The aim of this study is to investigate what the grade in mathematics tells us about the pupil’s general academic success in other school subjects in Sweden’s compulsory school. What proficiency, except mathematical skills, does a high grade in mathematics indicate? First an inventory of the official arguments for school mathematics was conducted. The inventory shows that the arguments generally can be classified into two main classes: i) utilitarian arguments and ii) cultural arguments. In addition to these two main groups the debate also includes more remote and indirect arguments: iii) the transfer argument and iv) the selection argument .If the two last arguments are valid it is assumed that the so called indication hypothesis should be true: that pupils who succeed in mathematics also will achieve high grades in other school subjects. A statistical analysis was conducted of the grades data for the approximately 124,000 pupils who completed compulsory school in Sweden 2006. The analyses provide support for the indication hypothesis. Those pupils who manage to achieve the highest grades in mathematics often achieve high grades in other school subjects as well. This applies to both the purely theoretical and to the more practically oriented subjects. In the last phase of the study it was assumed that a possible explanation for the results could lie in the reading comprehension hypothesis; that pupils who are successful in mathematics in their ninth year of compulsory school also have good reading comprehension. This hypothesis was tested with data from the pupils’ results in the reading comprehension test that was included in the national exam in Swedish in 2006. The results provided strong support for the hypothesis. Pupils with high final grades in mathematics also have good reading comprehension. However the reverse did not apply. A good result in the reading comprehension test was not a reliable predictor of a high final grade in mathematics.

The aim of this thesis is to study and problematize the concepts of entrepreneurship and enterprise in Swed-ish compulsory schools. The studies presented in this thesis focus both on scientific publications and official documents that deal with entrepreneurship and enterprise in compulsory schools and on school projects that have been carried out in years 4 to 6 in the county of Västerbotten. The main questions of the study are: • How did the discourse on entrepreneurship and enterprise in school arise? • What do concepts of entrepreneurship and enterprise mean in Swedish nine-year compulsory schools? • How is discursive practice concerning Entrepreneurship and Enterprise in schools expressed? Michel Foucault’s theories of discourse, power and discipline have been used as analytical tools, together with gender theories. Characteristic for the research on entrepreneurship is that it is multidisciplinary. There are difficulties, both nationally and internationally, to explicitly define the concept of ”entrepreneur”. The entrepreneur is described as an individual with abilities to take action, initiative and risks but also as being creative, innovative and cooperative. These are characteristics that both society and school can make use of. Unemployment among young people and changing needs in society are reasons why the concept “enter-prise” is present on most of the agendas of the OECD countries today. Society requires individuals who can take responsibility and initiative and who are creative. Training in and about entrepreneurship has devel-oped and therefore it has been possible to stress its relevance for the entire educational system. Training for entrepreneurship is directed towards economics, i e a discourse about enterprise while training about entre-preneurship turns against training in general by relating to up-bringing and human inner qualities. A dis-course in enterprise has been formed, whose aim is to develop pupils into responsible, creative, active, cooperative and enterprising members of society. This is where a new discourse is created and it is a dis-course in enterprise and schools. Even so, the road into school is via economics because the main aim of entrepreneurship is economic growth and increased employment rate. Throughout the different texts about entrepreneurship and enterprise in school there is a tendency to use dichotomies. In this case it concerns what is the right or the wrong way of teaching. Enterprise teaching, as it is used in entrepreneurship and enterprise in schools, is considered the right and true way of teaching, while the practice in schools is de-scribed as the opposite. A struggle between two discourses appears; the struggle between the entrepreneurial school discourse and the official school discourse, the latter with its origin in the national curriculum from 1994, Lpo 94. At the end of the 1990s a number of school projects were initiated, both nationally and inter-nationally, aiming at stimulating pupils’ enterprising skills. In the county of Västerbotten school projects were initiated under the overarching project PRIO1, Priority Enterprise County of Västerbotten and in-cluded students of all ages. The schools could choose either an entrepreneurial or an enterprising approach to their projects. The enterprise approach was more invisible, less concrete and more difficult to evaluate and measure. The work with entrepreneurship and enterprise in school in the investigated schools show that well-established and current discourses in the schools were transferred to the ”new” discourse. Instead of transferring the “new aspects” that the project was expected to contribute to the current discourse, the ”old” and already well-known aspects were transferred to the new discourse. Consequently, the projects themselves did not result in a comprehensive change of the discourse in practice.

Grades and assessment are a natural part in the school's everyday existence, deliberations about equivalent assessment is discussed all the time between teachers, students, home and school. They that in front are influenced of a grade or a judgement are in first hand the students and therefore are the important for the students to know which objectives and grade criteria that apply for them to achieve at the end of years 9. The aim with this survey is to get the knowledge about how a tutor grade family’s student in a preparatory class in stopped of years 9, in Swedish as a second language. Do the students in a preparatory class's get grades or a judgement? This is interesting also in order to know to which grade criteria students in a preparatory class have to achieve in the compulsory education’s later years and to know how a tutor assesses these students on the basis of those objectives and criteria that apply. In my survey, I have been paid from the tutors ' perspectives on how a grade or an assessment gives equivalent for students in a preparatory class and in order to few a better understanding to how man that teachers sets a grade or gives an equivalent judgement to students that possibly have difficulties to achieve the grade criteria in Swedish as a second languages, because of the language. The procedure in this work has been to interview different tutors that work in a preparatory class, from differently multicultural schools in municipality places in Stockholm. During the result account, the tutors' obvious replies are expressed on the basis of those interviews and research questions as been used as aids and that an important basis in order to can to implement this survey. The result in this survey is that students in a preparatory class not sheep a grade since they do not achieve the requirements for validated in Swedish as a second language without the students’ sheep instead a written judgement. This can cause misunderstandings between teachers and students, then the school has a grade criteria for students in a preparatory class's man knows that they cannot to achieve at the same time as these grade criteria is not any teachers strives after. This can contribute to that the students possibly sheep hopes about a grade when one actually know that they can’t because of the language does not have possibility to achieve.

The purpose of this study is to examine who were given the opportunity to express their opinions in the government proposition concerning the future of the school system – particularly regarding the proposal that pupils do compulsory military service - submitted to the Swedish parliament 21 March 1941. Our focus is mainly on three parts of the proposition: the proposal to introduce shooting- and grenade practice for all pupils, the proposal to introduce an obligatory military leadership training course for teachers and the proposal to introduce an obligatory summer camp for all pupils. Using primarily a qualitative method we examine how different opinions and views are expressed in the statements and utterances responding to the pending proposition and who the responders are. We will attempt to clarify who were considered to be undisputed authorities and experts, and whose opinions, for that reason, carried a lot of weight in the decision making process, comparing them to the statements and utterances submitted on a voluntary basis by non-experts. And finally, to what extent the opinions in the statements and utterances were allowed to guide the propositional work. Results show that the statements and utterances were submitted by authorities, chapter, county administrative boards and religious, non-profit and political organizations as well as different types of schools, representatives from the Board of Education and elementary school boards not a part of county councils or other types of associations. Government authorities, chapter and county administrative boards were given priority in the proposition and it was their opinions that the proposition came to rely on. The rest were seen as “guiding” rather than deciding factors, and then only selectively, as they were generally lumped together and treated collectively. Most of the time, their opinions were not heard, and when they were it was usually to support and corroborate decisions already made by the decision making and implementing instances.

Attityder i samhället till personer som har funktionsnedsättning är ofta negativa. Det finns både lärarstuderande och verksamma lärare som har dyslexi, denna undersöknings syfte är att belysa lärares attityder till kollegor som har dyslexi. Även erfarenheter samt upplevd kunskap om dyslexi ska belysas. Använder enkät av likertskaletyp som datainsamlingsmetod för en deskriptiv surveyundersökning som riktar sig till kommunala grundskollärare i en kommun. Urvalet omfattar fem skolor med 62 respondenter. Ett 50 -procentigt bortfall innebär att resultaten bygger på 31 svarande. Data bearbetas i Excel och resultaten visar större upplevd kunskap än erfarenhet. Respondenternas indexerade värde för erfarenhet och kunskap motsvarar hälften av den möjliga skalan. Resultaten visar mycket positiv attityd till kollegor som har dyslexi och tenderar att öka ju närmare arbetsrelationen är. En tredjedel har haft tidigare kontakt med kollegor som har dyslexi men inget samband finns mellan högt värde på erfarenhet och kunskap och höga attitydpoäng. Resultaten överensstämmer inte med litteraturen där interaktion och information anses viktigt för positiva attityder. Dessa positiva attityder och att så många träffat en kollega som har dyslexi överraskar, eftersom litteraturen påstår att det finns negativa attityder till funktionsnedsättning och att möten sällan sker mellan personer som har funktionsnedsättning och andra på arbetsmarknaden. Undersökningen säger inget om respondenternas handlande eller beteende i autentiska situationer.

Bakgrund: Tidigare forskning visade att patienter som tvångsvårdats beskrev att det var problematiskt när andra bestämde åt dem och när personal inte tog sig tid att lyssna och prata. Enligt Lag om psykiatrisk tvångsvård (SFS 1991:1128) ska tvångsåtgärder utföras med största möjliga hänsyn till patienten. Sjuksköterskor har beskrivit sig kunna känna skuld efter att ha utsatt patienter för tvångsåtgärder och vissa menade att det ibland inte fanns några alternativ till att utföra tvångsåtgärder. Syfte: Att beskriva patientens upplevelse utav tvångsvård och tvångsåtgärder. Metod: En litteraturstudie med kvalitativ inriktning. Studien är baserad på elva vetenskapliga artiklar som är publicerade mellan år 2000-2012 och genomförda i Australien, Finland, Kanada, Nederländerna, Norge, Storbritannien och Sverige. Dessa artiklar har analyserats och därefter har subkategorier och huvudkategorier urskiljts. Resultat: Personal upplevdes som ignorant och respektlös och patienter efterlyste genuin omtanke. Maktutövningar framkom och resulterade i att patienter upplevde sig förlora kontrollen. Vidare framkom det att patienter upplevde en bristande kommunikation där de varken blev hörda på eller hade en fullgod kontakt med personalen. Patienter upplevde sig inte heller bli tillräckligt delaktiga och informerade gällande deras vård. Samtidigt visade det sig också att vården kan erbjuda en känsla av säkerhet och gott omhändertagande. Patienternas upplevelser resulterade i fyra huvudkategorier samt sex subkategorier. Diskussion: Tännsjös definition av begreppet autonomi valdes till teoretisk utgångspunkt och användes för att genomföra en diskussion av resultatet. Information, beslutstagande och personalens makt är några utav de ämnen som diskuterats. / Background: Previous studies have shown that patients who were involuntarily treated described the care as problematic when others were taking decisions for them and the staff didn’t listen or talked to them. According to The Law of psychiatric Compulsory Care of 1991, coercive measures should be used with the highest regard considering the patient. Nurses can feel guilty about exposing the patient to coercive measures and some believed that there are no alternatives to it. Aim: To describe the patient’s experience of compulsory treatment and coercive measures. Methods: A literature review with a qualitative approach. Eleven scientific articles, published between the years 2000-2012, were used in the study. The studies were carried out in Australia, Finland, Canada, The Netherlands, Norway, Great Britain and Sweden. The studies were analyzed and the result was categorized. Results: Staff was described as ignorant and disrespectful and the patients wanted genuine regard. Staff exercised power which, for the patients, resulted in an experienced loss of control. Patients reported failure in communication, information, participation and were not having an adequate contact with the staff. Meanwhile some patients narrated that their care was good and offered them a sense of security. The patients’ experiences resulted in four main categories and six sub categories. Discussions: The definition of autonomy, by Tännsjö, was chosen to be the theoretical framework and was used in the discussion. Information, decision-making and the power of the staff were some of the topics which were discussed.

This study deals with how the subjects Gardening, Handicraft, Domestic Science and Temperance Instruction were introduced and developed in elementary school (compulsory school) in Sweden during the period 1842-1919. During this same period a capitalist mode of production replaced the feudal one with consequent changes in home life for the people. The school subjects dealt with have been selected to throw light on whether and to what extent the elementary school was used to bring about a reorganization in the lives of wage earner families.The official argument, curricula and school enquiries have been examined. Teaching content in relation to workers' family conditions has been studied in the parish of Skön in the sawmill region of northern Sweden.The main official argument was that the miserable conditions of working class life were caused just as much by ignorant housewives and drunken fathers as by low wages and poor housing. The cure was therefore seen to lie in education, and the introduction of the subjects in question can be seen in the light of this.The study shows how the state gradually took over more and more of the responsibility for child upbringing, and how the schools of the sawmill companies played a part in this process. The results, however, indicate that the actual effect of elementary school teaching on the home lives of sawmill workers was insignificant. Working class poverty was ol course caused primarily by economic and structural factors, but defining the problems in pedagogical terms meant that responsibility could be apportioned at an individual level - and thereby the bourgeoisie reaped considerable ideological profits.Key word: history of education, Swedish compulsory school, Gardening, Handicraft, Domestic Science, Temperance Instruction, working class family, sawmill region. / digitalisering@umu

What amount of knowledge of guitar playing can be expected after completing upper compulsory school? A qualitative research involving three different music teachers provides their view of knowledge. Their expectations have been compared to a quantitative research involving 58 upper secondary students from the social sciences programme. The idea is to compare their pedagogic intentions to the pedagogic realities of music teachings. The study shows a clear advantage for students who has attended some form of external music tuition as well as for those students who have someone in their families who play an instrument If the knowledge primarily is due to extracurricular activities perhaps there is time for a reformation of the music subject so that all may enjoy the education, not merely those who already possesses a curtain amount of knowledge... The experience must not be allowed to submit to the vast forests of chords, by doing so one misses the purpose entirely

Environmental issues are highly topical today and most people are more or less concerned. It is important to start with environmental work and environmental studies in early ages, already in school. The purpose of this essay is to examine what a school can do for the environment and to see how a school can work with these issues. Furthermore, what is passed on to the pupils and how involved are they in the work for a sustainable future? The study was conducted by the means of qualitative interviews with four teachers and the head of environmental questions at the school. The school is new since fall 2006 and they have just started with the environmental work, says the ones I interviewed. But they all think it will be better in the near future. At this school both adults and children are very interested and involved in the environmental work. The school has several recourses to facilitate the practical environmental work, both children and adults are fully engaged. The recycling process is well developed at the school, they rather recycle than consume. The higher grade students have more classes about global environmental issues while the lower grades do concentrate on the nearby environment, on a level that fits the children. The lower grades at this school are more involved in the work for the environment than the higher grades. At the school there is a good will to develop the environmental work and they have a great potential to do so. / Miljöfrågor är högst aktuellt och det är något som berör oss alla. Det är viktigt att vara medveten och delaktig redan i tidig ålder för att göra arbetet för ett hållbart samhälle vardagligt och det är därför viktigt att börja med miljöarbete och miljöundervisning redan i skolan. Syftet med arbetet är att få kunskap om vad en skola kan göra för miljön, hur en skolas miljöarbete ser ut, vad förmedlas till barnen och hur medvetna och delaktiga är de i skolans miljöarbete. Undersökningen gjordes med hjälp av kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra pedagoger och skolans miljöansvarig. Skolan är ny sedan hösten 2006 och har därför inte mer än kommit igång med sitt miljöarbete påstår de intervjuade, men alla är överens om att det kommer att se bättre ut framöver. På skolan är både vuxna och barn intresserade och engagerade i miljöarbetet. Skolan är utrustad med flera verktyg för praktiskt miljöarbete och dessa används både av personal och elever. Källsortering är ett väl fungerande system på skolan och de återanvänder istället för att förbruka. I undervisningen på högstadiet pratar man mer om den globala miljön än i de lägre stadierna. I de lägre stadierna arbetar de med miljö på barnens nivå, de pratar om och arbetar med sådant som barnen kan relatera till och som barnen kan vara med och påverka. De lägre stadierna är över lag mer engagerade i miljöarbetet jämförelsevis med högstadiet. På skolan finns en vilja att förbättra miljöarbetet och det finns en stor potential för att genomföra detta.

This study investigates how Swedish pupils meet science (chemistry and physics) and technology in compulsory school. It explores girls' and boys' actions in and thoughts about these subjects. The study has a feminist perspective focusing on girls. Two teaching groups were followed from the start in grade 7 in compulsory school, when the pupils were 13 years old, until they made their choice of study programmes in upper secondary school in grade 9. The main methods were classroom observations and taped interviews. The results have been divided into the following four parts: the pupils' family background and recreation interests, classroom interactions, girls' and boys' approaches to science, and their choices of study programmes in upper secondary school. Girls and boys have different experiences and interests when they first meet science in grade 7 and boys have, thanks to their recreation interests, greater opportunities to participate in or take an interest in science/technology. The pupils come from different worlds determined by gender and social background. In the classroom girls get and take upon themselves the role of keeping the lessons together, thus fostering a responsible rationality, while boys strive to dominate the public arena. The process of shaping diligent, working, responsible girls as opposed to more childish, playful and competing boys continues in grades 7-9. Girls and boys prefer different subject areas. Boys have a practical while girls have a more theoretical approach to science. Even if there are important differences between girls, primarily owing to family background, there are significant differences between girls and boys. Girls seek "connected knowledge" and even the successful girls question their own understanding, which can be interpreted as a result of their learning style but also of their knowledge of the historical construction of women as unfit for science. The majority of the girls have, over the years, come to construct femininity - and maturity - as being opposed to enjoying experiments which are regarded as boys' play and as part of the masculine world. Boys also criticize girls for both failure and success and they try to get power over the subject content and the apparatus. This is interpreted as a reconstruction of the masculinity of the subjects. Girls who, nevertheless, take an interest in physics and chemistry often have supporting scientist fathers or at least parents with a higher education. Technology is rejected by all girls. The mutual construction and reconstruction of gender and of science/technology contribute to gendered choices of study programmes in upper secondary school. / digitalisering@umu