This essay argues that the Harry Potter books can be used to analyse various methods and theories regarding pedagogy since the school setting is a major part of the stories. J.K Rowling’s characterisation of the teachers is the basis for the analysis, which focuses on the teaching methods of the teachers at Hogwarts, but also how the pupils are affected by them from the critical perspective of cultural studies. The essay will investigate how the pupils are affected by the boarding schools, examination process as well as the grading system. Certain Professors at Hogwarts will also be analysed based on their teaching methods and these professors are Lupin, Snape, Umbridge, Dumbledore and Lockhart. Different methods have been discovered to work differently on different pupils, but the same methods have also been shown to work differently depending on how they are implemented. Leadership styles in the classroom appear to have a heavy influence on the pupils’ performance. This thesis argues that through a literary analysis of the Harry Potter books with a focus on the portrayal of the school setting by using cultural studies as well as pedagogical theories will demonstrate the impact of various teaching methods in the EFL-classroom as well as the regular classroom. In the EFL-classroom, knowledge of how certain methods and theories work can be very beneficial. The ability to provide confidence to pupils has been discussed and that is a part of EFL-teaching that is highly relevant, since it can be difficult for some pupils to find the courage in order to learn.

Harry Potter-böckerna är den mest lästa serien inom fantasy-genren och har sålt sammanlagt drygt 450 miljoner exemplar världen över. Tidigare forskning visar att Harry Potter-böckerna tilltalar både barn, unga och vuxna. Mitt eget intresse för Harry Potter tillsammans med de lärdomar jag fått genom min utbildning, ligger till grund för litteraturvalet i denna analys. Syftet med aktuell litteraturanalys är att synliggöra elevers lärande samt lärstilsanpassad metodik i den undervisning som sker på Hogwarts, skolan för häxkonster och trolldom i Harry Potter-böckerna. Analysen genomfördes genom att samtliga delar i den svensköversatta serien av Harry Potter lästes. Därefter valdes de böcker som innehöll adekvat undervisningsinnehåll ut och studerades mer ingående utifrån analysens frågeställningar. Analysen visar att det finns likheter mellan den undervisningsmiljö som framkommer i Harry Potter och de som teoretiker har influerat stora delar av den pedagogiska vetenskapen. / <p>Slutgiltigt godkännandedatum: 2023-06-01</p>

In this study I apply social constructionism as propounded by Vivian Burr (1998) to show that although J. K. Rowling uses stereotypes in the Harry Potter series as a reflection of how gender is constructed across a wide range of societal institutions in contemporary Britain, she created complex characters who on an individual level subvert social constructs and thereby offers her readers alternatives to culturally defined concepts of gender. I explore the all-pervasive social phenomenon of gender and examine how it is constructed in present-day Britain and reflected in the series (bearing in mind that the first book was published in 1997 and the last one in 2007). My analysis of female and male characters in the books, and their interpersonal relationships, shows that Rowling's often tricky portrayal of femininities and masculinities gives us an honest view of teenagers’ lives and contemporary gender relations in an ever-changing, complex world. / English Studies / M. A. (English)

The aim of this study is to explore the importance of love in its various manifestations in the lives of the Harry Potter characters and its power to consequently influence the paths that they eventually choose to walk. Love is investigated as the reason behind the choice between good and evil as well as paradoxically both a fortifying as well as a destructive force. Furthermore, it attempts to examine the importance that love plays in the healthy or dysfunctional development of the characters. Numerous philosophies and theories that span two different eras will form the theoretical framework of this research paper. There will be a constant interplay between the theories and the main text, that is, the seven Harry Potter books that together represent the Harry Potter series. Additionally, the author‟s opinion acquired from invaluable fan interviews will be utilized in order to improve the understanding of the characters motivations. The introduction is a brief explanation of key terms and theories that are essential to the exploration of love in the Harry Potter series. The study comprises five chapters. The first three chapters are concerned with the three main manifestations of love represented in the series, namely; parental love, friendship and romance respectively. Chapter Four focuses on the adaptation of the novels into movies and the subsequent result that this has on the depiction of love. Chapter Five highlights the finding of the study conducted. / English Studies / M.A. (English)

In this study I apply social constructionism as propounded by Vivian Burr (1998) to show that although J. K. Rowling uses stereotypes in the Harry Potter series as a reflection of how gender is constructed across a wide range of societal institutions in contemporary Britain, she created complex characters who on an individual level subvert social constructs and thereby offers her readers alternatives to culturally defined concepts of gender. I explore the all-pervasive social phenomenon of gender and examine how it is constructed in present-day Britain and reflected in the series (bearing in mind that the first book was published in 1997 and the last one in 2007). My analysis of female and male characters in the books, and their interpersonal relationships, shows that Rowling's often tricky portrayal of femininities and masculinities gives us an honest view of teenagers’ lives and contemporary gender relations in an ever-changing, complex world. / English Studies / M. A. (English)

The aim of this study is to explore the importance of love in its various manifestations in the lives of the Harry Potter characters and its power to consequently influence the paths that they eventually choose to walk. Love is investigated as the reason behind the choice between good and evil as well as paradoxically both a fortifying as well as a destructive force. Furthermore, it attempts to examine the importance that love plays in the healthy or dysfunctional development of the characters. Numerous philosophies and theories that span two different eras will form the theoretical framework of this research paper. There will be a constant interplay between the theories and the main text, that is, the seven Harry Potter books that together represent the Harry Potter series. Additionally, the author‟s opinion acquired from invaluable fan interviews will be utilized in order to improve the understanding of the characters motivations. The introduction is a brief explanation of key terms and theories that are essential to the exploration of love in the Harry Potter series. The study comprises five chapters. The first three chapters are concerned with the three main manifestations of love represented in the series, namely; parental love, friendship and romance respectively. Chapter Four focuses on the adaptation of the novels into movies and the subsequent result that this has on the depiction of love. Chapter Five highlights the finding of the study conducted. / English Studies / M.A. (English)