Liv Kondrup Hardahl

Presentation

I hold a Ph.D. and work as an Associate Professor at University College Absalon, with a particular focus on leadership in Early Childhood Education and pedagogical development. My academic background is in Learning and Change Processes (Master of Arts), and I have many years of experience as a lecturer, researcher, and project leader working at the intersection of pedagogy, leadership, science education, and embodied learning.

Building on several years of experience with professional development in science pedagogy in early childhood and school-based leisure time facilities settings, I have increasingly directed my focus toward pedagogical leadership. This shift stems from a desire to strengthen the organizational and leadership frameworks that support pedagogical development—particularly with the aim of ensuring the sustainable anchoring of professional development and educational initiatives in practice. Today, my work centers on how leadership of learning processes and the development of professional learning communities can support capacity building in early childhood education.

In my research, I am particularly interested in how pedagogical leadership can create sustainable change in practice—with attention to organizational structures, professional culture, and children's perspectives. I work in close dialogue with practice and have extensive experience in designing and leading development projects in collaboration with municipalities and institutions.

In addition, I draw on my research-based knowledge of embodied cognition and bodily learning, developed through my Ph.D. and subsequent projects. I approach embodiment as a form of knowing, where learning is not confined to the mind but involves the whole body—and where pedagogical leadership and didactic design can support this holistic understanding of learning. I bring this perspective into my current work on leadership, where I explore how leadership of learning processes and professional development can be rooted in a comprehensive understanding of learning that includes sensory and embodied dimensions.

 

Areas of Interest

• Leadership in Early Childhood Education and Pedagogical Development
  Focus on leadership of learning processes, instructional leadership, professional peer exchange, and the development of professional learning communities in early childhood and school-age care settings.
• Sustainability and Curiosity in Pedagogical Practice
  How pedagogical projects are anchored and become part of local culture and organization—with a particular focus on science pedagogy and science didactics.
• Embodiment and Learning
  Embodied cognition and sensory experience as foundations for facilitating learning processes and developing pedagogical practice.
• Practice-Oriented Research and Collaboration
  Development and implementation of research and development projects in close dialogue with practitioners and other stakeholders.

Competences

Course training:
Course title: Basic course
Subject: Basic course in higher education pedagogy
Educational institution: Learning Lab, Aalborg University
Country: Denmark
Finishing date: 2012
Course title: Diploma module
Subject: Personal Leadership (1+2)
Educational institution: Niels Brock Education
Country: Denmark
Course duration in days: 80.0
Finishing date: 18/12/2010

Linguistic competences:
Language: Danish
Level: Native speaker
Language: English
Level: Native speaker