Sylvi Stenersen Hovdenak’s research work is related to three fields:
- Policymaking in education, focusing on educational reforms and curriculum studies.
- Youth, education and identity, focusing on the impact of education related to students’ future orientation and identity construction.
- Professionalism in teacher education and medical education, focusing on professional development and professional identity formation.
The concept of knowledge is discussed and problematized within the three fields building on a sociological and philosophical theoretical framework related to Bernstein and Aristotele.
Hovdenak has published books and articles within these topics.