Syftet med studien är att undersöka i hur stor utsträckning undervisning i improvisation är ett bra verktyg för att uppnå syfte och mål för ämnesplanen i Musik i gymnasieskolan, hur lärare tolkar begreppet improvisation och hur de arbetar med det i klassrummet. Intresset för ämnet ligger i möjligheterna med improvisation som verktyg för att utveckla ett konstnärligt och personligt uttryck. I rollen som lärare upplevs att improvisation som verktyg inte används i den utsträckning som det kanske borde. Tre verksamma gymnasielärare i musik har ur ett hermeneutiskt perspektiv med kvalitativ intervju som metod intervjuats om deras definition av och arbete med improvisation. Resultaten visar att elevers musikaliska utveckling främjas av improvisationsundervisning. Resultaten visar också att lärare har en bred förståelse för begreppet improvisation, att de har insikt i hur det främjar elevernas musikaliska utveckling men att de inte helt och hållet utnyttjar improvisationsundervisningens potential. De vill införa sådan undervisning tidigare i elevernas utbildning men de vet kanske inte riktigt hur de ska gå tillväga. Slutligen diskuteras om improvisationsundervisning bör användas mer, hur undervisningen kan utformas samt när det är lämpligt att börja med improvisationsundervisning. Kopplingen i Skolverkets styrdokument mellan improvisationsundervisning och måluppfyllelse i ämnet diskuteras också. / This study aims to examine to what extent teaching of music improvisation is a good tool for achieving the purpose and objectives of the syllabus of Music in upper secondary school, how teachers interpret the concept of music improvisation and how they apply it in the classroom. The interest in the subject lies in the possibilities of improvisation when being a tool for developing an artistic and personal musical expression. In the role as a teacher improvisation as a tool is perhaps not used to that extent it should. Three music teachers have, from a hermeneutic perspective using qualitative interview as a method, been interviewed on their definition and application of improvisation. The results show that students' musical development is promoted by the teaching of music improvisation. Furthermore, the results show that teachers have a broad understanding of music improvisation and that they have an insight into how it fosters students' musical development. However, they do not fully utilize the potential of improvisation teaching. They want to introduce it earlier in students' education, but they may not quite know how to. Lastly why the teaching of music improvisation should be used more is discussed as well as how it can be designed and when it is suitable to start with. The link between improvisation teaching and attainment in the subject of music in Skolverket's policy documents is also discussed.

The geography subject in Swedish upper secondary school is in a marginalized position with just two national programs having it as a mandatory subject. No mention of the skill of spatial thinking is made in the regulation documents from the Swedish National Agency for Education. To investigate the spatial thinking in the Swedish upper secondary school, I constructed a test that 140 students conducted. From the results it was possible to deduct that the students performed well in areas of spatial thinking that deals with geographical features like points, lines and polygons, but not so well when faced with tasks concerning several spatial facts, overlay, and mentally visualizing 3-D images from 2-D information. Males generally scored higher than females in the test, especially if only answers that the students felt confident of were counted. Students from the Natural Science Programme outperformed the students from the Social Science Programme, even though the former didn’t have any formal education in geography from the upper secondary school. The thesis argues that a larger focus on spatial thinking in the geography subject could benefit the development of both a stronger stance for the subject in the education system, and the abilities and knowledge tied to spatial thinking of the students, especially those that are lacking formal education in other subjects that train the spatial thinking, mostly mathematics and physics.

Ungdomsarbetslösheten i Sverige är i förhållande till den totala arbetslösheten, i landet, hög och är en av svenska regeringens högst prioriterade frågor inom arbetsmarknadspolitiken. För att komma in på arbetsmarknaden idag måste du visa dig anställningsbar. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vad kommunala arbetsgivare har för uppfattning om arbetslösa ungdomars anställningsbarhet. Syftet konkretiseras med hjälp av tre frågeställningar som syftar till att se vad betydelsen av deltagandet i aktiva arbetsmarknadsåtgärder har för anställningsbarheten, samt vad gymnasieexamen och de personliga egenskaperna betyder för anställningsbarheten. Studien utgår från en kvalitativ forskningsansats och besvarar syftet utifrån åtta kommunala arbetsgivares uppfattningar om arbetslösa ungdomars anställningsbarhet. Resultatet visar att anställningsbarhet enligt de kommunala arbetsgivarna är betydelsen av erfarenheter, kompetenser och utbildning. Studien visar även att praktik i en kommunal arbetsmarknadsåtgärd, vars syfte är att ge arbetslivserfarenhet, inte nödvändigtvis kan likställas med arbetslivserfarenhet. Deltagandet i en kommunal arbetsmarknadsåtgärd kan minska anställningsbarheten, likaså kan avsaknaden av en gymnasieexamen försvåra chansen till en anställning och en individs personliga egenskaper anses avgörande. Därför uppfylls heller inte den grundläggande anställningsbarheten. / Youth unemployment in relation to overall unemployment is high and is one of the Swedish government´s priorities in labour market policy. The purpose of this study is to investigate what idea the municipal employers have of unemployed youths ́ employability. The purpose is embodied by three questions, designed to see what importance of participation in active labour market programs, upper secondary school diploma and personality have on employability. The study is based on a qualitative research approach and answers the purpose with eight municipal employers' perceptions of unemployed young people's employability. The result indicates that employability, according to the municipal employers, is the importance of experience, skills and education. The results also indicate that the internship in a municipal labour market program, which aims to provide work experience, cannot be equated with each other. Participation in a municipal labor market program could reduce employability, as well as the lack of an upper secondary school diploma reduces the chance of an employment. The personality of an individual that is considered crucial for employment does not meet the requirements of the essential employability.

The present study is a small part of a project that is named Legilexi which includes a screening test where the purpose is to identify children who are at risk of having reading- and writing difficulties. The aim of the present study was primarily to investigate the relationship between phonological awareness and different reading abilities in children in year 1 and 3. A further aim was to contribute to the validation of Legilexi’s screening test. There were 48 children from four different schools that participated in the study, 29 of these children were in grade 1, and 19 were in grade 3. The students in first grade were in the ages of 7;0–8:1 years and the children in third grade were between the ages of 9;1 and 9;11 years. The recruitment of the schools was done in consultation with project managers of Legilexi. In this study the schools were selected throughout a convenience sample, because of Legilexi’s spread throughout the whole of Sweden. Phonological awareness was assessed with UMESOL’s phonological elements; phoneme segmentation, phoneme synthesis, position analysis and segment subtraction. The teachers tested the children with Legilexi ́s test material. The relations between the collected data were later examined together with secondary data from Legilexi. The results showed strong correlations between different aspects of phonological awareness, reading- and listening comprehension. However, ceiling effects were discovered in Legilexi’s subtest phoneme analysis in grade 1. This indicates that the design of the test was too simple for the participating children. The conclusion of the present study was that the results were in line with previous research regarding phonological awareness and early reading development. An important and useful finding was the ceiling effect on Legilexi’s test of phonological awareness

Allt fler rapporter visar att den psykiska ohälsan ökar bland ungdomar i Sverige och då främst bland flickor. Gymnasieskolan är en stor mötesplats för ungdomar och skolsköterskan är en viktig person då hon träffar alla ungdomar minst en gång under deras gymnasietid, i det av Skolverket fastställda hälsosamtalet. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur elever inom gymnasieskolan vill att deras  skolsköterska ska arbeta hälsofrämjande och preventivt. Gymnasieelever vid två olika skolor i nordvästra Skåne intervjuades i två olika fokusgrupper.  Intervjumaterialet transkriberades och analyserades med en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Efter resultatanalysen framkom tre kategorier: kommunikation, skolsköterskan som aktör på gymnasieskolan och interaktion. Faktorer som att  skolsköterskan skall finnas där, vara lättillgänglig och inge trygghet var viktiga för  gymnasieeleverna. Resultatet visar att skolsköterskan behövs inom gymnasieskolan men behöver synliggöra sitt arbete. Vidare forskning, både ur elevernas och ur skolsköterskans perspektiv behövs. Ungas ökade psykiska ohälsa finns högt på agendan i Sverige idag, ändå är skolsköterskan och elevhälsan på gymnasienivå ett område som fortfarande är outforskat. / Research is accumulating which indicates that mental illness is increasing among youth in Sweden and especially among female youth. Secondary school is a significant meeting place for young people and the school nurse is an important person as he or she meets with each youth at least once in the health conversation required by the school system. The goal of this study was to investigate how secondary school students want their school nurse to work in the promotion of health and prevention of illness. Students at two different secondary schools in south Sweden were interviewed in two different focus groups. The data procured from the interviews was transcribed and qualitatively analyzed. Three categories were derived from this analysis: communication, the school nurse's role in the secondary school and interaction. The students deemed that factors such as the presence of the nurse, the availability of the nurse and the nurse's ability to communicate safety  were important. The results indicated that the nurse is needed in the secondary school, but he or she also needs to make his or her work visible. More research is needed from both the perspective of the students and the nurses. Increasing the mental health of young people is a high priority in Sweden today. But the school nurse and student health at the secondary level is still largely unresearched.

Background There are concerns over the low proportion of young people in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [KSA] who regularly participate in physical activity [PA] (Al-Hazzaa, 2004; Al-Hazzaa, et al., 2011). Schools have a unique opportunity to promote PA and provide adequate PA opportunities for young people via the formal/informal curriculum, school sports programmes, and out-of-hours PA (Dobbins et al., 2009). However, implementing effective PA promotion programmes in schools is a challenge and requires consideration of a range of factors. In Saudi Arabia context, the secondary boys school PE programme comprises two main elements: 1) the PE curriculum which is compulsory for all students and includes one 45 minute PE lesson per week; 2) the extra-curricular programme which is optional and comprises the Internal Physical Activity Programme (IPAP) and the External Physical Activity Programme (EPAP). The IPAP activities occur during breaks between lessons whilst the EPAP takes place after school. Both are delivered by PE teachers. Research Aims The aims of this study were: 1) To investigate the nature and extent of the promotion of PA in boys secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. 2) To explore physical education teachers perspectives on the promotion of PA in boys secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. 3) To identify the factors that influence the promotion of PA in boys secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework for the study was based on Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1997) which presumes that PA behaviour is influenced by: personal characteristics; behavioural factors; and environmental factors. In addition, the Active School model (Cale, 1997; Cale & Harrris, 2005) was utilised as a conceptual framework, guiding the investigation of PA promotion within schools and the analysis of data. Methodology In order to investigate the research questions, a two phased mixed method (Creswell, 2009) research project was carried out. Phase one involved a detailed survey questionnaire, informed by the Active School model, which was designed to gather information about PE teachers policies, practices and views with respect to the promotion of PA. The questionnaire s validity was enhanced via a number of Saudi experts who confirmed its appropriateness for use in the Saudi context. Moreover, a pilot study was undertaken to obtain valuable feedback relating to the format, content and clarity of both the survey questionnaire and interview schedule before the main study. The questionnaire was distributed to all secondary boys schools in Riyadh in KSA (N=181 schools). The response rate was 52%. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17 was employed in the analysis of the data. Phase two involved semi-structured interviews. Prior to conducting these, the interview schedule was piloted at one secondary school. Six PE teachers drawn from the survey sample were interviewed and the interview data were then transcribed and analysed using MAXQD10 software. Research Findings The survey revealed that two thirds of the secondary boys schools had a plan or policy for the promotion of PA, and almost 70% of PE teachers thought that their school significantly contributed to the promotion of PA. Games activities (e.g. football) dominated the PE curriculum, and the majority of schools also organised inter-school games competitions (e.g. league). In contrast, exercise and fitness-related activities (e.g. circuit training) were less common within the schools PE curricula. The PE curriculum was viewed by the teachers as the most important avenue to promote PA, followed by the IPAP and EPAP (95%, 91% and 73% respectively). Sports/activity facilities varied between schools, particularly in terms of indoor facilities, and over half of the PE teachers considered their indoor and outdoor facilities to be inadequate for promoting PA (54% and 57% respectively). The vast majority (90.3%) of the schools did not offer PA opportunities to parents/families. Furthermore, three quarters of the teachers expressed a need for professional development specifically in the area of PA promotion. On a positive note, headteachers and local PE supervisors were reported to be supportive of efforts to promote PA in the schools and provided support for both the IPAP and EPAP. All PE teachers, who were interviewed, considered the time allocated to PE programme to be insufficient for promoting PA amongst pupils. Further, some teachers viewed PE lessons as time off from serious school subjects and entertaining time . Most teachers reported that parents considered PE as unimportant and/or playtime . Discussion/Conclusion PE teachers views on role of schools in the promotion of PA were generally positive. The ways in which the teachers practiced the promotion of PA varied and maybe have been due to their narrow understanding of the whole school approach to PA promotion. The teachers focused on the PE curriculum and the PE extra-curricular programmes as the main avenues through which to promote PA within their schools, and gave less attention to other avenues such as the whole school environment. Almost all of the teachers had a sporting philosophy for PE leading them to privilege competitive sports. Although the teachers reported to have support from head teachers and local PE supervisors, many schools were not as conducive to PA promotion as they could be due to the narrow range of physical opportunities on offer, and the teachers lack of relevant professional development, the limited sports facilities and the insufficient maintenance of these. In addition, the status of, and time allocated to PE were found to be an issue influencing the promotion of PA in schools. It was concluded that actions could be taken to broaden PA promotion within Saudi schools. For example, policy update and development for PA promotion could be improved to address clothing and changing, traffic/transport, and playground bullying; establish links with outside sports agencies and professionals; and increase PA opportunities before or after school, or at weekends. The findings suggest that if the descriptor comprehensive which is widely used to distinguish whole school approaches from curriculum-only models of PA promotion is to be fully realised, schools need to make a clear and explicit effort to promote PA within the social/cultural environment. Further that research is needed on the social and cultural values, norms and perspectives affecting PA promotion in schools.

Meal at school is a part of the school studies and it is important for health, but is also a prerequisite for both learning and enjoyment.  The school meal can provide students an opportunity to recover from their studies but sometimes students perceive the meal situation as stressful. It is important that the food environment at school works well for school children, so they do not have to rush during the meal and they can get the opportunity to eat in peace. The purpose of this study was to investigate how students perceive lunch break at school. If they feel they get enough time to eat and how they feel during the meal situation in the school restaurant. The research approach of this study was qualitative and the method of data collection was focus groups. Data were analyzed as a content analysis. The aim of the study were secondary school students in grade 7 and 9, one class from each grade was selected. The study was conducted at a secondary school in a municipality in Sweden with approximately 210 000 inhabitants. The results of the study show that students at secondary school feel they have enough time to eat lunch, but the lunch break is too short. The meal environment in the school restaurant is perceived as very messy and stressful. The meal situation was experienced as more stressful at grade 7 students than 9th grade students.  The conclusion was that students need longer lunch break and meal environment is perceived as stressful. / Måltiden i skolan är en del av skolarbetet, den har betydelse för hälsan men är även en förutsättning för både lärande och trivsel. Skolan är också en viktig miljö för barn eftersom det är där de utvecklas och blir tränade till olika kompetenser exempelvis problemlösningsförmåga och förmågan att samarbeta.  Man spenderar ungefär åtta timmar i skolan dagligen och där i mellan behöver man äta. Skolmåltiden kan ge skolelever en möjlighet till att återhämta sig från skolarbetet men ibland kan elever uppfatta måltidssituationen som stressande. Det är viktigt att måltidsmiljön i skolan fungerar väl för att skolelever inte ska behöva stressa under måltiden och få möjlighet att äta i lugn och ro.  Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur elever upplever matrasten i skolan. Om de upplever att de får tillräckligt med tid för att äta samt hur de upplever måltiden och måltidssituationen i skolmatsalen. Forskningsansatsen för den här undersökningen var kvalitativ och metoden för insamling av data är fokusgrupper. Data har analyserats som en innehållsanalys.  Målgruppen för undersökningen var högstadieelever i årskurs 7 och 9. Det är en klass från respektive årskurs som valdes. Studien har genomförts på en högstadieskola i en kommun i Sverige med ca 210 000 invånare.     Resultatet i studien visar att eleverna på högstadieskolan upplever att de har tillräckligt med tid för att äta vid matbordet men lunchrasten i sig är för kort. Måltidsmiljön i skolrestaurangen upplevs som väldigt rörig och stressande. Måltidssituationen upplevs mer stressig hos årskurs 7 eleverna än årskurs 9.  Slutsatsen är att eleverna behöver längre lunchrast och måltidsmiljön upplevs som stressig och bör åtgärdas av skolan.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

<p>During my practice as a teacher trainee at an upper secondary school it became clear to me that many pupils have difficulties with algebra. Also in a report from the National Agency for Education (1999) you can see that the students algebra knowledge get worse and worse. I was surprised to find that many pupils seemed to get stuck on the level of attainment for the senior level of the nine-year compulsory school. As I have not studied anything about difficulties in algebra during my training to become a qualified teacher I would like to get to know more about this. I also examine why you have to study algebra in upper secondary school. In my examination I have besides studying research used an empirical study. The empirical study consists of four interviews with upper secondary school teachers in mathematics.</p><p>The result of my assignment can be summarized with that algebra gives you general solutions to problems, gives you larger poosibility to manage higer studys and its an important tool in other subjects in Upper Secondary School. The typical mistakes students do depends especially on fault due to lack of arithmetic skills.</p> / <p>Under mina praktikperioder på gymnasieskolan som lärarstudent kom jag i kontakt med många elever som hade det svårt med algebra. Även i en rapport från Skolverket (1999) fastlås gymnasieelevers allt sämre algebrakunskaper. Jag förundrades över att många elever verkade ha fastnat på högstadiets kunskapsnivå. Då jag inte har fått någon undervisning om elever med svårigheter i algebra i min lärarutbildning, vill jag lära mig mer om detta. Jag undersöker också varför man läser algebra på gymnasieskolan. I min undersökning har jag förutom litteraturstudier använt mig av en empirisk studie. Den empiriska studien består av intervjuer med fyra gymnasielärare i matematik.</p><p>Resultatet av mitt arbete kan sammanfattas med att algebra ger generella lösningar på problem, ger större möjligheter att klara av högre studier och att det är ett viktigt verktyg i många andra ämnen i gymnasieskolan. De typiska fel som gymnasieelever gör beror främst på fel p.g.a. aritmetiska färdigheter saknas.</p>