Vi lever i ett samhälle där datorer och annan digitalteknik blir allt mer central i vår vardag. Sveriges regering har därför ålagt Skolverket att stärka elevernas digitala kompetens. Som en del av detta införs programmering som ett digitalt verktyg i matematikundervisningen både i grundskolan och på gymnasiet. Det krävs dock i nuläget inga kurser i programmering för att bli en legitimerad matematiklärare. Syftet med undersökningen som presenteras i denna rapport är att undersöka matematiklärares uppfattningar som uppkommit på grund av att Skolverkets revidering av läroplanerna i matematik. Denna revidering innebär att vissa matematikkurser på gymnasiet innefattar att programmering skall användas som problemlösningsverktyg. Underlaget till denna undersökning är en transkribering och tematisering av kvalitativa intervjuer med tio matematiklärare, samt tidigare forskning. Undersökningen fann en viss oro bland lärarna som till stor del handlade om bristande kunskap i programmering samt problematiken med att hinna med att få in ytterligare ett moment i undervisningen. Under intervjuerna framgick det att lärarna var allmänt fundersamma om vilka digitala verktyg de skulle använda för att lösa detta nya krav. En majoritet av lärarna förordade dock Excel och Geogebra. Det framkom ett visst missnöje med att detta nya krav infördes med mycket kort varsel. Många lärare förväntade sig och litade på att läroboksförfattarna skulle komma med en uppdatering av läroböckerna i matematik. En uppdatering som förväntades innefatta programmering och som därmed skulle lösa den nya pedagogiska utmaningen. / Computers and other digital technology are becoming increasingly important in our society. Due to that, the Swedish Government has instructed their National Agency for Education to strengthen the students' digital competence. One outcome of this was that programming become a part of teaching mathematics both in primary and upper secondary school. Programming is not a part of the mandatory studies needed to become a certified mathematics teacher. The purpose of this study is to investigate the ideas, attitudes and ideas of mathematics teachers that have arisen because of the National Agency for Education's revision of the curricula in mathematics. According to this revision of the curricula, students should use programming as a problem-solving tool. The basis for this study is a transcription of qualitative interviews with ten mathematics teachers and an examination of previous research. This study found that there was some concern among the teachers. Most of the concern was about lack of knowledge in programming. The majority of teachers preferred to use Excel and Geogebra as a digital tool to teach programming. Many teachers expressed spontaneously a general dissatisfaction with the impact that calculators already have in mathematics education. There was some dissatisfaction with the introduction of this new requirement at very short notice. Many teachers expected and trusted that the textbook authors would come up with an update of the textbooks in mathematics. An update that would thus solve their new educational challenge.

The purpose of this study was to explore elementary teachers' self-reporting of: a) work with a reading coach and b) attitudes, perceptions, and practices in teaching reading. The five point ratings and open-ended responses on the survey were the sources of data. Surveys were returned by 85% of teachers in five elementary schools in Collier County, Florida. Correlations of survey items were analyzed on the basis of the aggregated data and the following subgroups: certification, years of experience, school demographics, and grade levels. The survey in this study was excerpted and adapted from a survey, which was tested for validity and reliability, used with teachers in a research study, and published by the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) in Evaluating professional development: An approach to verifying program impact on teachers and students (Shaha, Lewis, O'Donnell, & Brown, 2004). Permission to use the survey was granted by Performance Learning Systems, Inc. and the National Staff Development Council (see Acknowledgements). The primary question for this study was: Are teachers' self-reports of their attitudes, perceptions, and instructional practices on the Reading Instruction Survey correlated with the amount of coaching they indicated they had received? Secondary questions pertained to how the results changed for the subgroups. The literature review contained information about resources and research in reading that led to the provision of reading coaches. High-stakes for the improvement of reading instruction from federal, state, and local levels provided a rationale for the study. The results of this study indicated that coaching made a difference for these teachers. The aggregated and disaggregated data revealed small to large, significant correlations to coaching. The items with the greatest number and magnitude of correlations to coaching were isolated skills instruction and intervention plans. The evidence of positive relationships of attitudes, perceptions, and practices to work with a coach is an important finding. The limited correlations of skilled, balanced, and integrated strategies led to questions about the content of the coaching. Further research is needed to determine whether the content of the professional development offered by coaches is comprehensive enough to impact reading proficiency levels of all students.

The focus of this research project was to determine whether thematic unit instruction or traditional, single-subject instruction was perceived to be the more effective and engaging way of teaching as decided by pre-service teachers. Research has shown that incorporating multiple subjects into one unit or topic of study helps to create more engagement and connections to which students can relate. In creating these connections, students can relate the content to their real life and in turn, better comprehend and retain the material. The pre-service teachers attend the University of Central Florida's College of Education and Human Performance. They voluntarily participated in completing a survey about their perceptions of single subject instruction versus thematic unit instruction. In the survey, the pre-service teachers seemed to be varied on what they believed was a better method of instruction for their future students. The pre-service teachers were split 50/50 as to whether they will teach traditionally, single-subject, or thematically. The pre-service teachers were unanimous in the idea that if they had the support of other teachers and administration as well as resources and research to guide them, that thematic instruction is a method of teaching that they would consider using. Nearly all of the teachers surveyed referred back to doing what is in the best interest of their students.

Syftet med den här fallstudien är att undersöka i hur hög utsträckning verksamma engelsklärare använder sig av estetiska lärprocesser som metod för att underlätta elevers språkutveckling samt finna en förståelse för vad den mängden beror på för att således kunna analysera hur estetiska lärprocesser kan implementeras på ett effektivt sätt i engelskundervisningen. Källdata samlades in genom en kvalitativ enkätundersökning som metod. Enkäten skickades ut via sociala medier i grupper för den utvalda målgruppen. Källdatan analyserades sedan utifrån en fenomenografisk ansats. Totalt femton lärare besvarade enkäten varav åtta valdes ut genom stratifierat urval för en djupare analys. Resultatet visade att lärare använder estetiska lärprocesser i en väldigt varierad mängd. Förekomsten eller avsaknaden av estetiska lärprocesser i undervisningen berodde främst på lärares personliga intresse och inställning till specifika estetiska uttrycksformer men även kunskap och erfarenhet var stora påverkande faktorer. Oavsett hur stor mängd estetiska lärprocesser som förekom i lärarnas engelskundervisning var samtliga positivt inställda till estetiska lärprocesser som språkutvecklande arbetssätt. För att öka mängden estetiska lärprocesser i språkutvecklande engelskundervisning skulle det behövas större sådana utbildningsinsatser på lärarutbildningen samt möjlighet till samarbete och kompetensutveckling på skolorna för redan verksamma lärare. / The aim of this study is to look into to what extent English teachers use aesthetic learning processes as an approach for pupils’ language development and understand what causes the teachers’ chosen amount to be able to analyse how teachers can implement aesthetic learning processes more effectively. The source data was collected through a qualitative online survey sent through selected Facebook groups and analysed based on the phenomenographic approach. A total of fifteen teachers answered the survey and eight of them were chosen through a stratified selection for a deeper analysis. The results showed that the amount of aesthetic learning processes used varies a lot from teacher to teacher. The teachers’ personal attitudes towards different aesthetic forms of expression were the main reason for its use, but factors like knowledge and experience in the different expressions were also a significant influence. All respondents had a positive attitude towards aesthetic learning processes as a language development approach in their English teaching regardless of their own used amount. To increase aesthetic learning processes as a language learning approach in English teaching, it has to be included and taught within the teacher education and as competence development within schools for already working teachers.

The purpose of this work is to increase the understanding of the role of workbooks in Swedish language classes, as well as the extent to which teachers use workbooks in Swedish classes in primary school grades f-3. The study was conducted in two parts, with textbook analysis and interviews as the chosen methods. The first part, workbook analysis, was carried out on two workbooks using a checklist, and the results present a significant difference between the two selected workbooks, in percentage terms. The second part consisted of semi-structured interviews conducted with four teachers representing different ages and levels of professional experience. The results of the four semi-structured interviews indicated a consensus among the teachers regarding the role of the workbook, but individual opinions and viewpoints also emerged. The workbook was perceived to have a significant role in teaching for all the study's informants, but the use of it varies. For instance, teachers either use it as a starting point or as a supplement. / Syftet med detta arbete är att öka förståelsen för lärobokens roll i svenskundervisningen, samt i vilken utsträckning lärare använder sig av läroböcker i svenskundervisningen i grundskolans f-3. Studien utfördes i form av två delar, där läromedelsanalys och intervju var de valda metoderna. Den första delen, läromedelsanalys, utfördes på två läroböcker genom en checklista och resultatet presenterar en markant skillnad mellan de två valda läroböckerna, procentuellt. Den andra delen utgjordes av en semistrukturerad intervjuform som utfördes på fyra lärare där olika åldrar och yrkeserfarenhet representerades. Resultatet av de fyra semistrukturerade intervjuerna påvisade en enighet mellan lärarna gällande lärobokens roll, men samtidigt framkom även enskilda åsikter och synpunkter. Läroboken upplevdes ha en roll i undervisningen för samtliga av undersökningens informanter, men användandet av den skiljer sig åt. Exempelvis genom att lärarna antingen använder den som en utgångspunkt eller ett komplement.

Denna fenomenografiska studie har haft som syfte att belysa förskollärares uppfattningar om barns rättigheter och möjligheter till fysisk aktivitet i förskolans inomhusmiljö. För att ta reda på förskollärarnas uppfattningar och erfarenheter av detta komplexa ämne användes kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer som datainsamlingsmetod. Studiens fenomen består av fysisk aktivitetoch har analyserats genom Erikssons (1999) fenomenografiska analysschema. Fenomenet har avgränsats till tre olika beskrivningskategorier av uppfattningar utifrån studiens syfte och frågeställningar. Dessa beskrivningskategorier, tillsammans med deras respektive underkategorier, representerar studiens samlade utfallsrum.Studiens resultat visar att förskollärarna betraktar fysisk aktivitet som en viktig del av barns hälsa och ser sig själva som viktiga förebilder. De betonar betydelsen av sitt eget förhållningssätt när det gäller att skapa möjligheter och övervinna hinder för barnens fysiska aktivitet i förskolans inomhusmiljö. Genom att ge barnen möjligheter till fysisk aktivitet i förskolans inomhusmiljö samt värdesätta barnens inflytande genom att aktivt lyssna på deras önskemål, anser förskollärarna att de tillgodoser barnens rättigheter till fysisk aktivitet.Studiens slutsats är att förskollärares uppfattningar om fysisk aktivitet har en direkt inverkan på de miljöer och de möjligheter som skapas för barnen att vara fysiskt aktiva. Därmed blir förskollärarnas förhållningssätt och uppfattningar även avgörande för förverkligandet av barns rättigheter till fysisk aktivitet i förskolans inomhusmiljö. / The purpose of this phenomenographic study is to shed light on preschool teachers' perceptions of children's rights to physical activity in the preschool's indoor environment. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The phenomenon of the study consists of physical activity and has been analyzed through Eriksson's (1999) phenomenographic analysis scheme. The phenomenon has been delineated into three different descriptive categories of perceptions based on the purpose and questions of the study. These descriptive categories, along with their respective subcategories, represent the overall outcome space of the study.The results of the study show that the preschool teachers regard physical activity as an important part of children's health. They emphasize the importance of their own approach when it comes to creating opportunities and overcoming obstacles for the children's physical activity in the indoor environment. By suggesting and offering the children opportunities for physical activity and by valuing the children's influence by actively listening to their wishes, the preschool teachers consider that they satisfy the children's rights to physical activity.The study's conclusion is that preschool teachers' perceptions and attitudes regarding physical activity have a direct impact on the environments and the opportunities created for children to be physically active, which also affects the realization of children's rights to physical activity in the preschool's indoor environment.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between teacher’s perceptions of their principal’s level of emotional intelligence and teachers’ job satisfaction level. Nine elementary schools within a small rural school district in a southern state were the selected cite for the research. Thirty-nine teachers completed two on-line surveys. One survey was intended to report their perceptions of their principal’s level of emotional intelligence and the second survey was intended to report their level of job satisfaction. The primary research question was: What is the relation between elementary teachers’ perceptions of their principal’s emotional intelligence and the teachers’ level of job satisfaction? The independent or predictor variable was emotional intelligence: others emotional appraisal, use of emotion, and regulation of emotion. The dependent variable was teacher job satisfaction: supervision, contingent rewards, operating procedures and communication. A simple regression was conducted to investigate the impact of principal’s perceived emotional intelligence level and the teacher’s job satisfaction level. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to examine the factor structure of teacher’s perceptions of their principal’s emotional intelligence and their level of job satisfaction. A one factor solution was sufficient in capturing most of the variability for both survey instruments. The findings indicated a strong relation between teacher’s perceptions of their principal’s emotional intelligence and the teachers’ level of job satisfaction. Further research to improve principal’s emotional intelligence and improve teacher’s job satisfaction levels is recommended to increase applicants to teacher preparation programs and to increase teacher recruitment and retention.

University officials have identified a problem among secondary preservice teachers (SPTs) who have expressed reluctance to teach in local urban schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of SPTs regarding their preparation for and experiences with teaching in urban school settings. Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and Bruner's concept of scaffolding served as the conceptual frameworks that guided this study. Data were collected from 11 SPTs who completed the requirements of their field service experiences in urban schools. Data collection consisted of individual interviews, one focus group interview, and field observations. Findings showed that SPTs desire to make a difference in urban schools, lack confidence in managing culturally diverse classrooms, and desire more faculty guidance in working with diverse populations. SPTs asserted that they need more research-based teaching strategies and urban field experiences. Implications for social change include more collaboration among university faculty, urban school principals, mentor teachers, and community organizations. Findings may be used to prepare SPTs to serve culturally diverse populations, which may improve students' academic achievement in urban classrooms.

Purpose: Farm to School (F2S) Programs are increasing in number across the United States, yet research on teachers’ perceptions and practices about F2S is limited. Teachers are a key component of any F2S program, since their acceptance and support influences program implementation and sustainability. The purpose of this study was to examine teacher practices, attitudes, and perceptions about the Decatur F2S Program. Methods: City Schools of Decatur teachers completed a questionnaire designed to obtain information concerning their practices, attitudes, and perceptions regarding the Decatur F2S Program. Participants indicated their level of agreement with 18 statements using a Likert scale rating, answered an open-ended question, and recorded both implemented and desired F2S activities. Cumulative frequencies were determined for all questionnaire items, and themes were extracted for the open-ended question. Results: Seventy percent of K – 12 teachers would like to see F2S activities implemented in their classroom, and 28% of these teachers already implement some F2S activity. The majority of teachers had positive perceptions about the Decatur Farm to School Program’s impact on students, the local economy, and the environment. Teachers perceived that the F2S programs encompassed four themes: 1) supplying schools with locally grown foods; 2) educating children on healthy eating, food, and nutrition; 3) educating children on gardening and growing foods; and 4) building a strong connection between local farms, schools, and communities. Conclusion: There is a high degree of interest and support for the Decatur F2S Program by City Schools of Decatur teachers, which is consistent with efforts to implement F2S Programs across the country. Most teachers were not familiar with the CSD F2S Program but would desire F2S activities in their schools.

There is a discrepancy between national school guidelines towards inclusive education, and the current political trend towards economic efficacy, that may be problematic for teachers. The aim of this contextual study is to formulate a contextual understanding of the participating teachers’ perceptions of their effort to help all their students achieve the goals set forth by school curricula, and use this understanding for the purpose of suggesting points of entry for special needs educators´ guidance of teachers’ practices towards more inclusive education. Information was gathered by sending an extensive web questionnaire to all teachers within a given headmaster´s administration, sending web questionnaires to a majority of third grade students taught by those teachers, conducting interviews with a few of the participating teachers as well as with the special needs educators, carrying out a classroom observation, and gathering additional information concerning working conditions and social interactions. The data gathered in this case study has been subjected to an analytical process comprising of an assessment of the degree of inclusive approach, using the Inclusive Approach through Participation as well as the Framework of Participation, technical triangulation of all data post the inclusive assessment, and analysis of context by the Ecology of Human Development/the Bioecological Theory. The analytical process has resulted in a contextual description that has enabled me to suggest possible points of entry to be used in special needs educators’ guidance of teachers’ practices towards inclusive education. The degree to which there exists a collegial sense of security, varied forms of teacher-student interactions, collegial cooperation, pedagogical discussions, a dialogue in search of mutual understanding, and consequent follow-ups appears, in the light of the limited selection of participants, as relevant to these teachers ability to help their students. Further research is needed to identify valid points of entry for special needs educators’ guidance of teachers’ practices towards inclusive education. This contextual study will hopefully inspire further research into teachers´ perceptions of their work to facilitate implementation of inclusive education and thereby improve every student´s ability to achieve the set goals.