This study examined the relationship between beliefs found using the Integrated Mathematics and Pedagogy (IMAP) project beliefs survey and the beliefs found in math stories of eight novice (less than two years teaching) elementary school teachers. The stories were coded for the same beliefs used in the IMAP survey. As in the IMAP survey, the strength of evidence of the belief was assigned numerical values, zero through three, indicating virtually no evidence to very strong evidence respectively. Results showed that specific beliefs could be found in math stories, yet not always at the same level of strength as the IMAP survey. This indicates that each conveys differing views on the teachers' beliefs, and thus provides more detailed pictures of the teachers' beliefs. The details include a sense of the trajectory of development of teachers' beliefs from student to teacher that the IMAP survey does not. The math stories also provide evidence of the role of emotion in the formation and entrenchment of beliefs. / text

I used a sociocultural perspective (Vygotsky, 1978) to examine teachers’ epistemological and efficacy beliefs about the teaching and learning of mathematics with multilingual students. Specifically, I use the work of Negueruela-Azarola (2011) who suggests that teachers’ beliefs are conceptualizing tools for thinking about activity. Beliefs, which are social and dynamic, arise from teachers’ lived experiences. What teachers believe is relevant because beliefs inform pedagogical practices and once established are hard to change (Brownlee, Boulton-Lewis & Purdie, 2002; Cross, 2009; Pajares, 1992). Established beliefs with regards to mathematics hold that it is the easiest subject for multilingual students since there is little language involved. On the other hand, established beliefs are that increased English vocabulary is mainly what students need to be successful in mathematics. Barwell (2009) and Moschkovich (2002), using sociocultural perspectives, argue that language is important in mathematics and that multilingual students can participate in mathematical discussions when using resources such as their own mathematical knowledge, objects, and codeswitching. I interviewed five teachers who had experience teaching mathematics to students whose first language was other than English. I found that some teachers had beliefs which contrasted with the philosophies of their training institutions and with their schools. Teachers were found to hold contradictory beliefs. The study showed the importance of terminology in that how teachers referred to their multilingual students reflected their beliefs. Multilingual students were welcomed in the classroom for their contribution to cultural diversity but teachers acknowledged increased workload, and periods of frustration when supporting their multilingual students in mathematics.

Abstract The current stage of early years information and communication technology (ICT) integration research has been criticized for not paying enough attention to the unique pedagogical features of early childhood education. Similarly, children’s views about educational use of ICT have been underrepresented in research. This dissertation study contributes to resolving these gaps in the literature by exploring children’s ideas and preservice teachers’ beliefs regarding the role of ICT in early childhood education. The study consists of two data sets that are reported in three empirical articles. The first study focused on children’s ideas and their contextual roots. The second study explored preservice teachers’ beliefs about children and ICT at home. The third study investigated preservice teachers’ perceptions of ICT integration through the frames of teaching, education, and care, referred to as the EDUCARE approach. In this compilation, the findings of the empirical studies are scrutinized through the analytical device of third space theory. The findings suggest that there is a dissonance between the meanings children and preservice teachers give to ICT use. Children conceptualized ICT use as a leisure activity whereas preservice teachers approached ICT mainly through learning. The findings also imply that although EDUCARE has been described as a holistic framework in the context of ICT integration, the framework acts as a disintegrating vehicle: When ICT integration was approached from the perspective of teaching, the views were mainly positive. When the perspective was changed to care, the views were profoundly negative. Care-related concerns were associated with preservice teachers’ beliefs about children’s use of ICT at home being extensive and unregulated. Another exaggerated belief was considering children born-competent ICT users. The results of this study have several implications for early childhood education, as well as preservice teacher education. To make ICT pedagogy truly meaningful for children, ICT should be approached as a cultural form, and space should be given for children’s views, values, and experiences. Additionally, educational technology courses need to pay more attention to aspects of care, as well as to preservice teachers’ often unrealistic beliefs about children and technology. / Tiivistelmä Varhaiskasvatuksen kontekstissa tehty teknologiaintegraatiotutkimus ei ole huomioinut riittävästi varhaiskasvatuksen pedagogisia erityispiirteitä. Myös lasten näkemykset ovat jääneet vähälle huomiolle. Tutkimukseni vastaa tähän tarpeeseen selvittämällä lasten ideoita ja lastentarhanopettajaopiskelijoiden uskomuksia tieto- ja viestintäteknologian roolista varhaiskasvatuksessa. Tutkimusta varten kerättiin kaksi aineistoa ja tulokset on raportoitu kolmessa artikkelissa. Ensimmäinen osatutkimus keskittyi lasten ideoihin ja niiden mediakulttuurisiin juuriin. Toisessa osatutkimuksessa selvitettiin opettajaopiskelijoiden uskomuksia siitä, miten lapset käyttävät tieto- ja viestintäteknologiaa kotona. Kolmannen osatutkimuksen kohteena oli opetuksen, kasvatuksen ja hoidon kehysten (EDUCARE-malli) roolit ja merkitykset opettajaopiskelijoiden teknologiaintegraatiokäsityksissä. Yhteenveto-osiossa tuloksia tarkastellaan kolmannen tilan teorian kautta. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat, että lasten ja opettajaopiskelijoiden tieto- ja viestintäteknologialle antavat merkitykset eroavat toisistaan. Lapset suhtautuvat tieto- ja viestintäteknologian käyttöön viihteenä, mutta opettajaopiskelijat käsitteellistävät sen oppimisen ja opettamisen välineenä. Tulokset osoittavat myös, että vaikka EDUCARE-malli kuvataan eheyttävänä viitekehyksenä, teknologiaintegraation tapauksessa sillä on myös hajottava ulottuvuus. Kun teknologiaintegraatiota tarkasteltiin opetuskehyksen kautta, näkemykset olivat myönteisiä. Kun näkökulma vaihtui hoitopainotteiseksi, näkemykset muuttuivat huomattavan kielteisiksi. Hoitokehyksen kautta tuotetut huolet kumpusivat uskomuksista, että lapset käyttävät liikaa tieto- ja viestintäteknologiaa kotona. Toinen yleinen uskomus oli, että lapset ovat syntyjään taitavia tieto- ja viestintäteknologian käyttäjiä. Tutkimuksen tulokset ovat merkityksellisiä sekä varhaiskasvatuksen pedagogiikan että opettajankoulutuksen kannalta. Jotta tieto-ja viestintäteknologiaa hyödyntävä pedagoginen toiminta on lapsille merkityksellistä, tulee tieto- ja viestintäteknologiaa käsitellä (media)kulttuurisena ilmiönä ja toiminnassa tulee olla tilaa lasten näkemyksille ja kokemuksille. Opettajankoulutuksessa tulee kiinnittää huomiota hoitokehyksen huomioimiseen sekä opettajaopiskelijoiden usein epärealistisiin uskomuksiin lapsista ja teknologiasta.

I used a sociocultural perspective (Vygotsky, 1978) to examine teachers’ epistemological and efficacy beliefs about the teaching and learning of mathematics with multilingual students. Specifically, I use the work of Negueruela-Azarola (2011) who suggests that teachers’ beliefs are conceptualizing tools for thinking about activity. Beliefs, which are social and dynamic, arise from teachers’ lived experiences. What teachers believe is relevant because beliefs inform pedagogical practices and once established are hard to change (Brownlee, Boulton-Lewis & Purdie, 2002; Cross, 2009; Pajares, 1992). Established beliefs with regards to mathematics hold that it is the easiest subject for multilingual students since there is little language involved. On the other hand, established beliefs are that increased English vocabulary is mainly what students need to be successful in mathematics. Barwell (2009) and Moschkovich (2002), using sociocultural perspectives, argue that language is important in mathematics and that multilingual students can participate in mathematical discussions when using resources such as their own mathematical knowledge, objects, and codeswitching. I interviewed five teachers who had experience teaching mathematics to students whose first language was other than English. I found that some teachers had beliefs which contrasted with the philosophies of their training institutions and with their schools. Teachers were found to hold contradictory beliefs. The study showed the importance of terminology in that how teachers referred to their multilingual students reflected their beliefs. Multilingual students were welcomed in the classroom for their contribution to cultural diversity but teachers acknowledged increased workload, and periods of frustration when supporting their multilingual students in mathematics.

The aim of this study is to contribute with knowledge from a close teachers’ perspective on how teachers' considerations and choice of digital artefactsfor teaching are related to didactic beliefs that are shaped and changed over time in teacher's professional life. A thematic life history approach is used in combination with a socio-cultural perspective and didactic starting points. Life story interviews with six high school teachers from three Swe-dish schools constitute the empirical material that results in individual life history constructions about digitalization. The participating teachers have what is referred to as digital didactics, which focus on the teachers' competence to make didactic considerations and the choice of digital artefacts according to the needs that exist according to the target group for the teaching, subject content and surrounding envi-ronmental and time aspects. The findings of the study indicate that teachers have prominent didactic beliefs that are the hub for consideration and choice of digital resources. These can be understood as individual but also in a larger collective context. Teachers’ didactic beliefs are motivated by three dimensions, which are the teachers' subject matter, the desire to help the students and the personal satisfaction. The cognitive, historical and physical contexts are constantly changing due to the rapid development of digitalization and the didactic choices have been expanded with more opportunities but also greater chal-lenges. Didactic choices of digital artefacts can be divided into general-di-dactic choices, subject- and program-didactic choices and choices linked to didactic beliefs and experience. The contribution of this study is that teachers' digital didactics is based on teacher's didactic beliefs, which are formed in a historical, cultural and social context that influences the didactic present and the future. A school with digital artefacts is part of an ever-available global digital arena. The study contributes with a new model of an extended didactic triangle that visualizes teachers’ digital didactics where the teacher and the didactic belief are prominent.

Det står ingenstans i styrdokumenten att skolan ska vara rolig och att det är det undervisningen ska fokusera på. Men det är oftast mer intressant för elever att lära om undervisningen är rolig. Ämnesintegrerat arbete beskrivs i den här kunskapsöversiktens artiklar som ett roligt sätt både att undervisa på och att ta in nya kunskaper. Vidare står det i Läroplanen för grundskolan, förskoleklassen och fritidshemmet (Lgr11) (Skolverket 2011, rev. 2019, s. 8) att ”alla som arbetar i skolan ska organisera och genomföra arbetet så att eleven får möjlighet att arbeta ämnesövergripande.” Kunskapsöversiktens syfte är att undersöka lärares tankar kring ämnesintegrerat arbetssätt. Det här syftet mynnade ut i frågeställningen ”Vad är grundskollärares inställningar till ämnesintegrerat arbete?”. Inställningar syftar till lärarnas åsikter, känslor och attityder till att arbeta ämnesintegrerat. Efter att vi identifierat kunskapsöversiktens syfte kunde vi ta fram nyckelord med hjälp av syftet. Nyckelord nummer ett var ämnesintegrering och vi försökte sedan finna synonymer och begrepp på engelska. Anledningen till att vi ville finna synonymer var för att bredda vår möjlighet till urval av sökresultat. Ämnesintegrering kan benämnas som exempelvis ämnesövergripande vilket det gör i Lgr11 (Skolverket 2011, rev. 2019). Nyckelorden sökte vi på i databaser och de artiklar vi fick fram läste vi titeln på. I de artiklar vars titlar som var relevanta till syftet läste vi sedan abstract. Ansåg vi fortfarande att artikeln besvarade syftet läste vi igenom hela artikel. Resultatet visade att majoriteten av lärarna ansåg att den främsta anledningen till att arbeta ämnesintegrerat är den vinst som det ger eleverna. Eleverna får ett meningsfullt lärande genom att de får ett helhetsperspektiv på området och kan göra vardagsanknytningar till sitt liv utanför skolan. Vi kunde också finna att lärarna hade två olika sätt att se på begreppet ämnesintegrerat arbetsätt. Det ena sättet var att arbeta integrerat med närbesläktade ämnen och det andra vara att integrera två eller flera av skolans ämnen som inte var närbesläktade, som exempelvis matematik och musik.

With the intention to contribute to research in computer programming education the thesis depicts the mind-set of teachers and their beliefs in relation to the early enactment of the informatics curriculum in Swedish upper secondary school. Two perspectives are covered in the thesis. Based on original documents and interviews with curriculum developers, the enactment of the informatics/programming curriculum during the 1970s and 1980s is explored (Paper 1). This historical perspective is supplemented with a perspective from the present day where current teaching practice is explored through teachers’ statements (seminars with associated questionnaires) regarding their beliefs about teaching and learning programming (Paper 2). The historical data reveals that experimental work within the informatics curriculum was initiated in the mid-1970s. In the early stages of the curriculum development process a contemporary post gymnasium programme in computing was used as a blueprint. The curriculum relied on programming as well as system development, wherefore a question of importance was raised early in the process; should the subject matter of informatics, be taught by ‘regular’ Natural Sciences and Mathematics teachers or by contemporary vocational education teachers in ADP? The question was initially solved using stereotypical examples of how to apply system development, which was later suggested as a replacement for programming activities. The initial incitement to offer informatics education during the 1970s was discovered in the recruitment of a broader group of students within the Natural Science Programme and the perception that it would contribute to the development of students’ ability to think logically and problem solving skills. The thesis unravels an instructional dependence among today’s teachers where students’ logical and analytical abilities (even before the courses start) are considered crucial to students’ learning, while teachers question the importance of their pedagogy. Teachers in the study commonly express the belief that their instructions hardly matter to the students’ learning. Instead these teachers perceive learning programming as an individual act. The inquiry also discover two types of instruction; a large group putting emphasis on the syntax of programming languages, and a smaller group putting emphasis on the students’ experiences of learning concepts of computer science (not necessarily to do with syntax), which corresponds with the existence of two groups of teachers during the 1980s; the partisans who perceived learning as based on repeating sequences in a behaviouristic manner, and defenders who perceived learning as based on discovery and self-teaching. In summary the inquiry depicts an instructional tradition based on teachers’ beliefs where the historical development of the subject sets the framework for the teaching. Directly and indirectly the historical development and related traditions govern what programming teachers in upper secondary school will/are able to present to their students. / <p>QC 20121129</p>

The National Curriculum in Sweden states that students should be given the opportunity todevelop understanding of digital tools. However, based on previous international research onthe subject, teachers rarely find that they have enough digital competence and knowledge ofthe tools to implement them properly in their teaching practises. This study aims atdiscovering what active teachers’ experiences are with Computer Assisted LanguageLearning (CALL) and how well they implement it in Sweden. This paper provides anoverview of the previous research done on teachers’ beliefs and their tendencies to implementCALL. Directly accessed primary data was collected through a survey and semi-structuredinterviews with five teachers in years K-6. Analysis of this data showed that teachers doimplement CALL on a regular basis, however, some of them find it difficult to utilize fully. Itwas also found that the age of the teachers might play a part in how well they understand the CALL software. Furthermore, after analysing the policy documents from Skolverket, it wasfound that teachers in general feel they lack the necessary digital competence to teach digitalcompetence to their students. The main conclusions of this study are thus that (i) teachersimplement CALL on a regular basis, (ii) teachers feel that they lack basic digital knowledgeand thus struggle in using the digital tools efficiently in their teaching practises, somethingthat should be included in the teacher training programs, (iii), that the age of the teachersseem to play a part in how well the they implement CALL in their teaching practises, and(iiii), that whilst teachers find CALL useful and convenient, it can never replace the role of a teacher.

No description available.

This study aims to investigate Some English teachers’ beliefs concerning form and function in connection to their teaching. The investigation was carried out through qualitative in-depth interviews and classroom observations focusing on critical incidents. During the study, it became clear that all the participating teachers found that both form and function were important parts in their teaching of English as a second language (L2). Nevertheless it was interesting to notice that they had different ideas about which of the two concepts was the most important one when it comes to language learning. Some of the teachers emphasized the need to put stress on form, arguing that knowledge about form makes it possible for the learner to understand how the language is built, while some believed that too much focus on form might block the communicative competence and thus affect the function.