The aim of the study was to compare the wording of assignments in two textbooks in Swedish with the focus on their level of linguistic difficulty. The textbooks are intended for grade 3 and grade 4 respectively. The comparison considers factors that affect the difficulty of a text, and the study is based on the following analytical categories: parts of speech, word length, compound words, sentence length, noun quota, and readability index. The results of the study indicate that the assignment descriptions in grade 4 are at a textually higher level of difficulty in five of six analytical categories, since the assignment descriptions in grade 3 can be perceived as more colloquial, with a lower readability index and a lower density of information than the textbook for grade 4. However, the analysis of compound words shows that the assignment descriptions for grade 3 contain a larger proportion of compounds; unlike the other factors, this does not suggest a textual progression from grade 3 to grade 4. Despite this discrepant result, one can observe a linguistic progression between the assignment descriptions in the textbooks based on the other categories, and from the factors that have been studied it may be assumed that the assignment descriptions in the textbook for grade 4 are at a higher level of linguistic difficulty. / Studiens syfte är att jämföra uppgiftsformuleringar i två läroböcker i svenska med fokus på deras språkliga svårighetsnivå. Läroböckerna är avsedda för årskurs 3 respektive årskurs 4. Jämförelsen sker utifrån faktorer som påverkar en texts svårighetsgrad och de analyskategorier som studien baseras på är ordklasser, ordlängd, sammansatta ord, meningslängd, nominalkvot och läsbarhetsindex. Studiens resultat tyder på att uppgiftsformuleringarna i årskurs 4 har en textuellt högre svårighetsnivå i fem av sex analyskategorier eftersom uppgiftsformuleringarna i årskurs 3 kan upplevas mer talspråkliga, har ett lägre läsbarhetsindex samt har en lägre informationstäthet jämfört med läroboken för årskurs 4. Dock visar analysen av sammansatta ord att uppgiftsformuleringarna för årskurs 3 innehåller en större andel sammansatta ord, vilket till skillnad från de övriga faktorerna inte talar för en textuell progression från årskurs 3 till årskurs 4. Trots det avvikande resultatet kan en språklig progression mellan uppgiftsformuleringarna i läroböckerna konstateras utifrån de övriga kategorierna och det kan, utifrån de faktorer som undersökts, antas att uppgiftsformuleringarna i läroboken för årskurs 4 har en högre språklig svårighetsnivå.

This thesis deals with the comparison of didactical equipment of Chemistry Textbooks for Basic Schools in the Czech Republic. The first part of the thesis is dedicated to the theory of textbooks and their research within it. The next part, which includes comparison of the textbooks, is pursued by the author from the perspective of two methods: the first being The Degree of Didactical Equipment and the second one The Determination of Didactical Criterion. According to the results of this thesis, the Chemistry Textbooks for Basic Schools in the Czech Republic are alike in its didactical equipment. There are similar structural components in each analysed textbook. There were found only small differences between the best didactically equipped textbooks (the textbooks of the publishers Nová škola and Fraus) and those with the lowest outcome (the textbooks of the publisher Taktik), although the time period between publishing the newest and the oldest textbook is more than 25 years. Due to homogeneity of the results and therefore lower possibility of comparing textbooks the method of the Determination of Didactical Criterion was applied. The method does not offer the final account of the most suitable textbook for school education but it presents different view of analysed textbooks, for example the...

This study aims to explore how textbooks aiming at the course English 6 in the Swedish upper secondary school display male, female and transgendered characters in fictional texts. The study also seeks to investigate what genders are represented in the authors of the analysed fictional texts in the textbooks. The method of the study was a mix between critical discourse analysis and content analysis. Content analysis was used in a quantitative way as a starting point to get an overview of the results for the critical discourse analysis which was used qualitatively. The study showed that authors identifying as male were the most common and represented at a higher rate in the textbooks. Among the results it was also shown that transgendered characters and authors identifying as something else than male or female were not represented at all. The study’s conclusion is that teachers will need to provide a greater variety to their classrooms than what is provided by the textbooks in terms of gender related issues and questions, since students should be given a variety of texts and authors during their English education according to the syllabus (Natl. Ag. f. Ed. 2013).

The aim of this study is to examine how British culture and British cultural identity is discursively constructed and represented in two texts, including images accompanying the texts, found in two textbooks used in the foundation course for English as a second language in the Swedish upper-secondary school, the textbooks published in the 1970s and the 1980s respectively. The aim also includes to see if British cultural identity is represented in a stereotypical manner and to see which views on culture are present in the texts. The methods used in the study are discourse analysis based on Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory, and Hall’s visual analysis. Two theories are applied to the material, these are Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory and Hall’s theory of stereotyping. The result of the present study shows that there are several representations of British cultural identity in the 1970s text and that all are stereotypical. In one of the representations, British cultural identity is understood as someone who is an Englishman which entails amongst other things being brought up in England as a real Englishman. The other representations of British cultural identity included the identities English people, Englishmen and cockneys. The identity English people includes both of the identities Englishmen and cockneys. The representation of English people is that background, class and the way you speak are important and that English people check each other’s background and class by listening to one another’s speech. The representation of Englishmen includes that they are upper-class proper Englishmen who speak the Queens English whereas cockneys are represented as lower-class people who speak a vulgar sort of English. In the 1980s text there are two representations of British cultural identity. The first one of these, which was found to be represented in a stereotypical manner, is constituted by the group identity pupils with British cultural background within a culturally and nationally diverse class in Britain. This representation is culturally exclusive since only pupils with British cultural background are included in this representation. The second representations of British cultural identity found in the 1980s text is a British class made up by a group of pupils with culturally and nationally diverse backgrounds. This representation was deemed to be non-stereotypical and culturally inclusive since this representation of British cultural identity is culturally diverse.

The diploma thesis Forms of internal differentiation and their application in the textbook set Berliner Platz Neu 1 deals with internal differentiation in the chosen textbook set for German as a foreign language. The thesis is devided into a theoretical and a practical part. In the theoretical part, attention is given to the importance of internal differentiation as one of the possible solution to the heterogeneity in the classroom. The thesis focuses on four main forms of internal differentiation - the methodological, social, methodical and work- organizational differentiation. Each form is further divided into subcategories which are described in details. The practical part is devoted to the actual research. Firstly, it presents theoretically the textbook set Berliner Platz Neu 1, its authors and its parts. The textbook set consist of a textbook combined with an exercise book, an additional exercise book, a teśt book and a teacher's book. The textbook set is analysed according to given criteria for didactic and social differentiation. The thesis highlights these activities in the textbook that are suitable for differentiation and comments on the possibility of further differentiation. The aim of the thesis was to find out whether and how the selected textbook set Berliner Platz Neu 1 work with...

During the last several decades, mathematics reform has emphasized the goal of ensuring that students develop both conceptual and procedural understanding in mathematics. The current mathematics reform, Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers [NGA Center & CCSSO], 2010), promotes this goal, with procedural knowledge building upon a strong conceptual base. This study uses content analysis to investigate the extent and ways in which Houghton Mifflin Harcourts Go Math! K-8 (HMH, 2016) supports teachers in building procedural fluency from conceptual understanding when teaching equivalence of fractions.Krippendorfs (1980) framework for content analysis guided this study. I identified a priori codes, and allowed for emergent codes, that characterize quality mathematical instruction. Careful analysis of the teacher editions of the textbook series revealed that, if the teacher instructions are to be followed with fidelity, students are not given opportunities to create and share their own strategies for solving tasks designed to help them learn equivalence of fractions. Neither are they given opportunities to make connections among strategies. All connections are introduced by the teacher. Although the teacher editions promote transitions from visual models to algorithms, they provide inconsistent use of problem-solving practice tasks and equal-sharing problems, two methods that are strongly supported by the research literature for developing procedural fluency from conceptual understanding in equivalence of fractions. Finally, the teacher materials include multiple instances in which the same or similar language and terms are used for mathematical and pedagogical practices found in mainstream research and professional literature, yet the practices were to be implemented in ways contrary to mainstream interpretations.Overall, Go Math! K-8 (HMH, 2016) provided little support to teachers in helping students build procedural fluency from conceptual understanding. A teacher-driven, rather than student-driven, approach to instruction was emphasized, thus minimizing opportunities for students to engage in the kinds of tasks and discourse recommended in the literature. The ways in which mathematical language and terms were implemented contrary to mainstream research interpretations can easily cause confusion among educators. The dearth of authentic problem-solving practice was inconsistent with quality mathematics instruction that supports students conceptual and procedural understanding.

This essay aims to contribute to the field of religious education in Sweden by analyzing how three Swedish textbooks frame the topic of ‘religion and science’. By using content analysis as an analytic tool and framing theory, the essay examines how the relationship between religion and science is framed. Furthermore the essay analyze the didactic implications of the framing, using Johan Wickström’s ‘didactic text competence criteria’.   The contribution of the content analysis lies in its ability to reveal the framing of the relationship between religion and science within the material of the study and how the frames are constructed. The second part of analysis, through Wickström's 'didactic text competence criteria,' offers a critical examination that delves deeper into the complexities of the identified frameworks from a pedagogical perspective. The outcome of the critical analysis led to the conclusion that the identified frames could be perceived as problematic concerning the objectives and goals of education, as well as scientific principles and considerations for students. Furthermore, this study serves as a practical demonstration of how Wickström's criteria can serve as an analytical tool, while also underscoring its inherent limitations.

The purpose of this study was to analyze how textbooks for the Swedish upper secondary school have depicted the rise of the Nazis and the Nazi takeover of power from the 1960s to the 2010s.With the focus on both the content and the use of pictures in the depictions. The purpose also was to analyze the structure of the depictions. Following questions were formulated to answer the purpose: How has the textbooks depicted the events leading up to the rise of Nazis and thetakeover of power? , How does the textbooks present the history and which images are used in the depictions? , What similarities and differences can be found in the textbooks depictions overtime? The results showed that the textbooks depictions of the rise of Nazis and the takeover of power have increased in size during the entire research period. The results showed that the textbooks depictions of the rise of the Nazis was relatively homogenous throughout the research period, except for the first textbook from the 1950s. The textbooks depicted the following events: the turbulence in the young Weimar republic, the inflation crisis, Hitlers coup attemptand the big depression. All the textbooks linked these events to the Nazis rise to power. The depictions of the Nazi takeover of power are not as homogenous. The results showed both differences between the length and the content of the depictions. These differences did not occurin a pattern that could indicate a change in the climate of the society. The results showed disagreement between the authors about which events that should be included in the depictions.The authors also interpreted events in different ways, for example which groups that helped Hitler to power. The result also showed that the textbooks use of pictures has increased during the entire researchperiod. The use of pictures in the textbooks consists exclusively of graphs, charts, andphotographs. Graphs and charts in the textbooks all relate to the same phenomena: Nazis popularity grew in times of crisis. A common use of photographs in the textbooks was to show Hitler during speeches and military parades. From the 1980s and onward the textbooks started including photographs that visualize and concretize the inflation. The results also clearly shows that the textbooks started to invite the students to reflections in the text by asking questions from the 1990s and onward. Not a single book before the 1990s invites the students to reflection through questions in the texts, while it is a well-used feature in all textbooks after the 1990s.

This study addresses the identified gaps in professionalism and theoretical grounding within values education, aiming to explore how textbooks can help alleviate these shortcomings. To achieve its objective, the study undertakes an analysis of five religious education textbooks designed for students in grades 4-6. It investigates how these textbooks tackle the prescribed values outlined in the school's value system and the pedagogical methodologies advocated within the realm of ethics and existential inquiries. Drawing upon Kohlberg's stage theory of moral development and social domain theory, this study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the symbiotic relationship between theoretical frameworks, pedagogical practices, and educational resources in values education. By shedding light on this interplay, the study seeks to inform the development of more effective strategies for values education within educational settings. The results suggest that an effective theoretical foundation can consist of a combination of Kohlberg's stage theory and domain theory. Stage theory can serve as a rough framework to understand students' intellectual maturity, while the nature of the questions—whether domain-specific or domain-complex—should be adapted to the students' moral maturity. The main conclusion is that these theories can be integrated into a cohesive model that helps teachers navigate value pedagogy by adapting the nature of the questions to the students' maturity.

Att implementera kontroversiella ämnen i gymnasieskolans litteraturundervisning är fruktbart, men innebär samtidigt ett orosmoln som får lärare att undvika sådan typ av undervisning. Givet de krav som ställs på läraren i undervisningssammanhang där stötande skönlitterära motiv behandlas, uppdagas ett behov av att samla mer kunskap kring ifrågavarande ämne. I lärarens arbete finns läroböcker som både designar lärandeaktiviteter och gör textval åt läraren. Föreliggande studie ämnar ge ett kunskapsbidrag om hur läroböcker arbetar med kontroversiella ämnen i skönlitteraturen, för att möjliggöra en diskussion gällande dessa ämnens didaktiska potential i skolans demokratiuppdrag. Ändamålet kräver att blicken riktas mot de tolkningskonventioner, även kallat läsarter, som uppmuntras i läroböckerna. Studien har därför formulerat en läsart, affektiv medvetenhet, som fungerar som ett teoretiskt analysverktyg för hur litteraturen främmandegör varseblivanden och försätter läsaren i en chockupplevelse som tvingar fram perspektivskiften. Via en teoridriven tematisk analys av fyra läroböcker ämnade för gymnasieskolans svenskämne kunde tre övergripande teman urskiljas. Dessa förklarar hur textutdragen möjliggör och utelämnar kontroversiella ämnen; samt hur kontroversiella uppslag används till andra ändamål. Resultatet visar att läroböckernas textutdrag i största utsträckning gestaltar neutrala motiv. Texterna kombineras allt som oftast med läsarter som syftar att utveckla narratologisk litteraturanalytisk kompetens. Få spår finns av kontroversiella ämnen och läsarten affektiv medvetenhet, vilket innebär att den didaktiska potentialen till etisk självreflektion som en del av demokratiuppdraget förbises. Studiens diskussion problematiserar huruvida projektet att kategorisera texter som kontroversiella eller inte är givande, eftersom gränsdragningen kring kontroversiella ämnen inte innebär vattentäta skott gentemot de nära angränsande begreppen komplexa narrativ och känslor i litteraturen. / Implementing controversial subjects in school literature reading is valuable but at the same time poses a concern that makes teachers avoid this type of teaching. Considering the challenges faced by teachers when dealing with offensive literary themes, there is therefore a need to gather more knowledge on this topic. Textbooks play a dual role in the teacher's work by both designing learning activities and selecting texts. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of how textbooks address controversial subjects in literature, to facilitate a discussion about the didactical potential of these topics in fulfilling the school's democratic mission. This purpose requires examining the interpretative conventions that are encountered in the textbook’s different readings. The study therefore introduces a reading approach called affective awareness, which serves as an analytical tool for how literature can disrupt perceptions and induce a state of shock that prompts shifts in perspective. Through a theory-driven thematic analysis of four Swedish textbooks, aimed at upper secondary school, three main themes were identified. These themes explain how text excerpts both enable and exclude controversial subjects, and how controversial topics are repurposed for other objectives. The results show that the excerpts in the textbooks predominantly portray neutral themes. The texts are often combined with readings aimed at developing narratological literary analytical skills. There is little evidence of controversial topics and the reading approach of affective awareness, which means that the didactic potential for ethical self-reflection as part of the democratic mission is overlooked. The study’s discussion questions whether categorizing texts as controversial or not is beneficial, as the boundary around controversial topics is not clearly defined in relation to the closely related concepts of complex narratives and emotions in literature.