Stina Burke

Background

Who am I?
I am a PhD candidate in Education, with a research focus on social sustainability within teacher education for grades 1–6.

Background and Experience
With nearly 20 years of experience in both Swedish and international contexts, I have worked with students of all ages, from early primary school to adult education. My roles have included class teacher, subject teacher, and special educator, as well as working with newly arrived students.

Much of my work has centered around speech and language in multilingual contexts, where I have coached staff in developing strategies to meet students’ linguistic needs, particularly in combination with executive difficulties.

I have also led municipality-wide school development projects focused on improving the quality of student documentation and promoting language development approaches in teaching. These projects have provided me with valuable insights into how systematic development efforts can create sustainable and inclusive learning environments for both students and teachers.

Throughout my career, I have prioritized creating accessible and inclusive learning environments where all students receive the support they need to thrive, regardless of linguistic or cultural background.

Degrees and Certifications
2007
Degree of Bachelor of Education, 210 hp-k Degree specialisation: Social Sciences
2019
Postgraduate Diploma in Special Needs Training, 90 hp Degree specialisation: Development of Language, Writing and Reading
2019
Degree of Master of Science (60 credits), 60 hp
Main field of study: Education with Specialization in Special Education
2022
Postgraduate Diploma in Special Educational Needs, 90 hp

Licenses and Teaching Qualifications
• Registred teacher qualified to teach in all educational levels from primary school to adult education (excluding preschool).
• Teaching certifications in Geography, English, and Swedish as a Second Language.
• Expertise in special educational support, particularly in language, reading, and writing development.

Research

My Research
My research explores how student teachers with executive function difficulties and/or emotional vulnerability experience teacher education, focusing on structural and organisational barriers. Through ethnographic, reflexive, and participant-oriented approaches combined with arts-based research (ABR), I examine how inclusive, context-sensitive support can be co-developed. The study employs idiographic, narrative, and thematic analyses using narrative interviews, participant observations, and visual methods such as drawings and collages. Universal Design for Learning (UDL), intersectionality, and norm-critical perspectives inform the analysis, aiming to highlight systemic challenges and support diverse experiences. The research ultimately seeks to contribute to socially sustainable, inclusive, and transformative educational environments.