Liv Heidi Mjelve

• Nyborg, Geir; Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Coplan, Robert J.; Edwards, Anne & Crozier, Ray (2024). Exploring Norwegian teachers’ perceptions of shy students at recess and their strategic responses. International Journal of Inclusive Education. ISSN 1360-3116. p. 1–16. doi: 10.1080/13603116.2024.2343089. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Recess (break times) during the school day offers children opportunities for peer interactions which enrich social development. For shy children, however, these periods can produce anxiety, leading to withdrawal and onlooker behaviour. The analysis reported here is from a national study of how Norwegian elementary school teachers support the engagement of shy children in school life. Nineteen teachers with recognised success with shy students were interviewed to elicit their interpretations of shy children’s behaviour and their strategies with them. Qualitative analyses found that these teachers recognised that recess was integral to creating inclusive schools, took the perspectives of shy children, and ascribed anxiety-related emotions to them. Teachers also mentioned that asking other children to include them in activities left shy children feeling pitied. However, giving designated roles to the child; allowing them to stay inside with friends to build real friendships; and starting playful activities with the child that attracted other children were all described as successful strategies.

• Ulleberg, Inger & Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2023). Læreren som deltaker i veiledningssamtaler. In Olsen, Mirjam Harkestad & Arneberg, Per (Ed.), Samtaler i skolen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202772277. p. 155–182. Full text in Research Archive
• Nyborg, Geir; Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Crozier, Crozier Ray; Arnesen, Anne; Coplan, Robert J. & Edwards, Anne (2023). Teachers’ Strategies for Helping Shy Students: Findings from a National Survey in Norway. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. ISSN 0031-3831. 68(5), p. 1024–1024. doi: 10.1080/00313831.2023.2196534. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The goals of this study were to investigate strategies that teachers may use to help students with their shyness at school and to explore potential effects of demographic variables (i.e., teacher experience, class size, grade level) on teachers’ strategies. Participants were a national sample of N = 275 teachers (from 230 elementary schools) in Norway, who reported their frequency of use of different strategies and rated their perceived effectiveness for helping shy students across four domains: (1) encouraging oral participation; (2) promoting social relationships; (3) reducing anxiety; and (4) whole-class strategies. Across domains, common themes included teachers’ sensitivity to individual shy students, reduction of stress associated with novel situations, involving peers, focus on social skills, and building trusting relationships with shy students. Demographic variables had only limited effects on strategy use/effectiveness. Findings are discussed in relation to previous theory and research related to teachers’ strategies for assisting shy students at school.

• Nyborg, Geir; Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Edwards, Anne; Crozier, W. Ray & Coplan, Robert J. (2022). Working relationally with shy students: Pedagogical insights from teachers and students. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction. ISSN 2210-6561. 33. doi: 10.1016/j.lcsi.2022.100610. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Shy children can find engaging with classroom demands challenging, inhibiting their development as agentic learners. In the present study, seven Norwegian elementary school teachers with acknowledged success with shy students were observed teaching and then interviewed about their observed pedagogies. A shy child in each class was also interviewed. Both sets of interviews were analysed drawing on concepts from cultural-historical theory: relational expertise, common knowledge and relational agency. Analyses revealed that teachers employed relational expertise to build common knowledge (understandings of their and the child's motive orientations) with each student. Common knowledge then mediated the unfolding of the child's agency as an engaged learner. The study offers unique insights into how shy children can be supported as learners.

• Solberg, Stine; Nyborg, Geir; Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Edwards, Anne & Arnesen, Anne (2022). Teachers’ experiences of school-based support in their work with shy students. Teaching and Teacher Education : An International Journal of Research and Studies. ISSN 0742-051X. 111(111), p. 103628–103628. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2021.103628. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  We report on the support from senior leaders, outside agents and parents, experienced by Norwegian elementary school teachers while working with shy students. A national sample completed a questionnaire based on teacher interviews. A descriptive analysis examined experienced support; while a person-centered analysis revealed different profiles of teachers in relation to support. The findings show that teachers perceived some support in this work. But there were two profiles of teachers, one experienced significantly more support than the other. Class size was the only background variable that showed an effect on the profiles. Implications for schools and senior leadership are discussed.

• Nyborg, Geir; Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Arnesen, Anne; Crozier, W. Ray; Bjørnebekk, Gunnar & Coplan, Robert J. (2022). Teachers’ strategies for managing shy students’ anxiety at school. Nordic Psychology. ISSN 1901-2276. 75(1), p. 74–74. doi: 10.1080/19012276.2022.2058072. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The aim of this quantitative study was to analyze teachers’ most common and perceived effective strategies for reducing anxiety in shy elementary-school students. Participants were 275 elementary-school teachers, representative of the teacher population of Norway. Participants nominated a shy student they had taught and completed a questionnaire including strategies for reducing anxiety, reporting their use and effectiveness of each strategy. Latent class and profile models identified groups of teachers that differed in terms of how often they applied strategies and in how useful they found their attempts to intervene. Strategy use and usefulness ratings were consistent across participants although there was evidence of an association with student grade, student gender and school size on a number of strategies. A consistent theme across the strategies is the reliance on protective strategies, which may help a child cope with anxiety in the short term but can be less productive in the longer term. Results are discussed in terms of best practices for teachers in helping shy students cope with anxiety at school.

• Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Nyborg, Geir; Arnesen, Anne; Bjørnebekk, Gunnar; Ray, Crozier W. & Coplan, Robert (2022). Characteristics of Teacher-Nominated Shy Students in Norwegian Elementary Schools. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. ISSN 0256-8543. 37(2), p. 274–274. doi: 10.1080/02568543.2022.2027582. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The present study explored variations in the characteristics of teacher-nominated shy students. Participants were N = 329 teachers from 303 elementary schools across Norway. Teachers were first asked to select a current (or previously taught) student who was considered “shy,” and then rated different aspects of this child’s school adjustment. Among the results, teacher-nominated shy students were found to be a heterogeneous group, varying substantively across several domains of functioning at school. Teachers’ descriptions of shy students functioning did not vary significantly as a function of school characteristics (class/school size), teacher characteristics (gender/age/experience), or student grade. However, overall, teachers rated shy male students as evidencing more adjustment difficulties than shy female students. Results are discussed in terms of implications for educational practice.

• Cordier, Reinie; Speyer, Renee; Mahoney, Natasha; Arnesen, Anne; Mjelve, Liv Heidi & Nyborg, Geir (2021). Effects of interventions for social anxiety and shyness in school-aged children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE. 16(7), p. 0254117–0254117. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254117. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In school, shyness is associated with psychosocial difficulties and has negative impacts on children’s academic performance and wellbeing. Even though there are different strategies and interventions to help children deal with shyness, there is currently no comprehensive systematic review of available interventions. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to identify interventions for shy children and to evaluate the effectiveness in reducing psychosocial difficulties and other impacts. The methodology and reporting were guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement and checklist. A total of 4,864 studies were identified and 25 of these met the inclusion criteria. These studies employed interventions that were directed at school-aged children between six and twelve years of age and described both pre- and post-intervention measurement in target populations of at least five children. Most studies included an intervention undertaken in a school setting. The meta-analysis revealed interventions showing a large effect in reducing negative consequences of shyness, which is consistent with extant literature regarding shyness in school, suggesting school-age as an ideal developmental stage to target shyness. None of the interventions were delivered in a classroom setting, limiting the ability to make comparisons between in-class interventions and those delivered outside the classroom, but highlighting the effectiveness of interventions outside the classroom. The interventions were often conducted in group sessions, based at the school, and involved activities such as play, modelling and reinforcement and clinical methods such as social skills training, psychoeducation, and exposure. Traditionally, such methods have been confined to a clinic setting. The results of the current study show that, when such methods are used in a school-based setting and involve peers, the results can be effective in reducing negative effects of shyness. This is consistent with recommendations that interventions be age-appropriate, consider social development and utilise wide, school-based programs that address all students.

• Solberg, Stine; Edwards, Anne; Mjelve, Liv Heidi & Nyborg, Geir (2020). Working Relationally with Networks of Support Within Schools: Supporting Teachers in their Work with Shy Students. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk. ISSN 1082-4669. doi: 10.1080/10824669.2020.1854760. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Childhood shyness and associated psychosocial difficulties can place pupils at risk of underperforming cognitively. Yet shyness is not regarded as a special need demanding a response from education professionals. In this article, drawing on data from a national study of how teachers support shy children, we trace how teachers negotiate this support from the networks of teachers and carers that are available to them. Data comprised post-observation recall interviews, individual interviews and focus groups with teachers, all of whom had successful experiences with shy students. Qualitative responses from a national teacher survey were also analyzed. Analyses were guided by three cultural-historical concepts which explain professional relationships. Four networks were identified: teacher teams; school resource teams; school leadership teams and families. With peers the negotiation was horizontal, drawing on shared concerns with children as learners; with resource teams teachers negotiated upwards by recognizing and addressing the priorities of the resource teams; with leadership teams the school Principals worked relationally and pedagogically with teachers to enable their agentic responses to challenges; while with families teachers worked sensitively to elicit the what mattered for the families and encourage relational collaborations with school professionals. The implications for professional learning and school leadership are discussed.

• Nyborg, Geir; Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Edwards, Anne & Crozier, Ray (2020). Teachers’ strategies for enhancing shy children's engagement in oral activities: necessary, but insufficient? International Journal of Inclusive Education. ISSN 1360-3116. doi: 10.1080/13603116.2020.1711538. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Shy children can present challenges for teachers aiming at inclusive classrooms. Their educational attainments can be lower than their peers, they may have difficulties in adjustment to school and they can be at risk of meeting clinical criteria for social anxiety disorder. One recurrent finding is that they are often quiet across a range of school situations. The study reported here focused on teachers’ strategies to engage shy students in frequently occurring oral activities, such as group work, in elementary school classrooms. Data were gathered through post-observation stimulated-recall interviews with eight teachers who had experience of success with shy students and three focus groups with 11 similarly experienced teachers. The analysis examined teachers’ actions with these children to enhance their visible engagement in activities that require oral participation. The findings suggest that although teachers attended to the psychosocial aspects of student engagement, there was little emphasis on the pedagogic purposes of oral activities with these children. We conclude that more attention should be paid to the academic aspects of oral activities when aiming at inclusion for shy children.

• Mjelve, Liv Heidi & Tangen, Reidun Synnøve (2020). Imitation as a Method of Analyses: Understanding Participants’ Perspectives. Qualitative Research in Psychology. ISSN 1478-0887. doi: 10.1080/14780887.2020.1840684. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article discusses how and why imitation of research participants’ verbal and non-verbal language can improve our understanding of interaction processes in counselling. Experiences from a research project are presented to illustrate challenges and advantages in the process of analysis. An analytical approach was developed during the project, in which imitation of the participants’ verbal and non-verbal language was used. Imitation as a method of analysis is discussed with ‘phenomenology of the body’ as a frame of reference. The conclusion is that imitation can add to the understanding of counselling processes by serving as a tool for understanding participants’ perspectives in a way that gives a holistic picture of the interaction between them. This is possible because imitation activates the researcher’s insight based on bodily experience and tacit knowledge. Thus, interpretation and theorizing of the research phenomenon can be strengthened.

• Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Nyborg, Geir; Edwards, Anne & Crozier, Ray (2019). Teachers’ Understandings of Shyness: psychosocial differentiation for student inclusion. British Educational Research Journal (BERJ). ISSN 0141-1926. doi: 10.1002/berj.3563. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Shyness is not a recognised special educational need, yet studies reveal that shy children underperform academically and present psychosocial vulnerabilities. We present a Norwegian study of elementary school teachers who have experience in working with shy children. Framed by a cultural-historical understanding that concepts are tools employed by teachers as they work on problems of practice, the study examined (i) how shyness is a concept allowing teachers to interpret behaviours of children; and (ii) why they employ the concept, what demands were being addressed. Data were gathered through post-observation stimulated-recall interviews with eight teachers; and three focus group sessions with 11 teachers. Seeing shyness as a tool for identifying the demands made by children regarded as shy, revealed sets of child behaviours which required two distinct forms of differentiation: (i) augmenting cognitive support with psychosocial feedback to help the child overcome the behaviours impeding their engagement as active learners; and (ii) making extra efforts when eliciting children’s understandings in order to give formative feedback and support progress through pedagogic sequences. By identifying the behaviours underpinning broad descriptions of shyness, such as anxiety, the analyses show that teachers employ shyness as an over-arching concept which reveals psychosocial demands that may not be entirely addressed by the repertoires of responses available to them.

• Skottun, Gro & Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2018). Bruk av diagnoseskjema i gestaltterapi. Norsk Gestalttidsskrift. ISSN 1503-8912. 15(1), p. 8–37. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne artikkelens fokus er en analyse av hva studenter i gestaltterapiutdanningen ved Norsk Gestaltinstitutt Høyskole (NGI) svarte da de ble intervjuet etter å ha brukt et gestalt diagnostisk evalueringsskjema. Det gjøres rede for hvordan intervjuet er en del av et pågående forskningsprosjekt og bakgrunn for dette prosjektet. Evalueringsskjemaet og hvordan det brukes beskrives sammen med resultater av relevant litteratursøk. Intervjuets form og innhold beskrives før innsamlete data drøftes og mulige konklusjoner trekkes. Artikkelen er fagfellevurdert.

• Skottun, Gro & Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2018). Bruk av diagnoseskjema i gestaltterapi : rapport fra evalueringen av et pilotprosjekt. Norsk Gestalttidsskrift. ISSN 1503-8912. 15(1), p. 9–37. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Ulleberg, Inger & Vonheim, Kristin (2018). “What do I Share?” Personal and Private Experiences in Educational Psychological Counselling. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. ISSN 0031-3831. p. 1–14. doi: 10.1080/00313831.2018.1527396. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The aim of the study is to explore and develop knowledge about how educational psychological counsellors’ personal and private experiences appear in their counselling practice. We conducted four focus group interviews with twelve counsellors from Educational Psychological Counselling Service. Through Thematic Analysis four themes emerged. The first is that counsellors’ personal and private experiences functioned as a backdrop for their counselling practice. The second theme is the counsellors’ use of different types of stories. The third theme deals with how the counsellors were holding back relevant stories. Finally, the fourth theme comprises the purposes of counsellors’ self-disclosure. The conclusion is that personal experiences form a backdrop for counselling practice and are relevant for how a counsellor makes sense of and understands a situation or a problem. Self-disclosure is in some situations used explicitly in the counselling setting. On the other side the counsellors sometimes consciously hold their experiences back.

• Nyborg, Geir & Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2017). Innagerende atferdsvansker og inkludering. In Nilsen, Sven (Eds.), Inkludering og mangfold - sett i spesialpedagogisk perspektiv. Universitetsforlaget. ISSN 9788215027760. p. 181–195. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2017). Process Competence versus Expert Knowledge: Counseling in Special Needs Education. NORDVEI: Nordisk tidsskrift i veiledningspedagogikk. 2(1), p. 1–15. doi: 10.15845/ntvp.v2i1.870. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study aims to develop knowledge of essential counseling competencies in the Educational Psychological Counseling Service (EPCS). Through semi-structured interviews with six counselors, the essential competencies of those who counsel teachers and parents are identified and discussed. Five main categories of competencies are proposed in response to the research question: What counseling competencies are considered essential during the counseling process? The results emphasize the importance of the counseling alliance, the counselor’s awareness, the counselor’s competencies in challenging and confronting the client, the counselor’s subject knowledge and enhancement of the client’s ownership of the proposed solution. Three of the categories (the counseling alliance, awareness and challenging/confronting) constitute counselors’ process competence. The two remaining categories (subject knowledge and ownership) constitute counselors’ expert knowledge. Conclusions: Process competence is heavily emphasized as essential for EPCS counselors and process competence and expert knowledge might be seen as two sides of the same coin.

• Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2016). Parallel Processes in Counseling for Schools, Towards a Research Tradition in Gestalt Therapy. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISSN 9781443807340. p. 271–289. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Skottun, Gro & Baalen, Daan van (2015). Bruk av CORE-skjemaer i gestaltterapi. Norsk Gestalttidsskrift. ISSN 1503-8912. 11 [i.e. 12](2), p. 8–29. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2014). Spesialpedagogisk rådgivning - på rådgivers eller rådsøkers premisser? : en kvalitativ videoobservasjonsstudie av rådgivningsrelasjoner. Spesialpedagogikk. ISSN 0332-8457. 79(2), p. 58–69. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensæth, Karette; Wold, Elizabeth & Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2012). "Trygge barn som utfolder seg": De estetiske fagenes funksjon i spesialpedagogisk arbeid. In Befring, Edvard & Tangen, Reidun (Ed.), Spesialpedagogikk. Cappelen Damm AS. ISSN 9788202352264. p. 303–318. Full text in Research Archive

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• Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2007). Oppbrudd: Tanker og følelser ved skilsmisse. Gyldendal Akademisk. ISBN 9788205374386. 177 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2005). Å være foreldre. Gyldendal Akademisk. ISBN 9788205351561. 167 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi & Kokkersvold, Erling (2003). Mellom oss. Gyldendal Akademisk. ISBN 9788205304376. 151 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi & Holmberg, Jorun Buli (1989). Hvordan rolle- og ansvarsfordelinger i konsultasjonsforhold kan påvirke samspillet. Statens Spesiallærerhøgskole. ISBN 9788290363265. 21 p. Full text in Research Archive

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• Nyborg, Geir; Mjelve, Liv Heidi & Arnesen, Anne (2025). Elever med stille innadvendt atferd: Pedagogiske tilnærminger. In Haugland, Bente Storm Mowatt; Bjåstad, Jon Fauskanger & Ogden, Terje (Ed.), Angst hos barn og unge: fagpersoner i nærmiljøet kan hjelpe.. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245047875. doi: https:/fagbokforlaget.no/produkt/9788245047875-angst-hos-barn-og-unge. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hvordan kan vi bedre hjelpe barn og unge med angst? Angstplager er de mest utbredte psykiske vanskene blant barn og unge i Norge. Mange sliter uten å få tilgang til den hjelpen de trenger. For en del barn og unge innebærer dette at vanskene øker, noe som kan resultere i redusert trivsel, lav mestringsfølelse og risiko for at problemene vokser seg store. Denne boken har som mål å bidra til at barn og unge med milde til moderate angstplager får hjelp og støtte så raskt som mulig . For å nå flest mulig på et tidlig tidspunkt må hjelpen være tilgjengelig der barna er – i skolen, i barnehagen, på helsestasjonen eller gjennom kommunale lavterskeltilbud.

• Nyborg, Geir; Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Crozier, Ray; Arnesen, Anne & Coplan, Robert (2021). Teachers’ strategies for helping shy students: Results from a national survey in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Nyborg, Geir; Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Colvin, Shane David & Vartun, Marika (2020). Slik kan læreren hjelpe de stille elevene til å mestre skolen. [Internet]. Institutt for spesialpedagogikk, UIO, hjemmeside. Full text in Research Archive
• Arnesen, Anne; Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Nyborg, Geir; Crozier, Ray; Bjørnebekk, Gunnar & Coplan, Robert (2020). Student-teacher relationships and (early) adolescents’ school engagement. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi & Nyborg, Geir (2019). Barn med stille og innadvendt atferd i skolen - læreres tilnærming. Full text in Research Archive
• Nyborg, Geir; Mjelve, Liv Heidi & Arnesen, Anne (2019). Skolens arbeid med den stille, innadvendte elevgruppen. Full text in Research Archive
• Arnesen, Anne; Nyborg, Geir & Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2019). Stille og innadvendte elever: Hvordan se og hjelpe dem i skolen? Full text in Research Archive
• Smedstad, Tormod; Nyborg, Geir & Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2018). Hvordan gi stille og sjenerte barn god læringsstøtte? [Journal]. Skolelederen. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi & Nyborg, Geir (2018). Oral activity and anxiety reduction for shy students in elementary school. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Vonheim, Kristin & Ulleberg, Inger (2017). Self Disclosure in Counselling: How counsellors use stories from their personal life explicitly in their counselling practice. Full text in Research Archive
• Nyborg, Geir & Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2016). Innagerende atferdsvansker og utfordringer ved inkludering. Full text in Research Archive
• Ulleberg, Inger; Vonheim, Kristin & Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2016). Self-disclosure in counseling. How does counselor’s private and personal experiences influence their counseling practice in educational psychological counseling service? Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi & Skottun, Gro (2013). The use of Gestalt Thearpy in treatment with clients with bipolar disorders - a qualitative case study. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2013). Parallel Processes in Educational Counselling. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2009). Rådgivning i forhold til barn med psykososiale vansker i barnehagen. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi; Carling, Anne; Myhre, Grethe; Skottun, Gro & Tveit, Helga (2002). Sitter jeg bare her og diller? Gestaltterapi med barn og Daniel Sterns utviklingsteorier. Den Flyvende Hollender. p. 154–188. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi (1998). Lekotek - læring gjennom glede. Spesialpedagogikk. ISSN 0332-8457. 63(7), p. 52–53. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi (2012). Parallelle prosesser i spesialpedagogisk rådgivning. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi & Holmberg, Jorun Buli (1989). Kommunikasjon i rådgivningsarbeid. Statens Spesiallærerhøgskole. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjelve, Liv Heidi & Holmberg, Jorun Buli (1988). Samspill i konsultasjonsforhold. Statens Spesiallærerhøgskole. Full text in Research Archive

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