Synnøve Eikeland

Synnøve Eikeland serves as Senior Lecturer in Physical Education at the Department of Kindergarten Teacher Education within the Faculty of Educational Sciences and Humanities at the University of Stavanger (UiS). Her academic work bridges theoretical research with practical applications in early childhood settings, focusing on movement-based pedagogy and sustainable development integration.

Her research program centers on Physical Education, Early Childhood Education, and Sustainable Development in Education, with specific emphasis on Movement and Play, Outdoor Learning, and Inclusive Education. She investigates how physical activity intersects with natural sciences and sustainability concepts to create holistic learning experiences. Her methodology frequently employs collaborative action research with kindergarten practitioners, developing innovative tools like movement play applications while examining inclusive practices during daily routines such as mealtimes.

Analysis of her 2018-2024 publications reveals consistent thematic development: initial work established foundational connections between motor skills and social development (2018), evolved into interdisciplinary curriculum design for sustainability (2020), advanced through digital tool creation (2022), and matured into systemic program development and inclusion frameworks (2024). Her research trajectory demonstrates increasing complexity from individual skill assessment to institutional partnership models and policy-level curriculum development.

No scientific awards were documented in the source materials.

No student advising relationships or research grants were explicitly referenced in the available documentation.

Eikeland actively participates in multinational research collectives including partnerships with Solbakken kindergarten (Norway), Linköping University (Sweden), and Zurich University of Teacher Education (Switzerland). These collaborations focus on comparative studies of extended education systems, sustainable development implementation, and movement-based pedagogy across cultural contexts, often presenting findings at major international conferences like EECERA and ICSEI.