The purpose of this thesis is to systematically describe and map how authorities define the school library and its function based on the current policy documents for the Swedish upper secondary school. The study is guided by the following questions: • What dimensions does the school library have according to the explicit definitions, descriptions and requirements? • What implicit arguments, references and unspoken assumptions about the school library and its role, function and significance can be derived? The study is delimited to the national policy documents, which have been divided into two groups – structural and teaching focused – corresponding to the two questions above. Further delimitations have been made to avoid noise and to manage a manual content analysis. Each question required its own analysis tool. The first a dimension-matrix and the second a group of ideal types adapted from models of the public library’s functions. The result shows that the policy documents explicit defines the school library as mainly two dimensional (space and media), but also that other dimensions could be implicated depending on the interpretation of some active verbs. There are several implicit references to the library’s ideal types skills and citizens, but also to the ideal types culture and community parlour. The conclusion is that the implicit expectations makes it possible for the school library to play a greater role then the explicit defining framework require. The defining framework is vague and unstructured and would benefit from an elucidation in order for the statutory requirement for school libraries to have any significance. / Program: Bibliotekarie

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a useful tool in education, with the potential to enhance teaching through the use of digital learning environments (DLEs) such as intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs). This thesis investigates the development and evaluation of an AI-assisted web-based platform for pure question-based learning (pQBL) in upper secondary school mathematics. The study aims to assess the prototype's effects compared to traditional classroom instruction and the quality of AI-generated multiple-choice questions (MCQs) using OpenAI’s GPT-4. To do this, the following research questions were formulated: (1) How can an AI-assisted platform for pQBL be designed and implemented? (2) To what extent do GPT-4 generated MCQs meet quality criteria? (3) How do learning outcomes compare between students using AI-assisted pQBL materials and those receiving traditional instruction? The study utilized principles of Question Construction and Prompt Engineering, ensuring AI-generated MCQs adhered to predefined quality standards. Human evaluation by a Teacher Quality Control panel refined and validated the generated MCQs. The effectiveness of the developed prototype was tested using a pretest/posttest design where score changes were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests. The findings indicate that generating high-quality MCQs remains a challenge. Human evaluation is essential to ensure educational efficacy, as only a fraction of the AI-generated MCQs met quality standards. User testing revealed comparable learning outcomes between the pQBL and control groups, with statistically significant results, though limitations in the pretest/posttest design may have influenced these findings. This research highlights the potential and limitations of AI in education, suggesting the need for further studies on AI-assisted tools, including exploring other language models and conducting longitudinal assessments to optimize learning outcomes. / AI utgör en viktig resurs inom utbildning och har potential att förbättra undervisningen genom digitala lärmiljöer (DLE), såsom intelligenta handledningssystem (ITS). Detta examensarbete undersöker utvecklingen och utvärderingen av en AI-stödd webbaserad plattform för rent frågebaserat lärande (pQBL) i matematik på gymnasiet. Studien syftar till att bedöma plattformens effektivitet jämfört med traditionell klassrumsundervisning och att utvärdera kvaliteten på flervalsfrågor som genereras av OpenAI:s GPT-4. För att uppnå detta formulerades följande forskningsfrågor: (1) Hur kan en AI-stödd plattform för pQBL designas och implementeras? (2) I vilken utsträckning uppfyller GPT-4- genererade flervalsfrågor fördefinierade kvalitetskriterier? (3) Hur skiljer sig inlärningsresultaten mellan elever som använder AI-stött pQBL-material och de som får traditionell klassrumsundervisning? Studien tillämpade principer för fråge- och promptkonstruktion för att säkerställa att de AI-genererade flervalsfrågorna följde fördefinierade kvalitetsstandarder. En panel av lärare genomförde mänsklig utvärdering för att förbättra och validera de genererade flervalsfrågorna. Effekten av den utvecklade prototypen testades genom en förtest/eftertest-design där poängförändringen analyserades genom parvisa t-tester. Resultaten indikerar att det finns utmaningar i att generera högkvalitativa flervalsfrågor. Mänsklig utvärdering är nödvändig för att säkerställa kvaliteten hos de AI-genererade flervalsfrågornas eftersom endast en mindre del av dem uppfyllde kvalitetskraven. Användartester visade jämförbara inlärningsresultat mellan pQBL-gruppen och kontrollgruppen med statistiskt signifikanta resultat även om begränsningar i förtest/eftertest-designen kan ha påverkat dessa resultat. Denna forskning belyser AI:s potential och begränsningar inom utbildning och föreslår behovet av ytterligare studier kring AI-drivna verktyg, inklusive undersökning av andra språkmodeller och genomförande av longitudinella studier för att optimera inlärningsresultaten.

The aim of this study is to investigate Swedish upper secondary school teachers’ statements regarding reading and teaching choices in the English courses. The methods used were a survey in the form of a qualitative questionnaire, and a qualitative content analysis which was then applied to the survey data gathered. Reception theory and literary socialization theory were applied to the results. The four main research questions were: 1. What English literature do teachers in Swedish college preparatory programs choose for their students? 2. What English literature do teachers in Swedish vocational programs choose for their students? 3. What aspects of reception theory and literary socialization theory correspond to the teachers’ questionnaire answers regarding what skills they wish their students to acquire from reading English literature? 4. What are teachers’ attitudes towards students reading books of cultural, historical, and literary significance? The results concluded that there was no significant difference in the types of books chosen for the two programs. The college preparatory programs read a little more classical fiction, but the vocational courses did not lag far behind. When it came to the theories, a majority of teachers mentioned aspects brought up within literary socialization theory, while reception theory was barely touched upon. Books of literary, cultural, and historical significance were expected to be read in both the college preparatory and vocational programs. However, students in the college preparatory programs were expected to read these books slightly more than students in the vocational programs. One suggestion for future research is to examine the number of books teachers read within or outside of their preferred genre and how choice of genre may affect their literacy teaching in the classroom. / Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka svenska gymnasielärares läs- och undervisningsval i engelskundervisningen. Metoderna som användes var en enkätundersökning i form av ett kvalitativt frågeformulär och en kvalitativ innehållsanalys som sedan tillämpades på den insamlade enkätdatan. Receptionsteori och litterär socialisationsteori tillämpades på resultatet. De fyra huvudsakliga forskningsfrågorna var: 1. Vilken engelsk litteratur väljer lärare för elever på svenska högskoleförberedande program? 2. Vilken engelsk litteratur väljer lärare för elever på svenska yrkesprogram? 3. Vilka aspekter av receptionsteorin och litterär socialisationsteori stämmer överens med lärarnas enkätsvar om vilka färdigheter de önskar att deras elever ska förvärva genom att läsa engelsk litteratur? 4. Vilka är lärarnas attityder till att eleverna läser böcker av kulturell, historisk och litterär betydelse? Genom resultaten drogs slutsatsen att det inte fanns någon större skillnad i de typer av böcker som valdes för högskoleförberedande gentemot yrkesprogram. De högskoleförberedande programmen läste i ringa mängd mer klassisk skönlitteratur, men yrkesprogrammen hamnade inte långt efter. När det gällde teorierna nämnde majoriteten av lärarna aspekter som togs upp inom den litterära socialisationsteorin, medan aspekter inom receptionsteorin knappt berördes.Böcker av litterär, kulturell och historisk betydelse förväntades bli lästa i både de högskoleförberedande programmen och yrkesprogrammen. De högskoleförberedande programmen förväntades dock läsa dessa böcker i något större utsträckning än yrkesprogrammen. Ett förslag till framtida forskning är att undersöka hur många böcker lärare läser inom eller utanför den genre de föredrar och hur vald genreläsning kan påverka deras läs- och skrivundervisning (litteracitet) i klassrummet.

The point of this study is to understand how Umeå university’s curriculum for the subject of history evolved in the time period 1970 to 2015. Therefore, this study will analyze Umeå university’s curriculum for the course History AB 1, that is included in the history teacher training education. Furthermore, this study will take this analyzation of the curriculum and compare it to the Swedish high school curriculum. This is to better understand the evolution of the education program for teachers, but also to study the symbiotic relationship between schools and universities. Moreover, this assignment will be using Stina Hallsén’s description of policy analyzes to examine the valuation and norms from Umeå’s curriculum, and then take the analyzation further by comparing it to the Swedish high school curriculum. It will thereafter be analyzed with Gert Biesta’s three concepts, Qualification, Socialization and subjectification. Biesta’s concepts will help to measure how good the education at the teacher education program in Umeå is. The results of the study can shortly be described that there’s a long line of changes happening at the teacher education program at Umeå university and the subject of history in the time period 1970 to 2015. The changes range from small differences like the curriculum changing pace, to big changes like entire course moments getting removed and new ones getting added. In addition, the curriculum from Umeå university gets compared to the Swedish high school curriculum. This comparison alongside the study’s framing of question serves to give better insight into how the teachers education program has changed and evolved during the time period. Lastly the results of this study show that yes, there is a symbiotic relationship between Umeå university’s education for teachers and the Swedish high school curriculum. Furthermore, the students attending the teacher training education are taught that becoming a teacher is a lifelong mission to evolve and understand the changes happening in the schools.