To gain a deeper understanding of English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) teachers’ knowledge, thoughts, and beliefs about written feedback (WF), this thesis explored four Swedish upper secondary school EFL teachers’ cognitions about WF, the sources of their cognitions about WF, and ways in which their cognitions about WF are reflected in their actual feedback practices. To carry out this exploratory investigation, the study made use of semi-structured interviews, sample student texts with teacher WF, and stimulated recall interviews. Using thematic analysis, the findings revealed five main themes of cognitions about WF: WF as a tool based on student needs, basis for discussion, precise error, progression tracker, and self-sufficiency. The findings also show that the three main sources of cognitions about WF were receiving WF, practicum & teacher education, and learning by doing. An implication of this study is that EFL teachers need to give different types of WF depending on the learner.

According to the Swedish school law, pupils should have the possibility to influence their education – both in learning methods and content. However many teachers find it hard to operationalize the pupils’ influence in their teaching. The motive for this study was therefore to explore how pupils’ influence can be incorporated in education in relation to subject traditions, here exemplified in the discipline of biology. The data was analysed from a sociocultural perspective by using a model of the didactical triangle for natural sciences. Inclusive methods for pupils’ influence in biology was also used as an analytical tool. The analysed material was derived from interviews with nine pupils and five teachers and was categorized using an abductive thematic method. The results demonstrate that pupils’ influence was strongly expressed in the relationship between the pupils and their teachers. However, in the relationship between the pupils and the biology content it was considerably less expressed. Teaching traditions in biology are often textbook oriented and tend to affect the teacher’s possibilities for allowing pupils’ influence. Methods for pupils’ influence in biology can include more diversified and interactive teaching practises. Using modelleling is another possibility which liberate the biology content and provides examples for influencing biology education.

Drygt 20 år sedan återinfördes teknikprogrammet på den svenska gymnasieskolan. Programmet har fem olika inriktningar, gemensamt för alla dessa är ämnet teknik. Ämnet består av tre kurser, varav en är obligatorisk på teknikprogrammet. I Skolverkets examensmål för teknikprogrammet framgår att teori och praktisk tillämpning ska samverka i undervisningen. I den här uppsatsen undersöks vilka kunskaper som kan vara lämpliga att lära ut just vid praktiskt arbete i ämnet teknik och hur de tillgängliga läromedlen i ämnet hanterar förmedling av kunskap genom praktiskt arbete. För den svenska gymnasieskolans ämne teknik finns det tre olika läromedel på marknaden, en helt digital och två böcker. Genom en läromedelsanalys undersöks hur dessa läromedel förhåller sig till Skolverkets anvisningar om praktiska inslag i undervisning. För att komplettera läromedelsanalysen utförs även en undersökning med frågor i en enkät till elever på ett teknikgymnasieprogram. Frågor till eleverna har fokus på praktiska moment. Analysen utförs med ett teoretiskt ramverk där teknisk kunskap delas in i fyra kategorier, tyst kunskap, praktisk regelkunskap, teknikvetenskap och tillämpad naturvetenskap. Skolverket skriver i examensmålen för teknikprogrammet att teori och praktik ska samverka i elevernas utbildning. Men det centrala innehållet och betygskriterierna ger ingen ledning till lärarna i frågan om vilka delar av kurserna som är lämpliga att lära ut praktiskt. En lärare som utgår från de läromedel som finns tillgängliga får ingen ledning i vilken typ av teknisk kunskap som kan förmedlas praktiskt. / Just over 20 years ago, the technology program was reintroduced at the Swedish upper secondary school. The program has five different orientations, common to all of these is the subject of technology. The subject consists of three courses, one of which is compulsory on the technology programme. In the Swedish National Agency for Education's curriculum for the subject of technology, it is stated that students must be given the opportunity for technical development by working, among other things, practical. In this essay, it is investigated which knowledge may be appropriate to teach during practical work in the subject of technology and how the available teaching aids in the subject handle the transmission of knowledge through practical work.For the Swedish upper secondary school subject technology, there are three different teaching aids on the market, one completely digital and two books. A learning materials analysis examines how these teaching aids relate to the Swedish National Agency for Education's instructions on practical elements in teaching. To supplement the learning materials analysis, a questionnaire study is also carried out where students on the technology program can answer questions in connection with practical teaching.The analysis is carried out with a theoretical framework where technical knowledge is divided into four categories, tacit knowledge, practical rules knowledge, technological science and applied science.The Swedish National Agency for Education writes in the exam objectives for the technology program that theory and practice must work together in the students' education. However, the central content and grading criteria do not give teachers any guidance on the question of which parts of the courses are suitable for practical teaching.A teacher who looks in the teaching materials that are available gets no guidance in what kind of technical knowledge can be taught practically.

This study explores how upper secondary school English teachers in Sweden view English pronunciation in the classroom, particularly in the context of English as a global language and the native speaker ideal. The results are analysed from a sociocultural perspective, highlighting contextual and cultural aspects of pronunciation teaching. Despite its importance for effective communication in a global context, the current English syllabi provide limited directives on teaching the productive skill of pronunciation. The study is based on eight semi-structured interviews with Swedish upper secondary school English teachers. Three research questions were formulated and addressed in the results section concerning the teachers’ perspectives on English pronunciation, their methods and strategies, and attitudes toward language varieties and the native speaker ideal. Furthermore, thematic analysis was utilised to identify themes that corresponded to the aim of the study. The findings indicate that pronunciation is primarily addressed alongside receptive skills, and the teachers prioritise communicative ability over adherence to a specific pronunciation norm. Teachers’ emphasis on pronunciation varies according to their pupils’ needs. While the teachers recognise the importance of exposing pupils to diverse English varieties, 60% give inner-circle forms as examples. Furthermore, the teachers perceive that pupils often aspire to sound native, yet the teachers accept different English varieties in the classroom. The study discusses the use of a Swedish variety of English as both an opportunity and a challenge. Moreover, various teaching strategies are reported, with reading aloud being employed by half of the teachers and a phonetic approach by two. The findings suggest that pronunciation teaching is a context-sensitive practice influenced by ongoing negotiations between teachers and pupils in the specific classroom.

Uppsatsen syftade till att undersöka skolpolitiken som låg till grund för Lgy 70 och Lpf 94. Specifikt fokus låg på att i utredningsmaterialet undersöka politikens styrande effekter genom att utifrån argumenten blottlägga dess människo- och kunskapssyn. Metoden som har använts var Carol Lee Bacchis What’s the problem represented to be?-approach. I uppsatsen har en analys av diskursen genomförts på det material som ligger till grund för de nämnda läroplanerna. Undersökningen har funnit att den övergripande problemtiken gällande gymnasieskolorna var att gymnasiet framställdes som omodernt och icke-anpassningsbart till samhället. Dock var det en specifik grupp elever som utgjorde problemet och som skolan var tvungen att anpassas till. Gruppen varierade mellan de olika tidsperioderna, men innefattade dem som inte klarade av skolan i dess dåvarande form. Lösningarna på den av utredningarna antagna problematiken riktades oftast mot den här gruppen och medförde att elevernas valfrihet ökades. Denna valfrihet var dock en strategi som staten använde för att styra in eleverna mot en av staten sedd ”rätt” utbildning. Den underliggande människo- och kunskapssynen i samtliga utredningar var behavioristisk. Utredningarna antog att ungdomarna till stor del påverkades av sin bakgrund och sociala klass i valet av utbildning. Slutsatser som dras är att gymnasieskolan anpassas för arbetsmarknadens behov. Utbildning anses göra ungdomarna mer kvalificerade för yrkesverksamhet. För dem som inte klarar av detta måste skolan anpassas. Således reformerades gymnasieskolan efter de lågpresterande eleverna. / The purpose of this paper was to examine the Swedish school policies that formed the basis for the curriculums Lgy 70 and Lpf 94. Specific focus was on finding the governing effects in the exanimated material by extracting its view on humans and knowledge. The method used was Carol Lee Bacchi’s What’s the problem represented to be?-approach. With this method authors conducted an analysis of the discourse in the material. The investigation of the material found that the overall problem concerning the Upper secondary school was their portrayal as outdated and non-adaptive to the society of that time. However, a group of students were represented to be the problem to which the school needed to adapt. The content of the group differed between the two time-periods (the 1960s and the 1990s), but the group included those who were not capable of managing the school of that time. The solutions to the, by the investigations assumed problem, were directed towards this group of student and resulted in an increased freedom of choice for them. This freedom of choice was however a control strategy used by the government to direct student towards a, by the government considered, “proper” education. The underlying view of humans and knowledge was a behavioural one. The exanimated investigations assumed that young people were largely influenced by their background and social class in their choice of education. In conclusion the Swedish upper secondary school were adapted to the demands of the labour market. Education was considered to make the students more qualified for their future life as workers. The school needed to adapt to those who were not capable of this.

När lärare undervisar utgår de från en ämnesplan som innehåller information om de delar en kurs omfattar. Lärare tar ofta hjälp av olika läroböcker för att genomföra sin undervisning. Mellan åren 1938 och 1991 granskades läroböcker statligt innan de kom ut på marknaden. Efter 1991 sker granskning inte längre statligt utan det är upp till varje lärare att avgöra om en lärobok passar till undervisningen. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur presentationen av texttyper från ämnesplanerna för svenska 1, svenska 2 och svenska 3 i tre serier med tryckta läroböcker överensstämmer med ämnesplanerna. Utgångspunkten är texttyperna argumenterande text, utredande text och text av vetenskaplig karaktär. De läroböcker som undersöks är serierna Svenska helt enkelt och Svenska impulser samt läroboken Människans texter. Språket. Studiens metod är en kvalitativ innehållsanalys som undersöker hur läroböckerna explicit och implicit presenterar innehållet från ämnesplanerna. Resultatet visar att serien Svenska helt enkelt behandlar allt utvalt innehåll från ämnesplanerna medan serien Svenska impulser och läroboken Människans texter. Språket inte behandlar allt utvalt innehåll. Studien kommer fram till att läroboken kan användas som ett stöd i undervisningen men inte som enskilt underlag då det kan finnas innehåll från ämnesplanerna som inte behandlas i läroboken. / The practice of teaching usually starts with the syllabus which contains information about the content that should be taught in a course. Teachers often use textbooks in order to fulfill the course. Between the years 1938 and 1991 textbooks were reviewed by the Swedish government before entering the market. After 1991 reviewing textbooks is done by the teachers and they decide if the book fits their way of teaching. The purpose of this study is to analyze how the presentations of different genres of text in different textbooks correspond with the syllabus. The genres in focus are argumentative text, investigative text and academic text. The textbooks that are being reviewed are the series Svenska helt enkelt and Svenska impulser as well as the textbook Människans texter. Språket. The method used is a qualitative text analysis that analyzes how the selected textbooks explicitly and implicitly present the content from the syllabus. The results of the analysis show that the series Svenska helt enkelt treat all content from the syllabus while the series Svenska impulser and Människans texter. Språket does not treat all content. The conclusion is that textbooks can be used as support for teaching a course but they cannot be used as base for the course since there might be content from the syllabus that is not treated by the textbook.

Reading and writing difficulties and dyslexia affect how a student performs at school and, thus, their future lives (Borodkin & Faust 2014). This has been known and researched for the past decades (Fletcher 2009). Considerable studies have been carried out regarding dyslexia and first language acquisition, though dyslexia in second language is comparatively underrepresented. This underrepresentation, in turn, means that dyslexia and second language is less researched, and consequently, less known. This is problematic as there is then less knowledge on how to help students with dyslexia in a second language. This case study investigates how an upper secondary school in Sweden works with defining and diagnosing dyslexia, and which provisions students with dyslexia receive. To answer these questions the Head teacher, Special Needs Education teacher, English teachers and a dyslexia test analyst have been interviewed. The results showed that dyslexia is described differently by the people interviewed, it is diagnosed with a software called LOGOS and the provision depends on the student having (or not having) a diagnosis. The conclusion is that English teachers and special needs teachers must work closer together. It is therefore suggested that cooperation between the teachers and special needs department should put each student in the centre and develop methods and strategies based on the individual student. It is hypothesised that the school has many unidentified students with dyslexia and in those cases additional adjustments in the classroom are vital. This would allow the student a better chance of performing according to their abilities in school and thus expanding the limits of their world ensuring they become fulfilled, employed democratic citizens.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a useful tool in education, with the potential to enhance teaching through the use of digital learning environments (DLEs) such as intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs). This thesis investigates the development and evaluation of an AI-assisted web-based platform for pure question-based learning (pQBL) in upper secondary school mathematics. The study aims to assess the prototype's effects compared to traditional classroom instruction and the quality of AI-generated multiple-choice questions (MCQs) using OpenAI’s GPT-4. To do this, the following research questions were formulated: (1) How can an AI-assisted platform for pQBL be designed and implemented? (2) To what extent do GPT-4 generated MCQs meet quality criteria? (3) How do learning outcomes compare between students using AI-assisted pQBL materials and those receiving traditional instruction? The study utilized principles of Question Construction and Prompt Engineering, ensuring AI-generated MCQs adhered to predefined quality standards. Human evaluation by a Teacher Quality Control panel refined and validated the generated MCQs. The effectiveness of the developed prototype was tested using a pretest/posttest design where score changes were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests. The findings indicate that generating high-quality MCQs remains a challenge. Human evaluation is essential to ensure educational efficacy, as only a fraction of the AI-generated MCQs met quality standards. User testing revealed comparable learning outcomes between the pQBL and control groups, with statistically significant results, though limitations in the pretest/posttest design may have influenced these findings. This research highlights the potential and limitations of AI in education, suggesting the need for further studies on AI-assisted tools, including exploring other language models and conducting longitudinal assessments to optimize learning outcomes. / AI utgör en viktig resurs inom utbildning och har potential att förbättra undervisningen genom digitala lärmiljöer (DLE), såsom intelligenta handledningssystem (ITS). Detta examensarbete undersöker utvecklingen och utvärderingen av en AI-stödd webbaserad plattform för rent frågebaserat lärande (pQBL) i matematik på gymnasiet. Studien syftar till att bedöma plattformens effektivitet jämfört med traditionell klassrumsundervisning och att utvärdera kvaliteten på flervalsfrågor som genereras av OpenAI:s GPT-4. För att uppnå detta formulerades följande forskningsfrågor: (1) Hur kan en AI-stödd plattform för pQBL designas och implementeras? (2) I vilken utsträckning uppfyller GPT-4- genererade flervalsfrågor fördefinierade kvalitetskriterier? (3) Hur skiljer sig inlärningsresultaten mellan elever som använder AI-stött pQBL-material och de som får traditionell klassrumsundervisning? Studien tillämpade principer för fråge- och promptkonstruktion för att säkerställa att de AI-genererade flervalsfrågorna följde fördefinierade kvalitetsstandarder. En panel av lärare genomförde mänsklig utvärdering för att förbättra och validera de genererade flervalsfrågorna. Effekten av den utvecklade prototypen testades genom en förtest/eftertest-design där poängförändringen analyserades genom parvisa t-tester. Resultaten indikerar att det finns utmaningar i att generera högkvalitativa flervalsfrågor. Mänsklig utvärdering är nödvändig för att säkerställa kvaliteten hos de AI-genererade flervalsfrågornas eftersom endast en mindre del av dem uppfyllde kvalitetskraven. Användartester visade jämförbara inlärningsresultat mellan pQBL-gruppen och kontrollgruppen med statistiskt signifikanta resultat även om begränsningar i förtest/eftertest-designen kan ha påverkat dessa resultat. Denna forskning belyser AI:s potential och begränsningar inom utbildning och föreslår behovet av ytterligare studier kring AI-drivna verktyg, inklusive undersökning av andra språkmodeller och genomförande av longitudinella studier för att optimera inlärningsresultaten.

The aim of this study is to investigate Swedish upper secondary school teachers’ statements regarding reading and teaching choices in the English courses. The methods used were a survey in the form of a qualitative questionnaire, and a qualitative content analysis which was then applied to the survey data gathered. Reception theory and literary socialization theory were applied to the results. The four main research questions were: 1. What English literature do teachers in Swedish college preparatory programs choose for their students? 2. What English literature do teachers in Swedish vocational programs choose for their students? 3. What aspects of reception theory and literary socialization theory correspond to the teachers’ questionnaire answers regarding what skills they wish their students to acquire from reading English literature? 4. What are teachers’ attitudes towards students reading books of cultural, historical, and literary significance? The results concluded that there was no significant difference in the types of books chosen for the two programs. The college preparatory programs read a little more classical fiction, but the vocational courses did not lag far behind. When it came to the theories, a majority of teachers mentioned aspects brought up within literary socialization theory, while reception theory was barely touched upon. Books of literary, cultural, and historical significance were expected to be read in both the college preparatory and vocational programs. However, students in the college preparatory programs were expected to read these books slightly more than students in the vocational programs. One suggestion for future research is to examine the number of books teachers read within or outside of their preferred genre and how choice of genre may affect their literacy teaching in the classroom. / Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka svenska gymnasielärares läs- och undervisningsval i engelskundervisningen. Metoderna som användes var en enkätundersökning i form av ett kvalitativt frågeformulär och en kvalitativ innehållsanalys som sedan tillämpades på den insamlade enkätdatan. Receptionsteori och litterär socialisationsteori tillämpades på resultatet. De fyra huvudsakliga forskningsfrågorna var: 1. Vilken engelsk litteratur väljer lärare för elever på svenska högskoleförberedande program? 2. Vilken engelsk litteratur väljer lärare för elever på svenska yrkesprogram? 3. Vilka aspekter av receptionsteorin och litterär socialisationsteori stämmer överens med lärarnas enkätsvar om vilka färdigheter de önskar att deras elever ska förvärva genom att läsa engelsk litteratur? 4. Vilka är lärarnas attityder till att eleverna läser böcker av kulturell, historisk och litterär betydelse? Genom resultaten drogs slutsatsen att det inte fanns någon större skillnad i de typer av böcker som valdes för högskoleförberedande gentemot yrkesprogram. De högskoleförberedande programmen läste i ringa mängd mer klassisk skönlitteratur, men yrkesprogrammen hamnade inte långt efter. När det gällde teorierna nämnde majoriteten av lärarna aspekter som togs upp inom den litterära socialisationsteorin, medan aspekter inom receptionsteorin knappt berördes.Böcker av litterär, kulturell och historisk betydelse förväntades bli lästa i både de högskoleförberedande programmen och yrkesprogrammen. De högskoleförberedande programmen förväntades dock läsa dessa böcker i något större utsträckning än yrkesprogrammen. Ett förslag till framtida forskning är att undersöka hur många böcker lärare läser inom eller utanför den genre de föredrar och hur vald genreläsning kan påverka deras läs- och skrivundervisning (litteracitet) i klassrummet.

As the digital age takes root, more and more students use the internet to acquire information for their studies. Common sources in Sweden are online encyclopedias like Wikipedia, SO-rummet and Nationalencyklopedin (NE). Seeing as these online encyclopedias can fill the role of teaching aids it is prudent to examine their contents to evaluate if they hold up to the standards established by the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket). Focusing on the subject “religion” and the topic “Judaism”, this study evaluates the contents and framing used in the main articles about Judaism from both Swedish and English versions of the collaborative encyclopedia Wikipedia as well as the Swedish sources NE which is state sponsored and the commercial actor SO-rummet. Additionally this paper discusses how these sources compare with the central contents of the course Religionsvetenskap 1 (Religious Studies 1) for Swedish upper secondary school. The results show that the articles from NE and Swedish Wikipedia mostly state facts without elaborating and are more likely to give the reader a homogeneous picture of Judaism. SO-rummet is the most beginner friendly source while English Wikipedia is the most nuanced but perhaps most difficult source for students to comprehend. Generally, the sources fail to portray diversity within the tradition, with the exception being English Wikipedia. The sources that compare the best with the central contents for Religionsvetenskap 1 were in the following in descending order: English Wikipedia, SO-rummet, Swedish Wikipedia and lastly NE. This is problematic because previous studies show that students have greater faith in NE than they do in Wikipedia. It is worth keeping in mind however, that students are likely to use more than one source, especially if it is a group assignment. It is up to the teacher to recommend good sources, fill in the blanks and to guide the students with their own teaching.