The thesis focuses on how students learn history in the classroom, more precisely on their possibilities and difficulties in developing competence in the school subject of history. There is a particular emphasis on how they explain and understand historical processes and concepts within the subject of history. Participants are students of different grades, 8–19 years old. The purpose of the study is to explore how students learn history in concrete learning situations and my focus is on the types of knowledge students understand, learn, develop and use in comparison with what they are expected to learn.  This is done based on three fundamental and well-established principles of learning. To examine what kinds of knowledge students need I use three main types of knowledge: declarative content knowledge (facts and concepts), procedural knowledge (knowledge about how to do things) and self-regulatory knowledge (knowledge about how to regulate our memory, thought and learning). I also use concepts and insights from systemic functional linguistics (SFL) in order to explain why the students use language and communicate the way they do. The thesis shows that history is challenging for young students. Young students have difficulties with complex and abstract concepts in history as they treat concepts as facts. Older, more competent, students use concepts on a more abstract level and use different kinds of linguistic resources when formulating explanations of higher complexity, more similar to the way explanations in the domain of history are commonly written. The youngest students and some of the older students lacked factual knowledge, concept knowledge, domain specific self-regulatory knowledge and linguistic resources. Declarative content knowledge and facts are more important and more difficult for young students to understand, develop, organize and learn than previous scholars have shown empirically. Students’ abilities to understand facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework and to organize and structure facts with the help of concepts at different level of abstraction (conceptual understanding) are crucial. Students also need linguistic resources, both lexical knowledge and knowledge of text structures. Language is crucial both in the process of acquiring knowledge and in the process of communication. In the learning process, teaching is crucial, since individual students’ potential to develop competence depend on the potential of the teacher to discover and engage their preconceptions and arrange for learning in a way that give students the kind of knowledge they need.

Det litterära reportaget skiljer sig från nyhetsjournalistiken i att det använder en litterär narrativ form för att återge ett verkligt innehåll. Till skillnad från skönlitteratur gör det litterära reportaget ett dokumentärt anspråk som förbinder reportageförfattaren med historien som berättas, och det som berättas måste förutom att vara sant också berättas på ett sätt som hedrar det dokumentära anspråket. Det dokumentära anspråket ger upphov till narrativa begränsningar och i reportage om historiska händelser framträder dessa narrativa begränsningar tydligt eftersom reporterns tidsmässiga och rumsliga belägenhet begränsar möjligheten att införskaffa erfarenheter av den historia som berättas. Den här uppsatsen undersöker de narrativa formbegränsningar som det dokumentära anspråket ger upphov till. Syftet är att genom en narratologisk analys av historiska reportage undersöka de narrativa strategier författarna använder sig av för att dramatisera ett verklighetsbaserat innehåll. Den narratologiska analysen operationaliseras genom att Gérard Genettes narratologiska kategorier appliceras som analytiska kategorier i en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av tio stycken historiska reportage. Analysen visar att de narratologiska begränsningarna framträder tydligt med avseende på kategorierna modus och röst. Medan berättarens möjligheter att laborerar med berättelsens tempus påverkades i mindre utsträckning. För att motverka de narratologiska begränsningarna använder sig författarna av ett antal strategier för att återskapa sinnesintryck. I analysen framkommer också att författarna använder skriftliga källor dels för att skapa mindre distans mellan berättare och historia, men också för att stärka den dokumentära läsupplevelsen.

<p>History has always been a doctrine with several qualities. Control over historical documentation has long served as a power tool for great men, where the victor wrote history as he or she wanted to. But history has never been exclusive to those who hold power - on the contrary, history is a central part of each individual's life, whether it is true or false. It gives an understanding of why the world looks as it does, gives the identity, related and confirms the origin as well as inspire the epic hero tales that are not always completely true. Within school, the Swedish National Agency for Education instructs that:</p><p>The subject aims to stimulate students' curiosity and desire to broaden their world in a time dimension. [...] It also aims to develop critical thinking and an analytical approach as a tool to understand and explain society and people's lifestyles. This enhances the ability to be critical both for the historical sources for the texts and other media in our time.[1]</p><p>Just the question of what is true and invented has always been important to historians, of which the central concept of source criticism. However, the truth has never been the operator of an epic hero story forward - something they often see in Hollywood films and other popular culture where the story adorned and adjusted to best appeal to the audience. That history is the basis for the epic masterpiece, however, nothing that occurred with the birth of Hollywood films. Already during the Middle Ages, the Norwegian King Sverre, who died at the beginning of the 1200's, said that "<em>the</em> <em>lying sagas were the funniest</em>."</p><p>Sverre was not alone in experiencing the untrue tales as the funniest. Previous research argues that the majorities of the school’s students share his view and would prefer popular culture as an alternative of solid historical documentation. The dilemma with this is that school requires that students must develop critical thinking and create a picture of human history that is correct, which in turn requires one to take on reliable sources, who unfortunately are not always perceived as particularly amusing. Popular culture, however, has no requirement to be historically accurate, something that contributes to the creation of historical myths among some pupils.</p><p>This study therefore aims to increase the understanding of how teachers and students relate to historical sources and popular culture that uses a historical background to weave fiction.        The study confirms previous research concerning students 'and teachers' approach to history in terms of historical sources and popular culture, historical links. The study also shows that the difference within students and teachers attitudes in many cases can lead to negative results in which students lose interest of history - as well as some students find the teacher's broad historical knowledge stimulating. Finally, the study shows, based on empirical data collected (with support from previous research) why popular culture with historical themes are relevant to history teaching, and how the same popular culture can be implemented in teaching.</p><p>[1] Translation from Swedish - Skolverkets kursplan för Historia på gymnasiet: (2009-10-03) http://www3.skolverket.se/ki03/front.aspx?sprak=SV&ar=0910&infotyp=8&skolform=21&id=HI&extraId=</p><p> </p> / <p>Historia har alltid varit en lära som besuttit flera kvalitéer. Kontrollen över historiedokumentering har länge fungerat som maktredskap för stormän, där segraren skrivit historien som han eller hon önskat att den ska se ut. Men historia har aldrig varit exklusivt för de som håller makten - tvärt om; historia är en central del av varje individs liv, vare sig den är sann eller falsk. Den skänker en förståelse för varför världen ser ut som den gör, ger identitet, hänför och bekräftar ursprung likväl som den inspirerar med storslagna hjältesagor som inte alltid är helt sanna. Inom skolan instruerar skolverket att:</p><p> </p><p>Ämnet syftar till att stimulera elevernas nyfikenhet och lust att vidga sin omvärld i en tidsdimension.[…] Syftet är också att utveckla ett kritiskt tänkande och ett analytiskt betraktelsesätt som redskap för att förstå och förklara samhället och människors levnadsmönster. Detta gynnar förmågan att stå kritisk såväl inför historiska källor som inför texter och andra medier i vår tid.[1]</p><p> </p><p>Just frågan gällande vad som är sant och påhittat har alltid varit viktig för historiker, därav det centrala begreppet källkritik. Dock har sanningen aldrig varit det som driver en episk hjältesaga framåt - något som ofta syns i Hollywoodfilmer och annan populärkultur där historien smyckats och anpassats för att bäst tilltala publiken. Att historia ligger till grund för episka mästerverk är emellertid ingenting som uppstod med Hollywoodfilmernas födelse. Redan på medeltiden skall den norske konungen Sverre som dog i början av 1200 talet ha yttrat att ”lögnsagorna var de roligaste”[2].</p><p>Sverre var emellertid inte ensam om att uppleva lögnsagorna som de roligaste. Tidigare forskning hävdar att majoriteten av skolans elever delar hans uppfattning och föredrar sådan populärkultur framför gedigen historiedokumentation. Dilemmat med detta är att skolan ställer krav på att eleverna skall utveckla ett kritiskt tänkande och skapa sig en bild av mänsklighetens historia som är korrekt, någonting som kräver att man tar till sig tillförlitliga källor som olyckligtvis inte alltid uppfattas som särskilt roliga. Populärkulturen har emellertid inga krav på sig att vara historiskt korrekt, någonting som bidrar till historisk mytbildning hos vissa elever.</p><p>Denna studie ämnar således öka förståelsen för hur lärare och elever förhåller sig till historiska källor och populärkultur som använder sig av en historisk bakgrund för att väva fiktiva berättelser.</p><p>Studien bekräftar tidigare forskning gällande elever och lärares förhållningssätt till historia vad gäller historiska <em>källor </em>och populärkulturens <em>historiska länkar</em><em><strong>[3]</strong></em>. Studien visar även att skillnaden i elever och lärares förhållningssätt i många fall kan leda till negativa resultat där elever tappar intresse för historia - likväl som att vissa elever finner lärarens breda historiska kunskap stimulerande. Slutligen redovisar studien, utifrån den empiriska data som samlats in med stöd från tidigare forskning varför populärkultur med historiskt tema är relevant för historieundervisning, samt hur denna populärkultur kan implementeras i undervisningen.</p><p>[1] Skolverkets kursplan för Historia på gymnasiet: (2009-10-03) http://www3.skolverket.se/ki03/front.aspx?sprak=SV&ar=0910&infotyp=8&skolform=21&id=HI&extraId=</p><p>[2] Lönnroth<em> </em>(2006) <em>Njals saga</em>: 12</p><p>[3] Se rubrik: <em>2.3 Skillnaden mellan historiska källor och historiska länkar som historiska referenser.</em></p><p> </p>

The purpose of this bachelor's thesis in social work has been to examine whether society's perception of poverty and poor people has changed over the more than 160 years have passed since the first national Poor regulation was enacted in Sweden. With a social constructionist approach and inspired by the critical discourse analysis we have conducted two studies to find answers to what differences and similarities between the concepts of scanty care (1847) and standards of living (2002). A study based on previous research was conducted to examine how society's perception of poverty has changed and designed in a historical perspective. We also conducted a textual analysis of relevant legal texts and legislative history to show how these texts reflect the society's official view of poverty based interventions targeted to poor people. The two sub-studies show that the concepts at different times in history has been crucial for the community support poor people were entitled to. Our overall conclusion is that despite today's advanced social policy there are many obvious similarities between the concepts of scanty care and standards of living. For example, there are similarities in the conjecture-driven individuals for warranted to support and which counterclaims society put on the individuals who are in need of society's ultimate financial safety net.

History has always been a doctrine with several qualities. Control over historical documentation has long served as a power tool for great men, where the victor wrote history as he or she wanted to. But history has never been exclusive to those who hold power - on the contrary, history is a central part of each individual's life, whether it is true or false. It gives an understanding of why the world looks as it does, gives the identity, related and confirms the origin as well as inspire the epic hero tales that are not always completely true. Within school, the Swedish National Agency for Education instructs that: The subject aims to stimulate students' curiosity and desire to broaden their world in a time dimension. [...] It also aims to develop critical thinking and an analytical approach as a tool to understand and explain society and people's lifestyles. This enhances the ability to be critical both for the historical sources for the texts and other media in our time.[1] Just the question of what is true and invented has always been important to historians, of which the central concept of source criticism. However, the truth has never been the operator of an epic hero story forward - something they often see in Hollywood films and other popular culture where the story adorned and adjusted to best appeal to the audience. That history is the basis for the epic masterpiece, however, nothing that occurred with the birth of Hollywood films. Already during the Middle Ages, the Norwegian King Sverre, who died at the beginning of the 1200's, said that "the lying sagas were the funniest." Sverre was not alone in experiencing the untrue tales as the funniest. Previous research argues that the majorities of the school’s students share his view and would prefer popular culture as an alternative of solid historical documentation. The dilemma with this is that school requires that students must develop critical thinking and create a picture of human history that is correct, which in turn requires one to take on reliable sources, who unfortunately are not always perceived as particularly amusing. Popular culture, however, has no requirement to be historically accurate, something that contributes to the creation of historical myths among some pupils. This study therefore aims to increase the understanding of how teachers and students relate to historical sources and popular culture that uses a historical background to weave fiction.        The study confirms previous research concerning students 'and teachers' approach to history in terms of historical sources and popular culture, historical links. The study also shows that the difference within students and teachers attitudes in many cases can lead to negative results in which students lose interest of history - as well as some students find the teacher's broad historical knowledge stimulating. Finally, the study shows, based on empirical data collected (with support from previous research) why popular culture with historical themes are relevant to history teaching, and how the same popular culture can be implemented in teaching. [1] Translation from Swedish - Skolverkets kursplan för Historia på gymnasiet: (2009-10-03) http://www3.skolverket.se/ki03/front.aspx?sprak=SV&amp;ar=0910&amp;infotyp=8&amp;skolform=21&amp;id=HI&amp;extraId= / Historia har alltid varit en lära som besuttit flera kvalitéer. Kontrollen över historiedokumentering har länge fungerat som maktredskap för stormän, där segraren skrivit historien som han eller hon önskat att den ska se ut. Men historia har aldrig varit exklusivt för de som håller makten - tvärt om; historia är en central del av varje individs liv, vare sig den är sann eller falsk. Den skänker en förståelse för varför världen ser ut som den gör, ger identitet, hänför och bekräftar ursprung likväl som den inspirerar med storslagna hjältesagor som inte alltid är helt sanna. Inom skolan instruerar skolverket att:   Ämnet syftar till att stimulera elevernas nyfikenhet och lust att vidga sin omvärld i en tidsdimension.[…] Syftet är också att utveckla ett kritiskt tänkande och ett analytiskt betraktelsesätt som redskap för att förstå och förklara samhället och människors levnadsmönster. Detta gynnar förmågan att stå kritisk såväl inför historiska källor som inför texter och andra medier i vår tid.[1]   Just frågan gällande vad som är sant och påhittat har alltid varit viktig för historiker, därav det centrala begreppet källkritik. Dock har sanningen aldrig varit det som driver en episk hjältesaga framåt - något som ofta syns i Hollywoodfilmer och annan populärkultur där historien smyckats och anpassats för att bäst tilltala publiken. Att historia ligger till grund för episka mästerverk är emellertid ingenting som uppstod med Hollywoodfilmernas födelse. Redan på medeltiden skall den norske konungen Sverre som dog i början av 1200 talet ha yttrat att ”lögnsagorna var de roligaste”[2]. Sverre var emellertid inte ensam om att uppleva lögnsagorna som de roligaste. Tidigare forskning hävdar att majoriteten av skolans elever delar hans uppfattning och föredrar sådan populärkultur framför gedigen historiedokumentation. Dilemmat med detta är att skolan ställer krav på att eleverna skall utveckla ett kritiskt tänkande och skapa sig en bild av mänsklighetens historia som är korrekt, någonting som kräver att man tar till sig tillförlitliga källor som olyckligtvis inte alltid uppfattas som särskilt roliga. Populärkulturen har emellertid inga krav på sig att vara historiskt korrekt, någonting som bidrar till historisk mytbildning hos vissa elever. Denna studie ämnar således öka förståelsen för hur lärare och elever förhåller sig till historiska källor och populärkultur som använder sig av en historisk bakgrund för att väva fiktiva berättelser. Studien bekräftar tidigare forskning gällande elever och lärares förhållningssätt till historia vad gäller historiska källor och populärkulturens historiska länkar[3]. Studien visar även att skillnaden i elever och lärares förhållningssätt i många fall kan leda till negativa resultat där elever tappar intresse för historia - likväl som att vissa elever finner lärarens breda historiska kunskap stimulerande. Slutligen redovisar studien, utifrån den empiriska data som samlats in med stöd från tidigare forskning varför populärkultur med historiskt tema är relevant för historieundervisning, samt hur denna populärkultur kan implementeras i undervisningen. [1] Skolverkets kursplan för Historia på gymnasiet: (2009-10-03) http://www3.skolverket.se/ki03/front.aspx?sprak=SV&amp;ar=0910&amp;infotyp=8&amp;skolform=21&amp;id=HI&amp;extraId= [2] Lönnroth (2006) Njals saga: 12 [3] Se rubrik: 2.3 Skillnaden mellan historiska källor och historiska länkar som historiska referenser.

The aim of the study is to show how children and adults are described in three picture books, examining how children and adults are portrayed in text-and-picture narrative and how this has changed over time. We have analysed how the characters in the books are presented and how the representation of children and adults has changed in our own times. The material for the study consists of three picture books from different periods, with the focus on how children and adults are described as the common point of departure. The analysed picture books are: Tomtebobarnen (Beskow 1919), Aja baja, Alfons Åberg! (Bergström 1972) and Snäll (Dahle 2008). We have arrived at the conclusion that a text-and-picture narrative is in very large measure a reflection of the outlook on children, childhood and child rearing at the time when the book was published. The result shows that the greatest change that has happened is that parents’ and adults’ dominance in the books has declined over the years, and that children have been given a more prominent role. The children’s own feelings and opinions are more in the centre, both in reality and in picture books. We hope that teachers in school will find that this study can contribute to further reflection on the picture books that are used in teaching

This thesis by publication contains an introductory summary chapter and three papers. The first paper presents a study of how the concept of historical consciousness has been defined, applied, and justified in Swedish history didactical research. It finds that there is consensus regarding the definition of what a historical consciousness is, but that there is variation in how the concept is applied. It is suggested that this variation makes historical con­sciousness a complex and vague concept.      The second paper uses the results presented in the first paper as a point of departure and from thence argues for a broadened understanding of the concept of historical consciousness that incorporates its definition, applica­tion, development, and significance. The study includes research about his­torical consciousness primarily from Sweden, the UK, the USA and Canada. The paper presents a typology of historical consciousness and argues that level of contextualisation is what distinguishes different types of historical consciousnesses and that an ability to contextualise is also what makes his­torical consciousness an important concept for identity constitution and morality.      The third paper proposes a methodological framework of historical con­sciousness based on the theory of historical consciosusness presented in the second paper. It presents arguments for why the framework of historical consciousness proposed can be useful for the analysis of historical media and it discusses how aspects of the framework can be applied in analysis. It then presents a textbook analysis that has been performed according to the stipulated framework and discusses its results regarding how textbooks can be used to analyse historical consciousness and its development. / Forskarskolan Historiska Medier (ForHiM)

The aim of this study is to examine the temporary museum exhibit World of the Vikings (Welt der Wikinger), created by Sweden’s Statens Historia Museum (SHM), through the lenses of  gender and pedagogical analysis. The exhibit which was planned to be showcased in the German city of Kiel in time for the sailing Olympics in 1972 and had several goals in mind. The primary goals were to showcase models of Viking ships and achievements of their ship art (to coincide with the sailing Olympics), provide an overview of the Viking Age and showcasing all its different aspects as opposed to just the infamous warrior. Using a gender theory and the overarching analyst method ‘The Feminist Museum Hack’, primarily utilizing a discourse analysis and a visual method (as well as comparative reading, a quantitative method and content analysis, depending on which objects were analysed), this study examines archival material of the exhibit in order to unveil both gender and pedagogical aspects. The material used, consisting of protocols, memos, exhibition texts, booth overviews (consisting of photographs), catalogues and letter correspondents, provide an extensive look into the exhibit, its purposes as well as the overall structure. The main findings of this study are that the exhibit had a clear pedagogical goal in mind, as its content was divided into different parts and chapters to detail various parts of the Viking Age, including their everyday life. Several artifacts collected from various museums were showcased, and the exhibition texts were designed to both educate its visitors and inspire to seek further knowledge. Nuancing gender roles was not part of its purpose, which is confirmed by a gender analysis of the exhibit. A significant portion of the Nordic people mentioned were men while only a few women were mentioned, but  most of the featured men and women were also from a higher hierarchical standing. In terms of expression of gender and gender roles, men were the primary focus in describing and showcasing everyday Nordic life, whereas the women remained passive and secondary. Through the exhibit material, it is clear the roles and chores performed by men were deemed of a higher importance.

This thesis by publication contains an introductory summary chapter and three papers. The first paper presents a study of how the concept of historical consciousness has been defined, applied, and justified in Swedish history didactical research. It finds that there is consensus regarding the definition of what a historical consciousness is, but that there is variation in how the concept is applied. It is suggested that this variation makes historical con­sciousness a complex and vague concept.      The second paper uses the results presented in the first paper as a point of departure and from thence argues for a broadened understanding of the concept of historical consciousness that incorporates its definition, applica­tion, development, and significance. The study includes research about his­torical consciousness primarily from Sweden, the UK, the USA and Canada. The paper presents a typology of historical consciousness and argues that level of contextualisation is what distinguishes different types of historical consciousnesses and that an ability to contextualise is also what makes his­torical consciousness an important concept for identity constitution and morality.      The third paper proposes a methodological framework of historical con­sciousness based on the theory of historical consciosusness presented in the second paper. It presents arguments for why the framework of historical consciousness proposed can be useful for the analysis of historical media and it discusses how aspects of the framework can be applied in analysis. It then presents a textbook analysis that has been performed according to the stipulated framework and discusses its results regarding how textbooks can be used to analyse historical consciousness and its development. / Forskarskolan Historiska Medier (ForHiM)

A test of combining retrogressive analysis of historic maps of the Sigtuna area villages Billby, Bärmö, Eneby, Til and Venngarn from the seventeenth century with archaeobotanical results pertaining to the tenth, eleventh and twelfth century. The study examines meadow distribution and character while aiming to determine to what extent retrogressive and archaeobotanical methods can compliment each other. Through the combination of methods, landscape change is discussed.  I explore how these meadows changed from the eleventh century to the seventeenth, which meadows could reasonably be presumed to have originated in prehistoric or early historic times and whether the hypothetical habitats produced by a previous archaeobotanical study of Sigtuna macrofossils could be tied to the meadows. The study shows that the grassland was generally wetter in the eleventh century, and that thirteen out of twenty meadows may have originated already in prehistoric time and been more or less continually mowed until at least late seventeenth century. Wet meadows, calcareous wet meadows, water meadows and potentially calcareous fens could be detected in the investigated area. The study shows that the multi-disciplinary approach as well as source pluralism indeed results in a beneficial analysis synergy and that the meadows in question are possible points of origin for the macrofossils from some of Sigtuna’s oldest strata.