The present study aims to examine how teachers write polemical articles. This genre often occurs in national standardized tests in Swedish schools. The study seeks to analyze argumentative structures in the articles. It also categorizes assessment notes written by the teachers in response to each others’ articles, by interpreting response texts.     The examination shows that there is uncertainty among the teachers about how to create structures in argumentative text types. As a result the persuasive function of the texts suffers.     The teachers tend to comment on macro level findings in texts. However they grade each other’s texts with high grades referring to micro level components such as spelling, sentence structure and neat wording.

The purpose of this degree project is to examine to what extent certain groups in society are represented in the teaching material in upper secondary schools in Sweden. Through the scrutinizing of a selected number of English textbooks, the intention is to analyse texts and images to see whether representation of individuals on the basis of ethnicity, gender, gender identity and sexual orientation occur in the material. Another aspect of the essay is to identify possible stereotypes regarding the mentioned categories. The analyses draw on a number of theories: postcolonial, feminist and gender, as well as queer theories, in order to relate possible non-representation in the teaching material to the key concept of otherness. Furthermore, the concepts of hegemony and heteronormativity serve an important role in the analyses of the material as they expose dominant structures in society which tend to give certain groups authority over others.

The One-to-One project is initiated in schools across the country but there is no research on how it affects the students' physical work environment and health from a holistic perspective. Both national, public and private schools face a need to develop the work environment, especially for the students, as the school implements the One-to-One PCs. The study aims to investigate the impact of One-to-One computers on students’ physical and mental health in a work environmental perspective in a secondary school. This study examines: How does the introduction of One-to-One PCs affect mental and physical work environment for pupils in an upper secondary school with vocational training? The study was conducted as a quantitative survey of students at a Swedish secondary school. The result includes that students feel the school work is not geared towards working with a computer as a tool, and that there is a lot that can be done regarding school environment. The study discusses aspects of pupils' health and changes that could improve the school environment.

World of Warcraft and World of Warcraft: Chronicle I are in this essay analyzed as motivators for reluctant readers. World of Warcraft: Chronicle I is analyzed from small-scale and large-scale intertextual comparison to Greek and Norse mythology. The aim of this essay is to introduce alternative literature outside the literary canon in the EFL classroom in Sweden. The aim is to connect gaming an outside school activity with reading. The analysis is divided into three parts, the first part focuses on the amount of reading that is done while playing a game like World of Warcraft. The second part focuses on intertextuality in the Chronicle to Greek and Norse mythology. Lastly, how the knowledge of intertextuality in the Chronicle can be used to interact with likeminded people by posting on forums in discussed. The goal is to connect gaming and reading to motivate reluctant readers.

I studien har rektorer, lärare i engelska och elever på en gymnasieskola blivit intervjuade med utgångspunkt i arbetet med det centrala innehållet och kunskapskraven i kursen engelska 5. Rektorerna och lärarna har beskrivit hur de ser på arbetet med styrdokumenten, ansvaret och betydelsen för eleverna. Eleverna har beskrivit hur de uppfattat arbetet, sin egen insats och vikten av detsamma för deras resultat. Studiens syfte var att synliggöra hur rektorer och gymnasielärare beskriver sitt arbete med att förmedla innehållet i det centrala innehållet och kunskapskraven för engelska 5 och hur elever tolkar och förstår innebörden av dessa, deras användning och betydelse. Semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts och dessa har analyserats från ett fenomenografisk perspektiv för att uppdaga hur individerna förstått uppdraget. I analysen framställdes översikter av de olika grupperna vilka belyste både likheter och olikheter mellan individerna i gruppen. Rektorerna lyfte fram betydelsen av detta arbete för elevernas kunskapsutveckling och för elevinflytande men förlitade sig helt på lärares profession vad gäller genomförandet. Trots att lärarna kämpade med att förklara innehållet och begreppen i kunskapskraven för eleverna kunde de alla se nyttan av dessa för kunskapsutveckling. Eleverna förstod dock inte alltid betydelsen eller hur de kunde dra nytta av dessa. Eleverna kände till begreppen i kunskapskraven och deras innebörd i varierande grad men de hade inte förståelse för deras betydelse för den egna kunskapsutvecklingen i kursen. Sammanfattningsvis visar resultatet att trots att lärarna är medvetna om svårigheterna med att arbeta med styrdokumenten finns det fortfarande en diskrepans mellan lärares försök att förmedla innehållet och begreppen och elevernas förståelse av hur detta kan appliceras på deras eget lärande. Rektorerna tycktes inte se någon anledning att träda emellan och stötta lärarna. Sammanfattningsvis är det väsentligt att poängtera vikten av att lärare ges möjligheter till samarbete för att utveckla detta arbete och därmed höja kvaliteten på undervisningen. / In this study Heads, English teachers and pupils, at an upper secondary school, have been interviewed regarding how the syllabus in English 5 is taught, made comprehensible, perceived and its use and importance for student performance. The main purpose of this study was to highlight how heads and upper secondary school teachers understand the task of communicating the core content and the knowledge requirements for English 5 and how the pupils interpret and understand the meaning, use and significance of this activity. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the transcripts were analysed from a phenomenographic perspective to reveal how both individuals understood the task. In the analysis, group overviews of Heads, teachers and pupils were presented, highlighting commonalties as well as differences between members of the group. The Heads emphasised the implications of this work for learning as well as the importance regarding pupils’ participation in decision-making. The Heads rely solely on teachers’ professionalism. Even though the teachers struggle to make the wording of the assessment criteria clear to the pupils, they all recognised its usefulness for learning. The pupils clearly did not always apprehend its meaning or use. The pupils had a general sense of what the expressions used for the knowledge requirements meant, although there was considerable variation. They were not aware of the full potential of using the criteria to support their progress and the outcome their studies. The study concludes that although the teachers are aware of the difficulties with teaching the content and meaning of the syllabus there is still a discrepancy between the teachers’ attempts to communicate and the pupils’ comprehension of how that knowledge could be able applied to their own learning. Heads do not appear to see a need to intervene or support teachers. The study concludes by arguing that teachers need the opportunities to collaborate in order to advance this work and thus further the quality of their teaching.

Denna studie syftar till att undersöka det engagemang som gymnasie- och språkintroduktionselever i Halmstad kommun har till sina nutida och framtida studier. Utifrån våra frågeställningar om engagemangets betydelse i relation till bakgrundsvariabler, det stöd som ges av vuxna och kompisar, elevens vilja till att studera vidare. Vi vill utifrån svaren se om vi finner likheter, skillnader och samband i engagemanget beroende på de olika variabler som vårt empiriska material givit. Det empiriska materialet i detta examensarbete består av en webbaserad enkätstudie som besvarats av 187 gymnasieelever som studerar på språkintroduktionsprogrammet eller tredje året på någon av de tre kommunala gymnasieskolorna Kattegatt-, Sannarp- eller Sturegymnasiet i Halmstad kommun. Som teoretiska utgångspunkter för analys av det empiriska materialet har vi valt det intersektionella perspektivet samt Bourdieus kapitalformer. Resultatet i studien visar att det finns statistiskt signifikanta samband mellan elevers engagemang i sina studier bland annat beroende på vart dem är födda, om elevens föräldrar är engagerade och även om elevens kompisar är engagerade i sina studier. Det mest utmärkande resultatet i vår studie är betydelsen av kompisars engagemang för sina studier något som påverkar den enskilde elevens engagemang för sina studier. / This study aims to investigate the commitment that upper secondary school and the language introductionprogram students in Halmstad municipality have to their present and future studies. Based on our questions about the importance of commitment in relation to background variables, the variables as the support given by adults and friends, the students desire to further studies. Based on the answers, we want to see if we could find similarities, differences and relationships in the commitment, depending on the different variables that our empirical material has given. The empirical material in this study include a web-based survey, answered by 187 upper secondary school students who study their last year or the language introductionprogram students at one of the three municipal upper secondary schools Kattegatt-, Sannarp- or Sturegymnasiet in Halmstad municipality. The theoretical perspective for analyzing the empirical material we have chosen the intersectional perspective and Bourdieu's capital forms. The results of this study show that there are statistically significant relationships between students commitments in their studies, depending on where they were born, whether the student's parents are commitment and even if the student's friends are commitment in their studies. The most characteristic result in our study is the commitment of friends' involvement in their studies, something that affects the individual student's commitment in their own studies.

Denna studie undersöker hur arbetslagsledarrollen är utformad genom intervjuer och uppdragsbeskrivningar på de kommunala gymnasieskolorna i en svensk storstadskommun. Studien utgår från ett socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv och kritisk teori genom Foucault, i form av maktanalys. Maktanalysen bidrar till att belysa samtida praktiker och tekniker ur ett historiskt perspektiv utifrån frågeställningar som på olika sätt berör maktens bas och logiker. Arbetslagsledarens roll framstår i uppdragsbeskrivningar som mångfacetterad, omfattande och splittrad med diverse administrativa uppgifter samt ansvar för utvecklingsprocesser och utvärdering. Formuleringar om att utveckling ska initieras av arbetslagsledaren och beslut från skolledning också implementeras förekommer, vilka kan härledas till olika teoribildningar. Arbetslagsledare själva beskriver ett komplext uppdrag där en stor del av tiden läggs på uppgifter som är mindre framträdande eller inte alls framgår i uppdragsbeskrivningarna. En betoning ligger på att agera budbärare, eftersöka information och sköta administrativa åtaganden. Sammanfattningsvis tycks en helhet saknas i uppdragen och praktiken skilja sig från utformningen i uppdragsbeskrivningarna. Arbetslagsledaren framstår som en länk mellan skolledning, elevhälsa och lärare där de bidrar till kontinuitet och stabilitet i en skola där omsättning på rektorer tycks mer frekvent. En ny komplex organisation med flera olika delegerade ledningsuppdrag och funktioner ställer höga krav på samordning. Framtida studier kan med fördel belysa hur samverkan och samarbete mellan distribuerade ledningsfunktioner kan fungera i en komplex organisation, där förutsättningar ständigt förändras. / This study explores the formation of the teacher team leaders´ role, using interviews and job descriptions at comprehensive upper secondary schools in a Swedish metropolitan municipality. The theoretical framework includes a social constructionist and critical perspective, through Foucault, based on analysis of power. Analysis of power illuminates contemporary practices and techniques through a historical lens, using questions that are related to the basis and logics of power. The job descriptions proclaim a diverse, extensive and somewhat scattered mission consisting of administrative duties as well as managing development and evaluation of processes. According to the job description, the teacher team leader is responsible for initiating learning processes as well as implementing decisions by principals, each advocating a different theory. Teacher team leaders describe a complex mission where a substantial amount of time is spent on tasks less prevalent or unmentioned in the job description. Acting as a messenger, yet a constant search for information and administrative duties are tasks that teacher team leaders emphasize. In conclusion, it appears as if a comprehensive view of the mission at hand is deficient and that actual practice appears relatively different from the job description. The teacher team leaders operate as a link between school leaders, the Student Health Team and teachers where they contribute to continuity and stability in a school where school leaders more frequently are exchanged. A new and complex organization involving several distributed leadership roles requires thorough work in terms of co-ordination. Future studies may address how interplay and collaboration can work in a complex organization, where preconditions are continuously altered.

This essay investigates the ecological values present in antagonists and protagonists in the narrative revolving the Avengers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The analysis concludes that biocentric ideals primarily are embodied by the main antagonist of the film series, whereas the protagonists mainly represent anthropocentric perspectives. Since there is a continuum between these two ideals some variations were found within the characters themselves, but philosophical conflicts related to the environment were also found within the group of the Avengers. Excerpts from the films of the study can thus be used to discuss and highlight complex ecological issues within the EFL-classroom.

In 2016 a new temporary asylum law was introduced in Sweden which limited the chance of being granted asylum. This law was most hard hitting on unaccompanied young people who no longer received fair asylum processes. The government changed part of the temporary law in 2018, and this amendment is referred to as the Upper Secondary School Act. The purpose of this change was to allow certain groups of unaccompanied young people the chance to gain asylum by granting them a residence permit to study in Sweden.   The purpose of this thesis is to examine whether the Upper Secondary School Act provides unaccompanied young people enough human dignity and respect. To do this, elements of two immigration laws are examined to see how the differences between the laws affects unaccompanied young people in the asylum process and in order to gain an understanding of why the new high school law was introduced into legislation. This thesis also conducts a qualitative study to find out what effects the law have had on unaccompanied young people. The Upper Secondary School Act is then reviewed from an ethical and critical standpoint, where the thesis's theoretical approach is based on the thoughts of Jürgen Habermas, Seyla Benhabib and Elena Namli.   The study shows that the Upper Secondary School Act has been criticized from many different directions, and points out that the law is inadequate and lacking a humane perspective. This study also concludes that the law has led to negative consequences for unaccompanied young people because they are not provided with the right conditions for a good life in Sweden. This has led to them being neglected. In order to change this the law must respect human dignity and express an equal respect for all people. This will then counteract repressive structures that prevent the possibility of integration, which the Upper Secondary School Act does not achieve. The main problem with the present law is that there is not enough respect for unaccompanied young peoples’ human dignity.

Problemområdet i denna uppsats rör matematiksvårigheter hos elever med språkstörning på gymnasiet. Bakgrunden är bland annat den rapport från SPSM (2018) som visar att rutiner kring elever med språkstörning på gymnasiet är bristfälliga samt en stor mängd forskning som konstaterar att det finns ett samband mellan språkstörning och matematik. Uppsatsens syfte är att synliggöra denna grupp genom att undersöka hur några elever med språkstörning på gymnasiet upplever och har upplevt sina matematiksvårigheter. Eftersom undersökningen utgår ifrån elevperspektivet valdes semistrukturerade intervjuer som metod. De fem deltagarna har alla diagnosen språkstörning, går på gymnasiet och har inte klarat gymnasiets första matematikkurs på utsatt tid.        Elevernas berättelser och upplevelser diskuteras utifrån attributionsteorins modell om hur vi attribuerar våra motgångar och framgångar. Det framkommer att alla eleverna har fått kämpa med matematiken genom hela sin skolgång. Eleverna förklarar sina svårigheter till övervägande del med stabila, det vill säga oföränderliga, faktorer, både sådana som ligger utanför dem själva (externa) och sådana som ligger inom dem själva (interna). Varken eleverna själva eller lärare de mött, har kopplat ihop matematiksvårigheterna med diagnosen språkstörning.        Utifrån resultaten diskuteras bland annat vikten av kunskap om sambandet mellan språkstörning och matematiksvårigheter hos matematiklärare samt samarbetet mellan denne och specialläraren med inriktning språk-, skriv- och läsutveckling. Vidare diskuteras organisatoriska förändringar som skulle kunna underlätta för den här elevgruppen och att man bör ha i beaktande hur upprepade misslyckanden resulterar i minskad motivation. Detta är särskilt relevant för elever, som förklarar sina motgångar med stabila, oföränderliga faktorer, då det minskar möjligheten att ta vara på den kapacitet de har. / The research problem in this thesis concerns mathematical difficulties in pupils with specific language impairment (SLI) in upper secondary school. A large amount of research shows that there is a connection between specific language impairment and mathematical difficulties and a report from SPSM (2018) states that routines concerning pupils with SLI in upper secondary school are deficient. The purpose of the thesis is to make this group more visible by examining how some pupils with SLI in upper secondary school experience, and have experienced, their mathematical difficulties. Since the study is based on the student perspective, semi-structured interviews were chosen as a method. The five participants have all been diagnosed with SLI and attend upper secondary school.        The students' stories and experiences are discussed based on the model of attribution theory, which describe how we attribute our adversities and successes. It appears that all the students have been struggling with mathematics throughout their schooling. Students explain their difficulties predominantly with stable, i.e. unchanging, factors, external as well as internal. Neither the students themselves nor the teachers they encountered have linked the mathematical difficulties with the diagnosis SLI.        Based on the results, the importance of more knowledge among mathematics teachers about the relationship between SLI and mathematical difficulties is discussed, as well as the importance of collaboration between mathematics teachers and special education teachers. Furthermore, organizational changes that could facilitate this student group are discussed and moreover that one should consider how repeated failures result in reduced motivation. This is particularly relevant for students, who explain their setbacks with stable, unchanging factors, as it reduces the ability to take advantage of their capacity.