The aim of this study was to identify and make transitions in Swedish preschool-class-9-years elementary schools visible with a special-needs educational perspective. Transitions in focus were those between preschool-class and primary school, between grade three and four and the last between grade six and seven.In the 1960?th Swedish elementary school were devided into three levels; primary school, intermediate level school and upper level lower secondary school. Those levels were officially removed when the curriculum of 1994 was introduced. However, in some way such levels still exist, for example in organisation and structure of schools, the curriculum and teacher education.How did school leaders design transitions between levels and which tools were used? What kind of information was transferred to help children with special needs and what was the role of the special pedagogue in the transition process?The study was a combination of a quantitative and qualitative method, a questionnaire survey complemented with qualitative interviews with special pedagogues in three schools in a middle-sized Swedish town.The result of the study shows that schools in focus had a work plan.

This study centres on learning to read and methods for teaching reading skills. The aim is to provide a survey of the concept reading skills and the methods developed on the basis of different theories and the methods preferred when teaching children in primary school and why. The study is based on interviews with eight teachers who are working on a dailybasis teaching Swedish in preschool class or lower primary school. The result of my study is that the majority of teachers do not use a specific method, but rather combine several different methods, thus adapting instruction to each individual pupil. .

This study is about what teachers in primary schools say that they are doing to create a school for all.The purpose of this study is to find out what teachers in primary schools say that they do on their mission to create a school for everyone and how they organize teaching to achieve this. The study was conducted as an interview of five teachers from elementary school of different gender and with a qualitative method because it provides a great opportunity to problematize, interpret and understand the responses of the interviewees.The results show that all the teachers think that their mission is to teach so that they can give each student what they need to achieve the goals. This may not be every day but over time, they hope that all students feel that they get so much of the teacher's time that they need..

In July 2011, new regulations regarding school libraries came into effect through a new education act for Swedish schools. The wording of the Act has been the basis of much discussion in which the concepts of "school library" and "access" makes it difficult to build consensus among different parties, why this can cause difficulties in ultimately construct equal access to school library. The purpose of this survey is to examine the interpretations and practices that exist around the school library and its functions among primary school principals. The principals have been selected on the basis that they themselves (the schools) already indicated that they do not have access to their own school library within the school premises. As a theoretical starting point, I used the school library researcher David Loertscher?s taxonomy for school leaders.

The aim of this two years master's thesis is to examine public librarians? views of their pedagogical role towards school children, and to illustrate the relationship between public libraries and schools as a background for the role of the public librarians. The theoretical framework is Carol Cullier Kuhlthau?s theory of the roles of librarians as mediators in reference work (Levels of Mediation) and in education (Levels of Education). The main question of the study is: How do public librarians view their pedagogical role towards elementary school pupils and high school students? Related questions regarding the use of the public library for school purposes, the communication and cooperation between the public library and the schools, the difference between public libraries and school libraries and the librarians? view of pedagogical work are also made.The method used is qualitative interviews.

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.

Abstract Title:                       Grades at Primary School ? A study of local politicians' arguments in                       connection with the division into grades at Swedish primary schools.Author:                       Annie LinderUniversity of KalmarC-essay in Social StudiesAutumn 2011 The study aims to investigate local politicians' decisions since municipalities took overSwedish primary education in 1990/91. The arguments put forward in support of how stages are organised have been studied, likewise whether municipalities have acted rationally when making their decisions.Six municipalities are included in the survey. They were divided into three educational categories: lower, middle and high level schools; previous and recent schools and F9 schools with pre-schools and primary schools integrated.Minutes from politicians' and civil servants' meetings have been studied and categorised according to arguments for and against. The most common supportive arguments are about economy and organisation, others concern school premises, trends and the wish for a comprehensive compulsory school.

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.

Abstract This examination work is about the role of physical activity for students with concentration difficulties. The purpose of this work is to describe educators experiences of how students with concentration difficulties are affected by physical and motor activity during school-time in primary school. In the work I assume from my questions that are: How do educators experience students with concentrations difficulties? Do educators think physical and motor training during school-time matter for the students learning processes? How? Do students with concentration difficulties have other possibilities than other students regarding physical and motor activity during school-time? I am using a qualitative interview method for answering my questions. The interviews are conducted in collaboration with three educators in a medium-sized Swedish F-6 school.

This is a qualitative textual analysis of curriculum for primary education in 1962, the curriculum for primary education in 1969, the curriculum for primary education in 1980, the curriculum for the compulsory school system in 1994 and the curriculum for primary school 2011th. Purpose of this thesis is to see how the government through the curriculum specifies directives for how teachers should be more or less authoritative. The boundaries of the essay are to only look at the claims against the teacher in elementary school. The questions are what is required of the teacher directly or indirectly from the curriculum 1962,1969,1980,1994 and 2011, focusing on the concept of authority and what change has taken place? To answer these questions, I have read the current curricula and other research publications in the field.

The aim of this master´s thesis is to analyse what factors have an impact on the quality of school libraries. The research questions are: How do some school principals, school librarians and school inspectors view quality in school libraries and what has an impact on quality?How do they view some existing quality criteria?How important do they think the integration of the school library into the curriculum is?The theoretical approach is derived from research about school libraries by David Loertscher and by Sharon Markless and David Streatfield. The empirical material has been collected through half structured qualitative interviews. The informants chosen are principals and school librarians from three Swedish primary schools (6-15 years).

Since the 1990?s the Swedish school system has undergone major and recurring structural reforms. Two of the most comprehensive changes has been the shift of primary schools as an integral part of the welfare state to the responsibility of the municipalities as well as the introduction of free school choice for the students. Through two months of participant observations and semi-structured interviews this thesis seeks to answer the question of how these reforms has come to effect the work of teachers in a medium sized public school in a small municipality in the outskirts of Stockholm. Earlier research has shown that public schools in socio-economically vulnerable areas are disadvantaged due to the reformation of the school system (Beach & Sernhede, 2011; Östh, Andersson, & Malmberg, 2013).

The present study deals with the usage of the school library for upper secondary school students. Is it a place for working or studying? The questions are:? What do the students say they use their school library for?? Are there any differences between students in theoretical programs and students in practical programs with regard to their use of the school library?? What are the features of the ideal library from a students? point of view? My study represents a user?s perspective. The investigation is both quantitative and qualitative. Eighty-two inquiries from four different classes, representing two theoretical and two practical programs were carried out.

Today, digital technologies (DT) can be said to play an important role in the Swedish school system. The goal of this essay was to describe DT use by school leaders, in relation to their views on schools? goals and visions, and teachers? and students? use of DTs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five school leaders of secondary schools in Umeå municipality, Sweden. The results show that school leaders? use of DTs center on three key tasks: communication, information and administration.

International research has shown that through the involvement of the school library and the school librarian in the daily school work with the pupils, the pupil´s learning can be increased and reading comprehensions significantly improved.One purpose of this master`s thesis is to study the school librarian as a brand, representing the school library as well as the school librarian and whether there is a correlation between different comprehensions of the professional role of the school librarian. This is done by examining whether there is a difference between a specific librarian´s own perception of their professional role, compared to the image of the school librarian among teachers and principals working in the same school district and by comparing the profile the school librarian expresses with the image that is conveyed through communications via webpage, written and oral information given on services and competences provided by the school librarian and work carried out by her.A difference of comprehension of the school librarian´s competence and work, could be part of an explanation as to why the correlation between the involvement of school librarians in the school work and the improved learning achievements of the pupils has not resulted in the expected measures, regardless of the investments in school librarians and school libraries. The school librarians´ school identity could be difficult to establish. Whether or not the profiles and images of the professional role are consistent with each other is a much more manageable purpose which could go a long way of explaining the circumstances of the school libraries.That is the reason why we have examined whether the comprehension the school librarians have of themselves corresponds with the idea/ conception/ image conveyed to their surroundings, and with the idea/conception/image encompassed by people in their immediate surroundings..