When education meets research – a well-attended conference

What happens when research meets everyday school life? This was discussed at the annual conference Research-based teaching – theory and practice in collaboration, held last week. The conference is a joint event organized by Jönköping Municipality and the School of Education and Communication (HLK) at Jönköping University.

The idea behind the conference is to bring together those who work with education and learning with those who conduct research on the subject. Each year, the organizers strive to create a conference for reflection, exchange of experiences, and dialogue on learning and teaching. The focus is on establishing contacts, strengthening cooperation, and combining research-based knowledge with proven experience.

“This conference shows what happens when research and school practice come together. It's not just about spreading knowledge but about working together to create understanding and solutions that work in the classroom. It's an exchange that benefits all parties,” says Jesper Boesen, Head of Collaboration and Internationalization at HLK.

The programme for the day offered a wide variety of lectures by three keynote speakers, presentations on development and research projects in the participants' organizations, networking, and exhibitors.

Different professional roles represented

The 260 participants represented a wide range of professional roles and experiences in learning and education, including teachers, special education teachers, head teachers and school principals. The majority of participants came from Jönköping County, but representatives from other parts of the country also participated.

Two of the participants were Anna-Carin Petersson, Development Manager at the Children and Education Administration, and Gunilla Rosenqvist, Head Teacher at Vallsjö School, both from Sävsjö Municipality. Both were attending for the first time and were pleased with the day and the breadth of the conference.

“It's great to come here to be inspired and learn about the research being conducted. It also gives us some confirmation regarding some of the development projects we have underway in Sävsjö,” says Anna-Carin.

“I agree with Anna-Carin. And it's great to have all these parallel sessions where you can hear about different projects that are being carried out. Among other things, we listened to the presentation ‘Language plan and language teachers – an investment in language development in the municipality of Jönköping,’ which was interesting for us since we in Sävsjö also work a lot with language development in schools,” says Gunilla Rosenqvist.

Jesper Boesen was satisfied with the content of the conference and grateful for all the meetings and conversations.

“I am extremely pleased with all the contributions to the conference, which was a very successful and energizing event. Many thanks to the keynote speakers, all the presenters, participants and co-organizers,” he says.