The aim of this study is to explore criteria characterizing music teacher’s strategies when trying to adapt their teaching to individual students. The interaction of three music teachers with their students was explored in case studies in different parts of Sweden (a pre-study, and the main study consisting of two parallel studies). The research interest especially concerns teaching class ensemble addressing teenagers in the tuition provided under the curriculum of Swedish secondary and upper secondary school.  This study adopts the perspective of cultural psychology according to which learning is understood as being relational, taking place in a cultural context, depending on available cultural resources and affected by it. Cultural tools are considered mediators of meaning and crucial for learning. Of special interest to the present study are the ways in which teachers distribute knowledge to their students. Many-sided data were collected in all case studies: series of lessons were observed and video-documented; preliminary results were followed up in semi-structured interviews with the teachers, respectively. The results show similarities in the use of general strategies; e.g. peer-teaching and -learning in the classroom and flexibility in using and developing cultural tools. Results also show three diverging practices; rehearsal-room practice, supervisor-practice and ensemble-leading-practice. The results are discussed from a societal perspective, in light of Swedish School history. Issues concerning the government of the School and equivalence are addressed.  An unexpected result is that the concept “individually adapted ensemble teaching” may be understood very differently among music teachers actively involved in teachers’ education. The need for development of professional concepts is further underlined by the findings that teachers develop new cultural tools within different practices. This is discussed related to the framing of the central curricula.

<p>The objective with this study is to investigate the school introduction of newly arrived students, by focusing on the latter years of high school, by comparing two schools method of working.</p><p>This was done by a qualitative survey based on half structured interviews and existing school documentation.</p><p>The questions of the study targeted the schools method of working, how well the education was adapted to the students and if it was appropriate to them. We also asked about the school resources to meet the need of the newly arrived students. </p><p>Our theoretical assumptions were based on Haugs’ terms “including integration” and “excluding integration”, Lahdenperäs’ theory about intercultural education, Vygotskijs thoughts about adapted education and finally Blossings’ description of different cooperative cultures. Our results showed that school introduction for newly arrived students were formed from the schools’ view on learning development and adapted education. The schools knowledge about and approach to intercultural education, the competence and engagement of the leaders had all a great importance to how the school formed its education. The school with the most intercultural elements also had a more cooperative culture, efficient way of working and more resources to adapt the education to the students’ backgrounds, preconditions and needs. </p>

The objective with this study is to investigate the school introduction of newly arrived students, by focusing on the latter years of high school, by comparing two schools method of working. This was done by a qualitative survey based on half structured interviews and existing school documentation. The questions of the study targeted the schools method of working, how well the education was adapted to the students and if it was appropriate to them. We also asked about the school resources to meet the need of the newly arrived students. Our theoretical assumptions were based on Haugs’ terms “including integration” and “excluding integration”, Lahdenperäs’ theory about intercultural education, Vygotskijs thoughts about adapted education and finally Blossings’ description of different cooperative cultures. Our results showed that school introduction for newly arrived students were formed from the schools’ view on learning development and adapted education. The schools knowledge about and approach to intercultural education, the competence and engagement of the leaders had all a great importance to how the school formed its education. The school with the most intercultural elements also had a more cooperative culture, efficient way of working and more resources to adapt the education to the students’ backgrounds, preconditions and needs.