Swedish National Graduate School in Science and Technology Education Research (FontD)

A group of children looking at nature with their teacher.

FontD is a network collaboration between 11 higher education institutions (HEIs), hosted by Linköping University. FontD locally represents the science and technology education research environments across the participating HEIs.

The overarching aim of the graduate school is to offer a high-quality doctoral programme that can constitute a hub for the generation of knowledge in teacher training programmes, schools and preschools, with respect to science and technology. A further objective is to enhance the knowledge base in teacher education, schools and preschools, so as to increase the number of teachers and teacher educators with doctorates.

Running licentiate graduate schools

Over the past two decades, a research programme in science and technology education has operated within FontD – the National Graduate School in Science and Technology Education Research – which was initiated as a mandate in the Swedish government’s research bill Research and Renewal (2000/01:3). FontD was thus created as a collaboration between eight (now eleven) HEIs, with LiU as host. In 2007 FontD was tasked with initiating a licentiate graduate school for practicing teachers, which was followed by three more licentiate graduate schools funded by the Swedish Research Council (VR). Since its inception in 2001, FontD has produced more than 100 doctors and licentiates in science, technology and (through the second licentiate graduate school, Lic-FontD2) mathematics education.

A new doctoral graduate school

A 2020 grant from the Swedish Research Council has allowed for a new intake of 11 doctoral students to FontD, science and technology education. The doctoral schools is directed at teachers, teacher educators and others with experience that enables them to participate in science and technology teacher training programmes at the participating HEIs . Thus, FontD now has two graduate schools under way simultaneously: a licentiate graduate school (Lic-FontD4) and a doctoral graduate school (FontD5).

Partner universities across Sweden

The graduate school is led by a scientific leader, Konrad Schönborn, and a board consisting of members from the 11 participating HEIs, from Umeå in the north to Malmö in the south. The board is chaired by Jonas Hallström. The school has a unique national reach, due to its established network of partner HEIs. Every licentiate/doctoral candidate is supervised by one main and one co-supervisor, and the students participate in two or three FontD courses as a collective. An international scientific committee, composed of eight accomplished researchers in science and technology education, provide quality control of the school’s work at an annual meeting where the committee members meet the students, supervisors, board members and graduate school management.

Lic-FontD Participating Universities

Lic-FontD Scientific Committee

Six internationally prominent academics from the Netherlands, Norway, Ireland and Denmark serve as an advisory panel that provides quality assurance for student research development and progress.

Professor Colette Murphy, a former member of the FontD scientific committee

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Professor Colette Murphy, a former member of the FontD scientific committee, who peacefully left us on 5 June 2025. Before her retirement, Colette was the Director of the STEM Education Research and Communication Group, and a Professor at Trinity College Dublin. She was an international Vygotsky scholar, having travelled to Russia several times to continue her research and teaching in science education from Vygotskian perspectives. She was also a world leader in coteaching, particularly in science learning contexts. I have had the privilege of knowing Colette for almost 30 years. I attended my first NARST conference in Baltimore in 2008. As a nervous FontD PhD student, I presented a paper in a room full of people. After my presentation, a wonderful woman and her husband came up to me and said they would like to know more about my work and asked if I would like to contribute a chapter to a book on coteaching. This was the start of a long-term collaboration with a wonderful colleague, mentor, and friend. Colette was a fantastic person who always had time to support a colleague, read a doctoral thesis, contribute to an application, or just talk about important things in life. In 2013, I had the opportunity to hire her as a visiting professor at Halmstad University. For a year, she came to Halmstad regularly and actively contributed to our research on teacher education and inspired us to use coteaching both in research and education. Several times I visited her in Dublin and in Belfast, where she and her husband took me and my daughters to greyhound racing. Colette always gave of herself, whether it was organising a seminar or advising PhD students. Her dedication to improving science teacher education represents a lasting contribution to educational practice. Colette attended the FontD scientific committee meetings regularly during her tenure, and she always contributed vibrantly to FontD events. We will remember her as a very warm, supportive, inspiring, and passionate scholar. Our thoughts go to Jim Beggs, her beloved husband, and her absolute partner in life.

Pernilla Nilsson

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