Monika Merket

Monika Merket serves as Associate Professor of Pedagogy in the Department of Teacher Education at the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Her research examines how policy decisions take shape and are implemented in educational practice, with specific focus on power dynamics affecting policy interpretation in teacher education and schools.

Her primary research interests include:

• Supervision of student teachers in practice settings
• Roles of practice teachers and follow-up teachers
• Early intervention and intensive education in primary schools
• Educational policy, diversity, and inequality

Analysis of Dr. Merket's recent publications reveals consistent scholarly focus on mentoring dynamics in teacher education, particularly examining power relations and knowledge tensions between mentors and student teachers. Her work spans educational policy, teacher development, and practice-based learning with strong emphasis on the Norwegian context while incorporating comparative perspectives with international frameworks like OECD policies. A notable trend is her exploration of the relationship between research-based and experience-based knowledge in teacher education.

Dr. Merket leads and participates in several significant research initiatives:

• UMU - Educational Policy, Diversity and Inequality
• Early intervention research on intensive education in primary schools
• The follow-up teacher - role and education development
• Oppfølgingslærerrollen - strengthening university-school collaboration
• TRANSiT (Transition into teaching) - an ERASMUS+ funded international project

She teaches courses including SKOLE6020 (School-based mentoring), SKOLE6014 (Mentoring in schools), and SKOLE6151 (Research and development in education), directly connecting her scholarly work with educational practice. Her recent commentary on professional teacher education critically examines government recommendations, arguing against simplistic conclusions about experience-based knowledge while advocating for nuanced understanding that values both research-based and experience-based knowledge as complementary forms supporting professional judgment development.