The overall aim of this licentiate thesis is to increase our knowledge about the division of labor in the work with children in need of special support in preschools as described by the occupational groups of preschool teachers and special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs). This is explored in two separate studies. In the first study, the tasks, perceptions, and roles of SENCOs in preschools are examined. The study is part of a total population study where all SENCOs in Sweden (n = 4252) who were examined by the examination acts of the years 2001, 2007, and 2008 were sent a questionnaire. In a later phase of the procedure, the responses from SENCOs who work in preschools were extracted from the survey. These responses were analysed in Study I involving 523 participants. The results show that SENCOs’ working hours are primarily spent on consultation. SENCOs further report that they are able to influence their colleagues’ views on children's difficulties to a high degree. Most SENCOs in the study believe that the most important reason why children encounter difficulties in preschools is that preschools are poorly adapted to deal with children's differences. The results of this study are theoretically interpreted on the basis of Abbott's (1988) reasoning about jurisdictional control. Persson's (1998) two perspectives on different ways of understanding children's difficulties, namely a categorical and a relational perspective, are also used to interpret the results. Study II analyses how preschool teachers describe which occupational group claims jurisdiction over the work with children in need of special support. The data consist of interviews with 15 preschool teachers. The analysis of the data is based on Abbott's (1988) division of professional work into three aspects: a) formulating a problem, b) reasoning about the problem, and c) treating the problem. The results show that the area where preschool teachers claim jurisdictional control is related to the formulation of the problem. Preschool teachers do not, on the other hand, seem to claim jurisdictional control over the part of professional work that concerns reasoning about the problem. The results show a contradictory image of the treatment of the problem. Preschool teachers sometimes describe themselves as claiming jurisdictional control over treatment and other times describe how SENCOs have jurisdiction over the treatment of the problem. In the licentiate thesis, Abbott's (1988) reasoning about jurisdiction of occupational groups and Persson's (1998) categorical and relational perspectives for understanding children's difficulties are brought together and put in relation to different perspectives on inclusion.

The diploma thesis aims to present newly proposed methods of dynamic assessment of executive functions and evaluate their benefits through a pilot study. The theoretical section introduces dynamic approach to assessment and its methods and also describes the area of executive functions. The research part presents the proposed tests, focusing on the assessment of planning skills, cognitive flexibility, logical reasoning, working memory and self- monitoring. Their principle is the method of graduated prompts. The research sample used for the study consisted of thirty respondents aged from eight to fifteen years. The respondents were divided into two groups with the same number of participants. The first group included children with special educational needs, the second group involved intact respondents. The results of the study were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. Within the quantitative part, the number of necessary prompts and completed items was compared in both groups. The qualitative part focused on a detailed analysis of diagnostically relevant information obtained using the aforementioned methods. The results of the quantitative part of the research showed that the groups differ from each other neither in the number of graduated prompts required, nor in the number of completed...

This Diploma thesis is a follow-up to an earlier published and in English written study (Ptáček et al. 2019) dealing with the issues of burn out syndrome and work stressors among teachers teaching children from 6 to 15 years. Primarily, it focuses on the issue of students with support needs in connection with the origins of burn-out syndrome at primary school teachers (teaching pupils aged 6-11). Theoretical part deals with the burn-out syndrome in teaching profession, it determines its factors, displays and phases, acquaints with various methods and scales of measurement. It gives a definition of students with support needs, depicts possibilities of work with them and emphasizes the demanding character of teaching profession. The practical part explores the influence of heterogeneity of learners (age, gender, support needs) over burn-out syndrome in teaching profession, with respect to gender and age. The research proved that the possibility of teachers burn-out syndrome progresses with the increasing number of students with support need, but it didn't show the close connection between it and the number of learners in the class.

Studiens syfte är att beskriva hur samarbetet upplevs mellan lärare, speciallärare och specialpedagoger i deras arbete med att anpassa och inkludera undervisningen till varje enskild elev. Mina frågeställningar som har legat till grund till min studie är: Hur beskriver läraren samarbetet med varandra? Hur beskriver lärare, speciallärare och specialpedagoger att de samarbetar kring den anpassade undervisningen? Hur upplever lärarna samarbetet med professionerna i skolan och vilken hjälp beskriver de att de får? Studien är relevant eftersom det finns behov av mer kunskap och svensk forskning som uppmärksammar samarbetet mellan lärare, speciallärare och specialpedagoger och hur de arbetar med anpassningar och inkludering så att alla elever ska kunna nå läroplanens mål. Studien är kvalitativ och empirin har samlats in genom semistrukturerande intervjuer med lärare, speciallärare och en specialpedagog. Jag använde mig av tematisk analys för att analysera intervjuerna. Resultatet visar att samarbetet mellan lärarna och professionerna bygger på tät kommunikation, gemensamma problemlösningar, att fördela resurserna rätt och att ge eleverna den trygghet de behöver både kunskapsmässigt och socialt. Det hinder som framkom var att tiden inte alltid fanns för att kunna samtala om enskilda elever. / The purpose of the study is to describe how the collaboration is perceived between teachers, special education teachers and special educational needs coordinators in their work to adapt and include teaching to each individual student. My questions that have formed the basis of my study are: How do teachers describe their collaboration with each other? How do teachers, special needs teachers and special educational needs coordinators describe that they collaborate around the adapted teaching? How do teachers perceive the cooperation with professionals in the school and what help do they describe that they receive? The study is relevant as there is a need for more knowledge and Swedish research that pays attention to the collaboration between teachers, special education teachers and special educational needs coordinators and how they work with adaptations and inclusion so that all students can achieve the curriculum goals. The study is qualitative and the empirical data has been collected through semi-structured interviews with teachers, special education teachers and one special educational needs coordinators. I used thematic analysis to analyze the interviews. The results show that the cooperation between the teachers and the professions is based on close communication, commonproblem solving, allocating resources correctly and giving the pupils the security they need both academically and socially. The obstacle that emerged was that there was not always time to discuss individual students.

Sammanfattning Syftet med studien är att undersöka förskollärares och specialpedagogers definitioner av inkluderingsbegreppet och deras arbetssätt för att skapa en miljö där alla barn får samma förutsättningar. Studien analyserades genom tematisk analys i relation till den sociala, didaktiska och rumsliga inkluderingen och det kompensatoriska, kritiska och dilemmaperspektivet. Datamaterialet samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med en kvalitativ metod. Resultaten visade att specialpedagoger och förskollärare beskrev inkludering som brett och komplext. De betonade vikten av att anpassa miljön och undervisningen för att främja inkluderingen i verksamheten. Genom att använda TAKK kunde pedagogerna stödja barn med särskilda behov i sitt lärande. Pedagogerna beskrev att inkludering innebär att lyssna på barns åsikter och att barns olikheter kan vara en resurs eller ett problem. Studiens slutsats var att begreppet inkludering är mångtydigt.   Nyckelord: Inkludering, miljö, undervisning, specialpedagogiska perspektiv / Abstract   The purpose of the study is to examine preschool teachers’ and special educators’ definitions of the concept of inclusion, and their working methods to creating an environment where all children have the same opportunities. The study was analyzed by using thematic analysis in relation to social, didactic and spatial inclusion, and to compensatory, critical and dilemma perspectives. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews using a qualitative method. The results showed that special educators and preschool teachers described inclusion as broad and complex. They emphasized the importance of adapting the environment and teaching to promote inclusion in the activities. By using TAKK, the educators were able to support children with special needs in their learning. The educators described that inclusion means listening to children’s opinions and viewing their differences as a resource or a problem. The study concluded that the concept of inclusion is multifaceted.     Keywords: inclusion, environment, teaching, adaptation, special educational perspectives.

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die wereldwye neiging in die onderwys wat bekend staan as lnsluiting is teweeggebring deur die reg van elke individu op onderrig, soos vasgele in die Universele Verklaring van Menseregte van 1948, tesame met die hernieude onderneming van die wereldgemeenskap' op die Wereldkonferensie oor Opvoeding vir Almal van 1990 om daardie reg, ten spyte van individuele • verskille, te verskans. Aile aanduidings is dat Suid-Afrika ook die beleid van lnsluiting sal aanvaar in die regering se pogings om die onderwys te hervorm. Hierdie beleid van lnsluiting hou groot implikasies in vir die onderwyser in, die gewone skole, aangesien hulle beida die voorwerp en die . agent is van sodanige hervorming. Daar word aanvaar dat die onderwyser se houding teenoor leerders in die algemeen 'n belangrike rol speel met betrekking tot die sukses van die onderrig- en leergebeure in die klaskamer. Hierdie houding word dikwels bepaal deur die · onderwyser se kennis van leerders in die klaskamer en sy vaardighede met betrekking tot hul onderrig. In die lig van die literatuurstudie, wat daarop dui dat onderwysers nie voldoende opleiding ontvang om aan die behoeftes van leerders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes te voldoen nie, word in hierdie navorsing die houding van die onderwyser in die gewone skool teenoor die leerders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes soos dit in die praktyk openbaar word bepaal. / The right of every individual to education, as enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the renewing of the pledge made by the world community at the 1990 World Conference on Education for All to ensure that right, regardless of individual differences, gave rise to the worldwide trend in education known as Inclusion. All indications are that South Africa will also adopt the policy of Inclusion as part of the government's efforts to reform education. The policy of Inclusion has major implications for the teachers in the ordinary school, as they are both the subjects and the agents of reform. It is generally believed that teachers' attitudes towards learners plays a major role ·in the success of the teaching-learning events in the classroom. These attitudes are often influenced by .. the teachers' knowledge of the learners in their classrooms and their skill in teaching them. In view of literature that suggests that teachers are not adequately trained to meet the needs of learners, with special Educational needs, this study undertakes to investigate the attitude of teachers in the ordinary school towards learners with special educational needs, as it manifests in practice. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Ortopedagogiek)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die wereldwye neiging in die onderwys wat bekend staan as lnsluiting is teweeggebring deur die reg van elke individu op onderrig, soos vasgele in die Universele Verklaring van Menseregte van 1948, tesame met die hernieude onderneming van die wereldgemeenskap' op die Wereldkonferensie oor Opvoeding vir Almal van 1990 om daardie reg, ten spyte van individuele • verskille, te verskans. Aile aanduidings is dat Suid-Afrika ook die beleid van lnsluiting sal aanvaar in die regering se pogings om die onderwys te hervorm. Hierdie beleid van lnsluiting hou groot implikasies in vir die onderwyser in, die gewone skole, aangesien hulle beida die voorwerp en die . agent is van sodanige hervorming. Daar word aanvaar dat die onderwyser se houding teenoor leerders in die algemeen 'n belangrike rol speel met betrekking tot die sukses van die onderrig- en leergebeure in die klaskamer. Hierdie houding word dikwels bepaal deur die · onderwyser se kennis van leerders in die klaskamer en sy vaardighede met betrekking tot hul onderrig. In die lig van die literatuurstudie, wat daarop dui dat onderwysers nie voldoende opleiding ontvang om aan die behoeftes van leerders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes te voldoen nie, word in hierdie navorsing die houding van die onderwyser in die gewone skool teenoor die leerders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes soos dit in die praktyk openbaar word bepaal. / The right of every individual to education, as enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the renewing of the pledge made by the world community at the 1990 World Conference on Education for All to ensure that right, regardless of individual differences, gave rise to the worldwide trend in education known as Inclusion. All indications are that South Africa will also adopt the policy of Inclusion as part of the government's efforts to reform education. The policy of Inclusion has major implications for the teachers in the ordinary school, as they are both the subjects and the agents of reform. It is generally believed that teachers' attitudes towards learners plays a major role ·in the success of the teaching-learning events in the classroom. These attitudes are often influenced by .. the teachers' knowledge of the learners in their classrooms and their skill in teaching them. In view of literature that suggests that teachers are not adequately trained to meet the needs of learners, with special Educational needs, this study undertakes to investigate the attitude of teachers in the ordinary school towards learners with special educational needs, as it manifests in practice. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Ortopedagogiek)

Syftet med denna studie är att synliggöra det interprofessionella samarbetet mellan specialllärare i matematikutveckling, specialpedagog och matematiklärare i relation till särskilda utbildningsbehov i matematik, SUM. Studien belyser samarbbetet genom begreppen interprofessionellt lärande, inkludering och tillgänglig lärmiljö. Som teoretiskt ramverk för studien har Engeströms (2001) aktivitetsteori använts. Tre verksamheter i två olika kommuner användes som studieobjekt. En kvalitativ forskningsansats valdes som metod för studien och datainsamlingen genomfördes med hjälp av fokusgruppsintervjuer samt observationer av samtal mellan matematiklärare, speciallärare i matematikutveckling och specialpedagog. Sammantaget framkommer att samarbete mellan professionerna förekommer i stor utsträckning. Dock sker samarbetet ofta mer genom information och enskilda lösningar där professionerna arbetar skilt från varandra än genom gemensam undervisning. Det upplevs mer effektivt att ta ut elever ensklit än att båda professionerna samarbetar i klassrummet samtidigt för att på så sätt lära av varandra och arbeta med en tillgänglig, inkluderande lärmiljö i relation till SUM. Samarabetet stannar på individnivå för såväl professionerna som eleven och utvecklar således varken professionerna eller den inkluderande lärmiljön i stort. / This study aims to identify interprofessional collaboration between special educational needs teachers in mathematics, special educational needs coordinators and mathematics teachers in relation to special educational needs in mathematsics. The stdy has focused on collaboration from the perspective of interprofessional learning, inclusion and an accessible learning enviroment. The research apporoach is qualitative and interviews in focus goups have been conducted as well as observations. The activity theory has functioned as the theoretical framwork through this study. Three public schools from two different municipalities were chosen for this study. The results show that collaboration between the different professions occurs frequently. However, the collaboration tends to relate more to presenting information or producing individual solutions where professins work side by side rather than together in the classroom. It is considered more efficient to extract students frpm ordinary education to provide extra support, than to collaborate within the classroom to develop the learning environment towards inclusion and learn from other professions in relation to special educational needs in mathematics. Thus, the collaboration remains on an individual level both professionally and for the students as opposed to generating new knowledge within the professions as well as an inclusive, learning environment.

This study sought to find out ways in which teachers can be supported to implement inclusive education at a primary school in the Kwaluseni district of Swaziland. The government of Swaziland introduced Free Primary Education ( F.P.E) also called mainstreaming. As per governments order, parents brought their learners for grade 1 and that was in 2010 January. That marked the beginning of the problem as teachers were not used to teaching disadvantaged learners in their classes but believed that such learners have to be transferred to specials schools of which the country only has four. The study is a case study using a qualitative approach. Purposive sampling was used in choosing the sample. The key informant were teachers from Kwaluseni primary school. For data collection a designed interview with semi structured and open ended items was used. Data was analysed using codes and there was a search for patterns of thinking or behaviour, words or phrases that appeared with regularity was the coding categories. A report was then written based on the findings. Then recommendations were stated. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur speciallärare i matematik ser på extra anpassningar och särskilt stöd i matematikundervisningen. Studien har en hermeneutisk ansats och semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med fyra speciallärare i matematik verksamma på F-6 och 7-9 skolor för att få en förståelse för hur speciallärare i matematik ser på de nya direktiven i skollagen kring stödinsatser.   Som analysverktyg har gällande skollag, Lgr 11 samt Skolverkets allmänna råd använts men även olika specialpedagogiska perspektiv. Resultatet i studien visar att tre av speciallärarna i matematik ser extra anpassningar som ett enklare mellansteg mellan elevens behov och särskilt stöd men att anpassningar inte upplevs som en ny företeelse bland lärarna. Däremot är det ingen av speciallärarna i matematik som upplever att arbetet med extra anpassningar har minskat den administrativa bördan.   I resultatet framgår även att speciallärarna i matematik inte upplever någon tydlig gräns mellan extra anpassningar och särskilt stöd utan det är insatsens karaktär som är avgörande. Resultatet visar också att omfattning, varaktighet och ingripande karaktär är viktiga parametrar i definitionen av särskilt stöd. I studien kan också olika specialpedagogiska perspektiv urskiljas vars betydelse framträder i speciallärarnas beskrivningarna av konsekvenserna för såväl skolans arbete som i förhållningssättet till elever i behov av stöd.   För att de nya bestämmelserna kring stödinsatser ska få önskad effekt är det av betydelse att speciallärare i matematik har den kompetens som krävs för att bedöma och tolka extra anpassningar och särskilt stöd i syfte att kunna vägleda matematiklärare i arbetet mot att elever ska nå målen för utbildningen. / The aim of this study is to investigate special adjustments and special support in the mathematics education from a special education teacher in mathematics perspective. The study has a hermeneutical approach. Accordingly, semi-structured interviews with four special education teachers in mathematics from grade F-6 and grade 7-9 has been used to gain an understanding of how special education teachers in mathematics view the new directives in the school law regarding support measures.  The analytical tools that has been used are the Swedish School Law, the curriculum (Lgr 11) , general advice from the Ministry of Education and perspectives on special education. The result of the study shows that three of the special education teachers in mathematics see the special adjustments as a path between the students’ needs and special support but the teachers doesn´t regard it as anything new. However, none of the special education teachers in mathematics notice any decrease in administrative burden in the work of special adjustments. Also noticeable from the results, is that the special education teachers in mathematics experience make no difference between the special adjustments and special support. Rather, it was the character of the special educational support that was definitive. The result also shows that the width, length and level of involvement are important indicators when measuring special support. In the study different perspective on special education can be noticed in the special education teachers in mathematics descriptions of the consequences for both the school's work as in the approach to students in need of support. So, if the new laws regarding special educational support will have the desired effect, it is necessary that the special education teachers in mathematics have the required level of competence to interpret what special adjustments and special support is and being able to guide teacher in mathematics to be able to guide students to achive the educational goals.