The purpose of this study is to explore the methods and strategies that teachers use to support language and knowledge development among multilingual students in science subjects in grades 4–6. The study also aims to understand how multilingualism can be utilized as an asset in education and to identify the challenges teachers face in their daily work. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five teachers who have experience teaching in multilingual environments. The study is grounded in sociocultural theory, which frames the focus on classroom interactions and learning processes. The results show that teachers employ various methods to address the linguistic needs of multilingual students. However, teachers experience challenges related to the effective integration of these methods into their teaching. In summary, teachers emphasize the need to adapt teaching to the individual needs and linguistic backgrounds of students. They also highlight the importance of improving teachers' skills to effectively support multilingual students. The study demonstrates that with the right support and resources, multilingualism can serve as a strengthening resource in the classroom, contributing to a more inclusive and effective learning environment. / Syftet med denna studie är att utforska de metoder och strategier som lärare använder för att stödja språk- och kunskapsutveckling hos flerspråkiga elever i NO-ämnen i årskurs 4–6. Studien syftar även till att förstå hur flerspråkighet kan användas som en tillgång i utbildningen och identifiera de hinder som lärare möter i sitt dagliga arbete. För att samla in data har semistrukturerade intervjuer använts, där deltagarna bestod av fem lärare med erfarenhet av undervisning i flerspråkiga miljöer. Studien är förankrad i en sociokulturell teori, vilket ramar in fokus på interaktioner och lärandeprocesser i klassrummet. Resultaten visar att lärare använder olika metoder för att möta de språkliga behoven hos flerspråkiga elever. Lärarna upplever dock utmaningar relaterade till effektiv integration av dessa metoder i undervisningen. Sammanfattningsvis betonar lärarna behovet av att anpassa undervisning efter elevernas individuella behov och språkliga bakgrund. De framhåller även vikten av att förbättra lärarnas kompetens för att effektivt stödja flerspråkiga elever. Studien visar att med rätt stöd och resurser kan flerspråkighet fungera som en stärkande resurs i klassrummet som bidrar till en mer inkluderande och effektiv lärmiljö.

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate how a group of pupils developed in their written language in grade 5. The study proceeds from my hypothesis that a number of textual variables, such as average text length, average sentence length, the average length of the initial clause constituent, and the proportion of long words, ought to rise during a term. The material consists of over 600 texts written by 14 pupils. All the texts are analysed with the LIX tool available on the Internet. The texts are entered into the LIX counter which then returns a value for the studied variables. This procedure was performed for all the variables except initial clause constituent length. That is instead calculated manually by counting the number of words per initial clause constituent. The result shows that all the variables except the proportion of long words increase during the term. The average text length is the variable with the most noticeable increase during the whole term. The proportion of long words, however, did decrease during the same period. The results also show a great correspondence with earlier research on upper secondary pupils’ writings. This means that the group of 11 years old multilingual pupils in this study write with the same proficiency as 16–19 years old pupils, as regards the variables average text length, average sentence length and the average length of the initial clause constituent.

Based on the experiences of a number of teachers and tutors, the overall purpose of this study is to contribute to knowledge about multilingual study guidance. The purpose is specified by the following questions: What experiences do teachers and tutors have of the importance of study guidance for the language, knowledge and identity development of multilingual students and what challenges do they face? What descriptions do teachers and tutors give of how multilingual study guidance can be organized and implemented and what challenges do they face?  The method for this study is qualitative semi-structured interviews in seven focus groups consisting of 10 tutors and 19 teachers in grades 1–6. The perspective of the study is sociocultural and the result is interpreted based on the hermeneutic approach. The result of the study shows that the informants agree that study guidance favors language, knowledge and identity development of multilingual students by enabling students to strengthen and develop their mother tongue and second language in parallel to the development of subject knowledge. Through the opportunity to mediate their knowledge and thoughts, the students' sense of identity is strengthened and developed. Futhermore, the informants describe that multilingual study guidance is most commonly carried out during the lessons as well as in mathematics and social and science subjects. Several informants, mainly teachers express an uncertainty about how study guidance can be organized and implemented and what effects this will have on the development of multilingual students. The challenges that the informants in the study experience is that aspects of time and organization make it difficult to find forms of cooperation between teachers and tutors for the planning and evaluation of multilingual study guidance.  The conclusion is that cooperation between teachers and tutors and knowledge of multilingual study guidance increase the multilingual students’ opportunities to develop.

Följande studie presenterar hur verksamma lärare för årskurs 1–3 beskriver sitt arbete för att gynna den muntliga utvecklingen samt läs- och skrivutvecklingen för flerspråkiga elever. Den teoretiska utgångspunkten utgörs av det sociokulturella perspektivet, med särskilt fokus på stöttning och proximal utvecklingszon. Materialet består av åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med lärare på fem skolor och i fyra kommuner. Det insamlade materialet har transkriberats och sedan analyserats med hjälp av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Studiens resultat visar att samtliga lärare använder elevens förstaspråk som resurs i svenskundervisningen både för muntlig utveckling och läs- och skrivutveckling genom varierade arbetssätt. En likhet i lärarnas svar är att samtliga lärare arbetar med stöttning i undervisningen, till exempel bildstöd, cirkelmodellen och digitala hjälpmedel. En skillnad i lärarnas svar var att några beskrev att de använde sig av lekar och rörelser i undervisningen för de flerspråkiga eleverna, medan andra lärare inte nämner att de använder den typen av arbetssätt.