Förskolans läroplan reviderades 2010. I uppdateringen och utvecklingen av läroplanen är det bland annat naturvetenskapen som fått nya och kompletterade strävansmål. Det har kommit fram att intresse och kunskaper saknas hos majoriteten av eleverna senare i skolgången och allt färre söker till naturvetenskapliga program efter grundskolan. Förskolans personal har ett ansvar för att få in detta i arbetet och ledningen ett ansvar för att personalen har den kunskap och det stöd de behöver för att det ska vara möjligt. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur revideringen av läroplanen påverkat arbetet med naturvetenskap i förskolan. Vidare undersöks vilket stöd de haft i arbetet med Läroplanen samt om de själva upplever sig besitta en tillräcklig ämneskunskap för att följa dessa strävansmål till fullo. För att besvara studiens syfte och dess frågeställningar är en kvalitativ metod i form intervjuer använd. Nio intervjuer har utförts varav sex med förskollärare och tre med förskolechefer. Resultatet visar att personalen inte fullt ut har vetskap om läroplanens mål eller vad naturvetenskap är och kan vara i förskolan. Vidare framkommer att personalen fått varierande stöd i implementeringen av den reviderade Läroplanen vilket kan ha påverkat deras intresse för och kunskap om samt deras arbete med naturvetenskap och dess tillkomna strävansmål. För att utveckla arbetet med naturvetenskap i förskolan och ge det samma utrymme som övriga delar i läroplanen behövs vidareutbildning och mer stöd från ledningen. / The Swedish curriculum for preschool were revised in 2010. In the updated and developed version of the curriculum science has been given greater emphasis with new and improved course objectives. One reason for the revision was the decline in interest for science later in life and the drop in number of students who pursue a higher education in science. The preschool teachers now have the responsibility to include the subject in the daily routine. Thus, the management must see to that the teaching staff possesses the skillset necessary to complete the task at hand. The purpose of this study is to investigate which impact the revised curriculum has had regarding science in preschool. Further, the aim is to investigate what kind of support the teachers have had with the curriculum and if they, themselves, consider their skillset to be adequate to fulfill the course objectives. To answer the questions posed, a qualitative interview method was used. Nine interviews were conducted out of which six with preschool teachers and three with preschool managers. The results indicate that the teaching staff does not fully comprehend the curriculum or how to use it in regard to science and the use of science in the preschools. The study has also shown that the lack of support during the implementation of the revised curriculum may potentially have had a negative effect on the will and skillset of the teaching staff thus hampering the work with the course objectives. To be able to give science an equal part in the curriculum as other subjects and to expand the work with science in the preschools further education of the teaching staff is needed, as well as more support from the management.

Vårt samhälle är i ständig förändring. I början av förra århundradet var det industrialiseringen som stod för den stora förändringen, idag är det digitaliseringen. Som ett led till ökad digitalisering i skolan har läroplanernarevideratsför att förtydliga skolans uppdrag i att stärka elevers digitala kompetens. Syftet med denna studien var att undersöka hur lågstadielärare använder sig av digitala verktyg idag, samt vilka uppfattningar som finns om behov av kompetensutveckling för att undervisa utifrån den reviderade läroplanen. För att besvara studiens syfte har kvalitativa intervjuer genomförts, med tio lågstadielärare från tre skolor. Resultatet visar att samtliga lärare idag använder sig av digitala verktyg i matematikundervisningen och att de främst använder digitala verktyg för att variera undervisningen och öka elevers motivation. Vidare visar resultatet att frekventa användningsområdena för digitala verktyg i matematikundervisningen är vid digitala genomgångar, vid färdighetsträning, och för individanpassning. Trots att alla lärare idag använder digitala verktyg visar resultatet att det bland flertalet lärare finns en osäkerhet och ett kompetensutvecklingsbehov, för att känna säkerhet i att undervisa utifrån den reviderade kursplanen i matematik. Resultatet visar även att behov av kompetensutveckling och intresse för digital teknik har ett samband. / Our society is constantly changing. At the beginning of the last century there was industrialization that accounted for the great change, today it is digitization. As part of increased digitalization in schools, the curriculum has been revised to clarify the school's mission in strengthening students' digital skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers use digital tools today in mathematics education and what perceptions exist about the need for skills development to teach, based on the revised curriculum. In order to answer the purpose of the study, qualitative interviews have been conducted, with ten teachers from three schools. The result shows that all teachers today use digital tools in mathematics teaching and that they mainly use digital tools to vary teaching and increase student motivation. Furthermore, the result shows that the most common areas of use for digital tools in mathematics education are at digital reviews, for skills training, for deepening and for personalization. Although all teachers today use digital tools, the result shows that among the majority of teachers there is an uncertainty and skills development need, to feel safe in teaching based on the revised curriculum. The result also shows that digital skills and interest in digital technology seem to have a strong connection.

The purpose of this study was to establish the perception of Grade One teachers regarding the school readiness of Reception Year learners in relation to the new national Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement (CAPS). The study also provides recommendations on how to implement CAPS in Grade R so that teachers, learners and parents experience the easiest possible transition to Grade One. The research took the form of a case study, building on current trends related to the subject of Reception Year CAPS curriculum implementation, and using the Interpretive approach as its essential, functional paradigm, which focuses on experiences of the world based on the culture and previous experiences of each individual, with an emphasis on mutual understanding. By using this strategy to explore Grade One teacher perceptions regarding the school readiness of the Reception Year learners, this project was centred on an in-depth and detailed analysis of a person, group or situation as a sample of the whole, and involved a systematic collection of data and analysis. This led to a conclusions-based report on the findings, all the while focusing on five Grade One teachers and their Head of Department at a public primary school in Pretoria, Gauteng. Preliminary findings suggested that learners coming into Grade One could in fact be adequately prepared during Grade R for successful assimilation in the CAPS curriculum material, if all stakeholders overcome the challenges they face during this important phase of academic development. This study has shown that varying amounts and levels of training amongst the teachers is a hindrance to proper CAPS curriculum implementation and therefore, the Head of Department, the school and ultimately the Department of Education has to ensure parity in the area of teacher training in terms of CAPS curriculum implementation. The study has shown that, due to the different sites where learners did their Reception Year, the school and the Grade One teachers faced learners who came into their classrooms with differing levels of exposure to the formal schooling system. Some learners may have no CAPS curriculum exposure at all. This means that, if the Department of Education is to succeed in implementing the CAPS curriculum in Grade R, then it needs to assist schools more in the form of providing funds for primary schools to build and add space for the Grade R classrooms. Finally, the study showed that a language backlog remains one of the main challenges learners have to face. Historically, Early Childhood Development Centres were never required to use English as a medium of instruction. In fact, teaching in the preschool classroom, which includes Grade R, is still mostly done in one of many mother tongue languages, depending on the location of the centre. With the move to make Grade R part of formal schooling and moving the Reception Year class to a primary school, CAPS requires careful curriculum implementation from Grade R to Grade Three, although instruction in English is only required from Grade One. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Curriculum Studies)

The purpose of this study was to establish the perception of Grade One teachers regarding the school readiness of Reception Year learners in relation to the new national Curriculum Assessment and Policy Statement (CAPS). The study also provides recommendations on how to implement CAPS in Grade R so that teachers, learners and parents experience the easiest possible transition to Grade One. The research took the form of a case study, building on current trends related to the subject of Reception Year CAPS curriculum implementation, and using the Interpretive approach as its essential, functional paradigm, which focuses on experiences of the world based on the culture and previous experiences of each individual, with an emphasis on mutual understanding. By using this strategy to explore Grade One teacher perceptions regarding the school readiness of the Reception Year learners, this project was centred on an in-depth and detailed analysis of a person, group or situation as a sample of the whole, and involved a systematic collection of data and analysis. This led to a conclusions-based report on the findings, all the while focusing on five Grade One teachers and their Head of Department at a public primary school in Pretoria, Gauteng. Preliminary findings suggested that learners coming into Grade One could in fact be adequately prepared during Grade R for successful assimilation in the CAPS curriculum material, if all stakeholders overcome the challenges they face during this important phase of academic development. This study has shown that varying amounts and levels of training amongst the teachers is a hindrance to proper CAPS curriculum implementation and therefore, the Head of Department, the school and ultimately the Department of Education has to ensure parity in the area of teacher training in terms of CAPS curriculum implementation. The study has shown that, due to the different sites where learners did their Reception Year, the school and the Grade One teachers faced learners who came into their classrooms with differing levels of exposure to the formal schooling system. Some learners may have no CAPS curriculum exposure at all. This means that, if the Department of Education is to succeed in implementing the CAPS curriculum in Grade R, then it needs to assist schools more in the form of providing funds for primary schools to build and add space for the Grade R classrooms. Finally, the study showed that a language backlog remains one of the main challenges learners have to face. Historically, Early Childhood Development Centres were never required to use English as a medium of instruction. In fact, teaching in the preschool classroom, which includes Grade R, is still mostly done in one of many mother tongue languages, depending on the location of the centre. With the move to make Grade R part of formal schooling and moving the Reception Year class to a primary school, CAPS requires careful curriculum implementation from Grade R to Grade Three, although instruction in English is only required from Grade One. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Curriculum Studies)