This study is about the use of textbooks in teaching English as a second language and about teachers? attitudes and opinions of using textbooks during lessons. The aim of the study is to receive a deeper understanding of the use of textbooks in English teaching and to learn about why teachers choose whether to use the textbook approach or not. The study contains an analysis of the textbooks the teachers in our study used. The analysis shows the actual content and the types of texts together with the design and the structure of the textbooks.

AbstractIn this essay I discuss narrative in the reconstruction of national identity. I discuss exclusion as a side effect in thick identities. That means that thick national identities always exclude another part. From this I´ve discussed the Swedish identity and its effects in the European co-operation. Identity is a discourse that reconstructs linguistically.

There have been debates on the big differences in mathematics knowledge concerning pupils in Sweden and Finland. Especially, one common issue in the discussions of education is the Pisa test results, which take up in the media. In the Pisa research the Finnish pupils get through well year after year. Because of the discussions about the distinct school systems in Sweden and Finland, I found it interesting to investigate the divergence of the curriculums in these two countries. The main research questions asked were, what are the main differences and similarities in the Swedish and Finnish curriculums in primary school? Such as, is the assignment of primary school similar in Sweden and Finland?In my study I analyzed and compared by means of the curriculum especially mathe-matics teaching in primary schools in grade three in Sweden and in grade two Fin-land.

This essay examines upper secondary school pupils as well as the Swedish National Agency for Educations views on the education in subject of religion. How they describe its purpose, what content the topic should address, how the education should be implemented and what influence the pupils should have over their own studies. This to examine how the views of pupils and the Swedish National Agency of Education correlate and to analyze how it possibly can affect the pupil?s motivation. The survey is conducted by semi-forging tured interviews and text analysis in order to ascertain the pupils and the Swedish National Agency of Educations opinions on the issues.

This work studied the information flow and information handling among different parties. The study focused on how educational materials on national tests from The Swedish National Agency for Education is managed by school principals and teachers and how the information is passed on to students. The data material was based on observations and interviews at two different high schools. Six teachers and their classes and principals participated in the study. The Agency was also interviewed.

Due to the interest of starting a preschool with a scout profile in my circle of acquaintances I chose to write my report about how the scout method would work in a preschool. I did this by comparing the origin of scouting and preschool. I based my report on the following questions:Are there any similarities or differences with curriculum, education act and the scout method that can make it easier/harder to work with the scout method in the preschool?There are many theorists that have had influence on the preschool. Give some examples of their theories that could affect the scout preschool?What is the difference between a teacher and a scout leader?What would a preschool look like if you included the scout method in the daily activity?With the help of my literature studies I compared the scout method against the laws and rules to make sure that the scout method doesn?t contradict them.

The aim of this thesis is to illustrate the principal problem of the study of national self-images and by questioning the congruent existence of one in the case of Sweden. Through the use of qualitative method and semi-structured interviews the ambition of the study is to compare and to understand the national self-images portrayed in a major Swedish town, Stockholm and to that of a smaller town on the countryside, Sjöbo. A social constructionist approach in co-operation with key temporal and spasial dimensions are used to penetrate the interviews at hand. The main conclusions drawn from this study highlights the difficulties in addressing the concept of a congruent national self-image. Several major discrepancies appear in the analysed material, mainly in the past and the external dimensions, both from a regional approach, but also very much within the local entities themselves..

This thesis has aimed to study steering process and institutionalization in the context of educational policy work. This has been conducted by using empirical material from the political decision-making process that preceded the implementation of a new national program on how principals should be educated and certified. By using an aggregated theoretical point of view containing new institutionalism and traditional Swedish curriculum theory, the process was analyzed from different perspectives. The results depict a process that contained several actors who tried to shape the principal education program differently. From the theoretical perspectives, the decision-making process could be understood as an act of both self-interest as well as trust in their own beliefs and cultural values.

Career counselors in schools have for a long time reported a feeling that their work is not as important as teachers work. According to the Swedish Curriculum for the compulsory schools, all staff is responsible for viable counseling for pupils. Therefore, this study focuses on teachers, headmasters and a school executive director view of school career counseling, how they experience the fulfillment of curriculum goals and how it interferes/interacts with their work. To analyze the empirical material we collected from interviews, we used theoretical terms of organizational theory with focus on social structures, differentiation and integration. We also used the career theory of Super.

The purpose of this study is to examine the conditions for pre-school teachers to achieve those goals that are constituted for science education in the Swedish curriculum for the pre-school. The study questions of formulations are: which importance have the conditions for the work with science education in pre-school, which importance have pre-school teachers engagement and knowledge for the work with science education in pre-school and does the pre-school pre-school teachers think that they have enough conditions to achieve those goals that are constituted for science education in the Swedish curriculum for the pre-school. The results are based on an interview survey with ten pre-school teachers from three pre-schools that are connected in a unit. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The results from the study points out that the pre-school teachers engagement are most important for the work with science education in pre-school to flourish.

This thesis has aimed to study steering process and institutionalization in the context of educational policy work. This has been conducted by using empirical material from the political decision-making process that preceded the implementation of a new national program on how principals should be educated and certified. By using an aggregated theoretical point of view containing new institutionalism and traditional Swedish curriculum theory, the process was analyzed from different perspectives. The results depict a process that contained several actors who tried to shape the principal education program differently. From the theoretical perspectives, the decision-making process could be understood as an act of both self-interest as well as trust in their own beliefs and cultural values.

Human rights have been added to the new curriculum which came into force the 1st of July 2011 in the Swedish Upper Secondary school. The purpose with this master thesis is to compare the old and the new curriculum as part of an examination of what way they affect the Social Science education. Further the analysis focus on what is affecting discourses in the Social Science about human rights, as well as its communication and incorporation in its education. The empirical material consists of the schools steering documents and interviews with Social Science teachers. The theoretical framework is based on human rights education (HRE) and curriculum theory.

AbstractThe purpose of this thesis is to analyse the basis of Russian diplomacy, and by doing that develop the analytical instruments available, in order to improve the comprehension between the parties in negotiations. Descriptions of the national characteristics of Soviet and Russian diplomacy are made by an analysis of memoairs and other examinations of their negotiating behaviour. To ensure the result of the characteristics two case studies of the non-nuclear proliferation negotiations are made, followed by a comparation between the Soviet and Russian diplomacy. From these results, I analyse the groundworks of russian diplomacy, using three theories about how ideology, national identity and prevailing self-image can affect the national negotiating behaviour. The results show that there have been changes in only some parts of the negotiating behaviour and that there is a need for all three theories to explain different parts of the complex system of Russian diplomacy which is based on the plurality of culture, ideology, language, ideology and history..

In the previous curriculum for the preschool Lpfö 98, the educational responsibility was documented belonging to all the team members. On the 1st of July 2011 a new curriculum was introduced to the preschool, Lpfö 98/10, where it is documented that the educational responsibility now belongs to the preschool teachers. According to curriculum experts at the Swedish school board this educational responsibility is not new, just a clarification of the preschool teacher?s educational responsibility.This study is a qualitative study and the purpose was to interview the preschool teachers about their thoughts concerning their educational responsibility. The purpose was also to examine if their educational responsibility has affected their role in the team at the preschool and if they believe that this has any significance for their profession.My result of the study shows that the educational responsibility of the preschool teachers now has been clarified and that they should take a leading role in the team towards the goals that are set for the preschool.

The purpose of our study was to investigate whether national adoptions could be an option within the childcare system in Sweden. We wanted to create an understanding of how the professionals agree to this. We have implemented a comprehensive literature review as well as a qualitative study, taking benefit of a phenomenological method of analysis. The result of our study shows that national adoptions cannot replace foster placements but be a good addition to foster homes. Adoption gives the children a more secure and stable life..