Over the past decade, there has been a noticeable increase in the enrollment of foreign-born children in Swedish schools. While Swedish as a second language has its own curriculum, there appears to be a lack of emphasis on teaching English to new arrivals. Despite English being a compulsory subject in the Swedish education system, there is inconsistency among teachers in their approaches to teaching it to new arrivals. This study specifically focuses on children of Middle Eastern descent, whose native language is Arabic. It investigates whether new arrivals are effectively accommodated in the classroom while learning English as a third language, and if so, what specific accommodations are provided. To achieve the results of this study, interviews with teachers and student questionnaires have been conducted to assess and compare the alignment of teaching methodology between them. As a result, plurilingual teachers, proficient in multiple languages, seem to have a significant advantage in teaching and communicating with new arrivals, particularly if they share the same native language. The objective of this study is to investigate the possible advantages which plurilingual teachers have within the Swedish school system.

Uppsatsen försöker kartlägga hur och om datorspel kan användas i samma syfte som skönlitteratur i den litteraturundervisning som GY11 föreskriver. Fokus ligger på beröringsytor mellan skönlitteratur och datorspel gällande lärande; främst identitetsskapande, moral och etik men också stilistiska drag och litteraturvetenskapliga begrepp. Med två exempel, Fallout: New Vegas och Grand Theft Auto IV, visas hur berättandet i datorspel kan ge mediet en plats i gymnasieskolans litteraturundervisning, samt hur immersion, perspektiv och interaktivitet kan ge spelare något som inte skönlitteratur kan ge läsare. / The purpose of this thesis is to discuss whether and how computer games can be used as fiction in literature education in accordance with the new Swedish gymnasium curriculums, GY11. The focus is on the contact points between computer games and fiction regarding learning; foremost building identities, morality and ethics, but also stylistics and concepts in literary science. It is show that, using two examples (Fallout: New Vegas and Grand Theft Auto IV), the narrative elements in computer games can give them room and literary education, and also that immersion, perspective and interactivity can give players something that fiction can’t give its readers.

Den aktuella studien lyfter fram hur elever i behov av extra stöd utvecklar sitt skrivande med hjälp av digitala verktyg. Digitala verktyg är en del av undervisningen idag och blir ständigt en mer omfattande del eftersom digitaliseringen i samhället kontinuerligt utvecklas. Tidigare har digitala verktyg använts som ett hjälpmedel för elever med skrivsvårigheter och därför är det väsentligt att undersöka hur stöttningen ser ut idag när samhället utvecklats och tillgången ökat. Studien är kvalitativ och bygger på intervjuer med lärare och specialpedagoger samt tar sin utgångspunkt i den sociokulturella teorin eftersom den berör lärande. Dessutom relateras ramfaktorteorin till innehållet av denna studie eftersom andra faktorer utom lärarens kontroll påverkar undervisningen. Intervjuerna för fram lärares och specialpedagogers beskrivningar om arbetssätt och funktioner som de tillämpar i undervisningen. Resultatet visar möjligheter och utmaningar med tillämpningen av digitala verktyg. De främsta möligheterna är innehållet i elevers texter, bearbetande av texter, elevers motivation och ökad textproduktion. Utmaningen med arbetssättet är elevers distraktion vid användandet, lärares digitala kompetens och dessutom vikten av ett varierat arbetssätt. När lärare och specialpedagoger använder digitala verktyg som stöd för elever med skrivsvårigheter kan påverkan vara positiv om de har ett genomtänkt arbetssätt och ett tydligt syfte med tillämpningen. / The current study highlights how pupils in need of extra support develop their writing with the help of digital tools. Digital tools are part of today´s teaching and continuosly becoming a bigger part, due to overall development of digitalization in society at large. In the past, digital tools have been used as an aid for pupils with writing difficulties and therefore it is important to examine what the support looks like in school today, when society has developed and the accessibility has increased. A qualitative study has been conducted through interviews with teachers and special educators. The sociocultural theory is considered in this study because it is a theory about learning. In addition, the frame factor theory is related to the content of this study, since other factors outside teacher´s control affect the teaching. The interviews with the respondents present different methods of teaching and functions of digital tools that the teachers and the special educators apply in teaching. This study also presents opportunities and challenges with using digital tools, the main possibilities are the content of pupil´s texts, the processing of texts, pupils´ motivation and increased text production. The main challenge with digital tools in writing is the pupils´ distraction when they use the tool, the teacher´s digital qualification and the importance of varied working methods. When teachers and special educators use digital tools as a support for the pupils with writing difficulties the impact can be positive if they have a well though through approach and a clear purpose with the usage.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka lågstadielärares syn på och erfarenheter av multimodala texter i svenskundervisningen. Med detta menas hur kombinationer av flera olika uttrycksformer används i utformningen av text. I och med samhällets utveckling av digitala tekniker medför detta en större tillgänglighet av multimodala texter i elevernas vardag. Detta för med sig att ett multimodalt lärande som behandlar förmågan att läsa, skriva, analysera och tolka multimodal text har fått en väsentlig roll i elevernas undervisning. De forskningsfrågor som besvaras är: Hur beskriver lärarna att de uppfattar begreppet multimodala texter och dess roll i svenskundervisningen? Hur beskriver lärarna att de använder och arbetar med multimodala texter? Hur beskriver lärarna att de använder sig av digitala verktyg i svenskundervisningen? Dessa frågor besvaras genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med lågstadielärare. Deltagarnas svar analyserades sedan med en tematisk analys och resultatet diskuterades genom resursmodellen som Freebody och Luke utvecklat. Resultatet visar att lärarna uppfattar de multimodala texterna som något positivt och att olika uttrycksformer används som ett komplement och stöttande hjälpmedel i läs- och skrivundervisningen. Därutöver visar resultatet att digitala verktyg i undervisningen kan vara positivt om dessa noggrant planeras utefter ett tydligt syfte. Lärarna beskriver även de digitala verktygen som ett hjälpmedel i läs- och skrivundervisningen. / The purpose of the study is to investigate primary school teachers' views on and experiences with multimodal texts when teaching literacy. This refers to how a combination of different forms of expression are used designing texts. Due to the development of society and digital technologies, this leads to a larger number of multimodal texts in students' everyday life. This means that multimodal learning, including the ability to read, write, analyze, and interpret multimodal texts, has been given an essential role in students' education. The research questions answered are: How do teachers describe their perception of the concept of multimodal texts and their role in teaching literacy? How do teachers describe that they use and work with multimodal texts? How do teachers describe their use of digital tools when teaching Swedish? These questions have been answered through semi-structured interviews with primary school teachers. The teachers' responses were then analyzed with thematic analysis and the result discussed through The Four Resources Model developed by Freebody and Luke. The result shows that the teachers perceive multimodal texts as something positive and that different forms of expression are used as a complement and supporting aid in literacy instruction. In addition, the results shows digital tools in teaching can be positive if these are carefully planned with a clear purpose. The results also show that the digital tools are described as an aid when teaching reading and writing.

Föreliggande studie kommer att belysa ämnet värdegrund. Syftet är att undersöka svensklärares syn på värdegrundsuppdraget samt hur de arbetar med uppdraget inom ramen för svenskundervisningen. Syftet uppnås genom frågeställningar gällande värdegrundsuppdragets betydelse inom svenskundervisningen samt dess möjligheter och utmaningar. Studien riktar sig till undervisning i svenska i årskurserna 4-6 och beskrivs utifrån ett lärarperspektiv med utgångspunkt i den sociokulturella teorin. Studien har genomförts genom en kvalitativ metod där semistrukturerade intervjuer med verksamma svensklärare i årskurs 4-6 använts för datainsamling. Resultatet av studien visar på att lärare ser en betydelse i att integrera värdegrundsuppdraget i svenskundervisningen genom sitt förhållningssätt gentemot elever samt genom berättande material och helgruppsdiskussioner. Det framkom även att skönlitteratur och samtal om läst skönlitteratur öppnar möjligheter för att integrera värdegrundsarbete inom svenskundervisningen samt att läraren har en betydande roll som ledare i elevernas utveckling av normer och värden. / This study will highlight the topic fundamental values. The study aims to explore how teachers view fundamental values education and how they work this within Swedish education. The aim of the study is fulfilled based on questions about the meaning of fundamental values educations within Swedish education and what opportunities and challenges it brings. The study targets education in the Swedish subject in grades 4-6 and is described from a teacher perspective and through the lens of socio-cultural theory. The study is based on a qualitative method where data was collected through semi-structured interviews with working Swedish teachers in grades 4-6. The result of the study shows that teachers’ see a value in integrating fundamental values education within Swedish education through their own approach towards students as well as through narrative material and group discussions. Furthermore, fiction and discussions about fiction was described as an opportunity to integrate fundamental values education within Swedish education and that the teacher has a crucial role as a leader in students’ development of values.

This thesis investigates the integration of cybersecurity education in Swedish middle schools, highlighting the need to enhance current educational frameworks to address the increasing cybersecurity threats faced by young students. Employing qualitative methods, interviews were conducted with school principals, assistant principals, and IT teachers across Sweden to gather insights into the challenges of embedding effective cybersecurity practices in school curricula. The findings reveal substantial gaps in the consistency and depth of cybersecurity education, with significant discrepancies in curricular content and teacher training across schools. While some educational institutions have initiated steps toward incorporating cybersecurity topics, there remains a lack of a standardized curriculum that can be uniformly implemented across all schools. The study underscores the urgent need for comprehensive guidelines and resources to support schools in delivering effective cybersecurity education. It suggests that future efforts should focus on developing standardized curricula, enhancing teacher training, and fostering broader stakeholder engagement to ensure that students are equipped with necessary digital safety skills.This research contributes valuable perspectives to the ongoing discourse on digital literacy and cybersecurity, proposing strategic directions for policy and educational development to safeguard future digital citizens.

I den här avhandlingen är intresset riktat mot svensk utbildningspolitik och medborgarskap. I tider av globalisering, och med ett etablerat svenskt medlemskap i Europeiska unionen, har det nationella policyskapandet kring utbildningens medborgardanande funktion hamnat under ökat tryck. I studien undersöks hur detta hanteras i svensk utbildningspolitik under 1990-talet, en tid som utmärker sig genom betydande förändringar på utbildningsområdet i Sverige. Frågan är, mera precist, vilken riktning för skolans, enligt lag befästa, uppdrag att fostra demokratiska medborgare som utstakas i svensk utbildningspolitik vid denna tid. Genom att fästa vikt vid mål, visioner och motiv som formuleras i utbildningspolitiska 1990-talstexter klarläggs förståelser av medborgarskap som karaktäriserar svensk utbildningspolitik under denna tid. Även en bredare historisk analys görs, ur vilken historiska målsättningar med skolans medborgarfostran som föregår 1990-talets framträder. Studiens syfte är kritiskt. Förståelserna granskas utifrån vad de innesluter och vad de utesluter, vilka möjliga konsekvenser de kan tänkas få för olika individer och grupper i samhället, och om det finns öppningar för tänkbara alternativ. Studien visar på två historiska skiften vad gäller medborgarskapets innehåll och mening i det inhemska policyskapandet. Det första skiftet äger rum under 1990-talets tidiga del. Då bryts en etablerad samhällsbyggande medborgarroll upp, till förmån för andra mera marknadsorienterade medborgarroller. Under 1990-talets senare del, då marknadsorienteringen förstärks i neoliberal riktning, sker ett andra skifte; en historiskt vedertagen gemenskapstanke – nationen – bryts upp som grund för medborgerlig gemenskap. Denna tanke ersätts av en annan som är globaliseringsinriktad, vilken visar sig ha andra inne- och uteslutande mekanismer för olika individer och samhällsgrupper. Utifrån dessa forskningsrön tecknas avslutningsvis några konturer till ett alternativt sätt att tänka kring medborgarskap och gemenskap. Detta alternativ tar form i ambitionen att, i högre grad än vad som blir synligt i svensk utbildningspolitik, resonera kring möjligheter för ett medborgarskap bortom förhandstecknade indelningsgrunder för ett “vi”. Språk som politisk och samhällelig förändringskraft ges en central betydelse i avhandlingen. I analysen av texternas tal om skolans medborgarfostrande roll undersöks pågående politiska motsättningar när det gäller att vinna tal- och tolkningsföreträde till skolans fostransmål. Utgångarna av dessa motsättningar belyses genom tre områden för medborgarfostran som urskilts som centrala; ett politiskt, ett kulturellt samt ett ekonomi- och arbetslivsriktat. Genom dessa har rådande medborgarskapsdiskurser tagit form, ur vilka de utbildningspolitiska förståelserna av medborgarskap gestaltas och diskuteras. / In this thesis attention is drawn to Swedish education policy and citizenship. In times of globalization, and with Swedish membership of the European Union, national policymaking concerning the commissioned role of citizen upbringing has come under increased pressure. In this study, light is shed on how this issue is given shape in Swedish education policy in the 1990s, a period marked by significant changes in the field of education in Sweden. The core question is, more precisely, what direction is being marked out for the Swedish schools´ commission, laid down by law, to foster democratic citizens during this period. By taking an interest in how objectives, visions and motives are formulated in education policy texts from the 1990s, understandings of citizenship are mapped that characterize Swedish education policy during this period. In addition, a more extensive analysis is carried out, by means of which historical goals of the schools’ fostering of citizens prior to those of the 1990s are presented. The aim of the study is critical. The understandings are reviewed in order to revise what they include and exclude, as well as what possible consequences they may have for different individuals and groups, and whether there are conceivable alternatives. It is emphasised that two historical changes take place during the 1990s concerning the subject of the content and meaning of citizenship in Swedish education policymaking. Firstly, during the first part of the 1990s, a historically established citizen role is changed and replaced by other, more market-oriented roles. During the latter part of the 1990s, when the market orientation is reinforced in neo liberal courses, a second change emerges, the historically accepted basic idea of inclusion – the nation – as the “we”-creating reference for civic spirit is shattered. It is replaced by another – globalization – with other qualities that include and exclude different individuals and groups. Finally, on the basis of these findings, some conditions for a possible alternative are sketched. This alternative is given shape with the ambition of, to a greater extent than is made visible in Swedish Education policy, reasoning about possibilities beyond presupposed dividing properties for a “we”. The power of language for political and societal change has an important role in this dissertation. Political clashes concerning achieving preferential access to talk and interpretation about upbringing objectives are examined by analyzing the texts’ talk about the schools’ commission to foster citizens. Light is shed on the outcomes of these clashes by examining three vital areas for citizen upbringing, found to be crucial in this context: a political one, a cultural one and an economical and working-life oriented one. These citizenship discourses are elucidated and understandings of citizenship in Swedish education policy are given form and alternatives are discussed.

I den här avhandlingen är intresset riktat mot svensk utbildningspolitik och medborgarskap. I tider av globalisering, och med ett etablerat svenskt medlemskap i Europeiska unionen, har det nationella policyskapandet kring utbildningens medborgardanande funktion hamnat under ökat tryck. I studien undersöks hur detta hanteras i svensk utbildningspolitik under 1990-talet, en tid som utmärker sig genom betydande förändringar på utbildningsområdet i Sverige. Frågan är, mera precist, vilken riktning för skolans, enligt lag befästa, uppdrag att fostra demokratiska medborgare som utstakas i svensk utbildningspolitik vid denna tid. Genom att fästa vikt vid mål, visioner och motiv som formuleras i utbildningspolitiska 1990-talstexter klarläggs förståelser av medborgarskap som karaktäriserar svensk utbildningspolitik under denna tid. Även en bredare historisk analys görs, ur vilken historiska målsättningar med skolans medborgarfostran som föregår 1990-talets framträder. Studiens syfte är kritiskt. Förståelserna granskas utifrån vad de innesluter och vad de utesluter, vilka möjliga konsekvenser de kan tänkas få för olika individer och grupper i samhället, och om det finns öppningar för tänkbara alternativ. Studien visar på två historiska skiften vad gäller medborgarskapets innehåll och mening i det inhemska policyskapandet. Det första skiftet äger rum under 1990-talets tidiga del. Då bryts en etablerad samhällsbyggande medborgarroll upp, till förmån för andra mera marknadsorienterade medborgarroller. Under 1990-talets senare del, då marknadsorienteringen förstärks i neoliberal riktning, sker ett andra skifte; en historiskt vedertagen gemenskapstanke – nationen – bryts upp som grund för medborgerlig gemenskap. Denna tanke ersätts av en annan som är globaliseringsinriktad, vilken visar sig ha andra inne- och uteslutande mekanismer för olika individer och samhällsgrupper. Utifrån dessa forskningsrön tecknas avslutningsvis några konturer till ett alternativt sätt att tänka kring medborgarskap och gemenskap. Detta alternativ tar form i ambitionen att, i högre grad än vad som blir synligt i svensk utbildningspolitik, resonera kring möjligheter för ett medborgarskap bortom förhandstecknade indelningsgrunder för ett “vi”. Språk som politisk och samhällelig förändringskraft ges en central betydelse i avhandlingen. I analysen av texternas tal om skolans medborgarfostrande roll undersöks pågående politiska motsättningar när det gäller att vinna tal- och tolkningsföreträde till skolans fostransmål. Utgångarna av dessa motsättningar belyses genom tre områden för medborgarfostran som urskilts som centrala; ett politiskt, ett kulturellt samt ett ekonomi- och arbetslivsriktat. Genom dessa har rådande medborgarskapsdiskurser tagit form, ur vilka de utbildningspolitiska förståelserna av medborgarskap gestaltas och diskuteras. / In this thesis attention is drawn to Swedish education policy and citizenship. In times of globalization, and with Swedish membership of the European Union, national policymaking concerning the commissioned role of citizen upbringing has come under increased pressure. In this study, light is shed on how this issue is given shape in Swedish education policy in the 1990s, a period marked by significant changes in the field of education in Sweden. The core question is, more precisely, what direction is being marked out for the Swedish schools´ commission, laid down by law, to foster democratic citizens during this period. By taking an interest in how objectives, visions and motives are formulated in education policy texts from the 1990s, understandings of citizenship are mapped that characterize Swedish education policy during this period. In addition, a more extensive analysis is carried out, by means of which historical goals of the schools’ fostering of citizens prior to those of the 1990s are presented. The aim of the study is critical. The understandings are reviewed in order to revise what they include and exclude, as well as what possible consequences they may have for different individuals and groups, and whether there are conceivable alternatives. It is emphasised that two historical changes take place during the 1990s concerning the subject of the content and meaning of citizenship in Swedish education policymaking. Firstly, during the first part of the 1990s, a historically established citizen role is changed and replaced by other, more market-oriented roles. During the latter part of the 1990s, when the market orientation is reinforced in neo liberal courses, a second change emerges, the historically accepted basic idea of inclusion – the nation – as the “we”-creating reference for civic spirit is shattered. It is replaced by another – globalization – with other qualities that include and exclude different individuals and groups. Finally, on the basis of these findings, some conditions for a possible alternative are sketched. This alternative is given shape with the ambition of, to a greater extent than is made visible in Swedish Education policy, reasoning about possibilities beyond presupposed dividing properties for a “we”. The power of language for political and societal change has an important role in this dissertation. Political clashes concerning achieving preferential access to talk and interpretation about upbringing objectives are examined by analyzing the texts’ talk about the schools’ commission to foster citizens. Light is shed on the outcomes of these clashes by examining three vital areas for citizen upbringing, found to be crucial in this context: a political one, a cultural one and an economical and working-life oriented one. These citizenship discourses are elucidated and understandings of citizenship in Swedish education policy are given form and alternatives are discussed.

Tim Randberg and Filip Lindahl carried out this study under the institution for pedagogy, didactics and educational studies at Uppsala University. In relation to the lack of research regarding students’ perspectives regarding the legitimizing aspects of the school subject of social science(samhällskunskap), and in contrast to the existence of such research regarding teachers’ perspectives, this study is an attempt at contributing to the lack of previous research and note the importance of working towards a reality in which students’ and teachers’ attitudes, regarding the importance and the purpose of social studies, aligns.  This didactic study, which analyzes which attitudes are connected to a small group of students (age 18), as well as a small group of social science teachers, regarding what legitimizes studying social science, along with the key differences between these two groups, is an interview study in which a didactic theory formed by Gert Biesta was applied in relation to the results of the interview. Biesta’s theoretical framework, which is central for this study, categorized the legitimizing aspects of education into three categories: qualification, socialization and subjectification, in which every relevant analytical finding was categorized into each of Biesta’s three categories. This study concludes that both teachers and students found the internalization of democratic values as well as citizenship development to be the central legitimizing aspects of civic studies. The results regarding the teachers’ comments aligned with most previous research, except for the aspect of power, which in contrast to previous research was absent in the results for this study. Regarding the three theoretical categories, no significant differences were to be found but rather smaller differences that could be considered noteworthy. Teachers discussed the legitimizing aspects of civic studies from a qualification-related point of view more than the students did. In contrast, the students made comments that were connected to the concepts of socialization as well as subjectification in a greater sense compared to the teachers. Regarding the concept of qualification, both teachers and students related the purpose of civic studies to skills and knowledge necessary to engage politically in society, or to prosper in society. Connected to the concept of socialization, students found that it was important that people internalized democratic values and norms related to democracy, which aligns with the teachers’ responses, only that the latter as a group further discussed the legitimizing aspect of civic studies as it being a means to prevent extremism, racism as well as other anti-democratic aspects that a few students were described as gravitating towards. In relation to the concept of subjectification, students, unlike the teachers, noted the importance of becoming global citizens. Both groups argued for the importance of developing a culturally adaptive mindset as well as forming an individual political opinion. Most teachers discussed the importance of students, along with the civic studies, becoming less self-centered and more focused on their role in relation to a social, collective context. In contrast, several students made individualistic claims; that a legitimizing aspect of civic studies, regarding certain skills and abilities that comes with the subject and that was regarded as a key element in a modern, democratic social context, is that they develop a sense of what others think of them and how successfully they present themselves to other people, groups and institutions. One conclusion is that there is a reason for the didactic research-field to investigate whether there needs to be a function in Swedish education which investigates whether students and teachers share the same idea of why they are studying a subject or various content related to a subject,

Blockchain technology has gained ground as a method of independently and securely verifying transaction receipts of educational credentials so they can connect directly to individual digital wallets. Challenges in this transformation include the risk of dilution of value in existing credentials and the risk of duplicating structures. Internationally, several studies and pilots are ongoing. The EU is currently actively working to promote the development of digital micro-credentials with both initiatives and standards recommendations. Nationally in Sweden, government initiatives aim to bring the entire national digital infrastructure together to improve support for lifelong professional learning. Industrial stakeholders, academic education and vocational educational organizations are documented having partly overlapping, partly different needs and requirements. The purpose of this master’s thesis research is to describe the potential use of a blockchain-based ICT system for digital micro-credentials in vocational education, and what would be the desired characteristics of providing such a system from the perspective of stakeholder decision-makers on the governmental, commercial, and educational level. For this, interpretive qualitative research has been conducted. The data was collected through documents review of governmental and policy documents from the EU and Sweden, and individual interviews with seven participants among key stakeholder organizations (vocational institutions, commercial organizations, and government agencies representatives). The collected data was analyzed thematically. The analysis of the collected data was thematically structured into five themes and discussed in the context of the research aim and research question, using the proposed theoretical framework, including structuration theory.  Findings showed that challenges on the macro-level perspective dominated the potential uses and desired characteristics, explicitly the need for a solution that can bridge the gap between industry needs and formal education. The need for a technical solution that can create interoperability between different forms of micro-credentials and credentials was highlighted. A solution with the individual in focus would be a major shift that could improve individuals’ potential to plan careers, enable employers to improve recruitment processes, and strengthen the Swedish government actors in skills and educational planning on the national and regional level. The key to these uses would be the ability to build trust between parties and connect such a technological solution to existing structures such as the European Qualification Framework’s Swedish implementation (SeQF). The research contributes theoretically by adding to the rather limited research on blockchain use for micro-credentials in education, and practically by presenting the context and landscape of the Swedish system of vocational education and training in relation to the potential use of digital micro-credentials.