Articles (peer reviewed) by Lene Møller Madsen
In this paper we provide an overview of the literature on understandings of drop out/opt out from... more In this paper we provide an overview of the literature on understandings of drop out/opt out from science, technology and mathematics (STM) higher education programmes. After outlining the literature on students leaving higher education
programmes in general, we then explore the research on drop out/opt out from STM programmes in particular, with an emphasis on research since 2000. We show that most of the research focuses on overcoming deficits in students’ prior
knowledge, but that a more specific focus on identities as an analytical framework for understanding young people leaving STM higher education programmes is also emerging. We show that it is important to shift from considering drop out as
an individual problem for the student to regard it as a feature of the relationship between students and their study programmes. In the same way, measures to increase retention rates must shift from focusing on individual student adaptation
to studies addressing institutional change. However, this change is difficult since it is entwined with fundamental conceptions of science and teaching.
Within the last 30 years, geographical information systems (GIS) have been used increasingly in t... more Within the last 30 years, geographical information systems (GIS) have been used increasingly in the training of geographers. On the basis of the philosophy of technology and instrumental genesis, we sketch how the use of instruments interacts with learning processes and outline how this can be studied. We empirically analyse students’ learning processes and the
influences of teaching practice in an introductory course in GIS. We show that students have different strategies for creating their personal instrument for spatial thinking and how teaching
interacts with the students’ learning processes. Finally, we discuss how GIS may gradually alter future professional development of geographers.
This paper develops two sets of concepts to theorize why students engage differently in Geographi... more This paper develops two sets of concepts to theorize why students engage differently in Geographical Information Systems (GIS). These theoretical concepts are used as an
analytical lens to explore empirical data on the experiences and engagement of students enrolled in an undergraduate GIS course in planning and management. The analysis shows that both the theoretical perspectives and the custom and didactical contract are important to understand students’ engagement in GIS. However, it is the personal desiderata that are the key to understanding the students’ different engagement. Further, a temporal dimension and contextual awareness are important in
understanding students’ engagement in a broader perspective.
In many higher education curricula, pre-structured step-by-step laboratory exercises in introduct... more In many higher education curricula, pre-structured step-by-step laboratory exercises in introductory courses in geographical
information systems (GIS) are an important part of the training of future geographers. The reasons for this approach to teaching GIS are manifold, such as large numbers of students, off-the-shelf desktop software that is often complex, technical challenges, and scarce faculty resources. Often the reasons are well agreed upon by members of a university faculty and among the students. Research in other fields has shown that the use of a controlled manual for laboratory work often provides low learning potentials. However, not much empirical research has dealt with this issue within a GIS learning environment. Inspired by research on the value of student-generated questions within science education, the authors take a closer look at the type of student-generated questions and their relation to students’ self-image of their learning approach in two pre-structured GIS laboratory settings at two Danish universities. They conclude that the vast majority of student-generated questions are of a basic information type and
independent of the students’ self-image of their learning approach. Further, it is found that wonderment questions, i.e. questions that are reflective in nature and show students the process towards acquiring extended geographical knowledge and software proficiency, are rarely asked.
Universities in Africa are increasingly seen as key drivers for development and, hence, as a focu... more Universities in Africa are increasingly seen as key drivers for development and, hence, as a focus point for development agencies in the North. Through the ENhancement of REsearch Capacity (ENRECA) programme 1989–2009, the Danish Development Agency has facilitated Ph.D. education and research in partnerships with African higher education institutions. As other capacity building projects, ENRECA has been evaluated by donor-initiated missions looking at research output, degrees awarded and interviewing heads and administrators. But how did the individuals who opted for an academic career experience the process? – are they still part of the university system or have they found other opportunities? – and what do their narratives tell us about long-term capacity building? These are relevant questions to address for understanding the role of African Universities as drivers and actors in development processes. Through two analyses of nine narrative interviews with former ENRECA Ph.D. students from the University of Ghana, we unfold their encounter with the transition into becoming and being an African scholar. The
analyses show that the processes of becoming a Ph.D. are important not only at the time of the Ph.D. study but also for the informants’ experiences of present possibilities. Four different academic life approaches are found that frame the
informants’ re-telling of who they are, how they became who they are, and how the ENRECA programme affected these processes. The article concludes that the ENRECA programme facilitated several kinds of empowerment for the participants, not only during their Ph.D. studies but also in their job positions 15 years later.
Journal of Rural Studies, 2004
"Although the late 1990s saw increasing use of qualitative data in rural studies and a turn towar... more "Although the late 1990s saw increasing use of qualitative data in rural studies and a turn towards issues such as identities and the
construction of rurality, many rural researchers still rely on a range of different methods and use both qualitative and quantitative
data. However, the challenge of combining quantitative and qualitative data and using different methods is a theme not often dealt
with in rural studies, at least not explicitly. This paper (re-)turns the attention to implications of using various methods and
combining different types of data for studying a subject matter called ‘the use of rural space’. It concerns both physical land use and
the practice and values of individual actors influencing the land use. We emphasise interplay between methodology and philosophy
throughout the research process and argue for using multi-methods without compromising the integrity of the different methods.
The methodological approach is a combined study of practice and values of individual actors. Two examples—one concerning
Senegalese pastoralists’ livelihoods and their use of mobility and one concerning landowners’ location of field afforestation in
Denmark—illustrate how the approach facilitates quite different studies of both practice and values and how quantitative and
qualitative data can be combined in a non-eclectic way."
Journal of Rural Studies, 2006
Construction of scientific knowledge can be seen as a struggle over who should define the terms a... more Construction of scientific knowledge can be seen as a struggle over who should define the terms and conditions of legitimate fields of
research. Sociologists of scientific knowledge (SSK) have pointed to the importance of analysing scientific knowledge in the same way as
other types of knowledge. This idea guides the present paper on Danish research in agriculture and rural areas. Based on an ethnographic
study of researchers involved in rural studies, we take stock of the agri-rural research community in Denmark and reflect upon the how
and why ‘fashions’ in Danish rural studies differ from ‘fashions’ in rural studies in the UK. In the analysis, we show how a research
community construct and reconstruct itself in relation to what is perceived as legitimate fields of research. Finally, the paper gives insight
into the research world of those doing research outside the UK and adds to the discussion of ‘putting philosophies of geography into
practice’ that is on-going in British geography""
Journal of Geography in Higher Education, Jul 15, 2014
This paper presents a case for interviewing students as an effective yet complex way to integrate... more This paper presents a case for interviewing students as an effective yet complex way to integrate reflexive practice into teaching and research. Even though many human geographers are accustomed to conducting qualitative interviews in various contexts, it is not straightforward to interview one's own students. This paper addresses three issues: implications of doing insider interviews; ethical issues of interviewing students where power relations are at stake and using visual co-constructions as a means of levelling the analytical power of the insider interviewer. We show how student interviews have enhanced our reflection-on-action and give recommendations for prospect student interviewers.
Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift-norwegian Journal of Geography, 2009
The article addresses the issue of being a ‘double’ insider when conducting interviews. Double in... more The article addresses the issue of being a ‘double’ insider when conducting interviews. Double insider means being an insider both in
relation to one’s research matter in the authors’ case the making of geographical knowledge and in relation to one’s interviewees
our colleagues. The article is a reflection paper in the sense that we reflect upon experiences drawn from a previous research project
carried out in Danish academia. It is important that the project was situated in a Scandinavian workplace culture because this has
bearings for the social, cultural, and economic situation in which knowledge was constructed. The authors show that being a double
insider affects both the interview situation and how interviews are planned, located, and analysed. Being an insider in relation to one’s
interviewees gives the advantage of having a shared history and a close knowledge of the context, and these benefits outnumber the
disadvantages. Being an insider in relation to one’s research matter makes it difficult to contest hegemonic discourses and tacit values
and ideas. Recommendations on how to handle the double insider situation are given. The article concludes that for analytical
purposes, it is useful to separate the two roles, but in reality they coexist and are intertwined.""
Innovative Higher Education Vol 38 No 4, 2012
"In this article we analyze a project that used facilitation techniques, which are known
from tr... more "In this article we analyze a project that used facilitation techniques, which are known
from training in industry, to improve the study environment at a public research university in
Denmark. In 2009, the project was initiated in one graduate program; and it has subsequently
been modified and institutionalized. The project did not change the teaching format, but
introduced facilitated study-groups using peer learning. Itwas successful in increasing students’
well-being. While peer learning and study groups are well-known in higher education, facilitation
is a different and novel tool. We argue that facilitation makes study groups more
inclusive, and they provide the potential for deep learning by structuring the learning situation."
Papers by Lene Møller Madsen
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the South, 2021
Internationalisation of higher education in the global South manifests in different ways through ... more Internationalisation of higher education in the global South manifests in different ways through different modalities. Using a multi-disciplinary mobility-lens, this paper discusses outcomes of geographical mobility practiced by African scholars going to universities in the global North as part of research capacity-building programmes. Over the past 30 years, Danida (Danish International Development Assistance) has provided financial assistance – including research visits at Danish universities – to academics in the global South, who would work with problems in their home countries. This type of internationalisation through research capacity building is used in many European countries and is interesting because it facilitates geographical mobility across the North-South socio-economic divide. Based on a survey sent to 499 current and former African scholars as well as 15 qualitative interviews, the aim of this paper is to analyse the reflections from African academics being involved...
Learning and Teaching, 2019
This article studies issues of coloniality in so-called capacity-building projects between univer... more This article studies issues of coloniality in so-called capacity-building projects between universities in Africa and Scandinavia. Even fifty years after independence, the African higher education landscape is a product of the colonial powers and subsequent uneven power relations, as argued by a number of researchers. The uneven geography and power of knowledge exist also between countries that were not in a direct colonial relationship, which the word coloniality implies. Based on interviews with stakeholders and on our own experiences of capacity-building projects, this article examines how such projects affect teaching, learning, curriculum, research methodology and issues of quality enhancement. We analyse the dilemmas and paradoxes involved in this type of international collaboration and conclude by offering ways to decolonise capacity-building projects.
Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift - Norwegian Journal of Geography, 2009
Population, Space and Place
Routledge, Nov 6, 2015
Based on Paulo Freire’s thoughts, this chapter explores ‘the particular view’ and how it can be t... more Based on Paulo Freire’s thoughts, this chapter explores ‘the particular view’ and how it can be taken into account in capacity building and other action programmes in higher education. It uses Khanya College, a small South African alternative tertiary access programme, as case study. Khanya College was established in 1986 and had Neville Alexander among its founders. There were two campuses, one in Cape Town, which had an agreement with the University of Cape Town, and one in Johannesburg, which had an agreement with University of the Witwatersrand. By participating in the one-year programme, students classified as ‘black’ under apartheid legislation gained access to the second year at these universities that were classified as ‘white’. Khanya College was based on Freirean pedagogy and embodied the idea of education for liberation and it primarily targeted black youth, many of whom were activists involved in the anti-apartheid struggle. Established during the time of unrest, Khanya College worked to transform the university – and thereby also to transform society – by assisting black students’ access to universities. In this chapter, we are primarily interested in the ways Khanya College faculty engaged with ‘the particular view’ in this process; with (South) African history and identity, while at the same time preparing students for the apartheid (white, racial, Euro-centric) university system.
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Articles (peer reviewed) by Lene Møller Madsen
programmes in general, we then explore the research on drop out/opt out from STM programmes in particular, with an emphasis on research since 2000. We show that most of the research focuses on overcoming deficits in students’ prior
knowledge, but that a more specific focus on identities as an analytical framework for understanding young people leaving STM higher education programmes is also emerging. We show that it is important to shift from considering drop out as
an individual problem for the student to regard it as a feature of the relationship between students and their study programmes. In the same way, measures to increase retention rates must shift from focusing on individual student adaptation
to studies addressing institutional change. However, this change is difficult since it is entwined with fundamental conceptions of science and teaching.
influences of teaching practice in an introductory course in GIS. We show that students have different strategies for creating their personal instrument for spatial thinking and how teaching
interacts with the students’ learning processes. Finally, we discuss how GIS may gradually alter future professional development of geographers.
analytical lens to explore empirical data on the experiences and engagement of students enrolled in an undergraduate GIS course in planning and management. The analysis shows that both the theoretical perspectives and the custom and didactical contract are important to understand students’ engagement in GIS. However, it is the personal desiderata that are the key to understanding the students’ different engagement. Further, a temporal dimension and contextual awareness are important in
understanding students’ engagement in a broader perspective.
information systems (GIS) are an important part of the training of future geographers. The reasons for this approach to teaching GIS are manifold, such as large numbers of students, off-the-shelf desktop software that is often complex, technical challenges, and scarce faculty resources. Often the reasons are well agreed upon by members of a university faculty and among the students. Research in other fields has shown that the use of a controlled manual for laboratory work often provides low learning potentials. However, not much empirical research has dealt with this issue within a GIS learning environment. Inspired by research on the value of student-generated questions within science education, the authors take a closer look at the type of student-generated questions and their relation to students’ self-image of their learning approach in two pre-structured GIS laboratory settings at two Danish universities. They conclude that the vast majority of student-generated questions are of a basic information type and
independent of the students’ self-image of their learning approach. Further, it is found that wonderment questions, i.e. questions that are reflective in nature and show students the process towards acquiring extended geographical knowledge and software proficiency, are rarely asked.
analyses show that the processes of becoming a Ph.D. are important not only at the time of the Ph.D. study but also for the informants’ experiences of present possibilities. Four different academic life approaches are found that frame the
informants’ re-telling of who they are, how they became who they are, and how the ENRECA programme affected these processes. The article concludes that the ENRECA programme facilitated several kinds of empowerment for the participants, not only during their Ph.D. studies but also in their job positions 15 years later.
construction of rurality, many rural researchers still rely on a range of different methods and use both qualitative and quantitative
data. However, the challenge of combining quantitative and qualitative data and using different methods is a theme not often dealt
with in rural studies, at least not explicitly. This paper (re-)turns the attention to implications of using various methods and
combining different types of data for studying a subject matter called ‘the use of rural space’. It concerns both physical land use and
the practice and values of individual actors influencing the land use. We emphasise interplay between methodology and philosophy
throughout the research process and argue for using multi-methods without compromising the integrity of the different methods.
The methodological approach is a combined study of practice and values of individual actors. Two examples—one concerning
Senegalese pastoralists’ livelihoods and their use of mobility and one concerning landowners’ location of field afforestation in
Denmark—illustrate how the approach facilitates quite different studies of both practice and values and how quantitative and
qualitative data can be combined in a non-eclectic way."
research. Sociologists of scientific knowledge (SSK) have pointed to the importance of analysing scientific knowledge in the same way as
other types of knowledge. This idea guides the present paper on Danish research in agriculture and rural areas. Based on an ethnographic
study of researchers involved in rural studies, we take stock of the agri-rural research community in Denmark and reflect upon the how
and why ‘fashions’ in Danish rural studies differ from ‘fashions’ in rural studies in the UK. In the analysis, we show how a research
community construct and reconstruct itself in relation to what is perceived as legitimate fields of research. Finally, the paper gives insight
into the research world of those doing research outside the UK and adds to the discussion of ‘putting philosophies of geography into
practice’ that is on-going in British geography""
relation to one’s research matter in the authors’ case the making of geographical knowledge and in relation to one’s interviewees
our colleagues. The article is a reflection paper in the sense that we reflect upon experiences drawn from a previous research project
carried out in Danish academia. It is important that the project was situated in a Scandinavian workplace culture because this has
bearings for the social, cultural, and economic situation in which knowledge was constructed. The authors show that being a double
insider affects both the interview situation and how interviews are planned, located, and analysed. Being an insider in relation to one’s
interviewees gives the advantage of having a shared history and a close knowledge of the context, and these benefits outnumber the
disadvantages. Being an insider in relation to one’s research matter makes it difficult to contest hegemonic discourses and tacit values
and ideas. Recommendations on how to handle the double insider situation are given. The article concludes that for analytical
purposes, it is useful to separate the two roles, but in reality they coexist and are intertwined.""
from training in industry, to improve the study environment at a public research university in
Denmark. In 2009, the project was initiated in one graduate program; and it has subsequently
been modified and institutionalized. The project did not change the teaching format, but
introduced facilitated study-groups using peer learning. Itwas successful in increasing students’
well-being. While peer learning and study groups are well-known in higher education, facilitation
is a different and novel tool. We argue that facilitation makes study groups more
inclusive, and they provide the potential for deep learning by structuring the learning situation."
Papers by Lene Møller Madsen
programmes in general, we then explore the research on drop out/opt out from STM programmes in particular, with an emphasis on research since 2000. We show that most of the research focuses on overcoming deficits in students’ prior
knowledge, but that a more specific focus on identities as an analytical framework for understanding young people leaving STM higher education programmes is also emerging. We show that it is important to shift from considering drop out as
an individual problem for the student to regard it as a feature of the relationship between students and their study programmes. In the same way, measures to increase retention rates must shift from focusing on individual student adaptation
to studies addressing institutional change. However, this change is difficult since it is entwined with fundamental conceptions of science and teaching.
influences of teaching practice in an introductory course in GIS. We show that students have different strategies for creating their personal instrument for spatial thinking and how teaching
interacts with the students’ learning processes. Finally, we discuss how GIS may gradually alter future professional development of geographers.
analytical lens to explore empirical data on the experiences and engagement of students enrolled in an undergraduate GIS course in planning and management. The analysis shows that both the theoretical perspectives and the custom and didactical contract are important to understand students’ engagement in GIS. However, it is the personal desiderata that are the key to understanding the students’ different engagement. Further, a temporal dimension and contextual awareness are important in
understanding students’ engagement in a broader perspective.
information systems (GIS) are an important part of the training of future geographers. The reasons for this approach to teaching GIS are manifold, such as large numbers of students, off-the-shelf desktop software that is often complex, technical challenges, and scarce faculty resources. Often the reasons are well agreed upon by members of a university faculty and among the students. Research in other fields has shown that the use of a controlled manual for laboratory work often provides low learning potentials. However, not much empirical research has dealt with this issue within a GIS learning environment. Inspired by research on the value of student-generated questions within science education, the authors take a closer look at the type of student-generated questions and their relation to students’ self-image of their learning approach in two pre-structured GIS laboratory settings at two Danish universities. They conclude that the vast majority of student-generated questions are of a basic information type and
independent of the students’ self-image of their learning approach. Further, it is found that wonderment questions, i.e. questions that are reflective in nature and show students the process towards acquiring extended geographical knowledge and software proficiency, are rarely asked.
analyses show that the processes of becoming a Ph.D. are important not only at the time of the Ph.D. study but also for the informants’ experiences of present possibilities. Four different academic life approaches are found that frame the
informants’ re-telling of who they are, how they became who they are, and how the ENRECA programme affected these processes. The article concludes that the ENRECA programme facilitated several kinds of empowerment for the participants, not only during their Ph.D. studies but also in their job positions 15 years later.
construction of rurality, many rural researchers still rely on a range of different methods and use both qualitative and quantitative
data. However, the challenge of combining quantitative and qualitative data and using different methods is a theme not often dealt
with in rural studies, at least not explicitly. This paper (re-)turns the attention to implications of using various methods and
combining different types of data for studying a subject matter called ‘the use of rural space’. It concerns both physical land use and
the practice and values of individual actors influencing the land use. We emphasise interplay between methodology and philosophy
throughout the research process and argue for using multi-methods without compromising the integrity of the different methods.
The methodological approach is a combined study of practice and values of individual actors. Two examples—one concerning
Senegalese pastoralists’ livelihoods and their use of mobility and one concerning landowners’ location of field afforestation in
Denmark—illustrate how the approach facilitates quite different studies of both practice and values and how quantitative and
qualitative data can be combined in a non-eclectic way."
research. Sociologists of scientific knowledge (SSK) have pointed to the importance of analysing scientific knowledge in the same way as
other types of knowledge. This idea guides the present paper on Danish research in agriculture and rural areas. Based on an ethnographic
study of researchers involved in rural studies, we take stock of the agri-rural research community in Denmark and reflect upon the how
and why ‘fashions’ in Danish rural studies differ from ‘fashions’ in rural studies in the UK. In the analysis, we show how a research
community construct and reconstruct itself in relation to what is perceived as legitimate fields of research. Finally, the paper gives insight
into the research world of those doing research outside the UK and adds to the discussion of ‘putting philosophies of geography into
practice’ that is on-going in British geography""
relation to one’s research matter in the authors’ case the making of geographical knowledge and in relation to one’s interviewees
our colleagues. The article is a reflection paper in the sense that we reflect upon experiences drawn from a previous research project
carried out in Danish academia. It is important that the project was situated in a Scandinavian workplace culture because this has
bearings for the social, cultural, and economic situation in which knowledge was constructed. The authors show that being a double
insider affects both the interview situation and how interviews are planned, located, and analysed. Being an insider in relation to one’s
interviewees gives the advantage of having a shared history and a close knowledge of the context, and these benefits outnumber the
disadvantages. Being an insider in relation to one’s research matter makes it difficult to contest hegemonic discourses and tacit values
and ideas. Recommendations on how to handle the double insider situation are given. The article concludes that for analytical
purposes, it is useful to separate the two roles, but in reality they coexist and are intertwined.""
from training in industry, to improve the study environment at a public research university in
Denmark. In 2009, the project was initiated in one graduate program; and it has subsequently
been modified and institutionalized. The project did not change the teaching format, but
introduced facilitated study-groups using peer learning. Itwas successful in increasing students’
well-being. While peer learning and study groups are well-known in higher education, facilitation
is a different and novel tool. We argue that facilitation makes study groups more
inclusive, and they provide the potential for deep learning by structuring the learning situation."
pedagogical psychology at DPU. The project was initiated in January 2009
and the goals were twofold: to increase the students’ social and academic
integration and thereby increase retention; to achieve this with minimal
faculty member involvement. This last point is important, as we see it as a
new contribution to the research field of students’ social integration.
second year at these universities that were classified as ‘white’. Khanya College was based on Freirean pedagogy and embodied the idea of education for liberation and it primarily targeted black youth, many of whom were activists involved in the anti-apartheid struggle. Established during the time of unrest, Khanya College worked to transform the university – and thereby also to transform society – by assisting black students’ access to universities. In this chapter, we are primarily interested in the ways Khanya College faculty engaged with ‘the particular view’ in this process; with (South) African history and
identity, while at the same time preparing students for the apartheid (white, racial, Euro-centric) university system.
initiated at a postgraduate programme at a Danish university. The project consisted of three elements: facilitated study groups, a student bar with
facilitated activities, and academic identity events. The goals were twofold: to
increase the students’ social and academic integration and thereby retention
and to achieve this with minimal teacher involvement. The activities were
outside the classroom and none of them was mandatory. The project is different
from other projects focusing on social and academic integration in a number of
ways. As mentioned above, we tried to obtain academic integration outside the
classroom not involving faculty. In some ways this is in contrast to Tinto’s claim
that ‘if academic and social involvement or integration is to occur, it must occur in the
classroom’ (1997, p. 599). However, while we agree with Tinto that good
conditions for academic integration can be obtained within the classroom, we
also acknowledge the realities of many universities today, where faculty
resources are limited. Therefore we decided to study what could be achieved in
facilitated study groups which is an academic activity, but outside the
classroom. Study groups are not something new, but the use of facilitation for
guiding the work in the groups is. The study groups functioned as a place for
peer learning. Often peer learning activities use older students as peers. But in
this project, peer learning was facilitated by ‘real’ peers from the same cohort.
Apart from these three differences (minimal teacher involvement, the use of
facilitation techniques, and having ‘real’ peers), which were deliberate parts of
the design of the project, there was also another difference from similar studies:
it concerned a postgraduate degree programme with mature students. As Boud
and Lee (2005) have noticed, the majority of research on peer learning concern
undergraduate programmes. We hope this paper will contribute to the call for
more research at postgraduate level."