Introduction: What would a Swedish upper secondary student say if suddenly, meditation was introduced as an optional addition to his or her schedule. Would they be optimistic and see it as an opportunity for relaxation in their hectic day? Or would they be of the opinion that meditation is a religious practice and should not be allowed in a secular school? Perhaps they would think neither, instead holding a more neutral opinion? This was the central question for this questionnaire study. It was asked based on the reaction yoga received when it was introduced in a Swedish school, as some adults saw it as a religious practice. Later it was decided by the School Inspection that it was to be allowed, as attendance was completely voluntary.Method: The questionnaire in this study used four closed questions to get information on the attitude of upper secondary students towards meditation in schools, their interest in attending the hypothetic meditation and the most frequently used arguments for and against it. The questionnaire was modelled after Alan Brymans book Social research methods. After the questionnaire was finalized, it was sent out to mentors of third year students of several high schools in Västerbotten County. The goal was to get 100 responses from upper secondary school students, in the end 78 responses were obtained. The results of the questionnaire were presented in circle and bar graphs.Results: The gathered information showed that a majority of the surveyed upper secondary students had a positive attitude towards meditation in their schools. Among the most frequently used arguments pro and against the meditation, the most frequent argument for the inclusion of meditation was that it would be an opportunity for relaxation. Of the arguments against the inclusion of meditation the most frequent was that it would take up unnecessary space in their schedule.Conclusion: Through the information gathered with the questionnaire we can see a theme of positive attitude from the students. A clear majority of them are either interested in trying meditation, sees it as a useful tool, or simply has a positive view of it while perhaps being less interested of trying it themselves.

In recent years, theories have emerged about whether the source critical approaches that are encouraged in school affect students’ trust in credible sources. The purpose of this thesis is to illuminate the perspectives of upper secondary students; their experiences of lectures in source criticism, and how the teaching has affected their trust in the credibility of established news media, scientific research, and authorities. The purpose is also to illuminate how educators can encourage upper secondary students to be source critical and at the same time maintain their trust in reliable sources.  In the beginning of 2022, a digital survey was sent out to upper secondary schools in 15 Swedish cities. The empirical material which the study is based on consists of questionnaire responses from 68 Swedish upper secondary students. The analysis is based on pragmatism and John Dewey’s thoughts on teaching to interpret, understand and explain the statements that emerged in the questionnaire responses. The study identified nine aspects related to how educators can balance source criticism and source trust in their teaching. Furthermore, the results show that source trust may need to be given more space in the lectures, and that the students’ trust in credible sources seem to have been maintained and strengthened to some extent by lectures in source criticism, while the teaching also has contributed to critical attitudes towards the same sources in some respondents. Based on this, it is concluded that lectures in source criticism can have a negative impact on individual students trust in credible sources, and that educators need to reflect upon how they teach source criticism; what messages they send out and how these can be interpreted by their students. This is a two-year master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

I avhandlingen studeras elevers grundantaganden om världen, samt de grundantaganden som eleverna förknippar med fysiken. Det är utifrån de grundantaganden vi gör om hur världen är beskaffad som vi försöker tolka och förstå nya fenomen och företeelser vi möter, t.ex. i den naturvetenskapliga undervisningen. I avhandlingen ligger intresset primärt på grundantaganden som vanligtvis tas för givna i naturvetenskapen samt sådana som är av intresse för relationen mellan naturvetenskap och religion. För de empiriska studierna har ett specifikt område, nämligen universums uppkomst och utveckling samt existentiella frågor relaterade till detta, valts som ram för elevernas resonemang. Avhandlingen bygger på två studier. I den första studeras elevers skriftliga svar och uttalanden under intervjuer och i den andra studeras elevers gruppdiskussioner. Eleverna som deltar i de båda studierna går alla det tredje året på gymnasiet och läser kursen Fysik B. Resultaten visar att det finns elever som beskriver sin egen och fysikens syn på olika sätt. Detta gäller såväl frågor om universums uppkomst och utveckling som frågor om t.ex. relationen mellan naturvetenskap och religion. Resultaten visar vidare att de grundantaganden som vanligtvis underförstås i fysiken inte med självklarhet associeras med fysiken av eleverna. Detta kan göra det svårt för dem att förstå resonemang och modeller i fysiken. Resultaten visar vidare att det är vanligt att elever associerar scientistiska synsätt med fysiken. Scientism innebär att man menar att ingenting utom det som är åtkomligt för naturvetenskapen existerar. Detta uteslutet möjligheten att andra möjliga dimensioner av verkligheten än den materiella existerar. Att förknippa fysiken med antaganden som inte av nödvändighet måste förknippas med fysiken (t.ex. scientistiska synsätt) kan göra att elever, som inte själva delar dessa antaganden, får svårare att identifiera sig med fysiken och kanske t.o.m. väljer bort studier i fysik när möjlighet ges. / Students’ presuppositions about the world are studied, together with the presuppositions the students associate with physics. It is from the starting point of our presuppositions about what the world is like that we try to interpret and understand new phenomena that we meet, for example in science class. The thesis primarily focus on presuppositions usually taken for granted in science, and presuppositions that are of interest for the relationship between science and religion. A specific content area was chosen for the students reasoning in the empirical studies: the origin and development of the universe and existential questions related to that. The thesis builds upon two studies. In the first one students’ written answers and statements during interviews have been studied, and in the second one students’ groupdiscussions were studied. Students in both studies are in their last year of upper secondary school, and all of them study the course Physics B. The results show that there are students that describe their own view and the view of physics in different ways. This is valid both for questions about the origin and development of the universe, and for questions for example about the relationship between science and religion. The results also show that presuppositions that are usually taken for granted in physics, not necessarily are easily associated with physics by the students. This can make it hard for them to understand reasoning and models in physics. In addition to this the results also show that the students associate scientistic views with physics. Scientism states that nothing more than things that are in the realm of science exists. This exclude the possiblity that other dimensions than the material one exist. Associating physics with presuppositions that are not necessary for physics (for example scientistic views) can have consequences for students not sharing those views, i.e. they will have a harder time identifing themselves with physics. Perhaps they will choose not to study physics when given a choice.

The central role of education for sustainable development (SD) has been emphasized since the 1990s. SD involves the three areas of environment, economy and society, with a focus on the relationships between environmental protection and human development. Education for sustainable development (ESD) takes a holistic view on the environmental, economic and social dimensions of SD and aims to empower students to engage in the democratic development of society in a more sustainable direction. Policy-level and research community discussions have addressed the ways in which ESD has been implemented internationally. This study focuses on upper secondary students, and investigates their views on sustainability and the ways they make decisions related to SD. The study aims to address the interdisciplinary and multidimensional content embraced in the concept of SD and the development of competences often associated with ESD. A survey investigating students’ (n=638) sustainability consciousness (SC) and their decision-making in a number of SD related contexts was conducted in 15 Swedish upper secondary schools. The results show that students attending schools with an ESD profile are characterized by stronger SC than students attending regular schools; however the difference is small and mostly related to the economic dimension of SD. Furthermore, students who prioritize environmental decisions in SD dilemmas show stronger SC than students giving priority to economic reasons. When environmental, economic and social dimensions are introduced separately, social aspects are given the highest priority by the students. In contrast, environmental aspects are up-graded when the dimensions are introduced in an integrated manner. However, different dimensions are prioritized in different contexts. The study provides empirical support for using multiple contexts and including both harmonious and conflict-based perspectives on SD in education. It also contributes knowledge to the discussion about the implementation of ESD in Sweden in terms of outcomes among students. / This study addresses the interdisciplinary and multidimensional content embraced in the concept of sustainable development (SD) and the development of competences often associated with education for sustainable development (ESD). A survey was conducted among 638 students from 15 upper secondary schools, investigating their sustainability consciousness (SC) and their decision-making in relation to a number of sustainability dilemmas. The results showed that students attending schools with an ESD profile were characterized by stronger SC than students attending regular schools; however the difference between the groups was small and mostly related to the economic dimension of SD. Students who prioritized environmental decisions in SD dilemmas showed stronger SC than students who prioritized economic reasons. The SD dimensions were given varying importance depending on the context and whether a harmony-based or a conflict-based perspective on environmental, economic and social dimensions was used. The study provides support for using multiple perspectives and including both harmonious- and conflict-based perspectives on SD in education. It also contributes knowledge of the implementation of ESD in Sweden in terms of the student sustainability consciousness in the two groups.

This essay gives examples of possible ways to inspire young adults to become politically more aware and active using dystopian fiction in the EFL classroom. First, an overview of the dystopian genre and different ways of using it in the EFL classroom to improve critical thinking skills will be given. Subsequently, different scenes from The Hunger Games will be analyzed to show how young adults can be inspired to be more aware of social and environmental justice and to act. Finally, it is discussed why literary material in a classroom must relate to a student’s personal life and why the relevance must be explained to a student to raise their interest. As a conclusion, it is claimed that it cannot be expected that all students care for the world, but showing them why they should and how they could do it is a first step.

Syftet med den här studien var att göra en kvantitativ datainsamling för att kartlägga om det fanns ett samband mellan användning av sociala medier, spel- och studietimmar och stress hos gymnasieungdomar i årskurs 3. Mätinstrumenten som användes var Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS) och Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) samt två frågor om elevernas spel-och studietimmar.       Resultatet visade att det inte fanns några korrelationer som gav stöd för hypoteserna förutom när det gällde kvinnor, men eftersom de var underrepresenterade var det inte en stark sådan. Enligt resultaten för samband mellan stress, medieanvändning, studietimmar och speltimmar för kvinnor och män fanns det ett medelstarkt positivt samband mellan medieanvändning och studietimmar (r=.556), vilket innebar att ju större användning av sociala medier kvinnorna hade desto fler studietimmar hade de.       Lämplig framtida forskning skulle kunna vara kvantitativa longitudinella studier för att få en bredare analys. Som komplement skulle en kvalitativ intervjustudie kunna användas för djupare analyser inom området. / The aim of this study was to make a quantitative data collection to investigate the relationship between social media usage, time spent gaming, time spent studying and stress of upper secondary school students in grade 3. Two survey methods which were used in the study were Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and two questions concerning time spent gaming and time spent on homework.       The result showed no significant correlations to support the hypotheses except for women but as they were underrepresented the correlation was insignificant. According to the results as for the relationship between social media usage, time spent gaming, time spent studying and stress of upper secondary school students for men and women a medium strong positive correlation (r=.556) between social media usage and time spent on homework was found in the study which implies that the more social media usage for women, the more time spent studying. Future research should consider quantitative longitudinal studies for broader analyses. Qualitative studies with interviews would help achieving a deeper analysis in the field.

This study focuses on students in upper secondary school and their experiences of citizenship related to the school subject of social science. Education is a central part when describing adolescents’ citizenship because the school has a democratic commitment to form democratic citizens. The subject of social science has for various reasons become the subject where civic knowledge is mediated. The purpose of the study is to describe students experiences as citizens and to provide further understanding of how they relate to citizenship. The study also aims to examine their perceptions of the content in social science as part of the development of their citizenship. The empirical data consists of semi-structured interviews with seven upper secondary students between the ages of 17-19. The theoretical outset is based on a feminist approach to adolescents’ citizenship but is mainly focused on Lister’s four building blocks. Biesta’s three functions for good education is used to analyse the students’ perceptions of the subject social science. The results of this study indicate that social science is a superficial and broad subject. The subject contributes with knowledge and skills that can be related to what the students think is appropriate for a citizen to know. The knowledge and skills mentioned are to understand the structure of society, to discuss and be able to form an opinion and to be critical of what sources are being used. A citizenship, according to the students, is based on belonging, respect and solidarity, skills and to obey the laws. The results also show that their own experiences as citizens vary depending on situations that appear within their school. Their role as citizens is degraded because of their age and they are met with a lack of respect from older citizens. One of my conclusions is that the citizenship of upper secondary students can seem ambivalent because they are sometimes seen as adults and sometimes, they are seen as children. Another conclusion is that social science contributes to different civic skills which is also considered important for their interpretation of citizenship.

Brytpunkten från gymnasiet kan förstås som ett avgörande vägskäl med ett överflöd avvalmöjligheter för ungdomar. Syftet med denna studie var att genom en kvantitativenkätundersökning kartlägga hur gymnasieelever i år tre på naturvetenskaps-,samhällsvetenskaps-, och ekonomiprogrammet i Stockholms län planerade och motiverade sittval inför tiden efter gymnasiet och att se hur detta skilde sig åt utifrån bakgrundsfaktorerna kön,etnicitet och bostadsort, samt att få en översikt för hur gymnasieeleverna upplevde brytpunktenfrån gymnasiet och hur de såg på sin egen handlingshorisont. Resultatet analyserades sedanutifrån Hodkinson & Sparkes Careershipteori (1997, 2008) och visade att etnicitet såväl sombostadsort till viss del gjorde skillnad i hur elever planerade sina studie- och yrkesval. Valen attstudera vidare, arbeta eller ta sabbatsår motiverades främst av intresse, behov av paus frånstudier och att fundera på nästkommande val. Resultatet av studien visade även att majoritetenav respondenterna upplevde brytpunkten som halvt osäker men med en majoritet som vartillfredsställda med sina planerade val. Den främsta begränsningen vid det planerade valet somrespondenterna uppgav var betyg. / The turning point from upper secondary school can be understood as a definitive crossroadswith an abundance of choices for young people. The purpose of this study was to, through aquantitative survey, study how students in year three of the science, social sciences andeconomics program in Stockholm County planned and motivated their choice for the next phasein life, and to see how this differed based on the background factors gender, ethnicity and placeof residence, as well as to get an overview of how upper secondary school students experiencethe turning point from upper secondary school and how they see their own horizons for action.The results have then been analysed based on Hodkinson & Sparkes Careership Theory (1997,2008). The results showed that ethnicity as well as the students' place of residence to someextent made a difference in how the students planned their educational and career choices. Thechoice to study, work or take a sabbatical was mainly motivated by interest, the need for a breakfrom studies and to further plan for their future. We also concluded from the results of the studythat the majority of respondents experienced high to some satisfaction with their plannedchoice. Grades were what the students experienced as most limiting in planning for their future.

The aim of this thesis is to determine how English-language teaching in Sweden influences the subject-based communicative competence and language development in Swedish of upper secondary students. The focus is thus on the students’ mother tongue, i.e. the language which gets limited in the teaching practice within so-called content- and language-integrated learning (CLIL). Data was primarily collected by participatory observation in two science program classes, one taught in English and one in Swedish, during their three years in upper secondary school. Additional data was collected through interviews, questionnaires, audio taping of classroom interaction and writing tasks. This created conditions for a comprehensive and nuanced description and interpretation of the linguistic behaviour of teachers and students in the CLIL practice, as well as of the experiences and perceptions they report. Studies were carried out on classroom practice, student texts, and teacher and student experiences of CLIL instruction. These were linked to activity analysis, systemic-functional linguistics and ethnography of communication, i.e. research areas that emphasise the interplay between language, communication and social situation. The general conclusions are: (1) CLIL students use less relevant subject-based language in speech and writing than do control students. This holds for all subjects except Swedish, where both CLIL and control students share linguistic conditions; (2) Swedish is a prerequisite for the students’ own active, subject-based participation in classroom interaction. There is almost no interaction when the language of instruction is English; (3) English is an obstacle, and is also considered as such. The students avoid using English, and the teachers consistently use code-switching strategies in response to the policy that “language should not be an obstacle”. The results suggest that the CLIL environment is less conducive to learning, given current learning theories that focus on active participation. In the already teacher-dominated classroom, the linguistic and interactional demands that come with CLIL teaching seem to add to the challenge of assimilating advanced subject instruction.