From Hairdresser to Researcher

By Ursula Lundgreen, Lisbet Foged and Maiken Westen Holm Svendsen, fnug@imada.sdu.dk, 5/21/2024

What is your PhD project about?

I work within the field internationally known as educational assessment, which involves studying and developing methods and strategies for evaluating and measuring learning and teaching. This includes both formative assessments and feedback, as well as summative assessments, such as exams. My research focuses on this topic in the context of mathematics within STEM education, where STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

My goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between assessments and the physical environment in which these assessments take place, and how this relationship influences students’ learning and outcomes. For instance, what role does the green tablecloth play? How might students' creation of a poster affect their presentation at the end of a project? Physical materials—what we refer to as materialities and artifacts in this context—play a central role in mathematics education. However, their role has not yet been explored in the context of mathematics assessments. By understanding and intentionally using these materialities, we can create fairer and more engaging assessment and examination experiences for students. These materialities can serve as tools to better explain mathematical concepts.

New Materialism, Socio-Material theories and Affect Theories

In my research, I work with the concept of new materialism and use socio-material theories as well as affect theories. Socio-material theories examine the interaction between humans and physical settings, including the space itself and the objects within it, as in the examples mentioned above. Affect theories explore students’ emotional relationships with mathematics, such as their feelings of difficulty or boredom, which can influence their interest and engagement. I aim to study how both socio-material and affective dimensions are impacted by the ways we assess and measure learning. Specifically, I am interested in how these aspects support and communicate students’ academic knowledge, skills, and competencies in mathematics. I collect my empirical data through the project LabSTEM+, which you can read about here.

Assessment in interdisciplinary Contexts

LabSTEM invites an in-depth exploration of teachers’ approaches to assessment in interdisciplinary teaching contexts. I focus on STEM education at the high school level, specifically in STX and HTX programs (general and technical high schools in Denmark). I expect that my work with specific high school classes will provide a broad perspective on how assessment designs, developed by teachers at these schools, influence students. My overarching goal is to develop a deeper understanding of the role and significance of assessment environments as learning environments in high schools.

Where does your interest in mathematics assessment come from?

Exams as a form of assessment have always fascinated me—the unique atmosphere and the emotions involved during exams. It’s the blend of excitement, nervousness, the green tablecloth on the desk, the structure and order of the exam sheet, and the consequences exams have on learning and performance in educational settings that I find incredibly intriguing.

I have always been interested in research on STEM didactics and mathematics education, but the exam aspect holds a special appeal, perhaps because it is often overlooked when discussing educational research. It’s not just about the exams themselves but also the context they exist within: how we evaluate, how materiality affects students’ opportunities to demonstrate their skills and competencies, the approaches we choose for exams and formative assessments, and ultimately, the impact these choices have on young people’s educational outcomes.

Why did you decide to pursue a PhD?

I studied mathematics and physics at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), where mathematics was my main subject and physics my minor. From the start of my studies, I envisioned becoming a high school teacher. It wasn’t until my final year of graduate school that I truly discovered the world of research. I was involved in follow-up research as part of the project A Healthier Southern Denmark. That’s when I realized how exciting and meaningful research could be and that it’s not just theoretical work that ends up in a drawer. Contributing real research that can make an impact and bring about improvement motivates and inspires me deeply.

What truly drives me, however, goes beyond the purely academic. The collegial community at FNUG (a research network) is an incredibly strong motivating factor. The influence of the research environment is enormous and plays a significant role in my daily motivation.

What did you dream of becoming as a child?

As a child and teenager, I dreamed of becoming a hairdresser—a dream I pursued and realized. I worked as a hairdresser for seven years, starting at age 15. Needless to say, it was a significant shift to go from being a hairdresser to becoming a researcher. I achieved my dream of becoming a hairdresser, but fate seemed to have other plans for me when I sustained a work-related injury that forced me to reconsider my path.

I remember a parent-teacher conference in 8th grade when my physics and chemistry teacher asked if I liked the natural sciences. At the time, I dismissed the idea—I was convinced it wasn’t for me. I even found the question slightly insulting because I didn’t see myself as a "nerd" (a term I now consider a huge compliment). Deep down, though, he was right. I had an inherent interest in the sciences that was simply waiting for the right opportunity to emerge.

A work injury with a Defining Impact

After my injury, I decided to pursue a high school education, where I began to thrive and rediscover my passion for mathematics and physics. Strangely enough, it was also the work injury that indirectly led me to research. It was through a research project that I discovered I was allergic to a particular substance found in hair dye. As an ordinary participant in the research, I realized how valuable such projects could be. Perhaps, on a subconscious level, this steered me toward the path of research.

My transition from hairdresser to researcher may be unusual, but it has taught me the importance of following my interests and not being constrained by preconceived notions of what I can or should do. I am the first in my family to pursue higher education, and while it hasn’t always been easy, I have stayed the course since deciding on it. And I smile a little extra when my grandmother asks, amazed, about my work.

Today, I look back on my time as a hairdresser with pride. It taught me not only about creativity and craftsmanship but also about human connections and personal growth. Transitioning from hairdressing to research in mathematics and physics has shown me that it’s never too late to change direction and pursue one’s true passions.

My journey has also given me a unique perspective, combining the creative mindset of hairdressing with the analytical approach of the sciences. Bridging these two worlds reflects my own little feminist rebellion against traditional gender roles and career paths.

How do you think your PhD project can impact society?

I aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of how assessment environments can be viewed as learning environments. I hope my research can help improve assessment systems, fostering more holistic and meaningful learning experiences that benefit both individuals and society.