Karianne Franck

Karianne Franck is an Associate Professor at the Department of Pedagogy, Queen Maud University College (DMMH), Norway. She directs the Master in Special Education (early childhood focus), coordinates pedagogy subject groups, co-leads DMMH's special education research group, and serves as section editor for the Nordic Journal of Pedagogy & Criticism. Her work bridges academic research and practical kindergarten implementation through film development and conference leadership.

Education:

• PhD in Interdisciplinary Childhood Research, NTNU (2014)
• Cand.polit. in Social Anthropology, NTNU (2005)
• Master of Science (MSc), NTNU (2002)
• University and College Pedagogy, DMMH (2015)
• Family and Network Work Training, HiST (2006)

Her research centers on inclusive practices in Nordic early childhood education, with emphasis on documentation paradoxes, children in the gray zone for special needs, and sociocultural constructions of normality. She critically examines tensions between policy frameworks and grassroots implementation, particularly regarding children's rights to participate in assessment processes.

Publications from 2014-2019 reveal consistent focus on evaluating Norway's competence strategies for kindergartens, analyzing documentation dilemmas in special education, and deconstructing normative boundaries. Key trends include cross-national (Finland-Norway) policy comparisons, methodological challenges in childhood studies, and the impact of neoliberal discourse on disability categorization.

No scientific awards were documented in the provided materials.

Franck supervises Master's students in Special Education and Kindergarten Knowledge while co-supervising three PhD fellows. She leads the ongoing LUBA project on kindergarten teachers' inclusion competence and completed the Special Educational Documentation project for children with individual decisions, demonstrating sustained research engagement in ECEC policy implementation.

She co-founded DMMH's special education research group, collaborates with Geminisenteret OppInk on inclusion conferences, and contributes to Trondheim's Children and Youth Seminar committee, focusing on translating research into practical kindergarten resources like her educational film on inclusive practices.