Ratib Lekhal

Ratib Lekhal is an Associate Professor at the Department of Education, University of Oslo. His research focuses on pedagogy, socio-emotional development, and special education in early childhood contexts. He actively participates in projects like Språksterk 1–6 and The Oslo Early Education Study (OEES), aiming to enhance language development and classroom quality in multi-ethnic Norwegian kindergartens.

His work examines the interplay between childcare quality, child temperament, and developmental outcomes, while emphasizing the implementation of national guidelines and the role of professional development in strengthening educational practices. Collaborations include the Engagelab research group and international partners from Harvard and UC Irvine.

The 15 most recent articles demonstrate trends in early childhood education, including psychometric validation of assessment tools, cortisol stress responses in childcare, home-kindergarten collaboration, and interventions targeting classroom quality. These studies often employ randomized controlled trials and cross-cultural comparisons.

Ratib Lekhal is affiliated with research groups like Development, Equity and Literacy in Learning Contexts (DEAL) and contributes to projects funded by the Research Council of Norway and Oslo municipality. His work bridges academic research with practical applications in vulnerable child populations.