Johanna Lönngren

I am part of the research group Umeå Science Education Research (UmSER). My research focuses on how we can prepare engineering students to take responsibility for the effects of technology on society and environment and to contribute to a sustainable development. I am particularly interested in the role of emotions in education for sustainable development. In 2021, I will start a research project funded by the Swedish Science Council; we will explore how engineering students talk about emotions when they talk about complex sustainability problems, so-called "wicked problems", and how instructors can support students in situations when they are confronted with uncertainty and value conflicts.

I have used a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches, including phenomenography, action research, and ethnography, and I am always trying to find new combinations of theories and methods that can make it possible to better address important research questions. Currently, I mostly use discourse analytic methods to analyze video and interview data.

I have taught and developed courses on sustainability, ethics, education for sustainability, pedagogy for PhD students, and academic writing. I also have a part-time appointment with the Center for Educational Development (UPL). It is important to me that my research contributes to improving educational practice. I am therefore always interested in collaborating with teachers and program developers. I have also created a simple website with a collection of resources for teaching with wicked problems: https://wickedproblemsteaching.wordpress.com/.