My research explores key educational concepts like intercultural competence, global citizenship, literacy and criticality in a context of contemporary societal challenges and opportunities. Political and public discourse in the 21st century is governed by and fake news, misinformation, polarisation and controversies. This situation, exacerbated by social media and AI-generated content, creates new conditions for teaching and learning. Some of the issues I have examined in my research are:

• What qualities does the competent 'intercultural reader' possess? How may English language education contribute to the development of such readers?
• How can conceptualizations of intercultural competence take into account the complexities that govern intercultural communication today?
• In what ways may 'conflict' play a constructive role in intercultural encounters?
• What consequences does 'post-truth' have for critical pedagogy?
• How may literary reading promote 21st century skills?
• How may classroom work on popular music help students to move beyond binary thinking?
• How may AI be used a pedagogical tool to promote students' critical thinking?

I am co-editor of the international anthology The Post-truth era and English language education: Conceptual, theoretical and empirical issues (Routledge, 2026).

I am co-founder and coordinator of the international research group Post-Truth English Teaching (POTENT) and a member of the research group Forskning og undervisning om kontroversielle tema [Research and teaching on controversial issues]. In addition, I have been one of the co-leaders of the PhD Research School in Literature, Culture and Aesthetics since 2022.

I am regularly involved in popular science communication for teacher audiences (e.g. lectures, seminars,  educational videos), and have held annual DEMBRA workshops on critical and intercultural reading in collaboration with the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights for a number of years.

I teach and supervise student teachers of English and doctoral students. My teaching is frequently exploratory in the sense that students are invited to take an active role in trying out, evaluating and further developing lesson plans and frameworks for pedagogical practice.

Our research group Research and teaching on controversial issues was awarded the UiB Faculty of Humanities prize for quality in education (Spurveugleprisen) in 2025, for innovative projects that have strengtened student-active learning and collaboration across disciplines in the teacher education programme at UiB.  

https://nva.sikt.no/research-profile/430264

I have been involved in several externally funded project initiatives, most recently a Center of Excellence application focusing on reading as a human experience (role: PI). 

Along with two colleagues from POTENT, I co-lead an ongoing DEKOMP-funded investigation of the role of AI in language education. The project explores teachers' and learners' experiences related to the practical use of a customised chatbot designed to assist in developing learners' critical thinking. Read more about the project here: https://www.uib.no/fremmedsprak/169888/lansering-av-prosjekt-om-ki-og-publisering-i-internasjonal-antologi.