Sweden has an integrative approach to religious education and the classroom is a platform for religious plurality. At the same time, school is one of the sources for youth to get their information about religions. The aim of this thesis was to describe how teachers of religious education in Sweden perceive their own teaching in relation to a religiously diverse context. The research questions were as follows: How do upper secondary school teachers of religious education describe their teaching, as taken place in a religiously diverse classroom, as well as a religiously diverse society? and How can we understand the image of religious diversity which is being conveyed by the teachers', in relation to James A. Beckford's clarification of the concept religious pluralism. By using an inductive qualitative content analysis, four semi-structured interviews with upper secondary school teachers of religious education were analysed. Through the results three themes emerged, which were: motivations, selection strategies and teaching strategies. To understand how these were related to religious diversity in society as well as in the classroom the results were analysed from a didactics perspective. To understand the image of religious pluralism that was constructed in the teacher’s descriptions James A. Beckford’s concept of religious pluralism was applied To conclude, the results answer to the questions of didactics. The religious diversity within the classroom emphasizes the question of how the teaching is conducted, while the religious diversity in society emphasizes the question of what is being taught. The question of “why” relates to both the diversity in the classroom as well as society. The description mirrors different forms of religious diversity. The teachers’ aim is to generate recognition and acceptance towards religious diversity which is in line with the curriculum. The teachers’ description of the content constructs an image of the level of religious diversity which relates to what is current in society. The religious diversity in the classroom is also described to have a certain positive value for the teachers as it allows different teaching strategies to be used.

Under år 2015 genomförde en forskargrupp vid Luleå tekniska universitet en landsomfattande undersökning av gymnasielärares arbetsvillkor. Undersökningen bestod av 57 kvantitativa- och två kvalitativa delfrågor (Parding, m. fl., 2018). Den här undersökningen baseras på kvalitativ tolkning av 1.443 gymnasielärares öppna svar på de två öppna kvalitativa del-frågorna. Studien avser att identifiera faktorer som de offentlig- och aktiebolagsanställda gymnasielärarna anser utgör såväl möjligheter som hinder och utmaningar i deras yrke avseende arbetsmiljö och arbetsvillkor. Studien avser även att studera huruvida det föreligger skillnader och/eller likheter mellan gymnasielärares uppfattningar utifrån huvudmannaskap och vilka faktorer som påverkar gymnasielärarnas beslut att stanna respektive lämna yrket. För att bättre förstå och förklara studiens resultat nyttjas Robert Karasek och Töres Theorells (1990) två- och tredimensionella modeller avseende psykosocial arbetsmiljö. Resultatet tyder på att det råder en utbredd samstämmighet kring flertalet uppfattningar om yrket bland såväl offentlig- som aktiebolagsanställda gymnasielärare. Av resultatet framgår att majoriteten av gymnasielärarna, oavsett huvuvdman, upplever kommunaliseringen, friskole-reformen, de högt ställda kraven, de administrativa arbetsuppgifterna och bristen på kring-personal i skolan som yrkets största hinder. Vidare framgår det att de flesta gymnasielärare anser att lönenivån, yrkets status och bristande socialt stöd från skolledare utgör hinder i deras arbete. De anser därtill att det är inom dessa områden som de viktigaste förbättringsmöjlig-heterna finns och faktorerna anges samtidigt som skäl till att lämna yrket. Gymnasielärarna efterfrågar dessutom mer kompetensutveckling och samverkan i allmänhet och inom det egna undervisningsämnet i synnerhet. Merparten av gymnasielärarna anser att undervisningen är det bästa med yrket och är anledningen till att de stannar kvar i yrket. Av resultatet kan inte tydliga skillnader skönjas mellan offentlig- och aktiebolagsanställda gymnasielärares upp-fattningar kring yrket. De skillnader som kan skönjas i resultatet kan snarare tolkas bero på den enskilde gymnasielärarens specifika arbetssituation än på huvudmannaskap. Resultatet stödjer Karasek och Theorells (1990) teorier om att den psykosociala arbetsmiljön påverkas av gymnasielärarnas upplevelse av krav och kontroll i det egna arbetet och socialt stöd från ledare och kollegor. / During the year of 2015, a research group at Luleå University of Technology conducted a nationwide survey of upper secondary school teachers' working conditions. The study consisted of 57 quantitative- and two qualitative sub-questions (Parding, et al., 2018). This study is based on qualitative interpretation of 1,443 upper secondary school teachers' open answers to the two open qualitative sub-questions. The study intends to identify factors that public- and private sector employed upper secondary school teachers consider to be opportunities, obstacles and challenges in their profession, in regards of work environment and working conditions. The study also intends to study whether there are differences and/or similarities between public- and private sector employed upper secondary school teachers' perceptions about their work situation. Moreover the study intends to study what factors affect the upper secondary school teachers' decision to stay or leave the profession. In order to better understand and explain the study's results, Robert Karasek and Töres Theorells (1990) two- and three dimensional models regarding psychosocial work environment are used. The result suggests that there is widespread consensus among the public- and the private sector employed upper secondary school teachers’ perceptions of the profession. The result shows that the majority of upper secondary school teachers experience the municipalization, the free-school reform, the high demands, the administrative tasks and the lack of staff in the school as the greatest obstacle to the profession. Furthermore, most of the upper secondary school teachers in this study consider that the salary level, the profession's status and lack of support from school leaders constitute obstacles in their work. They also consider that it is in these areas that the most important improvement opportunities exist, but also constitute reasons for leaving the profession. The upper secondary school teachers also demand more skill development and collaboration in general and within their own teaching subject in particular. Most of the upper secondary school teachers indicate that teaching is the part of the profession that is the profession's main merit and is the reason why they stay in the profession. In the result, no clear differences can be discerned between public and private sector upper secondary school teachers' perceptions of the profession. The differences that can be discerned in the result can rather be interpreted due to the specific work situation of the individual upper secondary school teacher than to the management. The result supports Karasek and Theorells (1990) theories that the psychosocial work environment is influenced by the upper secondary school teachers' experience of demand and control at work and social support from leaders and colleagues. During the year of 2015, a research group at Luleå University of Technology conducted a nationwide survey of upper secondary school teachers' working conditions. The study consisted of 57 quantitative- and two qualitative sub-questions (Parding, et al., 2018). This study is based on qualitative interpretation of 1,443 upper secondary school teachers' open answers to the two open qualitative sub-questions. The study intends to identify factors that public- and private sector employed upper secondary school teachers consider to be opportunities, obstacles and challenges in their profession, in regards of work environment and working conditions. The study also intends to study whether there are differences and/or similarities between public- and private sector employed upper secondary school teachers' perceptions about their work situation. Moreover the study intends to study what factors affect the upper secondary school teachers' decision to stay or leave the profession. In order to better understand and explain the study's results, Robert Karasek and Töres Theorells (1990) two- and three dimensional models regarding psychosocial work environment are used. The result suggests that there is widespread consensus among the public- and the private sector employed upper secondary school teachers’ perceptions of the profession. The result shows that the majority of upper secondary school teachers experience the municipalization, the free-school reform, the high demands, the administrative tasks and the lack of staff in the school as the greatest obstacle to the profession. Furthermore, most of the upper secondary school teachers in this study consider that the salary level, the profession's status and lack of support from school leaders constitute obstacles in their work. They also consider that it is in these areas that the most important improvement opportunities exist, but also constitute reasons for leaving the profession. The upper secondary school teachers also demand more skill development and collaboration in general and within their own teaching subject in particular. Most of the upper secondary school teachers indicate that teaching is the part of the profession that is the profession's main merit and is the reason why they stay in the profession. In the result, no clear differences can be discerned between public and private sector upper secondary school teachers' perceptions of the profession. The differences that can be discerned in the result can rather be interpreted due to the specific work situation of the individual upper secondary school teacher than to the management. The result supports Karasek and Theorells (1990) theories that the psychosocial work environment is influenced by the upper secondary school teachers' experience of demand and control at work and social support from leaders and colleagues.

Religious education teachers in modern secular countries like Sweden are faced with many challenges. For example: how do the teachers encourage students to talk about religion when religion is largely understood as a private matter? Kittelmann Flensner found in her 2015 study that Swedish schools operate under what she calls a secularist discourse. This paper aims to examine that claim by analysing interviews with active Swedish religious education teachers. By applying Systematic text condensation to four transcribed interviews and analysing the results, this paper looks at what traces of a secularist discourse that can be found. Furthermore, the paper aims to answer how teachers relate to a secularist discourse and what didactic choices they make to encourage their students to talk about religion.To analyse these questions Kittelmann Flensner’s term secularist discourse is used along with Shiner and Casanova’s views on secularism. In terms of the didactic perspective, Hartman’s presentation of the didactic questions is used to analyse some of the methods teachers describe in the material. In short, my results show that Kittelmann Flensner might have generalized her results when it comes to viewing religion as a private matter in the classroom. Additionally, Casanova’s view on secularisation can explain only a few instances of public religion in the classroom. My conclusion is that the secularist discourse may be present in many classrooms but with exceptions in some multi-religious classes. My conclusion regarding the didactic analysis is that religious education teachers who want their students to talk more about religion need to do mainly three things; get to know their students well, spark interest among the students and bridge the gap between talking about religion in private and in public.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between physical activity, social support and hardiness as predictors of occupational stress in Swedish upper secondary school teachers. Effects with respect to gender were also examined. A convenience sample of teachers (n=145) from three different municipalities participated in a cross-sectional survey. The results indicated that physical activity, social support and hardiness significantly predicted the level of occupational stress in upper secondary school teachers. Despite female teachers reporting significantly higher levels of stress compared to males, no interaction effects between gender and physical activity, social support or hardiness were found. In summary, physical activity, social support and hardiness appear to provide stress buffering effects for male and female teachers alike. Implications of the findings and suggestions for further research are discussed. / Målet med denna studie var att undersöka förhållandet mellan fysisk aktivitet, socialt stöd och stresstålighet som prediktorer av arbetsrelaterad stress hos svenska gymnasielärare. Könsskillnader för respektive effekt på nivå av stress undersöktes. Ett bekvämlighetsurval av lärare (n=145) från tre olika kommuner deltog i vår tvärsnittsstudie. Resultaten pekade på att fysisk aktivitet, socialt stöd och stresstålighet signifikant predicerar nivån av arbetsrelaterad stress hos gymnasielärare. Trots att kvinnliga lärare rapporterade signifikant högre nivåer av arbetsrelaterad stress i jämförelse med manliga lärare fann vi ingen signifikant interaktionseffekt mellan kön och fysisk aktivitet, socialt stöd eller stresstålighet. Sammanfattningsvis framstår det som att fysisk aktivitet, socialt stöd och stresstålighet förser stresskyddande effekter för både manliga och kvinnliga lärare. Implikationer av fynden och förslag på framtida forskning diskuteras.

Jernkontoret är svenska stålindustrins branschorganisation. 2013 startade de projektet Järnkoll vars syfte är att inspirera unga att söka jobb inom stålindustrin. Järnkoll jobbar främst mot gymnasieskolor och de har en modell där det ingår fyra träffar. Dessa träffar är tre föreläsningar och ett studiebesök. Syftet med denna studie är att utvärdera Järnkoll ur gymnasielärarnas perspektiv. Fokus har legat på hur lärarna uppfattar samt arbetar med Järnkoll och dess material. Ett ytterligare syfte är att utifrån lärarnas önskemål försöka ta fram ett förslag på en förbättrad modell till Järnkoll.De teoretiska utgångspunkterna tar huvudsakligen avstamp i det sociokulturella perspektivet. Vidare lyfts också olika definitioner av nätverk och partnerskap skrivna av Svensson (2014) och Nilsson (2004). För modellen har Fertmans (1994) idéer om service learning och hur de ska appliceras tagit i beaktande. I studien har elva lärare som jobbar på gymnasieskolor som har samarbete med Järnkoll intervjuats. Vidare har två personer som är sakkunniga inom kompetensförsörjningsfrågor från näringslivet intervjuats. Samtliga intervjuer har transkriberats och sedan bearbetats för att dels besvara forskningsfrågorna men även för att ta fram underlag för en förbättrad modell för Järnkoll. Resultaten visar att lärarna överlag är nöja med grundidén men det behövs mer arbete för att de ska bli helt nöjda. Det största problemet just nu verkar vara att det inte blivit så mycket samarbete de senaste åren. Resultaten visar också att materialet inte används. Som avslutning visas den förbättringsmodell som tagits fram utifrån lärarnas önskemål. / Jernkontoret is the Swedish steel industry's industry organization. In 2013 they started the Järnkoll project the purpose of which is to inspire young people to apply for jobs in the steel industry. Järnkoll works mainly with upper secondary schools and they have a model that includes four meetings. These meetings are three lectures and a study visit. The purpose of this study is to evaluate Järnkoll from the upper secondary schools’ teachers' perspective. The focus has been on how the teachers perceive and work with Järnkoll and its materials. An additional purpose is to try to produce a proposal for an improved model for Järnkoll based on the teachers' wishes.The theoretical starting points are mainly based on the socio-cultural perspective. Furthermore, various definitions of networks and partnerships written by Svensson (2014) and Nilsson (2004) are also highlighted. For the model, Fertman's (1994) ideas about service learning and how they should be applied have been considered.In the study, eleven teachers who work at upper secondary schools that collaborate with Järnkoll were interviewed. Furthermore, two people who are experts in skills supply issues from the business community have been interviewed. All interviews have been transcribed and then processed to answer the research questions but also to produce a basis for an improved model for Järnkoll.The results show that the teachers are generally satisfied with the basic idea, but more work is needed for them to be completely satisfied. The biggest problem right now seems to be that there has not been much collaboration in recent years. The results also show that the material is not used. In conclusion, the improvement model developed based on the teachers' wishes is shown.

Throughout the 1900s, the English subject has gone through massive change in the Swedish school system. The main focus has always been on the British standard, with the United Kingdom as the model for all who study English or educate students. In the past decades, the American standard has been increasingly popular amongst the younger generations which leads to a mismatch between the experiences in school versus the ones outside of school. In light of Brexit and a shift away from Britain, there is cause to believe that this will also impact the educational system. With Euro-English being discussed amongst English scholars, there is reason to believe in a trickle-down effect on young students and teachers as well. This study consists of a survey as well as semi- structured interviews to see what attitude students and teachers have towards British English, American English as well as Euro-English. It will also investigate what impact that may have on the education system as of now as well as the future if nothing changes or if there is no change in the curriculum. The results show growing interest in American English or variations such as Euro-English that are the result of mixture. The results also show teachers being hesitant towards Euro-English, but with an interest due to the value of English varieties overall. Furthermore, the results may be an indicator of an upcoming gap in the education system if Euro-English remains ignored.