Published Article / The central theme of this article is to investigate the potential advantages to school management and teacher training in South Africa of an aesthetic approach or arts-based staff development. It is argued that the field of education with its specific body of professional and scientific knowledge seems unable to offer satisfying solutions to pressing problems in post-apartheid South African schools. It is suggested that the arts should be explored for answers and solutions. The opinions and attitudes of school management teams from some of the poorest schools in the Free State Province of South Africa were analysed in order to gauge whether any positive change had occurred in their professional knowledge, confidence and self awareness after the said teams had been exposed to arts-based staff training and learning workshops. The positive change that was detected may be ascribable to the application of an aesthetic approach being followed during in-service workshops. Statistical analysis of the pre- and post-unit responses of 117 attendants of management training workshops indicated that there had indeed been some statistically significant improvements in their professional knowledge, in their confidence as managers and in their perception of themselves as educational artists. Most appear to have been quite prepared to see themselves as educational artists. The positive changes could provide some encouragement and a kind of quantitative basis for the advocates of aesthetic education.

A phenomenographic study by interceptions from preschool teachers about their work with music in music-oriented preschools. The purpose of this study is to contribute with knowledge about how preschool teachers understand music as a concept in the Swedish preschool's curriculum as well as how they integrate music in the daily activities with the children. Our intent is also to highlight their different methods, pedagogical approaches and how music can bring learning and development to children. We have an interest of examining these approaches once we have identified researches concerning about music in preschool education being used mostly for instrumental learning orientation rather than aesthetic orientation. The theoretical starting point of this study is Vygotskian sociocultural theory. The method that we used to gather empirical data is semi-structured qualitative interviews. Three preschool teachers from different music-oriented collaborated to this study. We have performed phemenographic data analysis of the interpretations of our respondents and created different categories of our data. The descriptions of these categories are presented summarized in theresult of this study. From our research has it become apparent to us that music in the examined preschools is integrated in many various ways and moments and the way music is integrate in the daily activities in those preschools do not differ significantly. The result shows that music not only being used as learning tool to other subjects but also as a support to aesthetic experience. Music also appears to be a community builder, a promoter of emotional senses and skills development.

Syftet med den här litteraturstudien är att analysera forskning om samband mellan matematik och estetiska ämnen, närmare bestämt hur estetiska ämnen kan integreras i matematikundervisningen och hur det påverkar elevers kunskap och motivation i matematik. Examensarbetet som riktar sig mot lärare och blivande lärare är en forskningskonsumtion som enbart innefattar internationell forskning hittad via databaser så som ERIC. Internationella undersökningar till exempel PISA som genomförs bland 15-åringar var tredje år visar att svenska elevers matematikkunskap försämrats. Det ger anledning till att fundera över hur undervisningen kan förbättras. Litteraturstudien undersöker huruvida estetiska lärprocesser kan hjälpa elevers matematikinlärning. Resultatet visar att estetiska lärprocesser integrerat i matematikundervisningen motiverar och ökar elevernas kunskapsförmåga.

Uppsatsen behandlar musiklärares användning av, eller delaktighet i, ämnesövergripande arbeten i år 6–9 i grundskolan. Studien utfördes under läsåret 2012/2013. Syftet med studien var att undersöka vad det är som påverkar en musiklärare att arbeta ämnesövergripande eller inte. Metoden som tillämpades var kvalitativa halvstrukturerade intervjuer. I studien har åtta musiklärare intervjuats. Informationen från musiklärarna sammanställdes i Engeströms verksamhetsteoretiska modeller. En jämförelse genomfördes mellan en analys av de delar inom verksamheten där musiklärarna upplevde att det inte fanns några ämnesövergripande arbeten alls, eller mycket få sådana, med en där de upplevde att det fanns ämnesövergripande arbeten. Ytterligare en jämförelse skapades genom en analys av hur två av musiklärarna hanterat sitt ämnes delaktighet i ämnesövergripande samarbeten när det gått från en fungerande ämnesövergripande verksamhet till en mindre väl fungerande ämnesövergripande verksamhet. Genom dessa jämförelser framkom att det är främst de skrivna och de oskrivna reglerna på skolan som påverkar om en musiklärare är delaktig eller inte i ämnesövergripande arbeten. Det visas i studien att det oftast inte är den enskilde musiklärarens övertygelse om ämnesövergripande arbeten som är den mest tongivande faktorn ifall de blir av eller inte. / ”Kaleidoscope – a research of music teachers interdisciplinary studies in year 6 – 9” is an independent study at the Master´s level (15 credits) at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. This study explores music teachers’ involvement in, or usage of, interdisciplinary studies in year 6–9 in Swedish compulsory schools. The research was done during the school year 2012/2013. The purpose of the research was to understand what it is that affect a music teacher to arrange interdisciplinary studies for their students or not. The method used was qualitative semi structured interviews. In the research, eight music teachers have been interviewed. The information from them was put together in Engeströms activity system. A comparison of an analysis, between a system that explains an activity where their does not exist any, or rarely exist any, interdisciplinary studies for the students, and a system where there does exist interdisciplinary studies, was done. Also a comparison of the analysis between two of the music teachers when they move from a system that is arranging interdisciplinary work to one that does not, was done. Thru this comparison reveals that it is mainly the written and non-written rules of the school that affect the presence of interdisciplinary studies or not. The research shows that it is not the individual music teacher’s engagement in the interdisciplinary work, which is the main factor if interdisciplinary studies are done, or not.

This degree project essay examines the literary culture phenomenon known as poetry slam, a competitive format for performance poetry, with the purpose of discussing whether poetry slam could contribute to upper secondary school Swedish teaching or not. The essay consists of two parts, one where poetry slam is presented and one where poetry slam is discussed from a didactic perspective. In the first part, a brief history of poetry slam and its origins in the U.S. is presented, followed by a discussion of the ideology within the slam movement. Furthermore, the set of rules that regulate poetry slams are presented and finally the first part of the essay is ended with a discussion of poetry slam as a poetic genre of its own. The second part starts by presenting and discussing the concept of aesthetic learning processes and how poetry slam might enable such processes. Poetry slam is then related to the Swedish subject syllabus for upper secondary school in order to analyse whether there is any rationale for poetry slam in Swedish teaching or not. Furthermore, poetry slam is related to literacy development, first by discussing creative writing and then by discussing oral performance. The results of the analysis shows that poetry slam is foremost motivated in Swedish teaching as a literary historical content, partly as an opportunity to work with oral performance, and also to cultivate students’ linguistic subjectivity. Poetry slam could possibly enable aesthetic learning processes, although it may be questioned whether poetry slam qualifies as an artistic community professional enough to provide artistic working methods. The very concept of a school poetry slam could also be seen as a contradiction, when considering the slam movement’s self image of counter culture, as schools themselves could be interpreted as dominant literary establishments. Possible pitfalls related to poetry slam in Swedish teaching are the competitive format’s effect on students socio-emotional safety and the scoring system that may be hazardous for students’ linguistic subjectivity. Also, poetry slam may not meet the curricular demands on rhetoric performances which are mandatory in the upper secondary school Swedish courses, and thus questions may be raised if oral poetic performances can be prioritised at the expense of oral rhetoric performances. Moreover, the free, creative space provided to students within creative writing processes puts high demands on the teacher balancing students’ creative freedom, in order to possibly articulate hidden knowledge, with making sure that students do not spend time procrastinating.

<p>The licentiate thesis focuses on young people’s dramatisation and reflections on the reception of theatre in schools as part of aesthetic learning processes. Its main objective is to describe and analyse how theatre can be used in teaching as a means to create meaning and knowledge in practice. The theatre’s relation to the Swedish subject is discussed from different aspects.</p><p>The empiric survey was conducted at three 6–9 schools in the south of Sweden, referred to in the study as Österskolan, Norrskolan and Söderskolan. The survey is designed as a multiple case study. Two cases consist of individual classes with supplementary work based on the students’ reception of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the other two on stage productions that include acting. The material consists of video recordings of teaching processes, rehearsals and performances; notes from observations, interviews with teachers and pupils, a questionnaire regarding theatre habits, as well as documents such as theatre programmes and home pages. The cases are contrasted in order to extend the analysis, distinguish between mutual and contrasting patterns, and to some extent also to explain concepts used for description and analysis.</p><p>The thesis aims to answer the following questions:</p><p>• What is required in order for theatre to create meaning and knowledge in practice within a school’s framework?</p><p>• How do form, content and use, and also production, reception and reflection cooperate in various media in the aesthetic learning processes and what didactical potential is the result of this cooperation?</p><p>The result of the survey shows that a teacher’s patterns for verbal and physical interaction and his or her media specific competence strongly influence the terms for the aesthetic learning processes. The nature of the theatre culture’s meeting with the school culture at the individual school determines the possibilities for the participation in creation of meaning and knowledge in practice that are offered to pupils. Financial conditions, support from the school management, collaboration between subjects, functioning rooms, and the school’s gender practice are other important factors.</p><p>The conditions for the theatre’s creation of meaning and knowledge differ significantly between the three schools included in this study. At Österskolan the theatre culture is a fairly unfamiliar element in the school culture. The teacher who supervises the supplementary work for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, however, possesses good media specific competence in the theatrical field and is able to generate possibilities for reflections on experience pedagogy based on the theatrical performance and actual participation in the theatrical practice for the pupils. For a number of years, the theatre culture at Norrskolan has been included in an integrated part of the school culture. A Midsummer Night’s Dream becomes the basis for verbal, dialogue-oriented discussions in the classroom. The pupils’ performance at the school strengthens the school culture and the pupils learn how to cooperate and take responsibility. The cultural profile at Söderskolan collaborates with professional cultural workers and regional cultural institutes in a theatrical project that invites both schools and the general public. In this case, all media is integrated in the creation of meaning and there is great didactical potential.</p><p>In the intended doctoral thesis the analysis of the terms and the design of the aesthetic learning processes will be further discussed.</p>

The purpose of this study is to investigate how teachers work with basic mathematics combined with aesthestic learning processes such as arts and music in grades F-1. The essay will compare teachers’ perceptions regarding aestethic learning processes when using art and music are used in the teaching of mathematics. We have used the following questions: Do teachers use aesthetic learning processes in the forms of arts and music in the basic teaching of mathematics and if so, how and in what way? What importance has aesthetic learning processes in the forms of arts and music in basic teaching of mathematics according to the teachers? What advantages and disadvantages do the teachers find with combinding the basic mathematics with arts and music? The study is based on a qualitative method with five interviews and eight observations. Our theoretical approach in this study is grounded on the phenomenological perspective and John Deweys progressive pedagogy about children’s learning processes. The result shows that the teachers have a positive attitude towards aesthetic learning processes when combining the basic mathematics teaching with arts and music. When comparing the different mathematics teaching methods it shows similarities and differences in the way teachers use art and music in the teaching of basic mathematics. Another result is that all of the teachers in some extent use arts in the teaching of mathematics, however there are only two teachers that combines the teaching of mathematics with music.

The aim of this study is to see how preschool – teacher´s work with pedagogical documentation and aesthetic learning processes and how they would want to change in their working environments. I interviewed preschool – teachers that worked in Reggio Emilia – inspired preschools. The results show that they worked with a process – diary with the purpose to see the learning processes together with the children. They have time to discuss and reflect about activities with co-workers but also with the children. They worked with aesthetic but thought it was hard to discuss and reflect about it hence they thought it was because of the lack of inspiration and interests. / Syftet med denna studie är att synliggöra arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation i förskolan i anslutning till estetiska lärprocesser. Jag har intervjuat fem förskollärare från tre förskolor i en kommun i Sverige som alla arbetade på ett Reggio Emilia – inspirerat sätt. Pedagogerna arbetade med pedagogisk dokumentation på liknande sätt då de använde sig av processdagbok och hade reflektionstid, dokumentationsvägg och Instagram – konto. Det som fyra av fem pedagoger tyckte var svårt med det estetiska arbetet var avsaknaden av inspiration och kunskap. De hade inga pedagoger som brann för ämnena vilket de trodde kunde få som följd att estetiken hamnade på sidan av.

The licentiate thesis focuses on young people’s dramatisation and reflections on the reception of theatre in schools as part of aesthetic learning processes. Its main objective is to describe and analyse how theatre can be used in teaching as a means to create meaning and knowledge in practice. The theatre’s relation to the Swedish subject is discussed from different aspects. The empiric survey was conducted at three 6–9 schools in the south of Sweden, referred to in the study as Österskolan, Norrskolan and Söderskolan. The survey is designed as a multiple case study. Two cases consist of individual classes with supplementary work based on the students’ reception of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the other two on stage productions that include acting. The material consists of video recordings of teaching processes, rehearsals and performances; notes from observations, interviews with teachers and pupils, a questionnaire regarding theatre habits, as well as documents such as theatre programmes and home pages. The cases are contrasted in order to extend the analysis, distinguish between mutual and contrasting patterns, and to some extent also to explain concepts used for description and analysis. The thesis aims to answer the following questions: • What is required in order for theatre to create meaning and knowledge in practice within a school’s framework? • How do form, content and use, and also production, reception and reflection cooperate in various media in the aesthetic learning processes and what didactical potential is the result of this cooperation? The result of the survey shows that a teacher’s patterns for verbal and physical interaction and his or her media specific competence strongly influence the terms for the aesthetic learning processes. The nature of the theatre culture’s meeting with the school culture at the individual school determines the possibilities for the participation in creation of meaning and knowledge in practice that are offered to pupils. Financial conditions, support from the school management, collaboration between subjects, functioning rooms, and the school’s gender practice are other important factors. The conditions for the theatre’s creation of meaning and knowledge differ significantly between the three schools included in this study. At Österskolan the theatre culture is a fairly unfamiliar element in the school culture. The teacher who supervises the supplementary work for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, however, possesses good media specific competence in the theatrical field and is able to generate possibilities for reflections on experience pedagogy based on the theatrical performance and actual participation in the theatrical practice for the pupils. For a number of years, the theatre culture at Norrskolan has been included in an integrated part of the school culture. A Midsummer Night’s Dream becomes the basis for verbal, dialogue-oriented discussions in the classroom. The pupils’ performance at the school strengthens the school culture and the pupils learn how to cooperate and take responsibility. The cultural profile at Söderskolan collaborates with professional cultural workers and regional cultural institutes in a theatrical project that invites both schools and the general public. In this case, all media is integrated in the creation of meaning and there is great didactical potential. In the intended doctoral thesis the analysis of the terms and the design of the aesthetic learning processes will be further discussed. / <p>Licentiatavhandling i litteraturvetenskap: alternativet Svenska med didaktisk inriktning.</p>

Subject integration between art and the school's other subjects is something that is often highlighted as positive. But Lindström (2012) emphasizes that there is a problem with talking unspecified about aesthetics in school and can lead to a neglect of the qualifications needed to integrate art, crafts and design with the school's "academic subjects". Our aim is to create knowledge about how aesthetic learning processes are made visible and expressed in a cross-disciplinary work between religion and art in a high school class. The empirical material has been collected through qualitative observations and consists of data collected over three days and consists of eight hours extended on six lessons in art and religion. The field for the study is two classrooms in the school which the students attend. The results are analyzed based on a thematic analysis developed by Braun and Clarke (2006) and the themes are based on Lindström's (2012) definition and model of aesthetic learning processes, and what form of subject-integrated teaching prevails parallel integration, theme weeks or co-education. The results show that we can see that aesthetic learning processes become visible and that the students moved between all four categories in Lindström's model in the interdisciplinary work. We saw that the students worked THROUGH aesthetic learning processes when the students reflected on their creation. We saw that the students worked in aesthetic learning processes when they drew their Buddhas in dry pastel and tried different techniques and materials. We saw that the students worked WITH aesthetic learning processes, among other things when the students referred to their Buddhas in dry pastel. We saw that the students worked on aesthetic learning processes, for example when the students worked with and talked about the concept of layout.