Doctoral defense in Educational Sciences: Anna Katarzyna Wozniczka

Anna Katarzyna Wozniczka defends her PhD thesis in Educational Sciences from the Faculty of education and pedagogy, University of Iceland:

Inclusion of immigrant students in Iceland: Interplay of practices in compulsory schools, teacher education and research

The oral defence takes place Tuesday June 3rd., at 13:00 pm in the Aula in the main building of the University of Iceland as well as in live stream.

Link to live stream

Opponents are Dr Ghazala Bhatti Honorary Research Fellow at Oxford Háskóla, Bretlandi and dr. Gry Paulgaard professor emeritus at UiT The Arctic University in Norway, Tromsø.

Main supervisor was dr. Hafdís Guðjónsdóttir professor emerita at the School of Education, University of Iceland and co-supervisor was dr. Per-Åke Rosvall prófessor at Umeå University in Sweden.

Expert in the Doctoral Committee was dr. Mariana Souto-Manning President of Erikson Institute in the United States and dr. Edda Óskarsdóttir associate professor at the School of Education.

Dr. Svava Pétursdóttir, head of the of education and pedagogy will conduct the ceremony.

All are welcome.

The docoral defense will also be in live stream.

About the project:

The rapid growth of immigration to Iceland in the past two decades has increased diversity in schools, sparking interest in educational research on multiculturalism and inclusion. This doctoral study, “Inclusion of immigrant students in Iceland: Interplay of practices in compulsory schools, teacher education and research,” investigates how schools, teacher education, and research practices influence immigrant students’ experiences in educational settings. Specifically, it examines how Icelandic compulsory schools, in rural and urban environments, along with teacher education and research, address opportunities for inclusion.

The primary research question guiding this study is: How do the education system and education research engage with immigrant students to promote, develop, and sustain inclusive practices that leverage everyone’s social, linguistic, and cultural resources? This study fills a gap in existing research on inclusive and multicultural education by examining the interplay among research, teacher education, and school practices. It contributes to scholarship by offering a more inclusive perspective on cultural diversity in education.

This research employs diverse qualitative methods, including observations, semi-structured interviews with educators and immigrant students, a collaborative self-study with teacher educators, and a critical autobiography that explores the researcher’s role. The data were coded, thematically analysed, and interpreted using the frameworks of inclusion, critical pedagogy, and the ecology of equity.

Key findings highlight the critical role of teachers as agents of inclusion. Despite having limited experience and/or resources, many teachers actively engage all students in learning. Local support and caring relationships in schools further enhance students’ sense of belonging. However, systemic challenges such as resource limitations and demographic changes require broader reforms. Findings from teacher educators emphasise the importance of fostering classroom dialogue to engage diverse student groups, while the researcher’s critical autobiography underscores the necessity of reflexivity to avoid imposing personal biases. This thesis highlights the importance of cross-sector collaboration to promote equity and inclusion within Iceland’s increasingly diverse educational landscape.

About the doctoral candidate:

Anna Katarzyna Wozniczka grew up in Poland and moved to Iceland in 2006. She holds a master's degree in International Relations from the University of Economics in Katowice, Poland, and completed a master's in International Studies in Education from the University of Iceland in 2011. Since 2014, Anna has regularly engaged in teaching, supervision, and research related to working with diverse student groups at the School of Education of the University of Iceland. As part of her doctoral studies, she spent a half year as an intern at the OECD in Paris, France. Anna has previously worked at a preschool in Iceland, where her interest in the education of immigrants was sparked, and has since been involved in teaching adult immigrants. She was the chairwoman of W.O.M.E.N. in Iceland from late 2013 to 2016 and has volunteered in peer counselling within the association for a decade. Since 2020, Anna has been working as a project manager for refugee affairs in the municipality of Árborg. She is also the chair of the Employment and Cultural Committee in Grímsnes- and Grafningshreppur, where she lives with her partner, Hans Guðmundur Magnússon.