Ragnhild Lenes

Ragnhild Lenes is an Associate Professor at the University of Stavanger, Faculty of Arts and Education, and a key researcher at the Norwegian Centre for Learning Environment and Behavioral Research in Education. She is based at the Læringsmiljøsenteret in Stavanger and actively contributes to national and international research on early childhood development and educational practices.

Her research focuses on early childhood education and care (ECEC), with emphasis on children's self-regulation, executive function, social-emotional development, play-based learning, and the influence of family background on cognitive, academic, and socioemotional outcomes. She investigates how early skills and environments shape children’s trajectories from kindergarten through elementary school, often using longitudinal and experimental designs.

The trends in her recent publications reveal a strong commitment to evidence-based interventions such as the Playful Learning Curriculum and the SELMA social-emotional program. Her work spans disciplines including educational psychology, developmental science, and policy evaluation, frequently employing mixed methods and cross-cultural comparisons (e.g., Norway vs. USA). She collaborates widely with scholars like Ingunn Størksen, Dieuwer ten Braak, and Megan McClelland.

Scientific contributions and outreach:

• Extensive publication record in peer-reviewed journals such as Early Childhood Research Quarterly, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, and Frontiers in Psychology.
• Author of influential book chapters and resource books for educators on play-based learning and social-emotional development.
• Regular presenter at major international conferences including AERA, EARLI, SRCD, and ISSBD.
• Active in public dissemination through media outlets like Utdanningsnytt.no and Forskersonen.no, addressing issues of educational equity and child well-being.

Ragnhild Lenes is deeply involved in advising and leading research projects focused on improving learning environments and preventing bullying and exclusion. She conducts workshops, pedagogical analyses, and competency uplift programs for kindergarten staff and educational leaders across Norway. While specific grant details are not mentioned, her leadership in large-scale projects such as the Playful Learning Curriculum and SELMA indicates significant research funding and project management experience.

She is a core member of research teams working on:

• The SELMA project (Social-Emotional Learning in Early Childhood), aiming to evaluate interventions that enhance children's well-being and school readiness.
• The Agder Project, which developed and tested the Playful Learning Curriculum.
• Studies on family background effects (income, education) on child development, often in collaboration with economists and developmental scientists.