Han Han

Norwegian version of this page Norwegian National Centre for English and other Foreign Languages in Education

Norwegian version of this page Position

Associate Professor

Contact

+4769608335

han.han@hiof.no

Study place

Halden

Office nr.

G1-053

Background

I am an Associate Professor of Chinese pedagogy and subject didactics, with extensive experience teaching Chinese as a foreign and second language in Norway, China, and the United States. My teaching background spans primary and secondary education as well as higher education across different educational systems.

I hold a PhD in Educational Sciences from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), a bachelor’s degree in English, and a master’s degree in Teaching Chinese as a Second/Foreign Language. My academic and professional background integrates language education, pedagogy, and intercultural teaching practice.

Teaching Experience

DID3304 Computer-assisted language learning (NTNU, Norway)
Chinese as a Foreign Language (Level 1, lower secondary education, Norway)
Chinese as a Common Core and Program Subject (Levels 1 and 2, upper secondary education, Norway)
Chinese as a Second Language (higher education, China)
Chinese as a Foreign Language (primary and university levels, USA)

Research interests

Language pedagogy and subject didactics
Digital learning resources and ICT in education
Artificial Intelligence in education
Instructional design and flipped classroom models
Teacher education and professional development
Intercultural education

Reseach projects

Artificial Intelligence, Assessment, and Professional Digital Competence in Language Education (2024-2027, NTNU)
AIducate: Artificial Intelligence for Teaching and Learning (2024-2030, NTNU)

Han, Han (2026). Chinese Language Education in Norway: Teachers’ Perspectives on Curriculum Reform, Classroom Practice and Sustainability. International Journal of Chinese Education. ISSN 2212-585X. 15(2). doi: 10.1177/2212585x261466683. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
This study investigates Chinese language education in Norwegian lower and upper secondary schools, with a particular focus on how teachers interpret and enact the most recent national curriculum reform (LK20). Drawing on a mixed-methods design, this study combines survey responses from 13 Chinese language teachers with follow-up semi-structured interviews with seven of them. The analysis examines classroom practice, resource use, assessment, and perceived sustainability of Chinese as a school subject in Norway. Findings highlight three recurring tensions: (1) limited resources alongside high teacher autonomy and innovation; (2) curricular openness, especially the flexibility granted to non-European languages such as Chinese, versus persistent uncertainty about assessment standards and progression; and (3) motived but shrinking student cohorts, which threatens long-term program viability. Teachers describe rebuilding teaching materials each year, navigating small-group funding thresholds, and adapting LK20’s cross-disciplinary and digitalization aims under uneven institutional support. This study argues that Chinese education in Norway currently survives through teacher-driven improvisation rather than system-level stability. It contributes a Nordic perspective to the global literature on Chinese as a Second/Foreign Language (CSL/CFL) by showing how small-cohort languages negotiate curriculum reform, accountability pressures, and declining enrolment in mainstream public education.
Han, Han; Røkenes, Fredrik Mørk & Krumsvik, Rune Johan (2025). The Flipped Classroom’s impact on students’ motivation and engagement. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy. 20(3), p. 158–171. doi: 10.18261/njdl.20.3.3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
In recent years, most of the research on the Flipped Classroom (FC) has primarily focused on examining students’ learning outcomes and their perceptions of this approach. However, the present study aims to explore the impact of the FC on students’ motivation and engagement by combining both quantitative and qualitative data in a single research effort, addressing the limited existing research in this area. The data for this investigation were collected from student teachers (STs) in the field of English as a foreign language (EFL) in a Norwegian teacher education program. The data collection instruments employed in this study involved a paper-based survey and focus group interviews. An explanatory sequential mixed methods research approach was adopted involving two phases. During Phase 1, a quasi-experimental design was employed, and quantitative data were obtained from two sub-groups: the control group (the non-flipped group) and the experimental group (the FC group). The data was collected through a paper-based survey using the Motivation and Engagement Scale- University/College (MES-UC) instrument. Phase 2 of this study involved the collection of qualitative data from the experimental group through focus group interviews. Based on the findings obtained from the two phases, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two sub-groups regarding motivation and engagement. However, participants from the experimental group expressed in the focus group interviews that the FC approach promoted their motivation and engagement when compared to the lecture-based approach.
Han, Han & Røkenes, Fredrik Mørk (2023). Teacher Educatorsʼ Perceptions of Flipped Classroom in Teacher Education: Insights from EFL Teacher Educators in Norway. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy. 18(3), p. 186–200. doi: 10.18261/njdl.18.3.5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
The Flipped Classroom (FC) is a popular pedagogical instruction model in education with a steady increase in the number of studies in teacher education (TE). However, few studies focus on teacher educatorsʼ perspectives on how the FC is used for subject-disciplinary teaching and learning in TE. This article explores teacher educatorsʼ perceptions regarding using the FC with student teachers (STs) in the field of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Norwegian primary and lower secondary school teacher education. Through an online survey and in-depth interviews, teacher educatorsʼ experiences with the FC are examined, revealing both out-of-class and in-class activities adopted in EFL. Meanwhile, teacher educatorsʼ perceptions of the FC, with three pairs of advantages and challenges, were investigated. Lastly, implications and suggestions for teacher educators on enacting the FC are provided.
Han, Han; Røkenes, Fredrik Mørk & Krumsvik, Rune Johan (2023). Student teachers’ perceptions of flipped classroom in EFL teacher education. Education and Information Technologies: The Official Journal of the IFIP Technical Committee on Education. ISSN 1360-2357. 29, p. 1539–1558. doi: 10.1007/s10639-023-11839-w. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
This paper aims to provide evidence on student teachers’ perceptions of Flipped Classroom (FC) to help teacher educators (TEs) to make informed decisions about implementing FC and support student teachers to reflect on the value of FC in their teaching practice. FC, a pedagogical model requiring digital competence of students and teachers, has been a popular teaching approach for nearly two decades in K-12 and higher education. After the outbreak of Covid-19, more teachers have started to implement FC. In post-Covid-19, with the possibility of reusing video lectures made during the pandemic and the familiarity of digital skills to create digital lectures, a question for teachers is whether to continue with this approach. This paper follows an explanatory sequential mixed methods research approach. Insights from student teachers (STs) in the field of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Norway are the primary data, and surveys and focus group interviews are the main instruments to collect the data. FC’s advantages and challenges perceived by STs are reported, and the possibility of STs becoming future flippers is explored. Findings from this paper indicate that STs would like to have more courses flipped in their studies, yet STs seem hesitant about flipping their courses in their teaching practice. STs also provide some practical suggestions on implementing the FC approach.
Han, Han & Røkenes, Fredrik Mørk (2020). Flipped Classroom in Teacher Education: A Scoping Review. Frontiers in Education. 5(221), p. 1–20. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2020.601593. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Although flipped classroom (FC) has been popular in education since the 2000s, there is a lack of reviews on how the teaching approach has been applied and what has been gained in the field of teacher education. Most reviews focus either on implementation and learning outcomes with students in higher education and disciplines other than education or on the latter approaches with primary and secondary school pupils. This article presents a scoping literature review of 33 studies published between 2014 until 2019 on flipped classroom (FC) in teacher education. Our analysis points out that studies were mainly conducted in the United States, with an increased implementation in European and Asian countries, and with adoption primarily in the disciplines pedagogy, science, and language arts. Moreover, a majority of studies employed mixed methods with surveys being the most commonly used instrument to collect data. Two main foci were identified across the reviewed studies: student perceptions and academic performance. The analysis of the former revealed six outcomes (1. Attitude, motivation, and emotion; 2. Content delivery; 3. Learning environment; 4. Learning experience; 5. Instructor and student presence; 6. Engagement). Based on our synthesis, we discuss current trends and future development in the research field, FC’s pedagogical value added in teacher education, and potential knowledge gaps in the research literature

View all works in NVA

Langseth, Inger Dagrun; Kshitij, Kshitij & Han, Han (2026). KI i nettskolen. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
En presentasjon av AI Learn og cluster 4, samt forskning på elever bruk og holdninger til læring og eksempler fra praksis.
Røkenes, Fredrik Mørk; Curwood, Jen Scott; Han, Han; Vartiainen, Henriikka; Olofsson, Anders D. & Valtonen, Teemu (2026). Knowing and Acting with Generative AI: AI Literacy, Teacher Agency, and Educational Futures. Full text in Research Archive
Han, Han & Røkenes, Fredrik Mørk (2025). Bridging the AI Competency Gap: Aligning Norway and China’s Frameworks with UNESCO’s Standards. Full text in Research Archive
Han, Han & Røkenes, Fredrik Mørk (2022). Han Han and Fredrik Mørk Røkenes – Investigating The Benefits Of The ‘Flipped Classroom’ In Teacher Training. [Internet]. SciPod Global. Full text in Research Archive
Han, Han; Røkenes, Fredrik Mørk & Krumsvik, Rune Johan (2022). Flipped Classroom's Impact on Student Teachers' Motivation and Engagement: A Case Study in EFL Teacher Education in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
Han, Han & Røkenes, Fredrik Mørk (2021). Teacher Educators’ Perceptions of Flipped Classroom in Teacher Education for EFL Student teachers. Full text in Research Archive
Skarstad, Frikk; Han, Han & Uztosun, Mehmet Sercan (2025). Play to Speak: Exploring Norwegian Primary School Pupils' Forms and Perceptions of English Use While Playing a Narrative Board Game. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
De siste tiårs forskning på spill-basert opplæring har avslørt det brede potensialet for læring som ligger i spill. Likedan har forskning på sammenhengen mellom spill og språkopplæring vist potensialet disse aktivitetene har for å forbedre måtene folk lærer språk på. Videre forskning som tar for seg et mer spesifikt blikk på sammenhengen mellom spillsjangre, spillmekanismer og språklig oppførsel, kan gi lærere relevant kunnskap som kan innlemmes i deres egen undervisning. Dette kan gi lærere større muligheter for å utnytte læringsfordelene som spill tilbyr. Denne studien undersøker hvordan norske grunnskoleelever bruker engelsk når de spiller et narrativt brettspill. Dette inkluderer et spesifikt blikk på hvordan elevene utrykker seg på engelsk mens de spiller, men også hvordan de opplever å bruke engelsk i en slik kontekst. Kvalitative data ble samlet ved å spille det narrative brettspillet Stuffed Fables sammen med 16 grunnskoleelever, delt på fire grupper. Etter hver spilløkt deltok elevene i et fokusgruppeintervju, hvor elevenes opplevelse av å bruke engelsk ble utforsket. Lydopptak ble tatt av både spilløktene og intervjuene. De samlede kvalitative data bestod så av observasjonsnotater og transkripsjoner av spilløkter og intervju. Disse dataene gjennomgikk en kvalitativ innholdsanalyse, med det formål å utforske mulige sammenhenger mellom elevenes utviste form og frekvens av engelsk bruk, spillmekanikk og elevenes opplevelser knyttet til engelsk bruk. Funnene viser at elevene hovedsakelig viste to former for engelsk bruk: høytlesning og kodebytting. Mengden engelsk produsert i sammenheng med elevenes egne uttalelser angående vanskelighetsgraden på det engelske materialet, indikerer at språkeksponeringen spillet gir tilrettelegger for «comprehensible input» og «output» og sosiokulturelle læringsaspekter. Funnene indikerer også at det å lese høyt mens man spiller et narrativt brettspill gjorde at deltakerne fikk en mer positiv affektiv opplevelse sammenlignet med ordinær klasseromsundervisning. De samlede funnene av denne studien indikerer at det å spille narrative brettspill kan minske affektive utfordringer elever opplever i språkopplæring, samtidig som aktiviteten muliggjør språklig fremgang. Studien konkluderer med at språklærere bør bruke mer innsats i å innlemme narrative brettspill som en del av deres undervisningspraksis. I tillegg oppfordres det til mer forskning på narrative brettspill for å undersøke andre mulige sammenhenger mellom spillsjanger og bruk av språk.
Han, Han; Røkenes, Fredrik Mørk & Krumsvik, Rune Johan (2024). Flipped Classroom in Teacher Education – Perceptions from English language teacher educators and student teachers in Norway. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet. ISSN 9788232676194. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Norsk sammendrag Denne doktoravhandlingen fokuserer på en studentsentret pedagogisk tilnærming: omvendt undervisning (på engelsk Flipped Classroom, FC), med spesiell vekt på engelskspråklig lærerutdanning i Norge. Avhandlingen undersøker hvordan FC brukes i lærerutdanningen og hvordan tilnærmingen oppfattes av både lærerutdannere og lærerstudenter i Norge. Det overordnede forskningsspørsmålet for avhandlingen er: Hvordan brukes Flipped Classroom i engelskspråklig lærerutdanning, og på hvilke måter kan Flipped Classroom påvirke engelskspråklige lærerstudenters læring? Denne artikkelbaserte doktorgradsavhandlingen består av fire uavhengige, men sammenhengende forskningsartikler og en kappetekst, som samlet har som mål å gi en helhetlig forståelse av implementeringen av FC i lærerutdanning. Perspektivene til forskere, lærerutdannere og lærerstudenter veves sammen, og danner et helhetlig bilde av hvordan denne tilnærmingen former det pedagogiske landskapet. Resultatene fra denne avhandlingen viser at til tross for ulempene ved FC, mener både lærerutdannere og lærerstudenter i engelskspråklig lærerutdanningen i Norge at fordelene gjør denne undervisningstilnærmingen lovende. Videreer det en forventning blant lærerutdannere og lærerstudenter om at FC bør integreres i lærerutdanningen. Resultatene antyder at FC i lærerutdanning er en robust løsning i tider med uforutsette utfordringer, som den globale Covid-19-pandemien. Den overordnede forskningsmetodologien og designet som er benyttet i denne avhandlingen er mixed methods. Gjennom en kombinasjon av spørreundersøkelser, intervjuer og grundig dataanalyse, avdekket avhandlingen en nyansert forståelse av hvordan FC blir oppfattet og anvendt innen lærerutdanningen. Denne metodiske reisen sikrer en helhetlig oversikt over de praktiske implikasjonene og utfordringene forbundet med å integrere FC i lærerutdanningen. Hovedbidraget til denne doktorgradsavhandlingen er økt kunnskap om bruken av FC i lærerutdanning ved å grundig utforske det overordnede forskningsspørsmålet.

View all works in NVA

Published Nov. 3, 2022 7:52 AM - Last modified Jan. 7, 2026 3:52 PM