The aim of this thesis is implementation of e-learning activities to teaching mathematics at an upper Secondary school. The thesis first defines the general concepts related to e-learning and describes Túúdle tools, presents materials used in the project - the definition and basic characteristics of functions. The other materials (function characteristics, linear function, quadratic function) are included on the DVD. The final part of the thesis presents evaluation of the author's as well as other teachers' and pupils' experience with e-learning in teaching at one upper secondary school. Keywords: e-learning, Túúdle, mathematics education

<p>The purpose of this essay is to investigate what different ways there are to teach English grammar at upper secondary level and what guidance experienced teachers have to offer. This is done by studying different theorists’ ideas on language acquisition as well as what researchers’ opinions are on how to teach grammar. I have also interviewed seven experienced teachers who work at upper secondary level.</p><p>The results of this investigation show that explicit grammar teaching has decreased over the years and been replaced by implicit grammar teaching and communication exercises. Grammar teaching has become integrated with activities focusing on meaning and is taught more through examples than by using grammatical terminology. Since students frequently come into contact with English they are not thought to need grammar rules as much, since they learn the language in a native-like way almost. However, they repeatedly make some mistakes. Each teacher had different methods for dealing with these mistakes, but they seemed to be keeping in mind the students’ needs and the curriculum.</p><p>In this study, I will highlight some methods for teaching grammar, factors that can influence learning and provide information on some existing theories about how students learn their second language.</p>

Fake news is nowadays part of our everyday lives, especially for those who are exposed to social media. As 8 out of 10 Swedish teenagers mainly read news on social media, this study was conducted to investigate to what extent students are taught to deal with fake news. This was done by examining exercises in English workbooks currently used at the upper secondary level. Skolverket (2021) clearly states that it is part of Swedish teachers’ mission to educate students so that they can orientate and act in a complex reality with a large flow of information, increased digitization and a rapid pace of change. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to examine how and to what extent workbooks in the Swedish EFL classroom provide students with tasks which can be said to further skills related to source criticism and critical thinking. It also aims to address the possible prevalence of insufficient skills of the above-mentioned kind and its potentially harmful consequences. This was done by investigating how exercises in workbooks can be said to promote an improvement of source criticism and critical thinking. The method of the presented study emanates from the theoretical framework of critical literacy from a pragmatic perspective. The study is qualitative as the examined material is limited. The results show that the workbooks vary in how they enable the ability to detect bias and critical thinking and that the workbooks rely on teachers to elaborate instructions. This indicates that the exercises in the workbooks may not be sufficient to fulfil the mission stated by Skolverket (2021).

The aim of this study is to investigate if the levels of attainment in national reading comprehension tests in English reflect the types of reading texts which pupils encounter inside and outside the classroom. A further aim is to find out if there is a gender distinction between boys’ and girls’ levels of reading comprehension which can be related to existing reading habits. A questionnaire was completed by upper secondary school pupils of Englishin order to investigate the threeresearch questions. The questionnaire involved 10 questions about the pupils’ reading habits. Furthermore, two reading comprehension tests that were created by The Swedish National Agency for Education were also used and distributed to the pupils to complete. The pupils’ results from the reading comprehension test were used by the author to answer the three research questions thatthis study is based on. The results of this study showthat the types of texts the pupils encounter inside and outside the classroom affect their results on the reading comprehension tests. Regarding the second question that this study investigates, there is no gender distinction between boys’ and girls’ levels of reading comprehension, whichcan be related to existing reading habits. Concerning the third research question in this study, the results show that both girls and boys spend more time on social media than reading English fiction. These results might indicate the fact that technology such as the Internet and social media are very popular and important in the pupils’lives. Moreover, technology and theuse of social mediamightas well affect the pupils’ reading habits and reading comprehension.

The purpose of this essay is to investigate what different ways there are to teach English grammar at upper secondary level and what guidance experienced teachers have to offer. This is done by studying different theorists’ ideas on language acquisition as well as what researchers’ opinions are on how to teach grammar. I have also interviewed seven experienced teachers who work at upper secondary level. The results of this investigation show that explicit grammar teaching has decreased over the years and been replaced by implicit grammar teaching and communication exercises. Grammar teaching has become integrated with activities focusing on meaning and is taught more through examples than by using grammatical terminology. Since students frequently come into contact with English they are not thought to need grammar rules as much, since they learn the language in a native-like way almost. However, they repeatedly make some mistakes. Each teacher had different methods for dealing with these mistakes, but they seemed to be keeping in mind the students’ needs and the curriculum. In this study, I will highlight some methods for teaching grammar, factors that can influence learning and provide information on some existing theories about how students learn their second language.

När läromedel skapas sker ett urval av vilket innehåll samt vilka förmågor och kunskapersom eleven ska utveckla baserat på styrdokumentens utformning. Dock finns det intelängre en statlig läromedelsgranskning utan det ligger istället i den individuella lärarenshänder. Denna studie visar att inom området språkhistoria, som undervisas i kursenSvenska 3 på gymnasial nivå, skiljer sig läromedlen markant mellan vilken information deväljer att ta upp och vilka kunskapsmål och förmågor de har i fokus. Vilket i förlängningenkan ge konsekvenser för den enskilde eleven och bidrar till att skolgången inte blirlikvärdig utan istället beroende av lärares individuella läromedelsval. / When teaching aids are created the selection of content as well as the abilities andknowledge that the pupil will develop is based on the design of the governing documents.However, there are no longer a governing teaching aid review, instead it lies in the handsof the individual teacher. This study shows that in the area of language history, taught inthe course Svenska 3 at upper secondary level, the teaching aids differ markedly betweenwhat information they choose to address and what knowledge goals and abilities theyhave in focus. Which, in the long run, has consequences for the individual pupil andcontributes to the schooling not being equal but instead dependent on the teachers’individual teaching aid choices.

Bakgrund: Artificiell intelligens (AI) och chatbotars växande roll inom utbildningssektorn har lett till nya pedagogiska utmaningar och möjligheter. Kunskaper om tidigare innovationers inverkan på utbildningssystemet introducerar Skolverkets roll i att navigera dessa förändringar. Tidigare forskning om AI inom utbildning visar på positiva effekter, som förbättrad individualisering i lärandet och ökat engagemang. Den visar samtidigt på negativa aspekter, som risker för ytlig kunskap, fusk och ökade digitala klyftor. Denna bredd av perspektiv lägger grunden för studiens syfte att djupare utforska Skolverkets rekommendationer och riktlinjer för användningen av AI och chatbotar i svenskundervisningen. Syfte: Studien syftar till att undersöka i vilken utsträckning Skolverkets texter om AI inom utbildningssektorn ger stöd för, och riktlinjer om användningen av chatbotar i svenskämnet på gymnasienivå.Metod: Studien utgår från kvalitativ innehållsanalys för att systematiskt granska, tematisera och kategorisera innehållet i Skolverkets texter. Metoden möjliggör en djupgående analys av hur AI och chatbotar presenteras och vilken påverkan framställningarna kan få för användningen av AI i svenskundervisningen på gymnasiet. Resultat: Resultatet visar att Skolverkets texter om AI och chatbotar i utbildning kännetecknas av en genomgående riskbedömningsdiskurs, samtidigt som de menar att teknologin har potential. Texterna är ibland vaga och ibland motsägelsefulla, vilket kan skapa osäkerhet kring hur AI- verktyg bör integreras i undervisningen. Generellt finns det en riskmedvetenhet i texterna som lyfter etiska överväganden, akademisk integritet, fusk, oreflekterad avlastning och behovet av att anpassa pedagogiska strategier. Skolverket betonar vikten av ansvarsfull användning av AI och en medveten och reflekterad implementering. Huvudmän och lärares roll i att integrera tekniken på ett pedagogiskt fördelaktigt sätt framhålls, samt behovet av att upprätthålla en kritisk dialog kring teknologins inverkan på lärandet. Bristen på tydliga riktlinjer från Skolverket kan leda till ojämn implementering och användning av teknologin bland lärare, vilket riskerar att skapa betydande skillnader i hur elever exponeras för och lär sig använda AI i svenskämnet.

Det verkar finnas en allmän uppfattning om att matematiska texter är så speciella att man måste få lära sig en särskild typ av läsförmåga för att förstå sådana texter. Denna uppfattning verkar dock inte vara baserad på forskningsresultat eftersom det visar sig inte finnas mycket forskning genomförd som behandlar läsförståelse inom matematik. Huvudsyftet med denna avhandling är att undersöka om det krävs speciella kunskaper eller förmågor för att läsa matematiska texter. Fokus ligger på studerandes läsning av olika typer av texter som behandlar matematik från grundläggande universitetsnivå. Detta studeras utifrån två olika perspektiv, dels ett kognitivt, där läsförmågor och ämneskunskaper studeras i relation till läsförståelse, och dels ett metakognitivt, vilket innefattar uppfattningar och hur man som läsare avgör om man förstått en text. I avhandlingen ingår tre empiriska studier samt teoretiska diskussioner som bland annat utgår från två litteraturstudier, den ena om egenskaper hos matematiska texter och den andra om läsning i relation till problemlösning. I de empiriska studierna jämförs dels läsning av matematiska texter med läsning av texter med annat ämnesinnehåll och dels läsning av olika typer av matematiska texter, där speciellt symbolanvändningen och om innehållet berör begrepp eller procedurer studeras. Dessutom undersöks hur studerande uppfattar sin egen läsförståelse samt läsning och texter i allmänhet inom matematik, och huruvida variationer i dessa uppfattningar kan kopplas till läsförståelsen. Resultat från studierna i denna avhandling visar att de studerande verkar använda en speciell sorts läsförmåga för matematiska texter; att fokusera på symboler i en text. För matematiska texter utan symboler utnyttjas en mer generell läsförmåga, det vill säga en läsförmåga som används också för texter med annat ämnesinnehåll. Men när symboler finns i texten läses alltså texten på ett särskilt sätt, vilket påverkar läsförståelsen på olika sätt för olika typer av texter (avseende om de berör begrepp eller procedurer). Jämfört med när den generella läsförmågan utnyttjas, skapas sämre läsförståelse när den speciella läsförmågan används. Det verkar finnas ett behov av att fokusera på läsning och läsförståelse inom matematikutbildning eftersom resultat visar att kurser på gymnasiet (kurs E) och på universitetet (inom algebra och analys) inte påverkar den speciella läsförmågan. De nämnda resultaten påvisar dock att det primärt inte nödvändigtvis handlar om att lära sig att läsa matematiska texter på något särskilt sätt utan att utnyttja en befintlig generell läsförmåga också för matematiska texter. Resultat från det metakognitiva perspektivet påvisar en skillnad mellan medvetna aspekter, såsom avseende uppfattningar och reflektion kring förståelse, samt omedvetna aspekter, såsom de mer automatiska processer som gör att man förstår en text när den läses, där också metakognitiva processer finns aktiva. Speciellt visar det sig att uppfattningar, som undersökts med hjälp av en enkät, inte har någon tydlig och oberoende effekt på läsförståelse. Utifrån de texter som använts och de studerande som deltagit verkar det som helhet inte finnas någon anledning att betrakta läsning av matematiska texter som en speciell sorts process som kräver särskilda läsförmågor. Studerandes utveckling av speciella läsförmågor kan istället handla om att de inte upplevt något behov av (eller krav på) att läsa olika typer av matematiska texter där likheter med läsning i allmänhet kan uppmärksammas och utnyttjas. / There seems to exist a general belief that one needs to learn specifically how to read mathematical texts, that is, a need to develop a special kind of reading ability for such texts. However, this belief does not seem to be based on research results since it does not exist much research that focus on reading comprehension in mathematics. The main purpose of this dissertation is to examine whether a reader needs special types of knowledge or abilities in order to read mathematical texts. Focus is on students’ reading of different kinds of texts that contain mathematics from introductory university level. The reading of mathematical texts is studied from two different perspectives, on the one hand a cognitive perspective, where reading abilities and content knowledge are studied in relation to reading comprehension, and on the other a metacognitive perspective, where focus is on beliefs and how a reader determines whether a text has been understood or not. Three empirical studies together with theoretical discussions, partly based on two literature surveys, are included in this dissertation. The literature surveys deal with properties of mathematical texts and reading in relation to problem solving. The empirical studies compare the reading of different types of texts, partly mathematical texts with texts with content from another domain and partly different types of mathematical texts, where focus is on the use of symbols and texts focusing on conceptual or procedural knowledge. Furthermore, students’ beliefs about their own reading comprehension and about texts and reading in general in mathematics are studied, in particular whether these beliefs are connected to reading comprehension. The results from the studies in this dissertation show that the students seem to use a special type of reading ability for mathematical texts; to focus on symbols in a text. For mathematical texts without symbols, a more general reading ability is used, that is, a type of ability also used for texts with content from another domain. The special type of reading ability used for texts including symbols affects the reading comprehension differently depending on whether the text focuses on conceptual or procedural knowledge. Compared to the use of the more general reading ability, the use of the special reading ability creates a worse reading comprehension. There seems to exist a need to focus on reading and reading comprehension in mathematics education since results in this dissertation show that courses at the upper secondary level (course E) and at the university level (in algebra and analysis) do not affect the special reading ability. However, the mentioned results show that this focus on reading does not necessarily need to be about learning to read mathematical texts in a special manner but to use an existing, more general, reading ability also for mathematical texts. Results from the metacognitive perspective show a difference between conscious aspects, such as regarding beliefs and reflections about comprehension, and unconscious aspects, such as the more automatic processes that make a reader understand a text, where also metacognitive processes are active. In particular, beliefs, which have been examined through a questionnaire, do not have a clear and independent effect on reading comprehension. From the texts used in these studies and the participating students, there seems not do be a general need to view the reading of mathematical texts as a special kind of process that demands special types of reading abilities. Instead, the development of a special type of reading ability among students could be caused by a lack of experiences regarding a need to read different types of mathematical texts where similarities with reading in general can be highlighted and used.

This thesis addresses the significance of the concept of study success in higher education from the perspective of students at five university programs; Business Administration and Economics, Engineering Physics, Medical Education, Social Work and Teacher Education for Upper Secondary Level. The thesis is based on data from three studies conducted between, spring 1993 and autumn 1996. A questionnaire was distributed to all the students enrolled in autumn 1992 to the five programs, regarding students' paths to the university, how they perceived their university studies, and their plans for the future. Fifty-nine of the students were then selected from the five university programs and interviewed on two different occasions. The first interview, conducted mainly during the autumn term of 1993, focused on the respondent's path to the university studies and on different aspects of their lives as students. For a majority of the students, the second interview was conducted about one year later. This interview focused on how the students perceived study success: what was considered to be a good study result, and the characteristics of successful and unsuccessful students. The students were also asked to describe an occasion when they felt successful and unsuccessful, respectively. The results indicate that there is little congruence between the students' perception of study success and that expressed in many public reforms and policies in Sweden. Furthermore, there are both similarities and differences in students' views across the programs. The students at the five programs seemed to relate study success mainly to aspects of Achievement, Process/Strategy, and Comprehension, while aspects related to Personal Growth or Future/Occupation were rarely mentioned. When comparing students' views in the five university programs, the results indicate that an Achievement oriented view dominated among the students in Business Administration and Economics, and Engineering Physics. The students in Engineering Physics and Social Work were more oriented towards Process or Strategy aspects of study success than the students in the other programs. Personal Growth was emphasised as an important aspect only by the Social Work students. Furthermore, students in Social Work and Medical Education were more oriented towards Comprehension than the others. The students in Medical Education and Teacher Education related study success to Future/Occupation to a higher degree that the others. The views on study success seem mainly to be related to aspects in the learning environment, in particular the way the university studies are organised, the examination and grading system, and the contact with the profession. Different recruitment patterns, and the impact of upper secondary education may also be of importance. Influences from the students' prior experiences and their life outside their studies cannot be excluded. Furthermore, the results indicate gender differences. The women seem to view study success in terms of Comprehension, while the men are more oriented towards Achievement. An additional analysis within the categories indicated that the male students seemed to be more self-confident and self-reliant while the female students expressed a more pessimistic view. Furthermore, while the male students view an unsuccessful student only in relation to the individual in question, the female students' view involved the negative consequences of the student's behaviour for other people. / digitalisering@umu

The aim of this study was to compare practices of assessment with theory. Three teachers on the upper secondary level in English were interviewed. This study contains three research questions, namely, how do teachers work with assessment? To what extent do teachers work with formative assessment in the subject English? In what way do teachers’ perception and experiences of formative assessment relate to current research in the field? The results indicate that formative assessment is an established method in the classroom, which differed from a collegial aspect since most collegial collaborations relate to summative assessment. Teachers used formative assessment to a varied extent and in various ways, which entail a high usage of mapping, defining goals, formal and interactive feedback from teacher to student. The results also indicate small or non-existent usage of peer-assessment, feedback from student to teacher and, self-assessment. The analysis showed that some perceptions between teachers were contradictive, but support from each viewpoint could be found in recent studies. Finally, the results of my study pointed to that formative assessment in practice and theory is a quite ambiguous research field. Some other interesting findings which were not a part of this study’s aim showed that all teachers mention how distance studies due to the coronavirus make summative assessment more challenging. In comparison to summative assessment, formative assessment can somewhat proceed as normal whereas teachers give students formal feedback, but the teachers highlight that the interactive part of feedback disappears. Teachers gave examples of interactive feedback as when students ask for and receive direct feedback in the classroom when working on a written assignment. Teachers reported that students perform better in oral production ever since school had to switch to digital learning, which is also another interesting finding. / Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka lärares bedömningspraktik för att kunna jämföra dessa med forskningsläget. Tre lärare i engelska på gymnasienivå intervjuades. Studien ämnar sig åt att besvara tre frågeställningar: hur arbetar lärare med bedömning? I vilken utsträckning använder engelsklärare sig av formativ bedömning? Vilka kopplingar finns mellan lärares uppfattningar av formativ bedömning och forskningsläget? Resultaten visar på att formativ bedömning är en etablerad metod på klassrumsnivå, däremot tillbringar lärarna ur ett kollegialt perspektiv huvudsakligen åt summativ bedömning. Lärare använde formativ bedömning i varierande grad och på varierande vis, det visade sig att lärare frekvent använder sig av kartläggning av elevers kunskaper, synliggörande av mål och formell samt interaktiv återkoppling från lärare till elev. Resultaten visar på att kamratbedömning, återkoppling från elev till lärare och främjande av egenbedömning används i mycket liten eller ingen utsträckning. Analysen påvisade att lärarnas uppfattningar skiljdes åt sinsemellan men det visade finnas belägg för varje synsätt i forskningen. Slutligen påvisar denna studie på att formativ bedömning i jämförelse av praktik och teori är tvetydig. Några andra intressanta resultat genererades från studien även fast det var en del av studiens syfte. Lärarna beskriver att distansundervisningen som råder på grund av coronaviruset försvårat den summativa bedömningen. I jämförelse med den summativa bedömningen, kan den formativa bedömningen fortsätta som normalt där lärare kan ge elever formell feedback men lärarna understryker att den interaktiva delen av feedback försvinner. Lärarna gav exempel på interaktiv feedback, ett exempel är när elever frågar och får direkt feedback i klassrummet när de arbetar med en skrivuppgift. Lärarna i denna studie beskrev även att elever presterar bättre i muntliga förmågor i engelska sedan undervisningen har skiftat till distansundervisningen, vilket också är en intressant iakttagelse.