Research group

Science and technology in teaching and learning

This research group dedicated to advancing technology and programming education in schools, integrating AI tools into science and mathematics education, and promoting innovation in STEM/STEAM disciplines.

With a strong commitment to sustainable education and interdisciplinary approaches, we prioritize international collaboration to push the boundaries of educational research.

Through joint initiatives, funding proposals, and global knowledge exchange, we strive to enhance teaching methodologies and strengthen research partnerships. Our efforts support national and international networking, mobility opportunities, and and impactful research publications in these key areas. Join us in shaping the future of learning and innovation!

Research projects

  • Explore how AI technologies can support personalized learning, assessment, and problem-solving across diverse educational contexts. Promote collaboration between educational technology, cognitive science, and subject-specific disciplines to promote innovative, AI-driven teaching practices.

    Project leader: Asif Mushtaq

    Partners:

    • Pädagogische Hochschule Schwäbisch Gmünd Germany
    • School of Natural Sciences (SNS)- NUST Pakistan
    • The University of Sydney, Australia

    Publications:

    1. Integrating Technology and Self-Regulation Strategies to Enhance Learning Outcomes: A Dual-Analysis Approach
      Sohail, A., Bhatti, M. Y., Idrees, M., Mushtaq, A.
      Interactive Learning Environments, 2025, s. 1–13.
    2. Between Potential and Perplexity: The Role of Large Language Models in Mathematics Education
      Seibold, M., Eichler, K.-P., Friz, P., Kodweiß, J., Bimova, D., Mushtaq, A.
      I: Mathematics Education in the Digital Age – Proceedings of the 17th ERME Topic Conference (MEDA4), 2024, s. 373–380.


    Using AI to Plan Mathematics Teaching – Focus on Fractions

    Project Information:
    Lead: Pål Espen Olvik Jom
    Research Area: AI-tools in Science and Mathematics Education
    Collaborators: Bodø, Levanger, Nesna

    About the Project:
    The study focuses specifically on fractions, a topic that is widely recognized as challenging for both learners and teachers. By examining how student teachers interact with AI tools, the project seeks to understand how these technologies influence planning processes and pedagogical choices.

    Research Focus:
    The project is guided by the following research question:
    “What experiences do prospective teachers have with using AI to plan mathematics teaching in fractions?”

  • Explore interdisciplinary collaboration as a key approach to enhancing critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving in teacher training. Promote international collaboration opportunities to enhance the adoption of STEM/STEAM methodologies in teacher education programs.

    Project leaders: Leonie Isabelle Johann and Klaus-Peter Eichler

    Partners:

    • Lahore college for women university (LCWU) Lahore Pakistan
    • Pädagogische Hochschule Schwäbisch Gmünd Germany



    ZeroET – Zero Emission Energy in the Arctic

    UArctic project | 2024

    Project leader: Mohamad Mustafa (UiT – The Arctic University of Norway)

    Strengthens collaboration between Norway and Finland on the development of zero-emission energy technologies for Arctic conditions.

    Goals:

    • Build long-term academic collaboration
    • Develop joint educational programs
    • Strengthen competence in Arctic energy transition
    • Collaboration: UiT · Nord University · University of Oulu

    Development:

    • Online 5 ECTS course (master/PhD)

    Focus:

    • Renewable energy in cold climates
    • Arctic energy transition
    • Interdisciplinary STEM/STEAM perspectives

  • Investigate methods to educate teacher students and teachers to facilitate sustainability learning and promote green transition. Promote international collaboration to advance innovative practices in sustainability education across faculties and disciplines.

    Project leader: Leonie Isabelle Johann


    Towards Green Transition in Education

    Type: Seed-funded project (2026)

    Project leader: Leonie Johann (co-leader: Trygve Kvåle Løken)

    The project explores how education can support green transition by connecting research, technology, and practice. The goal is to develop didactic strategies for relevant and knowledge-based teaching through collaboration between researchers, teacher educators, teachers, and students.

    The work is linked to Nord University’s priority areas Green and Blue Growth and Health, Welfare and Education, and is carried out in collaboration with leading international research environments (IPN Kiel, PH Bern, UCL).

    Status: Publications and case studies under development

    Contact: Open for research Collaboration


    Meetings that Matter?

    Type: PhD project (Hanna Bjørgaas)

    The project examines how students experience and learn through encounters with nature in the school garden. Based on phenomenology and pragmatism, it studies how such experiences are shaped, vary, and gain significance over time.
    The study follows a group of students over one school year and uses qualitative video analysis to explore embodied and situated learning in interaction with nature.

    Focus: Outdoor education · sustainability didactics · nature experiences · school garden research

  • Building on successful implementations in mathematics at FLU and the strong technological emphasis in the sciences, we collaborate to enhance teaching, research, and teacher development. Our goal is to expand programming integration into new subject areas and investigate its impact on education and learning.

    Project leader: Asif Mushtaq

    Key research questions:

    • Are schools and teacher education programs prepared for this shift?
    • Do educators possess sufficient programming competence?
    • What innovative research informs best practices?
    • How can interdisciplinary collaboration enhance integration?
    • What research partnerships can strengthen implementation?
    • This project explores these challenges, driving innovation and collaboration to advance technology and programming in schools.

    Collaborators:

    • Pädagogische Hochschule Schwäbisch Gmünd Germany
    • Technical University of Liberec (TUL) Czech Republic
    • School of Natural Sciences (SNS)- NUST Pakistan

    Recent publications:

    1. Exploring the impact of micro:bit on pre-service teachers’ professional development, 2025, Journal of Research, Policy & Practice of Teachers & Teacher Education (JRPPTTE) – Asif Mushtaq, Klaus-Peter Eichler, Moritz Seibold

    2. Developing students' visuospatial abilities in geometry using various tangible and virtual 3D geometric models, 2023, Proceedings of the 13th Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME13) – Daniela Bimova, Jiri Brehovsky, Klaus-Peter Eichler, Moritz Seibold, Asif Mushtaq

    3. Teachers’ perspectives on programming through emerging technologies in mathematics education, 2023, Proceedings of the 13th Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME13) – Trygve Kvåle Løken, Asif Mushtaq, Klaus-Peter Eichler, Daniela Bimova

    4. Developing visuospatial ability by creating the virtual models of cubic solids for 3D printing, 2022, Proceedings of the 13th ERME Topic Conference (ETC13) on Mathematics Education in Digital Age 3 (MEDA3), Nitra, Slovakia – Daniela Bimova, Petra Pirklova, Jiri Brehovsky, Klaus-Peter Eichler, Asif Mushtaq

    Results: https://nva.sikt.no/research-profile/446102

    Other information: Separate webpage on site.nord.no will be available on this project with more details.

People sitting in a seminar room.
The seminar’s central theme focused on AI integration in education.

The Science and Technology in Teaching and Learning Research Group, in collaboration with the Mathematics Teaching and Learning Research Group, from Realfag successfully hosted a two days seminar titled “Transforming Teaching and Learning Through Technology.” The event brought together educators, researchers, and students to explore emerging perspectives on the role of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, in shaping future educational practices.

The seminar’s central theme focused on AI integration in education along with sustainable education, highlighting both opportunities and challenges associated with transforming teaching and learning processes through technological innovation.

Group picture, medmbers of research groups.
Members of the research groups.

Updated
29.04.2026
Updated by
Faculty of Education and Arts

Contact info

Head of research group

Employee photo: Asif Mushtaq
Professor

Asif Mushtaq

asif.mushtaq@nord.no