Ratib Lekhal

• Wilhelmsen, Tiril; Rydland, Veslemøy; Vandell, Deborah Lowe & Lekhal, Ratib (2026). The impact of an early childhood professional development intervention on teachers’ reports of pedagogical competence and approaches to socialisation practices. Teaching and Teacher Education : An International Journal of Research and Studies. ISSN 0742-051X. 179. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2026.105601. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Professional development (PD) programmes aim to ensure high-quality educational practices in early childhood to support children's development. To understand the mechanisms behind improved educational practices, it is necessary to gain knowledge about how teachers experience change following PD programmes. This study examined the impact of a PD programme with coaching – the OEES – on teachers' reports of pedagogical competence, and their approaches to emotion socialisation and scaffolding practices. Multilevel linear mixed models with 308 head teachers and 240 assistant teachers from 56 child-care centres indicated a significantly higher increase in reported pedagogical competence among teachers in the intervention group compared to the control group, particularly among the assistant teachers. Effects on teachers' approaches to emotion socialisation and scaffolding were not found. The results support the coaching model in OEES as effective PD for teachers' competence, and encourage the inclusion of both head and assistant teachers in PD programmes.

• Rydland, Veslemøy; Bratlie, Siri Steffensen; Lekhal, Ratib; Chen, Si & Grøver, Vibeke (2026). The effectiveness of a professional development intervention to support children's language learning in diverse early childhood education and care settings in Norway. Child Development. ISSN 0009-3920. doi: 10.1093/chidev/aacag065. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study examines the effectiveness of a multicomponent professional development (PD) intervention, including collaboration with parents, in enhancing language learning among children in diverse Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings. Utilizing a cluster-randomized design, data from 887 children (ages 1.5–4 years; 51% boys, 53% dual-language learners) across 56 centers indicated significant improvements in targeted language skills after 18 months of intervention (pretest August to October 2021 and posttest May to June 2023; d = 0.19, p < .001). No main effects were found in more distal language skills. Most outcomes in the intervention group were influenced by the level of implementation adherence both in classrooms and at home, suggesting that multicomponent, sustainable PD models in ECEC can support language learning.

• Øksendal, Elise; Rydland, Veslemøy; Bratlie, Siri Steffensen & Lekhal, Ratib (2026). Exploring children’s play behaviour, language, and attention: a latent profile approach. Early Child Development and Care. ISSN 0300-4430. doi: 10.1080/03004430.2026.2646303. Full text in Research Archive
• Karlsen, Lisa-Marie; Rydland, Veslemøy; Buøen, Elisabet Solheim; Vandell, Deborah Lowe; Bratlie, Siri Steffensen & Lydersen, Stian [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2026). Early Childhood Education and Care Quality and Gains in Skills Among a Diverse Sample of Toddlers and Preschoolers in Norway. Infant and Child Development. ISSN 1522-7227. 35(1). doi: 10.1002/icd.70081. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  We investigate whether quality of early care and education, measured using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS),predicted gains in toddlers' and preschoolers' vocabulary and self-regulation over 7 months. The sample consists of 318 toddlers(M age = 26 months; 46% female; 56% dual language learner) and 569 preschoolers (M age = 44 months; 51% female; 71% dual language learner), attending 89 toddler and 124 preschool classrooms in Oslo, Norway. Using mixed effect linear regression analyses, among toddlers, higher learning support on CLASS predicted gains in vocabulary. Among preschoolers, higher classroom organisation and instructional support on CLASS predicted gains in self-regulation skills. Implications of these findings for the developmental needs of toddlers and preschoolers, and the use of CLASS as a classroom quality measurement tool, are discussed.

• Wang, Lei; Melby-Lervåg, Monica; Lekhal, Ratib & Wang, Mari Vaage (2025). How are Difficulty Types Related to the Allocation of Special Needs Assistance in Early Childhood Education and Care. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. ISSN 0885-2006. 74, p. 211–220. doi: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2025.10.002. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Early intervention for children with difficulties is crucial for their academic and life outcomes. However, we know little about how special needs assistance (SNA) is allocated to early childhood education and care (ECEC). This study is based on the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) and examines whether children’s difficulty types predict SNA allocation and its hours, with ECEC and demographic variables controlled. We used the maternal questionnaire when children were 5 years old (n = 41,452; 2,340 received SNA). The outcomes were whether the children received SNA and its weekly hours. Children’s difficulties were measured through single questions and rating scales; ECEC factors included a parental satisfaction scale and the caretakers–children ratio. Demographic variables included children’s sex and age, and parental education. We used a zero-inflated Poisson regression for the data analysis. Among the children receiving SNA, 35% had language difficulties, but they received few assisted hours. These children had more severe difficulties compared to those with language difficulties but without SNA. Children with comorbid language and developmental difficulties were most likely to receive SNA (89%) and had the highest number of hours. Children with behavioral problems were least likely to receive SNA. Higher ECEC satisfaction predicted more hours. A higher caretakers–children ratio predicted an increased likelihood of receiving SNA and more hours. In conclusion, children with language difficulties constitute the largest SNA group, yet they receive few hours. ECEC factors are related to detecting and supporting children in need.

• Wang, Louie Lei; Wang, Mari Vaage; Sandsør, Astrid Marie Jorde; Lekhal, Ratib & Melby-Lervåg, Monica (2025). Parental and child factors in children with special education. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. ISSN 0031-3831. doi: 10.1080/00313831.2025.2550278. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Around 10% of school children receive special education (SE), however, we know little about what characterizes these children. This study examined the relationships between parental and child factors in children with SE. It is based on the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). The sample included 1,424 SE children and 35,161 typically developing 8-year-old children. A network analysis was constructed for SE children and non-SE children. Compared to non-SE children, the SE group exhibited lower communication skills, higher language difficulties and more ADHD symptoms. Communication skills and ADHD symptoms were the two most related factors in the SE network. Language abilities in SE children were less influenced by their behavioral and parental factors. Language skills were related to ADHD symptoms in both groups. The selection of assigning children to SE is not biased by gender. SE assessment and instruction should address children’s difficulties in multiple domains.

• Ovati, Tone Sofie Røsholt; Rydland, Veslemøy; Lekhal, Ratib; Lydersen, Stian & Grøver, Vibeke (2025). Does Teacher Talk During Shared Reading Predict Child Oral Language Development in Diverse ECEC Settings? First language. ISSN 0142-7237. p. 1–22. doi: 10.1177/01427237251377897. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study investigated whether features of teacher talk predicted children’s oral language development in diverse early childhood education and care settings, and whether the potential effects differed due to children’s age or dual language learner (DLL) status. The study included 203 classrooms with 734 children aged between 25 and 59 months at onset, 56.6% of whom were DLLs. Teacher talk during small-group shared readings was recorded in the fall and coded for question types (advanced and referential wh-questions) and linguistic features (vocabulary quantity, vocabulary diversity, and utterance length), and children’s vocabulary and syntactic comprehension were assessed in the fall and spring. Our findings suggest that teachers’ advanced wh-questions can significantly promote children’s development of syntactic comprehension, regardless of their age and DLL status. Furthermore, teachers’ utterance length and diverse vocabulary use predicted children’s development of syntactic comprehension, and teacher’s diverse vocabulary use predicted children’s vocabulary development, with some of these relationships being moderated by children’s age and DLL status. These findings emphasize the importance of teachers employing strategies that elicit children’s participation and activate thinking from a young age and irrespective of their language background.

• Wilhelmsen, Tiril; Lekhal, Ratib; Rydland, Veslemøy & Coplan, Robert J. (2025). Exploring the role of early childhood educators’ emotion socialization strategies in the development of young children’s social and non-social play behaviors. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. ISSN 0885-2006. 73. doi: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2025.06.005. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  It is widely postulated that caregivers’ emotion socialization strategies support children’s positive socio-emotional functioning with peers. However, this theoretical model has been rarely examined empirically in the context of early childhood education and care (ECEC), despite ECEC being a prominent environment for children to practice peer play (a robust marker variable for social and emotional competencies). This study explored the role of ECEC teachers’ emotion coaching and emotion distracting strategies in the development of children’s social and non-social play behaviors over time. Participants were 275 teachers and 487 children (aged 36–57 months) from 123 classrooms in 56 ECEC centers in Norway. Results from multilevel linear mixed modeling analyses indicated that emotion coaching was associated with a steeper increase in social play and steeper decrease in reticent behavior. In contrast, although emotion distracting was also associated with a steeper decrease in reticent behavior, it also predicted a less steep increase in social play. These results suggest that emotion coaching is a supportive socialization strategy for children’s peer relations in ECEC, whereas findings for distracting were more mixed. Using responses from multiple teachers within each classroom to examine both average classroom scores, in addition to minimum and maximum classroom scores, offers a novel insight into the group dynamics of teacher-child interactions in ECEC to support children’s peer relations.

• Lekhal, Ratib; Karlsen, Lisa-Marie; Wilhelmsen, Tiril; Vandell, Deborah Lowe; Lydersen, Stian & Rydland, Veslemøy (2025). Promoting classroom quality through professional development: Results from the Oslo early education study, a randomized controlled trial. Studies in Educational Evaluation. ISSN 0191-491X. 86, p. 1–11. doi: 10.1016/j.stueduc.2025.101462. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensen, Kenneth; Wilhelmsen, Tiril; Buøen, Elisabet Solheim & Lekhal, Ratib (2025). Investigating the Psychometric Properties of the Emotionality Activity and Sociability Temperament Survey among Young Preschoolers in Norway. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. ISSN 0882-2689. 47(2), p. 1–8. doi: 10.1007/s10862-025-10229-5. Full text in Research Archive
• Wilhelmsen, Tiril; Rydland, Veslemøy; Buøen, Elisabet Solheim; Drugli, May Britt & Lekhal, Ratib (2024). Validation of the Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale Adapted to the Early Childhood Education and Care Context. Early Education and Development. ISSN 1040-9289. p. 1–16. doi: 10.1080/10409289.2024.2423386. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Research findings. The Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES) is a self-report instrument developed to measure parents’ emotion socialization with their children. This study examined the factorial and convergent validity of a short version of the CCNES adapted for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) context. Using exploratory factor analysis with responses from 490 ECEC-workers from the Oslo Early Education Study, our results revealed a three-factor structure of the CCNES, including emotion dismissing, emotion coaching, and emotion distracting. Model specifications were conducted in half the sample and cross-validated in the other half. ECEC-workers’ coaching and distracting correlated positively with each other and with their reports of supportive scaffolding practices and self-efficacy in supporting children’s socioemotional development. Dismissing correlated negatively with these measures. Practice and Policy. Our results indicate that this ECEC version of the CCNES is a valid instrument to assess ECEC-workers’ emotion socialization strategies in interactions with children, and to support the use of distracting as a separate strategy. This instrument enables extending our knowledge of teacher–child interaction quality in ECEC by examining associations with children’s development. The CCNES could also form the baseline for discussions and reflections about ECEC-workers’ professional roles and development.

• Fjæra, Kristin; Lekhal, Samira; Lekhal, Ratib & Helseth, Sølvi (2024). Implementation of Guidelines for Food and Meals in Kindergartens: Perspectives from Norwegian Kindergarten Staff. Global Implementation Research and Applications. 5, p. 13–26. doi: 10.1007/s43477-024-00139-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Nystad, Kathrin; Drugli, May Britt; Lydersen, Stian; Tveit, Håvard Horndalen; Lekhal, Ratib & Buøen, Elisabet Solheim (2024). Toddlers’ Cortisol Levels in Childcare and at Home. Early Education and Development. ISSN 1040-9289. 36(1), p. 62–79. doi: 10.1080/10409289.2024.2360873. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Research Findings: Measuring toddlers’ cortisol levels both in childcare and at home and their relation to child- and childcare-related factors may help to identify stress-inducing childcare practices and children who are more vulnerable to stress in childcare. Accordingly, toddlers’ (n = 320, 51.2% female, mean age = 26.8 months) cortisol levels in childcare and at home and their relation to childcare quality and child- and family-related factors were investigated using linear mixed model analyses. Mid-morning to mid-afternoon cortisol levels increased in childcare and decreased at home. Younger children had higher overall cortisol levels. Children attending groups with a higher caregiver – child ratio had slightly higher cortisol levels in childcare and slightly lower cortisol levels at home. Toddlers attending disorganized groups were considerably more stressed in childcare. Practice or Policy: The present study underlines the importance of sufficient caregiver availability and stable routines in toddler classrooms.

• Bratlie, Siri Steffensen; Grøver, Vibeke; Lekhal, Ratib; Chen, Si & Rydland, Veslemøy (2024). Home literacy environment, language use, and proficiency: Bilingual profiles in young learners. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. ISSN 0193-3973. 96. doi: 10.1016/j.appdev.2024.101728. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Expanded research is needed on how the home environment shapes bilingual proficiency in young children exposed to a different language at home than in early childhood education and care settings. This study examined whether variation in language use with parents, language proficiency, and home literacy environments reflect bilingual profiles. Participants included 320 Norwegian dual language learners (aged 22–68 months) with diverse language backgrounds. Parental surveys assessed language use, first language (L1) proficiency and home literacy environment. Standardized tests assessed second language (L2) proficiency. Latent profile analysis revealed three profiles: (1) more L2 use, higher L2 proficiency and higher L2 home literacy environment; (2) more L1 use, higher L1 proficiency and lower home literacy environments for both languages; and (3) more L1 use, higher proficiency in L1 and L2, and higher home literacy environments for both languages. Profiles differed in L1 distribution, maternal residency length in Norway, and maternal education

• Eng, Kristin Fjæra; Lekhal, Ratib; Helseth, Sølvi; Småstuen, Milada Cvancarova & Lekhal, Samira (2024). The effect of the association between food budget and food quality on adherence to national guidelines in kindergartens, and the impact of budget limit on the food quality. Food & Nutrition Research (FNR). ISSN 1654-6628. 68, p. 1–9. doi: 10.29219/fnr.v68.9524. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In Norway, almost 97% of children attend kindergartens. Most of the daily food intake happens during the day in kindergartens, and the quality of food and meals being served is essential to promote healthy food habits. There is variation in the food that kindergartens provide, and kindergartens can ask for additional payment from parents to cover the food. There are no rules neither across kindergartens for the food offering nor how much additional payment kindergarten can request. Objective: Our main objective is to investigate possible associations between the food budget and the quality of food offered in kindergartens. We specifically aimed to identify budget levels that were associated with better adherence to national guidelines, thereby the quality of the food provided, as recommended by the Norwegian Directorate of Health. Design: A cross-sectional study design, based on kindergarten pedagogical leaders’ answers to a web-based questionnaire. Settings: Private and public kindergartens across Norway are included in this present study. Participants: A total of 324 kindergarten staff attending on behalf of kindergartens participated. Results: The food budget thresholds over NOK 199 are associated with higher quality of served food, in adherence to national guidelines of food and meals (odds ratio 5.2, CI = [1.5, 16.5]), compared to thresholds under 199 NOK. However, increasing the monthly food budget per child to low (200–299 NOK), medium (300–399 NOK), high (400–499 NOK), or very high (>500 NOK) levels did not lead to an improvement in food quality. Conclusion: The main results reveal that budget plays a limited role in the quality of food and meals served as long as it is above ‘very low’ (199 NOK) food budget threshold. We assume that other contextual factors can influence the quality of food and meals in a more prominent role.

• Ovati, Tone Sofie Røsholt; Rydland, Veslemøy; Grøver, Vibeke & Lekhal, Ratib (2024). Teacher perceptions of parent collaboration in multi-ethnic ECEC settings. Frontiers in Education. 9. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1340295. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Introduction: For teachers working in multi-ethnic early childhood education and care settings, a strong collaboration with parents may be an important mechanism for supporting young children's language development. However, little research has investigated how teachers perceive their communication with parents from diverse backgrounds and what centre-level factors predict the quality of teacher-parent collaboration. Methods: This study sought to explore teacher-parent collaboration within early childhood education and care in urban multi-ethnic areas of Norway, using survey data from 266 teachers across 56 centres and 198 classrooms. We examined whether teacher characteristics (education, experience and self-efficacy) and centre linguistic diversity were related to teacher perceived communication with parents regarding ways of supporting children's dual language development and teacher experienced challenges in parent collaboration. Results: Results revealed that teachers with higher self-efficacy communicated more with parents and experienced less challenges in collaboration with them. Furthermore, more experienced teachers working in more linguistically diverse centres identified more challenges in parent collaboration, while these characteristics were not related to communication. Teacher education was not associated with communication nor challenges in parent collaboration. Discussion: Our results indicate that professional development measures targeted at strengthening teacher self-efficacy might be an important mechanism to promote parent collaboration, particularly in multi-ethnic education settings.

• Eng, Kristin Fjæra; Lekhal, Ratib; Helseth, Sølvi; Hagen, Milada & Lekhal, Samira (2024). Enhancing adherence to recommended food practices in Norwegian kindergartens: The role of knowledge and application of national guidelines for food and meals. Health Education Journal. ISSN 0017-8969. 83(5), p. 519–530. doi: 10.1177/00178969241249977. Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib; Drugli, May Britt; Karlsen, Lisa-Marie; Lydersen, Stian & Buøen, Elisabet Solheim (2023). Does thrive by three, a quality-building intervention in childcare centres, strengthen children’s language skills? European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. ISSN 1350-293X. p. 1–16. doi: 10.1080/1350293X.2023.2260131. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study examined the effectiveness of the Thrive by Three intervention for 1- to 3-year-old’s language development. Data from 78 childcare centres, 187 toddler classrooms, and 1561 children (91.4% native Norwegian) were included. Results revealed that children in the intervention group had slightly steeper language development than those in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Since previous studies find language stimulation in childcare to differ based on gender, we also examined if the Thrive by Three intervention affected boys and girls differently. We found that effects of the intervention were only present for girls’ language development. Girls in the intervention group had an increase of 17 more words from baseline to post-intervention than those in the control group. There was no statistical difference in change of boys’ language development between the intervention and control group. Results are discussed in light of theories and literature that may explain our findings.

• Karlsen, Lisa-Marie; Rydland, Veslemøy; Buøen, Elisabet Solheim; Vandell, Deborah Lowe & Lekhal, Ratib (2023). The factor structures of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K and mature play observation tool in multi-ethnic Norwegian early childhood centers. Journal of Early Childhood Research. ISSN 1476-718X. doi: 10.1177/1476718X231195708. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The use of standardized assessment tools for the evaluation of quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is on the rise, yet a greater understanding of the applicability of these tools across contexts is still needed. This study investigates the factor structure of two assessment tools, the Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K (CLASS) and Mature Play Observation Tool (MPOT) in a free-play focused context serving high numbers of children with diverse language backgrounds in Norway. The study also evaluates the extent to which these tools complement each other to create a more comprehensive understanding of children’s experiences in ECEC in this context. Using confirmatory factor analyses, our results from a sample of 125 multi-ethnic ECEC groups in Norway show a good fit for the two-factor (i.e., adult- and child-focused) model proposed by the authors of MPOT. In line with previous research, the three-factor (i.e., emotional support, classroom organization, and support for learning) model of CLASS required post hoc modifications, resulting in a marginally acceptable model fit. Overall, our findings provide evidence that the original factor structures of these tools can be modeled in urban ECEC centers in Norway, and using these tools provides different insights into children’s ECEC experiences.

• Drugli, May Britt; Buøen, Elisabet Solheim & Lekhal, Ratib (2023). Erfaringer med Trygg før 3 - profesjonsutvikling på småbarnsavdelinger - en kvalitativ studie. Paideia - Tidsskrift for professionel pædagogisk praksis. ISSN 1904-9633. 26, p. 20–31. Full text in Research Archive
• Wilhelmsen, Tiril; Røysamb, Espen; Lekhal, Ratib; Brandlistuen, Ragnhild Eek; Alexandersen, Nina & Wang, Mari Vaage (2023). Children's mental health: The role of multiple risks and child care quality. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. ISSN 0193-3973. 86. doi: 10.1016/j.appdev.2023.101546. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The benefit of universal access to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) for children's development can depend on the ECEC quality and children's early childhood risks. This study utilised data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa; N = 7355, 50.2% boys) to investigate the relative contribution of children's early childhood risk accumulated up to three years of age and five separate dimensions of ECEC quality on children's mental health (externalising and internalising problems) at five years of age rated by mothers and teachers. Results from the hierarchical regression models indicated that lower ECEC quality added to, and higher ECEC quality counteracted, the risk of mental health problems. Relationship quality was the strongest contributor. Total ECEC quality and relationship quality interacted significantly with early childhood risk, indicating that higher ECEC quality protected against, while lower ECEC quality exacerbated, the detrimental effects of early childhood risk on mental health problems.

• Stensen, Kenneth; Lydersen, Stian; Ranøyen, Ingunn; Lekhal, Ratib; Drugli, May Britt & Buøen, Elisabet Solheim (2023). Investigating the Measurement Invariance of the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF) Factors in a Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care Context. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. ISSN 0882-2689. doi: 10.1007/s10862-023-10074-4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF) is an instrument frequently used by researchers and clinicians to assess psychopathology in preschool children based on information from early childhood education and care professionals. However, the measurement invariance of this instrument has not been investigated. Thus, the aim of the current study was to investigate the measurement invariance of the C-TRF for (1) girls vs. boys, and (2) for children below the age of three years old vs. three years or older, as measurement invariance is a prerequisite for a meaningful comparison of latent means between groups. Based on reports of 2904 children from 353 early childhood education and care professionals, our results showed full scalar invariance for an adapted C-TRF model, which supports the applicability of the instrument. However, awareness of the factor Somatic complaints and items with out-of-range parameters is warranted.

• Stensen, Kenneth; Lydersen, Stian; Ranøyen, Ingunn; Klöckner, Christian Andreas Nikolaus; Buøen, Elisabet Solheim & Lekhal, Ratib [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). Psychometric Properties of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale-Short Form in a Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care Context. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment. ISSN 0734-2829. 41(5), p. 514–525. doi: 10.1177/07342829231166251. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Student-Teacher Relationship Scale-Short Form (STRS-SF) is one of the most frequently used instruments globally to measure professional caregivers’ perceptions of the relationship quality with a specific child. However, its psychometric properties for children younger than 3 years of age enrolled in early childhood education and care (ECEC) centers are largely unknown. Thus, this study aimed to investigate and evaluate the factorial validity of the STRS-SF and measurement invariance across children’s gender and age by combining two large Norwegian community samples (N = 2900), covering the full age range of children enrolled in ECEC (1–6 years olds). Our findings indicate promising psychometric properties for the STRS-SF; thus, its applicability is supported for both younger and older children indiscriminate of their gender. However, some caution is advised when comparing latent means between older and younger ECEC children because professional caregivers interpret the STRS-SF differently based on children’s age.

• Trijp, Catharina Petronella Johanna van; Lekhal, Ratib; Drugli, May Britt; Rydland, Veslemøy & Buøen, Elisabet Solheim (2023). Examining the longitudinal association between toddlers’ early shyness and their well-being during their first year in Norwegian early childhood education and care. Early Child Development and Care. ISSN 0300-4430. p. 1403–1416. doi: 10.1080/03004430.2023.2247188. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Toddlers’ social – emotional well-Being in ECEC Shyness Being shy in ECEC Longitudinal association between early shyness and well-being in ECEC The present study Method Results Discussion Acknowledgements Disclosure statement Additional information References Full Article Figures & data References Citations Metrics Licensing Reprints & Permissions View PDFView EPUB ABSTRACT Using a multilevel random-coefficient approach, we examined the longitudinal association between toddlers’ early shyness and their well-being during their first year in Norwegian early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres. We used data from two measurement points (preintervention and postintervention) from a larger cluster randomized controlled trial study, Thrive by 3. We followed 567 children (answered by 415 mothers and 152 fathers) who were younger than 19 months and had just started in ECEC at preintervention. Our findings indicate that toddlers’ early shyness during their starting period in ECEC is associated with their well-being by the end of their first year in ECEC. Our findings highlight the importance of paying extra attention to shy toddlers, as they seem to show less well-being during their early period in ECEC.

• Nystad, Kathrin; Drugli, May Britt; Lydersen, Stian; Lekhal, Ratib & Buøen, Elisabet Solheim (2022). Change in toddlers' cortisol activity during a year in childcare. Associations with childcare quality, child temperament, well-being and maternal education. Stress. ISSN 1025-3890. 25(1), p. 156–165. doi: 10.1080/10253890.2022.2048371. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol have been found in toddlers in childcare. Measuring cortisol may provide an indication of children’s experiences in childcare and help to adjust practices better to their needs. To the best of our knowledge, toddlers’ cortisol levels in childcare have not yet been investigated longitudinally. Furthermore, it is unclear which child and childcare factors contribute to cortisol elevation in toddlers. Using linear mixed model analyses, we investigated the full-day cortisol activity (10.00 h, 15.00 h, 18.00 h) of 156 toddlers (81 female, 56 male) during a year in childcare (September, January, June). We also investigated child cortisol levels at home in January. In addition, we tested the relation between cortisol activity and changes in cortisol activity across the year and childcare quality, temperament, well-being in childcare, and maternal education. We found increasing evening cortisol levels through the year while controlling for age. Afternoon cortisol levels were stable, but above morning cortisol levels in September and January and only slightly below morning cortisol levels in June. At home in January, afternoon levels were significantly below morning levels. Higher well-being in childcare was associated with lower overall cortisol levels and less increase in evening cortisol levels through the year in childcare. Further, less active toddlers seemed to accumulate some stress during the childcare day, indicated by higher evening cortisol levels. Rising evening cortisol levels may indicate accumulating stress across the year. Results point toward childcare being demanding for toddlers and their need for consideration from caregivers and parents, also after a longer period of childcare attendance. The findings underline the importance of observing, promoting, and further researching children’s well-being in childcare.

• Biele, Guido; Lekhal, Ratib; Øvergaard, Kristin Romvig; Wang, Mari Vaage; Brandlistuen, Ragnhild Eek & Friis, Svein [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). The effect of special educational assistance in early childhood education and care on psycho-social difficulties in elementary school children. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health (CAPMH). 16. doi: 10.1186/s13034-022-00442-5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Three to seven percent of pre-schoolers have developmental problems or child psychiatric disorders. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) indicate that interventions in early childhood education and care (ECEC) improve long-term outcomes of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is unknown if such effects generalize beyond the well-structured context of RCTs and to children who may not have a disadvantaged background but have developmental problems or psychiatric disorders. Methods We used data from the population-based Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study, recruiting pregnant women from 1999 to 2009, with child follow-up from ages 6, 18, and 36 months to ages 5, 7, and 8 years. This sub-study included 2499 children with developmental problems or psychiatric disorders at age five. We investigated the effects of special educational assistance at age five on mother-reported internalizing, externalizing, and communication problems at age eight. We analysed bias due to treatment by indication with directed acyclic graphs, adjusted for treatment predictors to reduce bias, and estimated effects in different patient groups and outcome domains with a hierarchical Bayesian model. Results In the adjusted analysis, pre-schoolers who received special educational assistance had on average by 0.1 (0.04–0.16) standardised mean deviation fewer psycho-social difficulties in elementary school. Conclusion In a sample of children from mostly higher socioeconomic backgrounds we estimate a positive effects of special educational assistance during the transition from preschool to the school years. It may therefore be considered as an intervention for pre-schoolers with developmental or behaviour problems. More research with improved measurements of treatment and outcomes is needed to solidify the findings and identify success factors for the implementation of special educational assistance in ECEC.

• Wilhelmsen, Tiril; Lekhal, Ratib; Alexandersen, Nina; Brandlistuen, Ragnhild Eek & Wang, Mari Vaage (2021). Children’s temperament moderates the long-term effects of pedagogical practices in ECEC on children’s externalising problems. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. ISSN 1350-293X. 29(2), p. 206–223. doi: 10.1080/1350293X.2021.1895273. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this study, we explored how free play and scaffolding practices in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) related to children’sexternalising problems both in ECEC and later in school.Furthermore, we aimed to reduce the knowledge gap of whether these relations depended on children’s differences in emotional temperament. We used structural equation modelling to analysedata from 7421 children from the Norwegian Mother, Father an dChild Cohort Study. Results indicated that more free playassociated with less externalising problems in ECEC for children ingeneral. For children with higher emotionality, more free playrelated to increased externalising problems in school. Scaffoldingin ECEC was not associated with externalising problems, butmoderated the longitudinal association of free play for children with higher emotionality. All children benefited from free play in ECEC for their concurrent mental health. However, for childrenwith higher emotionality, more free play in ECEC might be a riskfactor for reduced mental health in school, where there is lessfree play than in ECEC. More scaffolding in combination with freeplay in ECEC can reduce this risk. Further research should addressthe content of play and scaffolding practices in more detail.

• Trijp, Catharina Petronella Johanna Van; Lekhal, Ratib; Drugli, May Britt; Rydland, Veslemøy; Gils, Suzanne van & Vermeer, Harriet J [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). The Association between Toddlers’ Temperament and Well-Being in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care, and the Moderating Effect of Center-Based Daycare Process Quality. Frontiers in Psychology. 12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.763682. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Children who experience well-being are engaging more confidently and positively with their caregiver(s) and peers, which helps them to profit more from available learning opportunities and support current and later life outcomes. The goodness-of-fit theory suggests that children’s well-being might be a result of the interplay between their temperament and the environment. However, there is a lack of studies that examined the association between children’s temperament and well-being in early childhood education and care (ECEC), and whether this association is affected by ECEC process quality. Using a multilevel random coefficient approach, this study examines the association between toddlers’ (N = 1,561) temperament (shyness, emotionality, sociability, and activity) and well-being in Norwegian ECEC and investigates whether process quality moderates this association. Results reveal an association between temperament and well-being. Staff-child conflict moderates the association between shyness and well-being, and between activity and well-being. Moreover, high emotional behavioral support moderates the association between activity and well-being. Extra attention should be paid by the staff to these children’s needs.

• Buøen, Elisabet Solheim; Lekhal, Ratib; Lydersen, Stian; Berg-Nielsen, Turid Suzanne & Drugli, May Britt (2021). Promoting the Quality of Teacher-Toddler Interactions: A Randomized Controlled Trial of “Thrive by Three” In-Service Professional Development in 187 Norwegian Toddler Classrooms. Frontiers in Psychology. 12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.778777. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The effectiveness of the Thrive by Three intervention, a 10-month, multicomponent, in-service professional development model to promote the quality of caregiver-toddler interactions (i.e., process quality), was tested utilizing a clustered randomized controlled design. Eighty childcare centers with 187 toddler classrooms in Norway were randomly assigned to either the Thrive by Three intervention group (n=87) or a usual-activity wait list control group (n=100). Interactional quality was assessed with the Toddler version of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS-Toddler) at three timepoints: pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. There were significant group differences in change in quality during the intervention period in both CLASS domains, Emotional and Behavioral Support (EBS), and Engaged Support for Learning (ESL), with greater overall differences in the ESL domain. Quality increased in the intervention groups, but quality decreased in the control group from baseline to post-intervention. There were significant group differences in quality at baseline. The Thrive by Three intervention had a positive effect on teacher-toddler interactions in both the EBS and ESL domains. Results need to be replicated preferably in more diverse samples.

• Lekhal, Ratib & Karlsen, Lisa (2021). Bullying of students who receive special education services for learning and behaviour difficulties in Norway. International Journal of Inclusive Education. ISSN 1360-3116. doi: 10.1080/13603116.2021.1991487. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Recent research in economic geography has introduced two notions that historical studies should explore: regional resilience and related variety. Regional resilience refers to a region’s ability to recover from external shocks. Related variety refers to the existence of related industrial sectors in a region, and the relatedness promotes economic development due to spill-overs between sectors. From an evolutionary perspective, external shocks result in new development paths in regions with related variety. This is a dynamic process well suited to historical studies. This article argues that historical studies can contribute to this literature by studying how related sectors interact in resilient regions. We propose that family firms may act as a micro-coordination mechanism by moving financial and human resources from one sector to another related sector as a response to shock. The paper develops this argument by studying how six major regional business families within ocean industries reacted to external shocks over time.

• Nystad, Kathrin; Drugli, May Britt; Lydersen, Stian; Lekhal, Ratib & Buøen, Elisabet Solheim (2021). Toddlers' stress during transition to childcare. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. ISSN 1350-293X. 29(2), p. 157–182. doi: 10.1080/1350293X.2021.1895269. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In toddlers, the transition from home to childcare might elicit high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Measuring cortisol may give an indicator for children’s experience and hence, may help improve this transition. We applied linear mixed model analyses to investigate the cortisol levels of 119 toddlers during their transition to childcare across time of day (morning, afternoon, and evening) and phase (accompanied by parents, separated from parents, and after four to six weeks in childcare). The influence of age, gender, number of siblings, and childcare group size was analyzed. Time of day and phase influenced cortisol levels significantly. On average, children had elevated cortisol levels in the afternoon throughout transition, with the peak coming in the separation phase. Cortisol levels declined significantly toward the evening. Children younger than 14 months showed higher evening levels and higher afternoon levels after 4–6 weeks in childcare. The findings suggest that the onset of childcare – particularly separation from parents – may be demanding for toddlers. Low evening levels indicate relief of tension at home. Higher levels of afternoon cortisol of under 14- months-old children at the follow-up measurement may indicate that younger children need more time to settle in at childcare.

• Trijp, Catharina Petronella Johanna Van; Lekhal, Ratib; Drugli, May Britt; Rydland, Veslemøy & Buøen, Elisabet Solheim (2021). Validation of the Leiden Inventory for the Child’s Well-Being in Daycare (LICW-D) Questionnaire in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care Centers. Frontiers in Psychology. 12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.767137. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The promotion of children’s development and well-being is a core concept in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) quality frameworks. Yet, few validated instruments measuring young children’s well-being exist. This study examined the validity of The Leiden Inventory for the Child’s Well-being in Daycare (LICW-D) (De Schipper et al., 2004b) in a sample of toddlers (n = 1,472) attending ECEC centers in Norway, using confirmatory factor analysis. Factorial invariance across gender and concurrent validity were also investigated. Indicators of concurrent validity were problem behaviors and difficult temperament, as rated by professional caregivers. Results showed a marginally acceptable fit for the hypothesized one-factor model, when allowing the measurement error of four item pairs to be correlated. This slightly modified model showed satisfactory concurrent validity, and factorial invariance across gender was confirmed.

• Lekhal, Ratib; Drugli, May Britt; Berg-Nielsen, Turid Suzanne & Buøen, Elisabet Solheim (2020). A model of intervention and implementation of quality building and quality control in childcare centers to strengthen the mental health and development of 1-3-year olds: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial of thrive by three. JMIR Research Protocols. 9(10), p. 1–12. doi: 10.2196/17726. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Universal, high-quality childcare offers a unique opportunity to prevent developmental trajectories leading to mental health problems. Yet, growing evidence has shown that the process quality of Norwegian childcare centers varies considerably, and that research-based models for quality building are significantly lacking. Objective: To examine whether a model for quality building in childcare centers, Thrive by Three, increases the quality of child–caregiver interactions, and promotes child development, well-being, and mental health. Methods: The Thrive by Three study is a clustered randomized controlled trial involving 187 toddler groups in childcare centers across 7 municipalities within southern and central Norway. Each center is randomly allocated to the intervention or wait-list control group. Data are collected at 4 points: preintervention (T1), midway (T2), postintervention (T3), and 1-year postintervention (T4). Primary outcomes are changes in childcare quality measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System toddler version (CLASS), Student–Teacher Relationship Scale, Short Form (STRS-SF), and Life in Early Childhood Programs (LECP), as well as child development and mental health measured by The Brief Infant Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA, parent and teacher report), the Caregiver–Teacher Report Form (C-TRF), and Child Behavior Checklist (parent report) from the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) from 1.5 to 5 years, and child well-being measured by the Leiden Inventory for Child’s Well-Being in Day Care (LICW-D). Secondary outcomes are child cortisol levels, assessed in a subsample of 372 children. Results: As of August 2020, a total of 1531 children and 769 staff from 187 toddler groups were recruited. Because of turnover, the recruitment of staff will be ongoing until August 2020. As of January 2020, the intervention group has been working with Thrive by Three for 1.5 years. Data at T1, T2, and T3 from both the intervention and control groups have been completed and T4 will be completed in August 2020. Conclusions: This study makes an important contribution to the field of quality building in childcare centers. The results will provide greater insight into how high quality can be obtained and the effects of high-quality early childcare on child mental health. This in turn will be significant for policymakers and to the Norwegian society at large.

• Karlsen, Lisa & Lekhal, Ratib (2019). Practitioner involvement and support in children’s learning during free play in two Norwegian kindergartens. Journal of Early Childhood Research. ISSN 1476-718X. 17(3), p. 233–246. doi: 10.1177/1476718X19856390. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This research focuses on how practitioners in two Norwegian kindergartens interact with children during free play. The purpose of the study is to draw attention to the way the practitioners supported children’s learning through their interactions with children during free play. Through naturalistic observations of 17 practitioners, results revealed that while more than half of the day in both settings consisted of free play activities (60%), practitioners spent a significant amount of this time completely away from play situations (45.5% of free play). Of the remaining time, practitioners spent 34 percent of free playtime supporting children’s learning through joining in, commenting, instructing, or helping.

• Løken, Gro; Lekhal, Ratib & Haug, Peder (2018). Observasjon av kjønnsforskjeller og forskjeller mellom spesialundervisning og ordinær opplæring i det tilrettelagte klasserommet. In Smith, Kari (Eds.), Norsk og internasjonal lærerutdanningsforskning : hvor er vi? hvor vil vi gå? hva skal vi gjøre nå?. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245022599. p. 153–175. Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib (2018). Receiving extra support in Norwegian centre-based childcare: the role of children's language and socioemotional development. Early Child Development and Care. ISSN 0300-4430. p. 1–14. doi: 10.1080/03004430.2018.1485671. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study adds to the current literature by examining how different developmental areas (language problems or externalizing and internalizing behaviour problems) affect the possibility of a child receiving extra support early in life. The data were drawn from an online survey of 2779 children in Norway conducted in 2015 and included information about children's development and on their background and family factors. There was a strong connection between children's development and the possibility of receiving special education. However, relatively large gender differences were found. Furthermore, only a fairly small proportion of the children characterized as having a problem with language or with internalizing or externalizing behaviour were detected and actually received any special education support.

• Trijp, Catharina Petronella Johanna Van & Lekhal, Ratib (2018). Promoting children's well-being in ECEC: A challenging goal. Journal of International Doctoral Research. ISSN 2328-0832. 7(1), p. 30–54. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The promotion of children’s development and well-being through high Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), quality is one of the core concepts in many international ECEC quality frameworks and guidelines (Bagdi & Vacca, 2005; Sylva, Ereky-Stevens, & Aricescu, 2015). However, this goal has multiple challenges regarding children’s well-being. Firstly, there is a lengthy debate regarding the definition of well-being (Dodge, Daly, Huyton, & Sander, 2012), which mainly focused on adults’ well-being. Children’s well-being is underexposed (Røysamb, 2014). Secondly, children participate in different environments, such as at home and in ECEC centers (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), which might result in discrepancies regarding their well-being between these environments. This may be through the presence of protective and/or risk factors in the different environments, but also with regard to the individual child (AalbersVan Leeuwen, Van Hees, & Hermanns, 2002; Asscher, Hermanns, & Dekovic, 2008). The influence of these factors is dependent on the interplay between the child’s genes and the environment (Røysamb & Nes, 2018). These challenges and the large international political focus on children’s well-being in ECEC require a universal conceptual framework. The current study conducts a literature review regarding children’s well-being in ECEC. Based on this review, a new framework regarding zero-to-five-year olds’ well-being is presented. With this framework, organizational tools are provided for research, policies and practices to understand the complexity of children’s well-being, to develop instruments that measure well-being directly, and to see what is needed from the different environments to promote children’s well-being.

• Lekhal, Ratib (2017). Elever med vedtak om spesialundervisning: Hva vet vi, hvordan har de det, og trives de på skolen? In Haug, Peder (Eds.), Spesialundervisning – Innhald og funksjon. Det Norske Samlaget. ISSN 9788252194111. p. 368–385. Full text in Research Archive
• Løken, Gro; Lekhal, Ratib & Haug, Peder (2017). Lavt presterende elever og kjønnsforskjeller – hvem får og hvem får ikke spesialundervisning? In Haug, Peder (Eds.), Spesialundervisning – Innhald og funksjon. Det Norske Samlaget. ISSN 9788252194111. p. 123–145. Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib (2017). Does special education predict students’ math and language skills? European Journal of Special Needs Education. ISSN 0885-6257. 33(4), p. 525–540. doi: 10.1080/08856257.2017.1373494. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A large number of children are today receiving special education in Norway. The high cost to society and possible long-term consequences for the students make it important to understand the interrelationship of the causes and effects related to receiving special education services. Unfortunately, at present there are only few rigorous studies of the effects of receiving special education services. This study examined the interrelationship between receiving special education services and students’ math and language skills in upper secondary school in Norway. Data from 2756 students in the large population-based special education study (SPEED) was used that included information from questionnaires on students’ development, learning environment and family background. Results showed that students receiving special education services had slightly lower scores on their language test but similar scores on their math test compared to the group of students not receiving special education services, when conservative methodological approaches were used to control for possible covariate bias.

• Faldet, Ann-Cathrin & Lekhal, Ratib (2016). Voldelige jenters opplevelse av skolen som arena for læring og sosialt samspill. Spesialpedagogikk. ISSN 0332-8457. 81(3), p. 51–64. Full text in Research Archive
• Aasen, Ann Margareth; Lekhal, Ratib; Drugli, May Britt & Nordahl, Thomas (2015). Kjønnsforskjeller i skolefaglige prestasjoner - forklaringer i elevenes holdninger til og væremåte i skolen, samt relasjonelle forhold. Paideia - Tidsskrift for professionel pædagogisk praksis. ISSN 1904-9633. p. 76–89. Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib & Mælan, Ellen Nesset (2015). Bokstaver, tall og geometriske figurer i barnehagen-preliminære resultater fra en pilotstudie i seks barnehager: En ny vurderingsmetode? Cepra-striben - tidsskrift for Evaluering i Praksis. ISSN 1903-8143. p. 22–29. Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib (2015). What is the Best Way to Assess Quality in Childcare to Understand Its Influence on Children? Journal of International Scientific Publications: Educational Alternatives. 13, p. 677–683. Full text in Research Archive

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• Buøen, Elisabet Solheim; Drugli, May Britt & Lekhal, Ratib (2024). Bedre samspillskvalitet. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202827786. 195 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Drugli, May Britt; Lekhal, Ratib & Buøen, Elisabet Solheim (2020). Tilvenning og foreldresamarbeid: de yngste i barnehagen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202664442. 136 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne boken omhandler den viktige overgangen fra hjem til barnehage og inngår i serien «De yngste i barnehagen – fra forskning til praksis». Boken har som målsetting å bidra til at de yngste barna får en «sømløs» tilvenning til barnehagen. Det krever et godt samarbeid mellom foreldre og ansatte, og gode rutiner som passer for små barn. Små barn har grunnleggende behov for trygghet, tilhørighet og forutsigbarhet, samtidig som de er nysgjerrige og lekende utforskere. En god tilvenning til barnehagen ivaretar alle disse aspektene. Boken består av fire deler. I del en viser forfatterne til den nye rammeplanen, samt presenterer bokens teoretiske utgangspunkt som er systemteori, nyere teori om barns utvikling og tilknytningsteori. Del to omhandler foreldresamarbeid, da dette er helt sentralt for en god overgang fra hjem til barnehage. I del tre beskrives forskning som foreligger på tilvenning og i del fire beskrives en rekke praktiske tips til god praksis, samt refleksjonsoppgaver som kan benyttes i arbeidet med å evaluere og utvikle egne tilvenningsrutiner. Bokens målgruppe er først og fremst ansatte i barnehagene og studenter på barnehagelærerutdanningen, samt alle andre som er opptatt av gode barnehager for de yngste barnehagebarna

• Lekhal, Samira; Slapø, Helena; Lekhal, Ratib & Drugli, May Britt (2019). Kosthold og fysisk helse. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202638924. 131 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib; Drugli, May Britt & Buøen, Elisabet Solheim (2019). Små barns læring. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202588304. 151 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Drugli, May Britt & Lekhal, Ratib (2018). Livsmestring og psykisk helse. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202584627. 165 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib; Zachrisson, Henrik Daae; Solheim, Elisabet; Moser, Thomas & Drugli, May Britt (2016). Barnehagen: Betydningen av kvalitet i barnehagen. Gyldendal Akademisk. ISBN 9788205495982. 88 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib; Zachrisson, Henrik Daae; Solheim, Elisabet; Moser, Thomas & Drugli, May Britt (2016). Det ved vi om: Betydningen af kvalitet i dagtilbud. Dafolo. ISBN 9788771601671. 80 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Nordahl, Thomas; Sunnevåg, Anne-Karin; Qvortrup, Lars; Hansen, Line Skov; Hansen, Ole & Lekhal, Ratib [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2016). Hold ut og hold kursen. Resultater fra kartleggningsundersøkelse i Kristiansand Kommune 2015. Aalborg Universitetsforlag. ISBN 9788771125412. 119 p. Full text in Research Archive

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• Rydland, Veslemøy & Lekhal, Ratib (2026). Profesjonsutvikling for å støtte språk i barnehagen. Full text in Research Archive
• Øksendal, Elise; Rydland, Veslemøy & Lekhal, Ratib (2026). Exploring associations between teacher-rated and individ ual assessments of language skills in Norwegian ECEC class rooms. Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib; Bratlie, Siri Steffensen; Karlsen, Lisa-Marie; Ovati, Tone Sofie Røsholt; Øksendal, Elise & Wilhelmsen, Tiril [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2026). Oslo Early Education Study (OEES): Enhancing Interaction Quality through Practice-Based Professional Development in Early Childhood Education and Care. Full text in Research Archive
• Rydland, Veslemøy & Lekhal, Ratib (2026). Språksterk - forskningsresultater fra utprøvingen. Full text in Research Archive
• Rydland, Veslemøy & Lekhal, Ratib (2026). Språksterk - Modellen og resulatene. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

• Rydland, Veslemøy & Lekhal, Ratib (2026). Språksterk 1-6, modell og resultater. Full text in Research Archive
• Øksendal, Elise; Lekhal, Ratib; Grøver, Vibeke; Ovati, Tone Sofie Røsholt & Rydland, Veslemøy (2025). Did a language-focused professional development intervention impact teacher talk in group play? Full text in Research Archive
• Øksendal, Elise; Lekhal, Ratib; Grøver, Vibeke; Ovati, Tone Sofie Røsholt & Rydland, Veslemøy (2025). Do teacher talk features in small group play change after receiving a professional development intervention? Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib (2025). Presentasjon av resultater fra Språksterk - et prosjekt i fem bydeler i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Presentasjon av resultater fra Språksterk - et prosjekt i fem bydeler i Oslo

• Rydland, Veslemøy; Bratlie, Siri Steffensen; Lekhal, Ratib; Wilhelmsen, Tiril & Grøver, Vibeke (2025). The Effectiveness of a Professional Development Intervention in Diverse Norwegian ECEC Settings. Full text in Research Archive
• Wilhelmsen, Tiril; Lekhal, Ratib; Rydland, Veslemøy; Ovati, Tone Sofie Røsholt; Øksendal, Elise & Coplan, Robert J. (2025). Supporting children's peer-play development in ECEC through emotion socialisation. Full text in Research Archive
• Ovati, Tone Sofie Røsholt; Lekhal, Ratib; Rydland, Veslemøy; Øksendal, Elise & Grøver, Vibeke (2025). Teacher Talk during Shared Reading Predicts Child Oral Language Development in Multi-Ethnic ECEC Settings. Full text in Research Archive
• Rydland, Veslemøy & Lekhal, Ratib (2025). Partnerskap mellom barnehage, pedagogisk-psykologisk tjeneste og universitetet i utviklingen av og forskningen på et omfattende språkprosjekt i Oslo-barnehager. Full text in Research Archive
• Øksendal, Elise; Rydland, Veslemøy; Bratlie, Siri Steffensen & Lekhal, Ratib (2025). Hvem er frilekens vinnere og tapere? Hvordan ser dette ut i Språksterk-barnehager? Full text in Research Archive
• Rydland, Veslemøy & Lekhal, Ratib (2025). Språksterk 1-6: bakgrunn, kompetanseutvikling og resultater. Full text in Research Archive
• Øksendal, Elise; Rydland, Veslemøy; Bratlie, Siri Steffensen & Lekhal, Ratib (2024). Hvilke barn deltar mest i sosial lek i flerspråklige barnehager? Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib & Wilhelmsen, Tiril (2024). Har Språksterk hatt betydning for prosesskvaliteten i barnehagene? Full text in Research Archive
• Øksendal, Elise; Lekhal, Ratib; Grøver, Vibeke & Rydland, Veslemøy (2024). Vannlek i Språksterk-barnehager? Full text in Research Archive
• Øksendal, Elise; Rydland, Veslemøy; Bratlie, Siri Steffensen & Lekhal, Ratib (2024). Hvem er frilekens vinnere og tapere? Hvordan ser dette ut i Språksterk-barnehager? Full text in Research Archive
• Wilhelmsen, Tiril; Røysamb, Espen; Lekhal, Ratib; Brandlistuen, Ragnhild Eek; Alexandersen, Nina & Wang, Mari Vaage (2024). Betydningen av tidlig multippel risiko og barnehagekvalitet for barns psykiske helse. Full text in Research Archive
• Ovati, Tone Sofie Røsholt; Grøver, Vibeke; Lekhal, Ratib & Rydland, Veslemøy (2024). Impact of an Early Childhood Education and Care Professional Development Intervention on Teacher Talk during Shared Reading. Full text in Research Archive
• Ovati, Tone Sofie Røsholt; Rydland, Veslemøy; Grøver, Vibeke & Lekhal, Ratib (2023). Teacher Perceptions of Parent Collaboration in Multi-Ethnic ECEC Settings. Full text in Research Archive
• Øksendal, Elise; Rydland, Veslemøy; Bratlie, Siri Steffensen; Lekhal, Ratib & Grøver, Vibeke (2023). Latente profiler av språk, kommunikasjon, oppmerksomhet og lek blant barnehagebarn. Full text in Research Archive
• Rydland, Veslemøy; Grøver, Vibeke & Lekhal, Ratib (2023). Teacher Perceptions of Parent Collaboration in Multi-Ethnic ECEC Settings. Full text in Research Archive
• Rydland, Veslemøy; Grøver, Vibeke & Lekhal, Ratib (2023). Teacher Perceptions of Parent Collaboration in Multi-Ethnic ECEC Settings. Full text in Research Archive
• Bratlie, Siri Steffensen; Rydland, Veslemøy; Lekhal, Ratib & Grøver, Vibeke (2023). Profiles of home language use and demographic factors among diverse young Norwegian dual language learners: A latent profile approach. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensen, Kenneth; Lydersen, Stian; Ranøyen, Ingunn; Klöckner, Christian Andreas Nikolaus; Buøen, Elisabet Solheim & Lekhal, Ratib [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). Poster: Psychometric Properties of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale-Short Form in a Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care Context. Full text in Research Archive
• Buøen, Elisabet Solheim; Lekhal, Ratib & Drugli, May Britt (2023). Effects of the Thrive by Three: a Professional Development Model to Enhance ECEC Quality. Full text in Research Archive
• Rydland, Veslemøy & Lekhal, Ratib (2023). Presentasjon av Språksterk 1-6. Full text in Research Archive
• Rydland, Veslemøy & Lekhal, Ratib (2023). Språksterk 1-6 og overgangen til skole. Full text in Research Archive
• Rydland, Veslemøy & Lekhal, Ratib (2023). Språksterk - implementering og videreføring. Full text in Research Archive
• Wilhelmsen, Tiril; Rydland, Veslemøy & Lekhal, Ratib (2023). Associations between teachers' emotion socialisation behaviour and children's social competence and play in Norwegian childcare, and moderations by children's temperament. Full text in Research Archive
• Wilhelmsen, Tiril; Rydland, Veslemøy; Buøen, Elisabet Solheim; Drugli, May Britt & Lekhal, Ratib (2023). Measuring preschool teachers’ emotion socialisation with young children. Full text in Research Archive
• Øksendal, Elise; Rydland, Veslemøy; Grøver, Vibeke; Lekhal, Ratib & Bratlie, Siri Steffensen (2023). Latent profiles of language, communication, attention and play behavior. Full text in Research Archive
• Reiersen, Camilla; Ovati, Tone Sofie Røsholt; Lekhal, Ratib & Rydland, Veslemøy (2023). Preschool practitioners’ experiences with the implementation of the Oslo Early Education Study intervention. Full text in Research Archive
• Røsholt, Tone Sofie; Rydland, Veslemøy; Grøver, Vibeke & Lekhal, Ratib (2022). ECEC Teachers' Perceptions of Parent Collaboration to Support Children's Language Development in Multilingual Areas of Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Røsholt, Tone Sofie; Rydland, Veslemøy; Grøver, Vibeke & Lekhal, Ratib (2022). ECEC Teachers’ Perceptions of Parent Collaboration to Support Children’s Dual Language Development in Multilingual Areas of Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Karlsen, Lisa-Marie; Lekhal, Ratib; Rydland, Veslemøy & Buøen, Elisabet Solheim (2022). Play practices and the applicability of a new play assessment tool in Norwegian preschools. Full text in Research Archive
• Karlsen, Lisa-Marie; Lekhal, Ratib; Rydland, Veslemøy & Buøen, Elisabet Solheim (2022). Play practices and the applicability of a new play assessment tool in Norwegian preschools. Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib (2021). Ny i barnehagen - Tilvenning og foreldresamarbeid. Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib (2021). Kvalitet i barnehagen- betydningen av gode relasjoner. Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib (2021). Kvalitet i barnehagen. Full text in Research Archive
• Lekhal, Ratib (2021). Samtale over temaet; Kvalitet i barnehagen. Full text in Research Archive
• Rydland, Veslemøy & Lekhal, Ratib (2021). Språksterk. Et utviklings og forskningsprosjekt i flerspråklige barnehager i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Rydland, Veslemøy & Lekhal, Ratib (2021). Språksterk 1-6. Full text in Research Archive
• Trijp, Catharina Petronella Johanna Van & Lekhal, Ratib (2019). The influence of ECEC quality on toddlers’ development and well-being in Norwegian ECEC. How to measure these concepts with instruments from the Thrive by 3 intervention? Full text in Research Archive
• Drugli, May Britt & Lekhal, Ratib (2019). 4 faktorer som fremmer barns livsmestring. Første steg. ISSN 1504-1891. p. 50–53. Full text in Research Archive
• Drugli, May Britt & Lekhal, Ratib (2019). 4 faktorer som fremmer barns livsmestring. Utdanningsnytt.no. Full text in Research Archive

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