturelle klasserommet er arenaen for læreres undervisning i KRLE. Kapittelet viser hvordan det norske samfunnet har en lang tradisjon for flerkulturelt fellesskap, et fellesskap som i dag preges av en økende kompleksitet og et enda større mangfold i mangfoldet. Videre identifiseres sentrale sider ved KRLE-lærerens kompetanse i å møte det kulturelle mangfoldet på, omtalt som lærerens mangfoldskompetanse. I dette inngår både pedagogisk kunnskap, ferdigheter til å sette disse kunnskapene ut i praksis og utviklingen av en anerkjennende holdning til flerkulturelt mangfold. Lærere i det flerkulturelle klasserommet skal bidra til elevenes dobbeltkvalifisering, det vil si å kvalifisere for deltakelse og arbeid i et samfunn i stadig endring, samtidig som elevens hjemmebakgrunn ivaretas og styrkes som en ressurs.

• Frydenlund, Silje; Grande, Per Bjørnar & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2021). Bruken av lærebøker i KRLE. In Fuglseth, Kåre Sigvald & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (Ed.), Innføring i KRLE-didaktikk. Undervisning i religion, livssyn og etikk i et flerkulturelt samfunn. IKO-forlaget A/S. ISSN 9788282494786. p. 149–155. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Læreboka har en sentral plass i undervisningen i KRLE-faget. Selv om dagens lærere i KRLE benytter en rekke andre lære- og hjelpemidler, som nettbrett, digitale tavler, film og nettressurser, viser forskning at læreboka fortsatt står sterkt. For deg som lærer er det nødvendig å ha et reflektert forhold til bruken av læreboka. Det gjelder hvilke utfordringer og muligheter som bruken av læreboka bringer med seg i KRLE-undervisningen, og hva som er viktig å reflektere over og vurdere når det gjelder valg av læreverk.

• Faldet, Ann-Cathrin; Iversen, Jonas Yassin; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Somby, Hege Merete (2021). Understandings of ‘Learning Barriers’ in International Research: A Systematic Review. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2021). Bokanmeldelse av Urfolk og nasjonale minoriteter i skole og lærerutdanning. Prismet. ISSN 0032-8847. 72(3), p. 268–270. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Larsen, Noorit (2021). Hvordan vi bruker metaforer endrer hvordan vi ser verden. [Internet]. Høgskolen i Innlandet. Full text in Research Archive
• Dewilde, Joke; Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Lien, Silje Josten (2021). Forskerne brukte denne campingvogna ute i felten til sine undersøkelser. [Journal]. Hamar Arbeiderblad. Full text in Research Archive
• Ringlund, Ole Martin & Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2021). Verdt å stoppe ved Stoppested Verden-festivalen. [Internet]. Høgskolen i Innlandet. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2021). Innføringsklasser eller direkte integrering på trinn? Inkluderende innføringsmodeller for nyankomne minoritetselever. Full text in Research Archive
• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2021). Læreverk gir ikke hele bildet. Avisa Vårt land. p. 18–18. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Et læreverk kan ikke gi det fullstendige bildet, verken av jødisk liv og historie eller annet. Derfor må lærere utvikle en kritisk forståelse for makten som ligger i lærebøkene.

• Massao, Prisca Bruno; Andersen, Camilla Eline; Fylkesnes, Sandra; Vibeto, Håvard Andreas; Klausen, Siri Wieberg & Haug, Inger Mokkelbost [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2021). Det er på høy tid å forske på rase og rasisme i lærerutdanningene, Søberg. Nettavisen. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  https://www.nettavisen.no/norsk-debatt/det-er-pa-hoy-tid-a-forske-pa-rase-og-rasisme-i-larerutdanningene-soberg/o/5-95-286058

• Dewilde, Joke; Kjørven, Ole Kolbjørn; Skrefsrud, Thor Andre & Lien, Silje Josten (2021). - Skaper tilhørighet: Forskning: Stoppested verden under forskernes lupe fra en gul campingvogn. [Journal]. Hamar arbeiderblad. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Over flere år fulgte forskerne arrangementer med mangfold i sentrum. En del av motivasjonen var å nyansere bildet som forskningslitteraturen ga.

• Skrefsrud, Thor Andre (2024). Multicultural School Events as Rituals. Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion. Full text in Research Archive

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