The research group BULKIS (Children and Young People’s Quality of Life in School and Upbringing) develops research-based knowledge that is relevant for the schools, teacher education, and educational disciplines of the future. The group works both closely with practice and with basic research, with a particular focus on the relationships between engagement, inclusion, quality of life, and citizenship.

BULKIS’ main ambition is to develop theory and knowledge that offer new ways of understanding current challenges related to children and young people, inclusion, and democratic preparedness. The group aims to be a driving force in international research on the connections between participation and engagement, and to establish a leading research environment that combines theoretical innovation with practice-oriented relevance.

We are concerned with how children’s and young people’s engagement is connected to citizenship and democratic participation, and with developing concepts that capture both individual experiences and the broader societal frameworks in which they are embedded.

The research group combines theory development with practice-oriented projects, including work on educating teachers with competence in working with refugee students and on young people’s valuation and engagement in Nordic and West Coast U.S. contexts. This includes collaborative projects with Charlottenlund Upper Secondary School, the sail training program Windjammer (Christian Radich), and youth organisations in California. The projects involve pupils, teachers, and researchers in co-creative processes and build bridges between research, practice, and policy development.

Through this work, BULKIS contributes to strengthening the relevance of teacher education and to a holistic understanding of how schools and other arenas in young people’s lives can support children’s and young people’s quality of life, learning, and development.

Projects

Engagement and Valuation Among Young People

The refugee-competent teacher

NTNU Strategic Research Areas

NTNU Community - Team Knowledge for Democracy and Citizenship