This study investigates how performance management in Primary schools can facilitate learning, relating to theories of efficient schools. This is done through a qualitative study of the performance management systems in two public Primary schools in Sweden. The schools selected were similar in all major aspects, except pupil grades, where there was a clear difference between the schools. The analysis revealed differences in how the schools handled the process of management by objectives, the professional development of teachers as well as routines, rules, and policies. We conclude that having a rooted process for management by objectives, professional development of teachers, and clearly formalized values, gives a school a good foundation to support a pupil's learning and development..

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.

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.

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..

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..

AbstractSweden has over the past years grown into a multicultural society which has caused that people with numerous variances of religion and cultures have to interact. This essay will be based on several primary school teacher?s experiences with immigrant families. The purpose of this essay is finding out how they are introduced and integrated in Swedish Primary schools by the teachers.I?ve interviewed six primary teachers that shared what they?ve experienced with immigrant families.

When foreign children first arrive to Sweden, the first contact they get with the local society is through primary school. Therefore, the primary school have the fundamental role to attend the foreign and their families.The teacher plan for Primary schools (Lpfö98) make it very clear that children with foreign background are given the full support in their development in a multicultural society. The aim of this report is to investigate how two pre-school teachers and one school counselors? work with these newly arrived children in preschool to support their integration in the preschool.As the role of the primary school is so vital for children with foreign background in this new society, I would therefore like to take the opportunity to explore and show how meaningful the role is of teachers to integrate these children into the Swedish Primary schools.In this report, the theory part is treated based on integration and on the schools suspension to multicultural backgrounds. For this report, I even stress the support of the primary school and how they meet the foreign children and their families.

This essay is about how working with children with autism works with the laws and regulations that fall under the Compulsory School Ordinance and Lgr11 (Compulsory for primary school, preschool classes and kindergarten). The aim of this work was to examine various educators thoughts, experiences and practices related to children with autism in primary school. The study is based on three questions: what kind of rights regarding support do children with autism have in the Swedish primary school, according to the primary regulation and Lgr11? How do the selected Primary schools work with the support of children with the diagnosis of autism? And how well does the affected educator?s think that the support works?To answer these questions, four qualitative interviews with various educators, were made. My results show that all four educators believe that inclusive labor of children with autism is a good thing for everyone, as long as it is done properly and with the right order, so that the child with autism gets the opportunity to be part of a social group.

The purpose of this study is to highlight how Swedish primary school teachers teach of and about democracy and based on this then compare with how the primary school teachers in South Africa teaches of and about democracy. This comparison will then highlight what can be developed in the teaching of and about democracy in Swedish schools. The method used in this study is mind maps because it gives a greater depth in the way teachers look at teaching democracy. The result of this comparison is that South Africa's history pervades the entire democracy education in school but both Sweden and South Africa use methods as dialogue and discussion in teaching of and about democracy. Furthermore, the community, curriculum, teacher and cooperation with other teachers also have an influence on how democracy's teaching looks like in schools.

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..

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects ofWork plan for study- and vocational guidance in Enköpings municipality 2008-2010 to see how it has affected the educators in the municipal Primary schools. Questionnaires to teachers and interviews with principals have been made and it came out that the teachers are not very familiar with the plan. Of the few teachers who considered themselves to be familiar with the plan, the majority replied that they had benefited from the plan.The study´s analysis indicates that one of explanation for why so few educators are aware of and working according to the plan is partly in implementation efforts. Weaknesses are shown according to the equivalence of the implementation, but also the importance of the existence of an engaging and driven person, located at the Primary schools, that continuously inspires and motivates the teachers to work with this plan. Educators also indicate that they already use study-and vocational guidance in their teaching..

The aim with this thesis was to study how primary school teachers perceive their mission in working with inclusive education. The aim was also to study their thoughts and experience of the Special education support. To conduct the inquiry twelve primary school teachers from two different communities in Sweden were asked to give their views of inclusive education. The central issues was how the primary school teachers interprets the concept of inclusion, the opportunities and obstacles they perceived and how the Special education support was formed in the work with inclusion in their schools. The result shows that the majority part of the primary teachers interprets the concept as a spatial or social inclusion.

The aim of the study was to analyse relations between the school and the surrounding world and how these relations affects the schools? work for sustainable development. This was mainly an interview study but teachers? self-valuations have also been used. Totally six teachers at two Primary schools has been interwied.

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.

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.