Ingunn Størksen

Ingunn Størksen is a Professor in the Norwegian Centre for Learning Environment and Behavioral Research in Education at the Faculty of Arts and Education, University of Stavanger. Her research focuses on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), Child Development, Self-Regulation, and Social Development, with specialized interests in parental divorce impacts and the application of Q Methodology.

Størksen leads major projects such as SELMA (2021–2025), examining social-emotional learning in ECEC, and the Agder Project (2014–2019), which developed play-based curricula. Her work integrates Quantitative Research Methods to assess educational interventions and child outcomes, including the Ani Banani Math Test and School Readiness studies.

Recent publications highlight the role of Executive Functions in academic achievement and the impact of Parental Socioeconomic Status on child development. She supervises PhD candidates studying topics like social competence, optimism, and classroom quality assessments. Størksen has authored books on playful learning and child wellbeing, including Livsmestring og livsglede i barnehagen and Lekbasert læring.