This study is written in the light of the ongoing debate in Sweden about the school's purpose, and the political will to enhance the schools focus on factual and subject knowledge. This study aims to explain how this purpose can be read in today's syllabus for the civics subject for school years 4-6. It also intends to explain how this purpose has developed since 1980. This is done by using an ideal type analysis together with professor Gert Biestas theoretical framework, where he distinguishes three functions of education; qualification, socialisation, and subjectification. Qualification refers to the educational purpose to mediate knowledge in preparation for a future working life, socialisation to integrate the pupils into existing cultural-, social- or political orders and subjectification about promoting the pupils autonomy. The results show that today's syllabus for the civics subject is primarily focussed on the qualification function, while the socialisation- and subjectification functions are less apparent. Further, it shows that the syllabuses for the civics subject have developed since 1980. From a syllabus mediating qualification and socialisation equally, to today's focus on qualification. The analysis also shows that in some cases there are conflicts between the functions. These conflicts have however decreased in the syllabuses since 1980.

Religious education is one of the most debated school subjects in Swedish upper secondary education, primarily from an outside perspective where the secular and scientific norms of modern society often prompt questions about its relevance from politicians, media, and the public alike. This study investigates the relevancy of religious education from a student perspective, based on the aims and goals stated in the curriculum and through the theoretical lens of Gert Biesta’s theory on world-centred education. The main focus of this study has been to find out to what extent students find the subject relevant on a personal and societal level, how they perceive that it relates to other scientific and pedagogical areas in school, and how their attitudes towards the subject affect their ability to put the knowledge gained to use as democratic citizens of a multi-cultural world. The methods used to conduct this investigation has been a small-scale student survey followed by more in-depth interviews with two smaller focus groups and one semi structured interview, with questions based on the results from the survey. The results have then been analysed using the theory of world-centred education as an interpretive tool, backed up by previous research on the subject of attitudes towards religious education, attitudes towards religion and multiculturalism, and research on subject and curriculum integrated didactics. The results of this study reveal a more positive outcome on how relevant religious education is thought to be, in the context of Swedish schools and society from a student point of view, than the starting point suggested. Though far from all students rated the subject as very important, most of them expressed a good understanding and acceptance of the aim and purpose of the subject. Furthermore, many of them could apply the knowledge gained from the subject on life, relations, history, and society. Though this study is based on limited data, the outcome paired with the theoretical framework and backed up by larger scale research provides a didactic toolkit for navigating a global and multicultural society.

This study by the name “To be or not to be in dialogue with the world” is based on our interest in Biesta´s theories, more specifically about relational pedagogy. The empirical material consists of 21 public lessons in visual arts for high school taken from lektionsbanken.se. Through a qualitative text analysis we wanted to answer the questions: What functions does the lessons have that are described in the lesson plan? What opportunities to exist in the world in an adult way emerge? And lastly what research space is there for the student. In our result we have been able to shed light on how three teaching functions which Biesta calls qualification, socialization and subjectification, are expressed in our 21 public lessons, and then discuss what pedagogical implications it may have if one of these three functions becomes dominant in a lesson. Based on this we have used Biestas theory about a communicational gap where learning takes place, which involves risktaking.  In the space Biesta calls the gap which is a spectrum between – world destroyer and self destroyer on extreme opposite ends, it is recommended for both teachers and students to try to stay in the middle zone where we as humans can be in dialogue with the world in an adult way. In order for teachers to work with Biesta´s positive view of risk, great demands are placed on teachers who need courage to let go and let the risk take its place in their teaching. One way to work with risk and practice this is to put more focus on the process instead of on the result and the end product, which can become a problem in a goal-oriented school.

Tim Randberg and Filip Lindahl carried out this study under the institution for pedagogy, didactics and educational studies at Uppsala University. In relation to the lack of research regarding students’ perspectives regarding the legitimizing aspects of the school subject of social science(samhällskunskap), and in contrast to the existence of such research regarding teachers’ perspectives, this study is an attempt at contributing to the lack of previous research and note the importance of working towards a reality in which students’ and teachers’ attitudes, regarding the importance and the purpose of social studies, aligns.  This didactic study, which analyzes which attitudes are connected to a small group of students (age 18), as well as a small group of social science teachers, regarding what legitimizes studying social science, along with the key differences between these two groups, is an interview study in which a didactic theory formed by Gert Biesta was applied in relation to the results of the interview. Biesta’s theoretical framework, which is central for this study, categorized the legitimizing aspects of education into three categories: qualification, socialization and subjectification, in which every relevant analytical finding was categorized into each of Biesta’s three categories. This study concludes that both teachers and students found the internalization of democratic values as well as citizenship development to be the central legitimizing aspects of civic studies. The results regarding the teachers’ comments aligned with most previous research, except for the aspect of power, which in contrast to previous research was absent in the results for this study. Regarding the three theoretical categories, no significant differences were to be found but rather smaller differences that could be considered noteworthy. Teachers discussed the legitimizing aspects of civic studies from a qualification-related point of view more than the students did. In contrast, the students made comments that were connected to the concepts of socialization as well as subjectification in a greater sense compared to the teachers. Regarding the concept of qualification, both teachers and students related the purpose of civic studies to skills and knowledge necessary to engage politically in society, or to prosper in society. Connected to the concept of socialization, students found that it was important that people internalized democratic values and norms related to democracy, which aligns with the teachers’ responses, only that the latter as a group further discussed the legitimizing aspect of civic studies as it being a means to prevent extremism, racism as well as other anti-democratic aspects that a few students were described as gravitating towards. In relation to the concept of subjectification, students, unlike the teachers, noted the importance of becoming global citizens. Both groups argued for the importance of developing a culturally adaptive mindset as well as forming an individual political opinion. Most teachers discussed the importance of students, along with the civic studies, becoming less self-centered and more focused on their role in relation to a social, collective context. In contrast, several students made individualistic claims; that a legitimizing aspect of civic studies, regarding certain skills and abilities that comes with the subject and that was regarded as a key element in a modern, democratic social context, is that they develop a sense of what others think of them and how successfully they present themselves to other people, groups and institutions. One conclusion is that there is a reason for the didactic research-field to investigate whether there needs to be a function in Swedish education which investigates whether students and teachers share the same idea of why they are studying a subject or various content related to a subject,

Swedish compulsory school has recently been subjected to a number of political reforms. Between 2011 and 2014, for example, earlier grades, more national tests and a new curriculum plan (Lgr 11) were to be implemented. This thesis aims to examine those changes as they were experienced by teachers who teach history in Swedish upper primary schools. The theoretical framework is in-spired by existential philosophy, primarily as formulated in the works of Martin Heidegger and Hanna Arendt. In this way, the study highlights the teachers’ lived experience by making use of the concepts yearning, appearance, acting and mood. The study comprises of 36 interviews with 26 informants. The interviews were carried out and transcribed during 2014. The questions focus on both the existential being of the teachers’ lives as well as the ideological function of the history subject. This highly renders in the issue of how lived experiences of a specific school reform corresponded to the teachers’ own perception of a mean-ingful history education. Both the yearnings that were expressed by the participants and their de-scriptions of what they have experienced, have been related to the overall educational ideological functions stated by Gert Biesta (socialisation, subjectification and qualification) and Jonas Aspelin (existentialisation). Although the teachers’ narratives were greatly varied in some aspects, their interpretations of the new assignment seemed to be quite homogenous. Most of the teachers portrayed a situation characterised by performativity. Measurable knowledge and more frequent documentation seemed to be prioritised. Some of them stressed that they experienced less autonomy. In terms of history, the new curriculum was associated with more content knowledge, cognitive skills and procedural abilities. From the teachers’ perspective, pure qualification, rather than subjectification and social-isation, characterised the new curriculum. Still, the teachers’ feelings towards the curricular changes showed a great deal of divergence. Some of them embraced most of the new aspects. They claimed that clearly formulated require-ments in the history curricula provided them with security. They declared that their history teaching to some extent became more professional. In line with such beliefs, some teachers asserted that the strengthened focus on analytical skills improved their teaching. Particularly those who ex-pressed that they preferred such analytic procedural approaches described their experience in terms of confirmation and approval. Others appeared to struggle with the changes. While a few teachers even tried to resist the curricular changes, some found themselves forced to endure what appeared to be a totally new situation. They expressed disbelief, frustration and pain. Notably it was those most devoted to the existentialisational function of history teaching that usually seemed to express such alienation. As argued, they appeared to long for a lost possibility to engage their pupils, to bring history alive and to make meaning of the past.

Swedish compulsory school has recently been subjected to a number of political reforms. Between 2011 and 2014, for example, earlier grades, more national tests and a new curriculum plan (Lgr 11) were to be implemented. This thesis aims to examine those changes as they were experienced by teachers who teach history in Swedish upper primary schools. The theoretical framework is in-spired by existential philosophy, primarily as formulated in the works of Martin Heidegger and Hanna Arendt. In this way, the study highlights the teachers’ lived experience by making use of the concepts yearning, appearance, acting and mood. The study comprises of 36 interviews with 26 informants. The interviews were carried out and transcribed during 2014. The questions focus on both the existential being of the teachers’ lives as well as the ideological function of the history subject. This highly renders in the issue of how lived experiences of a specific school reform corresponded to the teachers’ own perception of a mean-ingful history education. Both the yearnings that were expressed by the participants and their de-scriptions of what they have experienced, have been related to the overall educational ideological functions stated by Gert Biesta (socialisation, subjectification and qualification) and Jonas Aspelin (existentialisation). Although the teachers’ narratives were greatly varied in some aspects, their interpretations of the new assignment seemed to be quite homogenous. Most of the teachers portrayed a situation characterised by performativity. Measurable knowledge and more frequent documentation seemed to be prioritised. Some of them stressed that they experienced less autonomy. In terms of history, the new curriculum was associated with more content knowledge, cognitive skills and procedural abilities. From the teachers’ perspective, pure qualification, rather than subjectification and social-isation, characterised the new curriculum. Still, the teachers’ feelings towards the curricular changes showed a great deal of divergence. Some of them embraced most of the new aspects. They claimed that clearly formulated require-ments in the history curricula provided them with security. They declared that their history teaching to some extent became more professional. In line with such beliefs, some teachers asserted that the strengthened focus on analytical skills improved their teaching. Particularly those who ex-pressed that they preferred such analytic procedural approaches described their experience in terms of confirmation and approval. Others appeared to struggle with the changes. While a few teachers even tried to resist the curricular changes, some found themselves forced to endure what appeared to be a totally new situation. They expressed disbelief, frustration and pain. Notably it was those most devoted to the existentialisational function of history teaching that usually seemed to express such alienation. As argued, they appeared to long for a lost possibility to engage their pupils, to bring history alive and to make meaning of the past.