The purpose of this study is to describe some students' own experiences and involvement of remedial instruction during year seven to nine in compulsory school in Sweden. My hope is that the study may contribute in possible ways of supporting students in reading and writing difficulties. The study is qualitative with a life-world approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with four upper secondary school students. The study is retrospective and describes the students´ experiences and perceptions of remedial instruction. The result shows that all four students have their unique perspectives on reading and writing difficulties or dyslexia as a phenomenon. As individuals, they have positive experiences of support and individual teachers´ commitment. These students interviewed have in common an experience of struggling and fight to get their rights respected, and that this has consuming power and energy that otherwise could have been used in the learning process. / Syftet med denna studie är att beskriva några elevers egna upplevelser och deltagande av stödinsatser under svenska grundskolans årskurser sju till nio. Min förhoppning är att studien kan bidra med möjliga vägar att stödja elever i läs- och skrivsvårigheter. Undersökningen är kvalitativ med en livsvärldsansats. Data har samlats in genom halvstrukturerade intervjuer med fyra gymnasieelever. Studien är retroperspektiv och eleverna har sett tillbaka på sin grundskoletid och beskriver sina erfarenheter och upplevelser av det stöd de fick då. Resultatet visar att alla fyra eleverna har sitt unika perspektiv på läs- och skrivsvårigheter eller dyslexi som fenomen. Som individer har de positiva erfarenheter av stödinsatser och enskilda pedagogers engagemang. Gemensamt har eleverna en upplevelse av att ha fått kämpa för att få sina rättigheter tillgodosedda och att detta tagit kraft och energi som annars kunnat komma deras lärprocess till gagn.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter upplever det att delta i en intensivundervisningsinsats i läsning. En sådan insats innebär att eleverna varje dag under 4-6 veckor jobbar 20 minuter med strukturerad undervisning som har syftet att utveckla deras läsförmåga. Den forskning som jag har funnit om intensivundervisning i läsning visar samstämmigt på att liknande insatser ger goda resultat. Däremot tar inte denna forskning upp hur eleverna upplever själva intensivundervisningen. Därför har jag valt att undersöka några elevers upplevelser av detta och fokuserat på upplevelsen av arbetssättet, upplevelsen av den egna läsutvecklingen samt hur det är att gå ifrån klassrummet för att delta i intensivundervisningen.   Studien bygger på kvalitativa intervjuer med sex elever i årskurs 4 som har deltagit i en intensivundervisningsinsats i läsning. Varje elev har intervjuats enskilt och deras berättelser har sedan analyserats utifrån en livsvärldsfenomenologisk ansats ur ett elevperspektiv.   Resultatet visar att dessa elever är positiva till att arbeta med intensivundervisning i läsning och upplever själva att de har utvecklat sin läsförmåga genom den. De beskriver sin egen utveckling i relation till det material de har arbetat med samt vad det har inneburit för dem både i skolan och hemma. Eleverna tar upp både positiva och negativa upplevelser av att gå ifrån klassrummet för att delta i intensivundervisningen. / The purpose of this study is to examine how students with reading and writing disabilities experienced participation in intensive instruction in reading. Such an achievement means that students every day for 4-6 weeks is working about 20 minutes with structured teaching with the aim of developing their reading skills. The research about intensive instruction in reading coherently show that similar achievements are producing good results. In contrast, this research does not include how students experience intensive instruction. Therefore, I have chosen to examine some students' experiences of this and focused on the experience of working, the experience of their own reading development and how it is to leave the classroom to participate in intensive instruction.   The study is based on qualitative interviews with six students in grade 4 who have participated in intensive instruction in reading. Each student was interviewed individually and their stories were then analysed based on a life-world phenomenological approach from a student perspective.   The result shows that these students are positive towards working with intensive instruction in reading and experience themselves having developed their reading skills through it. They describe their own development in relation to the material they have worked with and what it has meant to them both in school and at home. The students mention both positive and negative experiences of leaving the classroom to participate in intensive instruction.

Studenter vid högskolor och universitet ska utveckla informationskompetens. Syftet med den här studien är utifrån såväl campus- som distansstudenters upplevelser undersöka vilka kunskaper som anses viktiga för att kunna söka, finna och kritiskt använda sig av information. Studiens teoretiska ramverk utgörs av fenomenografisk variationsteori, sociokulturell teori och filosofisk hermeneutik. Det empiriska materialet inleds med fem semi-strukturerade intervjuer med studenter. Därefter har en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av fyra kursers kursplaner och studiehandledningar i ämnena kriminologi och pedagogik, relaterat till informationskompetens genomförts. Studiens resultat visar att studenterna har varierande erfarenheter av informationskompetens, samt att de utvalda kursplanerna och studiehandledningarnas innehåll relaterat till informationskompetens utgår från olika perspektiv. I den kunskap som studenterna utvecklar i samband med författandet av inlämningsuppgifter och uppsatser fokuserar de på att bli godkända på respektive kurs. I studiens resultat problematiseras därmed hur den kunskap studenterna har förvärvat kan användas i deras framtida yrkesliv. Studien är en del av ett utbildningsprojekt som sker i samverkan mellan Universitetsbiblioteket och Lärande- och resurscentrum vid Mittuniversitetet gällande studenters informationskompetens. / Students at colleges and universities are to develop information literacy. The purpose of this study is to examine, based on experiences from both campus- as well as distance students, what kind of knowledge is important in order to search for, find and critically use information. The theoretical framework of the study constitutes of sociocultural theory, phenomenographic variation theory and philosophical hermeneutics. The empirical material starts with five semi-structured interviews with students. Following that, a qualitative analysis of content of four selected courses’ syllabus and study guidelines in relation to information literacy was carried out. The result of the study show that students have various degrees of experience of information literacy and also the contents of the chosen syllabus and study guides in relation to information literacy emanates from different perspectives. The knowledge which students develop in connection with the writing of essays and reports is the focus for students to pass their respective course. Therefore, the result of the study problemizes how the knowledge that the students have acquired can be used in their future professional life. This study is a part of an educational project in co-operation with the University Library and the Learning and Resource Centre at the Mid Sweden University regarding the students’ information literacy. / <p>Godkännandedatum: 2016-05-17</p>

The mechanism of how physical education teacher education (PETE) students learn to teach physical education (PE) has been considered as a missing link in a comprehensive curriculum of PETE research. Previous studies found that the PETE students’ acculturation phase has a big impact on the students’ beliefs towards teaching PE as it is referred to as Occupational Socialization Theory (OST). The purpose of this study was to explore how PETE students learn to teach PE based on their experiences being taught PE and coached in a sport and their reflections on their emerging practices whilst taking a course EPHE 452 – Strategies for teaching games, a culminating course in their physical and health education teachable area. The study used two qualitative research methods, autoethnography and participant observation ethnography, within a case study design methodology. Data collection included the case studies’ interviews of three PETE students and the EPHE 452 course observation throughout COVID-19 pandemic in Spring semester in 2021. The findings showed that PETE students carried beliefs from their acculturation phase to their professional phase, while the teacher education program has a positive impact on the PETE students’ beliefs towards teaching PE. Four organizing course themes with sub-themes emerged; insights on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the course becoming a mediating theme. Several effective methods were used to develop PETE students’ abilities to teach PE, such as the online resources, group discussions, the practicum experience and the reading of articles. The COVID-19 pandemic created opportunities and challenges among PETE students who took EPHE 452 course in Spring Semester in 2021 that have led to a rethinking and redevelopment of the EPHE 452 course. / Graduate

This paper aims to explore Swedish students’ experiences of English-medium instruction (EMI) in Swedish higher education. Previous research shows that students’ experiences of EMI in higher education are closely related to attitudes towards the proficiencies of lecturers and peers, which in turn are based on students’ conceptualisations of English. Through the use of semi-structured interviews, three interrelated themes are explored: (1) how prepared students felt they were to use English in higher education (2) students’ experiences of acquiring content through English and (3) students’ underlying conceptualisations of English. Three Swedish students at different institutions and programs were interviewed. Findings show that the students had varied views of what it was to be prepared for EMI as well as how prepared they felt they were according to their own definitions. Students also had differing experiences of acquiring content through English. All three students conceptualised English as a standard, native variety. Their conceptualisations of English as a standard had implications on student-student and teacher-student interactions, which was evidenced especially in regard to international non-native speakers of English. Findings are discussed in relation to relevant previous research on EMI and the Swedish context. Finally, suggestions are made for Upper Secondary school in-class practices, for the benefit of better preparing Swedish students for higher education in Sweden by implementing an English as a lingua franca (ELF-) perspective on English spoken interaction.

Målsättningen med föreliggande studie är att bidra med kunskap om elevers upplevelser av stödinsatser och delaktighet i grundskolan. Det är sällan som elevernas upplevelser lyfts fram i forskning och syftet med denna studie är därför att belysa hur några elever som inte varit behöriga att söka in på ett nationellt gymnasieprogram, ser på de stödinsatser de fått, eller önskat att de fått, i grundskolan samt deras upplevelse av delaktighet under samma period. Studien bygger på en kvalitativ intervjustudie med semistrukturerade frågor, där fem respondenter bidrar med sina upplevelser. De teoretiska perspektiv som studien utgår ifrån är relationellt- respektive kategoriskt perspektiv, samt salutogent- respektive patogent perspektiv. Resultatet visar på att elevernas upplevelser var övervägande negativa under låg- och mellanstadiet och mer positiva under högstadiet. Detta förklaras framför allt med att de inte kände sig delaktiga, och upplever att stödinsatserna inte var adekvata i förhållande till stödbehovet. Insikterna som framkommit i studien handlar om vikten av att lyssna in varje enskild elevs upplevelse och beakta dessa när det kommer till att utforma och utvärdera stödinsatser. Elevers upplevelser kan ha en stor påverkan på det specialpedagogiska området och bidrar i arbetet med att utveckla lärmiljön i grundskolan för att främja delaktighet. / The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding about students' experiences of support measures and participation in compulsory school. It is rare that students' experiences are highlighted in research and the purpose of this study is therefore to shed light on how some students who have not been eligible to apply for a Swedish national high school program, look at the support measures they received, or wished they had received, in primary school and their experience of participation during the same period. The study is based on a qualitative interview study with semi-structured questions, where five respondents contribute with their experiences. The theoretical perspectives on which the study is based are relational and categorical perspectives, as well as salutogenic and pathogenic perspectives. The results show that the students' experiences were predominantly negative during elementary school and more positive during middle school. This is mainly explained by the fact that they did not feel participation, nor that the support efforts were adequate in relation to their need for support. The insights that emerged in the study are about the importance of listening to each individual student's experience and taking these into account when it comes to designing and evaluating support measures. Students' experiences can have a major impact on the special education area and contribute to the work of developing the learning environment in compulsory school to promote participation.

Many people with dyslexia find second language learning difficult (Gallardo, et al., 2015; Csizér, et al., 2010; DiFino &amp; Lombardino, 2004; Simon, 2000). A language with a deep orthography has little correspondence between the spelling of a word and its pronunciation, and is said to cause a higher degree of faulty decoding by people with dyslexia (Lindgren &amp; Laine, 2011; Rontou, 2012). English is one of the languages with the deepest orthography (Seymour, Aro &amp; Erskine, 2003). In contrast, one study has found that some exceptional dyslectics read with greater ease and correctness in English compared to their mother tongue Swedish (Miller Guron &amp; Lundberg, 2000). The aim of this study is to contribute to knowledge about how young adults with dyslexia have experienced learning English in primary and secondary school. It is a retrospective study with two participants, whose life histories are in focus. The research questions for this study are: -          What themes arise in the participants’ life histories, concerning the connection between dyslexia and second language learning in English? -          What perspectives of special education have pervaded the English teaching that the participants took part in? -          In which ways were the participants included in the English teaching that they took part in, seen from three aspects of inclusion: spatial-, social- and didactic inclusion? Firstly, the results show that despite having very different experiences of dyslexia and learning English in primary and secondary school, certain common themes arise when cross-analysing the participants’ life histories: -          Support at home and in school affects the motivation for learning English -          English is more difficult to learn compared to other school subjects -          Lower self-esteem/self-worth -          The need for repetition and time for learning English Secondly, the results show that it was mainly the compensatory- and critical perspectives that pervaded the teaching of English that the participants took part in. Only to a minor extent was the dilemma perspective noticeable. Finally, the results show that one of the participants mainly experienced two aspects of inclusion, spatial- and social inclusion, throughout primary and secondary school. Although, one specific teacher managed to include the participant according to all three aspects of inclusion. The other participant, on the other hand, did not experience being included according to any of the aspects. The participants of this study have shown that learning English is definitely a possibility for a person with dyslexia. However, it has not been a walk in the park for either of them but has required a lot of hard work and feelings of distress along the way.

The aim of the study is to examine factors influencing students’ feelings of pleasure or pain associated with school mathematics. Own experience of students’ frustration about mathematics and concern about students not reaching desired goals is the driving force in this study. It contributes with knowledge from the students' perspective. Hopefully the result can help others, teachers and parents, to strengthen pupils’ desire and ability to learn. Students’ emotions about mathematics are important for learning and mathematics can cause joy as well as anxiety. The students who are positive often need stimulation and challenge, but are usually not a problem for the adults. The negative emotions, especially fear, is something that adults should take into account and try to develop for the better. Anxiety can be described as "a lack of well-being". It can cause panic, paralysis and mental disorganization when students are required to solve math tasks. Math anxiety can also be defined as a combination of stress before the test, low self-esteem, fear of failure and negative attitudes towards learning mathematics. Symptoms can include avoidance of formal mathematics instruction, poor test results and that instructions will not have the expected effect. There is a phenomenological approach of the study. Phenomenology studies how the consciousness creates meaning. The focal point is trying to learn about the students’ experience of their 'Being-in-the-World'. How do students view school mathematics, and why? What can create desire for learning mathematics? What can create uneasiness in learning mathematics? In order to get a better view of this complex area four different data sources are used. Eight pupils are interviewed individually. 19 students participated in focus group interviews. 134 students, ages 11-13, answered questions in a web survey. One class observation was also made. The result was formed into three important factors, Student’s own view of capacity and attitude to mathematics, Importance of relations to others (teachers, class mates, parents) and Content and working forms. Three different themes came into focus – Understanding, Working atmosphere and Safety. The four main areas of importance, as seen in this study, are Interaction student-teacher, Understanding and feeling of success, Good atmosphere in the classroom and Awareness about the use of mathematics. The results show areas of importance for pupils who are feeling math anxiety. They are less aware of how mathematics can be of use for them also outside school and the importance of mathematics in their future lives. They need a much stronger support from adults, teachers and parents, in their math studies, than pupils without anxiety. The classroom environment can also cause problems, if students do not feel safe or feel stressed or disturbed by other pupils or teachers. There are also a few differences between the girls’ and the boys’ experiences, where girls seem to reflect more about their uneasiness when it comes to mathematics, sometimes caused by the boys. What can teachers learn from this study? In short: motivate, teach and let the pupils talk.

No description available.