The exploratory study sought to elicit and document mathematics teachers‟ views on how they enacted the process of transition between contexts and mathematics. The study pursued to understand teachers‟ beliefs and knowledge of mathematics. A mixed methods sequential explanatory research design was employed where a quantitative phase was followed by the connecting phase and concluded through a qualitative phase involving three case studies. A purposive sample of 165 practicing teachers who had registered for a professional advancement developmental course at a university participated in the study by voluntarily completing a survey questionnaire. From this sample, three cases of individual teachers were pursued. The first two cases involved conducting in-depth interviews with the teacher who had rated sentences in the questionnaire differently while the last case involved the recording of an interview of one individual using field notes. The questionnaire sought teachers‟ biographical details (section A), their views on contexts and mathematics (section B) and their rating of sentences in a passage with regard to the mathematics embedded in the sentences (section C). Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the qualitative phase to elicit in-depth views of the teachers‟ regarding the research problem. All the instruments were tested for validity and reliability. Quantitative data gathered was analysed using frequencies, percentages, cross tabulations, bar charts and pie charts as well as the calculation of Pearson chi-square tests (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2011). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to collate teachers‟ views from which themes were drawn and related to make inferences. It was found that teachers‟ positive views about contexts and mathematics did not translate into them recognising mathematics in some mathematics potent contexts as captured in their ratings in section C of the questionnaire. Statistically significant associations were recorded to support this. The study also conceptualised a mathematical participation model (MP-model) as a tool to describe and analyse participation that involves the use of real world data in the teaching and learning of mathematics. The MP-model involves four components, viz. the community of practice (CoP), real world data, mathematics and a model in which members of the CoP tap into the real world data and mathematics to model their participation. The study recommends the MP-model as tool for description and enactment of full mathematical participation. / Mathematical Sciences / D.Litt.et. Phil. (Mathematics Education)

The purpose of this work is to examine the teaching methods secondary and upper secondary teachers apply to teach grammar in the EFL classroom, as well as their perceptions about the benefits of having grammar knowledge and its benefits to students’ writing. Previous research reveals that grammar teaching is an integral part of language teaching; explicit and implicit methods along with deductive and inductive instruction are the main practices teachers use to transfer knowledge to their students. Apart from that, it is beneficial when teachers have good grammarknowledge; hence students can develop good metalinguistic awareness and writing ability. The theoretical framework is based on teacher cognition theory, as teachers’ personal experiences and knowledge affect their decisions about grammar practices in the classroom environment. A qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with six secondary and upper secondary teachers who teach English as a foreign language in different schools and municipalities in the whole of Sweden are used to conduct the current study. The results demonstrate that indeed grammar teaching is needed to teach a new language. However, factors such as age and type of groupinfluence teachers’ decisions. Above all else, teachers’ highest goal is to help students become good language users. / Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka de undervisningsmetoder högstadie- och gymnasielärare tillämpar för att undervisa i grammatik i EFL-klassrummet, samt deras uppfattningar om fördelarna med att ha grammatikkunskap och dess fördelar för elevernas skriftliga förmåga. Tidigare forskning visar att grammatikundervisning är en integrerad del av språkundervisningen; de explicita och implicita metoderna tillsammans med deduktiv och induktiv undervisning är de huvudsakliga metoder som lärare använder för att överföra kunskap till sina elever. Bortsett från det är det fördelaktigt när lärare har goda grammatiska kunskaper; därför kan eleverna utveckla en god metaspråklig medvetenhet och skriftlig förmåga i målspråket. Det teoretiska ramverket bygger på lärarkognitionsteori, eftersom lärares personliga erfarenheter och kunskaper påverkar deras beslut om grammatikpraxis i klassrumsmiljön. En kvalitativ analys av semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex högstadie- och gymnasielärare som undervisar i engelska som främmande språk i olika skolor och kommuner i hela Sverige har använts för att genomföra den aktuella studien. Resultaten visar att det verkligen behövs grammatikundervisning för att undervisa ett nytt språk. Faktorer som ålder och typ av grupp påverkar dock lärares beslut. Framför allt annat är lärares högsta mål att hjälpa eleverna att bli bra språkanvändare.

This study aims to gain deeper insights in digital technology supported teaching in Swedish early childhood education (ECE) settings. Introduction of digital goals in Swedish ECE curriculum obliges preschool teachers to integrate digital technologies into educational practices and calls for a relevant definition and a defined content for this teaching area. By examining teachers’ perspectives, this thesis contributes to obtaining valuable experience-based knowledge that can eventually fill the existing research gap.   In a curriculum context, digital technologies have traditionally been associated with technology as a teaching tool, while digital goals (i.e., training children’s digital competence) redefine technology as a teaching content. However, integrating digital technologies in educational practices is still reported to be a challenge, and preschool teachers demonstrate ambivalent attitudes towards use of digital technologies in play-based pedagogy. Previous research has shown that to embed technologies in preschool practices, teachers need to enhance their technological knowledge, which involves a complex coupling between technical knowledge and pedagogical expertise. In the study, eleven preschool teachers were interviewed. A phenomenographic approach was used to identify and analyze the teachers’ conceptions. As a result, several categories related to digital technology use were discerned in teachers’ descriptions. Teaching situations were identified within both planned and spontaneous activities whilst activities for entertainment, relaxation and staff relief were referred to as mere “media consumption”. Paradoxically, nearly all teachers define digital technology supported teaching as a goal-directed, planned and adult-led activity. However, plenty of examples given by the teachers show that situations originating from spontaneous use of digital technology, particularly tablets, play an essential role in everyday teaching practices. Such a rigid understanding of the teaching concept on a definition level may have a counterproductive effect on ECE task with a traditional focus on child-initiated, spontaneous activities.  Other findings show that various combinations of hard- and software (apps) may offer teachers multiple teaching options. However, lack of time and technical knowledge in one group of teachers is reported to lead to a scarce use of technologies. In most examples, digital technology is described as a teaching tool for training language, science, mathematics, or arts, while technology as a content is seen as a challenging task and focuses mainly on introducing programmable toys. The teachers describe several examples where technology does not align with their didactic intentions. However, tablet with Google Search is the technology that demonstrates both frequent and organic use. Providing immediate answers on the screen, tablets enable to capture children’s spontaneous questions and, at the same time, support teachers’ educational goals. The preschool teachers’ critical observations and didactic value judgements can contribute with a more nuanced view on what a particular digital technology makes possible in a certain teaching situation.   Key words: early childhood education (ECE), preschool, digital technology supported teaching, digital competence, tablet, phenomenography, teachers’ beliefs. / Studiens syfte är att bidra med fördjupad kunskap om undervisning relaterad till digitala tekniker i förskolan. Två uppdrag i den reviderade läroplanen Lpfö18 – undervisningsuppdraget och digitaliseringsuppdraget ­­- innebär att alla förskollärare har ansvar för att organisera undervisning som inkluderar digitala tekniker. Vad som ingår i denna undervisning och hur den ska bedrivas är dock inte självklart. Genom att undersöka förskollärares perspektiv kan studien bidra med att mejsla ut professionskunskap i detta innehållområde och ge viktiga insikter för både praktiken och den fortsatta forskningen.     Den digitala teknikens funktioner i förskolans läroplan formuleras på två skilda kvalitativa sätt: som ett verktyg för att nå ett visst mål eller som ett mål i sig, i syfte att utveckla barns digitala kompetens. Förskolan och digitala tekniker kan beskrivas ha en ”problematisk relation” där många förskollärare fortfarande känner sig oförberedda och tveksamma inför integreringen av digital teknik i lekbaserad pedagogik. Tidigare forskning visar att förskollärare behöver både teknisk och didaktisk kompetens kring användandet av en viss teknik.  Studien utgår från den fenomenografiska ansatsen som ett sätt att närma sig fenomenet undervisning relaterad till digitala tekniker i förskolan och baseras på intervjuer med 11 förskollärare. Flera kategorier har urskilts som representerar hur undervisning och andra aktiviteter relaterade till digitala tekniker beskrivs av förskollärarna på kvalitativt olika sätt.  Undervisningssituationer identifierades inom både planerade och spontana aktiviteter medan underhållande, avkopplande och avlastande aktiviteter uppfattades endast som tidsfördrift och ”konsumtion” av digital teknik. Förskollärares definition av undervisning relaterad till digitala tekniker som en målstyrd, planerad och vuxenledd aktivitet står i stark konstrast till många exempel där det återkommande lyfts spontana aktiviteter. En sådan rigid förståelse av begreppet undervisning i förskolan kan verka kontraproduktivt och bidra till en skolifiering av förskolan.  Ett annat resultat visar att olika kombinationer av hård- och mjukvaror (appar) i olika sammanhang erbjuder varierande, multipla användningsområden i undervisningen. Samtidigt uppges brist på tid och teknisk kunskap orsaka en begränsad användning av teknik i en grupp lärare. Medan digitala tekniker som ett verktyg beskrivs med fördel användas i naturvetenskapliga projekt, skapande och språkarbete, refererar de flesta förskollärare endast till programmerbara robotar som exempel på digitala tekniker som ett mål, vilket endast utgör en del i det arbetet. Studiens resultat visar att digitala tekniker inte alltid lyckas ge stöd åt förskollärarnas didaktiska målsättningar. Samtidigt är datorplatta med sökmotor Google ett exempel på teknik som både används frekvent och organiskt, dvs. i harmoni med barnens idéer och förskollärarens didaktiska intentioner. Med hjälp av sökmotorn får förskollärare och barn en omedelbar tillgång till information vilket skapar ett konstant flöde av barnens spontana frågor och svar från datorplattan som kan läsas eller visas direkt. Studiens resultat innebär att förskollärares observationer och kritiskt didaktiska reflektioner kan ligga till grund för vad som faktiskt blir möjligt att erbjuda barn i undervisning.

The aim of this thesis was to study English teachers' approaches, methods and beliefs that link to teaching grammar to students in Sweden. The research has revolved around how frequently grammar is taught, what approaches are used and what methods are favored by English teachers in Swedish secondary and upper secondary schools. The respondents were 51 teachers recruited through a convenient sampling in the Facebook group “Nätverk för lärare i engelska”. The study used a mixed method with a survey as the data collection instrument. The results show that English teachers in secondary schools and upper secondary schools in Sweden occasionally use grammar teaching. On a four-grade scale ranging from Very Occasionally to Very Often the mean response was 2.36. In terms of preferred approach, the results indicated that a planned approach was preferred by a small margin. These results are in contradiction to previous research on English grammar teaching in Sweden which shows that teachers prefer an incidental approach to grammar teaching. The present study indicates that teachers favored interactive methods of grammar teaching. The two most favored methods were the Task-Based method where students complete tasks in pairs or groups, and the Communicative Language Teaching where students learn through discussions. Analyzing teachers’ beliefs on grammar teaching, the present study focused on the open-ended questions in the survey. The responses indicated that context to grammar teaching is extremely vital according to the teachers who responded to the survey. As previously mentioned, the present study contradicts previous studies in terms of preferred approach to grammar teaching. However, the present study coincides with previous research in terms of preferred methods both in international research but also in Sweden specifically, which is that teachers prefer interactive methods of grammar teaching that involve inductive learning.

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