My research examines how children and young people learn in and through music and the other arts, and what arts education contributes to individuals and to society. Central strands are the development and assessment of musical competence, music teacher education, the role of the arts in cultural literacy, social inclusion and cohesion, and – increasingly – artificial intelligence in music education. Methodologically, I combine quantitative and qualitative approaches, with particular expertise in psychometrics, survey research and intervention studies.
Research Areas
Musical competence and assessment – Modelling, measuring and validating musical competence – from the KoMus competency model and the development of competency tests to psychometric analyses and questions of test fairness. → publications
Learning outcomes and transfer effects – What children and young people gain from music education, including the OutMus intervention study and research on transfer to language and literacy. → publications
Singing in formal and non-formal education – National survey studies on singing in Norwegian kindergartens, schools and teacher education, and on choral practice beyond school. → publications
Music teacher education – Professionalisation, mentoring and international mobility in music teacher education, including the Erasmus+ teacher academy TEAM. → publications
Arts education, inclusion and society – How music and the arts contribute to cultural literacy, intercultural understanding and social inclusion, including the Horizon Europe project d@rts. → publications
Digital media and AI – Musical learning with mobile digital technologies and the role of artificial intelligence in arts education, including work in the MishMash Centre for AI and Creativity. → publications
Research methodology and theory – Quantitative approaches, theory building and methodological reflection in music education research. → publications
Scenic interpretation of music and theatre – Empirical and videographic research on scenic interpretation as an approach to music teaching and learning. → publications
Horizon Europe project dialoguing@rts
Since January 2024, I have been principal investigator and coordinator of the Horizon Europe project dialoguing@rts – Advancing Cultural Literacy for Social Inclusion through Dialogical Arts Education (d@rts, 2024–2027, EUR 3 million), the first Horizon Europe project at Nord University’s Faculty of Education and Arts. The consortium brings together 27 partner organisations from eight countries – universities, arts organisations and networks in Europe, Africa and Oceania.
Focusing on music, dance and drama, d@rts investigates how performing arts education in schools and community arts settings can foster cultural literacy, social cohesion and inclusion, particularly for groups whose voices are seldom heard. The project combines documentary, survey and participatory research with co-created artistic actions, develops tools for assessing cultural literacy, and translates its findings into recommendations for cultural and educational policy and practice. More information can be found on the project’s website, where the public project deliverables are also available.
MishMash Centre for AI and Creativity
Since December 2025, I have been a partner in MishMash – Centre for AI and Creativity, one of six national AI research centres funded through the Norwegian government’s NOK 1.2 billion AI initiative, with more than 200 researchers from 19 Norwegian higher education institutions. Since October 2026, I have co-led its Work Package 4, Creative use of AI in education, together with Eirik Sørbø (University of Agder) and Sidsel Karlsen (Norwegian Academy of Music). WP4 examines how creative AI can strengthen rather than replace human creativity in teaching and learning, and how AI literacy can be built across schools, higher education and lifelong learning. Within the centre, I also supervise a doctoral fellow. (centre website | WP4)
Research Group Music-related Learning Processes
In 2018, I founded the research group ‘Music-related Learning Processes’ at Nord University and have been its head since then. The group comprises approximately 20 researchers and has successfully acquired and carried out several major national and international projects in recent years. Further information can be found on the research group’s website.
ERASMUS+ Teacher Academy TEAM
From June 2023 to September 2026, I led the work package on mobility in music teacher education within the Teacher Education Academy for Music, Future-Making, Mobility and Networking in Europe (TEAM). More information can be found on the project’s website.
List of Research Projects
A list of my concluded and current research projects can be found on this website.