Swedish School Students Research Articles

Closing the Gender Gap? A Cohort Comparison of Adolescent Responses to and Attitudes Toward Pornography, 2004 vs. 2021

ABSTRACT Pornography has become increasingly prevalent and normalized within society, raising questions about how today’s adolescents might differ in their responses to and attitudes toward pornography compared to earlier generations. This study begins to fill this gap by comparing cross-sectional data from two cohorts of high school students in Sweden in 2004 (n = 4,266, mean age = 18.15, SD = 0.74, 53.9% girls) and 2020–21 (n = 3,256, mean age = 18.20, SD = 0.61, 55.4% girls). Gender-stratified bivariate analyses and logistic regression models were performed to examine the impact of survey year on outcomes. Results reveal an increase in frequent pornography use among both genders and a narrowing of the gender gap in responses and attitudes by 2020–21. Boys reported decreased arousal responses, fewer positive emotional responses, and were less inclined to imitate the behaviors seen in pornography. Girls were less averse to and upset by the pornography they encountered. Both genders became more tolerant of pornography, yet more critical of its purported benefits. Notable gender differences remain, especially with girls being more likely to recognize pornography as degrading and exploitative. These findings underscore the need for educational strategies that foster critical understandings of pornography and its societal impact.

Evaluation of the Teaching Recovery Techniques intervention among newcomer students in Swedish schools: a randomised controlled trial turned into a feasibility study

BackgroundDuring recent years, Europe has faced the arrival of migrants whereof a considerable group of youth present mental health problems, such as symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Schools offer a safe environment for mental health interventions to these groups, yet there is limited research on the impact of school-based interventions addressing mental health problems in newcomer youths, especially in the Swedish context. This cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to explore the effectiveness of the Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) intervention among newcomer students with PTSD symptoms in Swedish secondary schools.MethodsNine schools were randomly assigned to TRT or a wait list control group prior to the baseline assessment. Follow-up data were collected immediately following the intervention and three months post-intervention. In total, 531 students were approached, of which 61 gave consent and were eligible to be included in the study: 55 in TRT and 6 in the control condition. Given the low number of participants in the control condition, we merely analyzed students who had received TRT.ResultsWe report on feasibility of recruitment, data collection, intervention delivery and intervention effectiveness. In terms of intervention effectiveness, within subjects ANOVAs revealed significant reductions in PTSD symptoms and general mental health problems from baseline to the three months-follow-up (p < 0.001).ConclusionsOur results indicate that TRT is a promising school-based intervention for newcomer students with PTSD symptoms. For a successful implementation of TRT in the school context, schools need to be engaged and the implementation should be managed by a local coordinator.Trial registrationISRCTN, ISRCTN48178969, Retrospectively registered 20/12/2019.

Upper secondary school students’ perspectives on un/fairness in group work assessment

ABSTRACT Students’ perspectives of un/fairness in group work assessment are known to be related to the issues of varied contributions in group work and how to discern each student’s contribution or knowledge from the group’s joint work. Students’ perceptions of un/fairness in group work assessment are important since it relates to their motivation. This study aims to investigate upper secondary students’ perspectives on un/fairness in group work assessment. In the study, 129 upper secondary school students in Sweden between the ages of 15 and 16 years participated. The students were interviewed in 33 focus groups. The interviews were thematically analysed. The study’s findings illustrate how ambition, motivation and friendship relations in groups may vary and cause what students perceive as unfairness. Varied ambitions and motivations among group members also appear to breed situations where group members’ contributions to group work may vary, which also is perceived by students as unfair. Other factors that can contribute to a perception of unfairness are when knowledge levels vary among group members or friendship relations. How un/fairness is perceived also depends on the level at which the assessment is implemented, group or individual level. The greatest experience of unfairness is generated by implementing group assessment.

Happy or Unhappy? Mental Health Correlates of Receiving Sexts and Unsolicited Sexual Images

This study investigated the prevalence of receiving sexts among adolescents and its relationship with depressive symptoms and self-esteem. A survey was administered to 728 high school students in Sweden in 2019 and 2020 (50.4% girls and 46.4% boys) using a cross-sectional design. Findings showed that significantly more boys (28.4%) than girls (12.6%) reported having happily received a sexual picture, while significantly more girls (48.8%) than boys (s.2%) reported having received an unwanted sexual picture at least once in their life. Happily receiving a sexual picture was not related to any of the investigated mental health correlates among girls, whereas it was positively associated with depressive symptoms among boys. Receiving an unsolicited sexual picture was associated with higher depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem for both boys and girls. This work offers a novel approach to studying the reception of sexual images by teenagers Practical implications of the present findings are discussed.

Child–Adult Contract for Prevention of Tobacco Use: “As-Treated” Analysis of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (the TOPAS Study) at 3-Year Follow-Up

To estimate the effect of a 3-year commitment to remain tobacco free on tobacco uptake among high school students in Sweden. The commitment is developed in the form of a contract between a child and a significant adult, constituting the core component of Tobacco-free Duo (T-Duo), a Swedish school-based tobacco prevention program. Secondary analysis of data from a cluster randomized controlled trial. Participants were 586 students in high schools assigned to the intervention arm of T-Duo. At inception, participants attended grade 7 (i.e., age 12–13). Only students who were tobacco naïve at baseline for the respective outcome and participated in all follow-ups were included. The exposure was defined as signing a 3-year contract with a significant adult, categorized as “stable contract” (3 years contract with the same contract partner), “unstable” (signed a contract sometime during follow-up but this was not sustained over time and/or with the same partner), and “no contract” at all during the intervention period. The primary outcome was having never tried cigarette smoking at the end of grade 9. Exposure and outcomes were self-reported in yearly questionnaires. Of 586 students, 321 (55%) held a stable contract, 204 (35%) an unstable contract, and 61 (10%) did not sign a contract at all. At the end of grade 9 (age 15–16), the relative risk (RR) to remain cigarette free was 1.11 (95% CI 1.00–1.22) (Number Needed to Treat = 10) among students in any type of contract compared to students that did not write a contract at all. The RRs for remaining tobacco free (secondary outcomes) ranged from 1.07 (0.98–1.16) for regular snus use to 1.16 (1.00–1.35) for any type of tobacco use. A commitment to remain tobacco free through a child–adult contract seems to exert a preventive effect on the uptake of tobacco use among Swedish adolescents over 3 school years. The current findings apply to a selected sample of both schools and students. Registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN52858080 Date: January 4, 2019, retrospectively registered.

Nonconsensual Dissemination of Sexual Images Among Adolescents: Associations With Depression and Self-Esteem.

The nonconsensual dissemination of sexual images is a form of image-based sexual abuse that is relatively common among adolescents. However, literature on this issue with adolescent samples is relatively scarce. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating how this phenomenon varies based on gender and sexual orientation, along with its association with depression and self-esteem. Participants were 728 secondary school students in Sweden (50.4% girls and 46.4% boys; 14.4% lesbian, gay, bisexual [LGB+]) aged from 12 to 19 years (M = 14.35, SD = 1.29). A survey was administered during school hours, including a measure assessing the nonconsensual dissemination of sexual images, the short version of the Moods and Feelings Questionnaire, and the Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale. Results showed that LGB+ participants were more likely to indicate that they were victimized compared to their heterosexual peers, while no differences were observed for gender. Being the target of nonconsensual dissemination of sexual images was positively associated with depression, whereas no significant associations were yielded for self-esteem. Based on the findings from this study, we suggest raising adolescent awareness in relation to the nonconsensual dissemination of sexual images as a form of sexual abuse that can have detrimental effects on those who are targeted. Such educational programs should be inclusive of sexual minority adolescents, as they are at a particular risk of being the target of nonconsensual dissemination of sexual images. Psychological support should be provided to the targets of this form of abuse, through both school and online counseling. Future research should adopt longitudinal designs while recruiting diverse samples.

Critical Multilingual Language Awareness Among Migrant Students: Cultivating Curiosity and a Linguistics of Participation

ABSTRACT This paper draws from a collaborative project in which we piloted a Critical Multilingual Language Awareness approach (CMLA) in a preparatory class for recently arrived secondary school students in Sweden. We adapted material on Language Awareness from We Are Multilingual (https://www.wamcam.org). This adapted approach followed the five principles of educational design for multilingual learners, which also relate to cognitive, performative, affective, social and power domains of Language Awareness. Data consist of audio- and video-recorded interactions from classroom observations, student/teacher interviews, and teaching/student-produced material. With a process-oriented focus, we discuss student participation in this co-learning design as contingent upon practices of curiosity. A focus is also on the co-learning process through reflection on activity, and how cultivating new ways of listening, involving multilingual study mentoring, may spur linguistic participation.

Students’ responses to the question: how does a computer do curve fitting?

Previous research has identified an unfilled gap between, on the one hand, mathematical prerequisites needed for a formal treatment of least squares and, on the other hand, only teaching procedural aspects of curve fitting. As a response to this, the present study explores students’ suggestions of how they think a computer or calculator does curve fitting. The data evolve through observations of mathematics classroom group work and interviews during a physics laboratory group work of year 10 secondary school students in Sweden. The results show that these students seemed well equipped to, on their own, suggest relevant and mathematically founded strategies for formal curve fitting though not least squares. Specifically, the students were inventive in their group work in the sense that several of their suggestions for how curve fitting could work are the same as those that appear in mathematics history from early 1700 until contemporary methods, covering both algebra and statistics. As such, the mathematical content in the results contrasts previous research on informal fit, which often results in the students counting the number of points over and under the fitted line but with less articulated justifications for their fit.

Adolescents' Use of Pornography: Trends over a Ten-year Period in Sweden.

Using survey data from three nationally representative surveys in 2004, 2009, and 2014 among senior high school students in Sweden, this study investigates trends in adolescents' lifetime prevalence of pornography use, frequency of pornography use, and type of pornography used over time. While almost all boys and a considerable proportion of girls used pornography across the three waves, the lifetime prevalence of pornography use decreased overall for both girls and boys. The share of boys who use pornography frequently increased over the three survey cycles; those who reported using pornography daily increased from 11% in 2004 to 24% in 2014. In contrast, there was no change in girls who reported using pornography daily, while the proportion who never used pornography increased from 40% in 2004 to 51% in 2014. Adolescents appear to use a narrower range of different pornography types over the survey cycles. Multiple logistic regression models were generated to investigate factors associated with pornography use over the 10-year period. The results suggest that rule-breaking behavior, having higher economic status and higher academic achievement were related to boy's pornography use, while rule-breaking behavior, early sexual debut and victimization were associated with girls' pornography use.

Exploring associations between subjective well-being and personality over a time span of 15\u201318\xa0months: a cohort study of adolescents in Sweden

IntroductionSubjective well-being (SWB) is a contributing factor for building resilience and a resource for positive outcomes, e.g. study achievement and work performance. Earlier studies have examined associations between and prospective effects of personality traits on SWB, but few addressed the role that SWB plays in formation of personality over time. The purpose of our study was to examine associations and prospective effects of SWB on personality traits and vice versa in a cohort sample of secondary school students in Sweden who completed self-reported measures of SWB and personality traits at baseline (N = 446, 76% females) and at 15–18 month follow-up (N = 283, 71% females).MethodsSWB was defined and measured by the WHO-5 Well-being Index and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The Big Five Inventory was used to measure personality traits. Autoregressive models were used to analyse associations and potential prospective effects of SWB on personality traits and vice versa.ResultsLow levels of neuroticism and high levels of extraversion, conscientiousness and agreeableness were associated with high levels of SWB at baseline and follow-up. The association between SWB and neuroticism was notably strong. We found high statistically significant rank order stability across the two time points for all measures of personality traits with stability effects, derived from the autoregressive models, ranging from .199 for extraversion to .440 for neuroticism. Stability for SWB was statistically significant across the two time points and ranged from .182 for well-being to .353 for life satisfaction. SWB had a prospective effect on agreeableness only. None of the personality traits had any significant prospective effects on SWB.ConclusionsThe present findings indicate that although correlated, bidirectional prospective effects between personality traits and SWB could not be confirmed. Neuroticism displayed the strongest negative association with adolescents’ SWB. Schools are an appropriate setting to improve well-being, and allocating resources that reduce neuroticism is crucial, including structural interventions, policies for healthy school settings and teaching emotional regulation techniques.

Six-Month Outcomes from the NEXit Junior Trial of a Text Messaging Smoking Cessation Intervention for High School Students: Randomized Controlled Trial With Bayesian Analysis.

BackgroundThe prevalence of daily or occasional smoking among high school students in Sweden was approximately 20% in 2019, which is problematic since lifestyle behaviors are established in adolescence and track into adulthood. The Nicotine Exit (NEXit) Junior trial was conducted in response to a lack of evidence for the effects of text message smoking cessation interventions among high school students in Sweden.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to estimate the 3- and 6-month effects of a text messaging intervention among high school students in Sweden on smoking cessation outcomes.MethodsA 2-arm, single-blind randomized controlled trial was employed to estimate the effects of the intervention on smoking cessation in comparison to treatment as usual. Participants were recruited from high schools in Sweden using advertising and promotion by school staff from January 10, 2018, to January 10, 2019. Weekly or daily smokers who were willing to make a quit attempt were eligible for inclusion. Prolonged abstinence and point prevalence of smoking cessation were measured at 3 and 6 months after randomization.ResultsComplete case analysis was possible on 57.9% (310/535) of the participants at 6 months, with no observed statistically significant effect on 5-month prolonged abstinence (odds ratio [OR] 1.27, 95% CI 0.73-2.20; P=.39) or 4-week smoking cessation (OR 1.42; 95% CI 0.83-2.46; P=.20). Sensitivity analyses using imputation yielded similar findings. Unplanned Bayesian analyses showed that the effects of the intervention were in the anticipated direction. The findings were limited by the risk of bias induced by high attrition (42.1%). The trial recruited high school students in a pragmatic setting and included both weekly and daily smokers; thus, generalization to the target population is more direct compared with findings obtained under more strict study procedures.ConclusionsHigher than expected attrition rates to follow-up 6 months after randomization led to null hypothesis tests being underpowered; however, unplanned Bayesian analyses found that the effects of the intervention were in the anticipated direction. Future trials of smoking cessation interventions targeting high school students should aim to prepare strategies for increasing retention to mid- and long-term follow-up.Trial RegistrationIRCTN Registry ISRCTN15396225; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN15396225International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.1186/s13063-018-3028-2

A potential increase in adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury during covid-19: A comparison of data from three different time points during 2011 – 2021

Life-time prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has consistently been found to be around 17% in community samples of adolescents. Concerns of threats to mental health in adolescents during covid-19 have been raised. Life-time prevalence of NSSI in high school students in Sweden was compared using the same item to assess NSSI at three different time points. Results showed very similar prevalence of NSSI in 2011 and 2014 (17.2 % vs. 17.7 %), and an increase to 27.6 % during the pandemic of 2020-2021. Our findings imply a need to highlight the potential psychosocial consequences of covid-19 for young people.

MHealth intervention for multiple lifestyle behaviour change among high school students in Sweden (LIFE4YOUth): protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundNational surveys in Sweden demonstrate that the majority of young people do not engage in health promoting behaviours at levels recommended by the Public Health Agency of Sweden. The objective of this study is to estimate the effectiveness of a novel mHealth intervention named LIFE4YOUth, which targets multiple lifestyle behaviours (alcohol, diet, physical activity, and smoking) among high school students in Sweden.MethodsA 2-arm parallel groups single blind randomised controlled trial (1:1) will be employed to estimate the effectiveness of the novel mHealth intervention. Students will be recruited at high schools throughout Sweden, and will be included if they fulfil one of six criteria relating to unhealthy behaviours with respect to alcohol, diet, physical activity and smoking. Eligible participants will be randomised to either receive the novel intervention immediately, or to be placed on a waiting list for 4 months. The intervention consists of a combination of recurring screening, text messages, and an interactive platform which is adaptable to individual preferences. Outcome measures with respect to alcohol, diet, physical activity and smoking will be assessed through questionnaires at 2 and 4 months post randomisation.DiscussionThe findings of this trial could be generalised to a diverse high-school student population as our recruitment encompass a large proportion of schools throughout Sweden with various educational profiles. Furthermore, if effective, the mHealth intervention has good potential to be able to be scaled up and disseminated at high schools nationally.Trial registrationRegistered prospectively on 2020-05-20 in ISRCTN (ISRCTN34468623).

Introductory classes for newcomer primary school students in Sweden: Pedagogical principles and emotional understanding

ABSTRACT Through the study of pedagogic discourse and practice in introductory classes (ICs) aimed at new migrant students at a linguistically diverse primary school in Sweden, we discuss pedagogic principles and power dynamics, drawing on Bernstein’s conceptual frame. Our ethnographic data consist of teacher interviews and observational fieldnotes. A compound set of pedagogic principles was found, where the acknowledgement of the students’ prior languages differs from previous research. Furthermore, the teachers’ accommodations to the students’ needs through a collaborative practice of care formed an important part of the inner logic of discourse and practice. We find this multilingual and emotional support to be contingent upon the IC teachers’ multilingual competencies and long-term experience with ICs, multilingualism and migration, and support from school management. We welcome interrelated discussions of underpinning logics based on research within different educational contexts comprising migrant students.

Physical contact in physical education – immigrant students’ perspectives

ABSTRACT Physical contact is common in physical education (PE) and is often also perceived as necessary in the subject. At the same time, no-touch discourses in sport and PE affect both teachers and students in many western countries. Teachers in the subject have for example become increasingly reluctant to touch their students due to risks of allegations. In addition, many European countries have recently experienced a great influx of immigrants from non-western countries, which has resulted in more multicultural classrooms across Europe. This can be problematic in PE due to cultural differences regarding physical contact, especially with the opposite sex. The purpose of this study is to investigate physical contact between teachers and students in PE from an immigrant student perspective. This is understood through the didactic contract. For this purpose, interviews using photo elicitation have been conducted with immigrant upper secondary school students in Sweden. The major findings suggest that the following negotiation aspects determine whether physical contact can be regarded as legitimate by the students: the professionalism of the teacher, the teacher-student relationship, teachers’ instructive skills, the emotionally engaged teacher, opposite sex issues and teachers and students with similar immigrant backgrounds. These aspects are also part of the process of developing a didactic contract regarding physical contact between teachers and students. In conclusion, it is clear that some of the aspects legitimise physical contact and build trust between the teachers and the students, while others challenge this legitimisation and trust.

Affective field during collaborative problem posing and problem solving: a case study

Educators in mathematics have long been concerned about students’ motivation, anxiety, and other affective characteristics. Typically, research into affect focuses on one theoretical construct (e.g., emotion, motivation, beliefs, or interest). However, we introduce the term affective field to account for a person’s various affective factors (emotions, attitudes, etc.) in their intraplay. In a case study, we use data from an extracurricular, inquiry-oriented collaborative problem posing and problem solving (PP&PS) program, which took place as a 1-year project with four upper secondary school students in Sweden (aged 16–18). We investigated the affective field of one student, Anna, in its social and dynamic nature. The question addressed in this context is: In what ways does an affective field of a student engaging in PP&PS evolve, and what may be explanations for this evolvement? Anna’s affective field was dynamic over the course of the program. Her initial anxiety during the PP&PS program was rooted in her prior affective field about mathematics activities, but group collaboration, the feeling of safety and appreciation, together with an increased interest in within-solution PP and openness for trying new things went hand in hand with positive dynamics in her affective field.

What about Study Motivation? Students´ and Teachers’ Perspectives on What Affects Study Motivation

One out of every four upper secondary school students in Sweden interrupts their education, although the intention behind the new Curriculum for Upper Secondary School (GY 11) was to increase throughput of students with complete grades. Lack of study motivation is the most important explanation for students dropping out. This article analyzes study motivation from students and teachers’ perspectives. It is based on interviews in three upper secondary school programs that were analyzed with a qualitative approach and hybrid content analysis. Study motivation is set in relation to motivational strategies, achievement, and learning environment. The result showed similarities and differences in perceptions. Both teachers and students pointed to the importance of teachers, practical pedagogy, social relations, and the significance of grades for study motivation. An important difference between informants was that teachers put more emphasis on life skills and adapted study groups, whereas students pointed to the physical learning environment and teachers’ personalities as important. Conclusions in the study point to complex interplay between internal and external motivational factors and between situation, person, and learning processes. This leads to validity of interactive and transactional motivational perspectives. A broader and more in-depth study is needed primarily to understand students’ perspectives. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.8.3

Serious Gaming for Climate Adaptation—Assessing the Potential and Challenges of a Digital Serious Game for Urban Climate Adaptation

Serious gaming has gained increasing prominence in climate change communication, and provides opportunity to engage new audiences and new platforms for knowledge co-creation and dialogues. This paper presents the design and evaluation of a serious game on climate adaptation, primarily targeted towards high school students, practitioners and politicians. The game aims to provide an experience of the impact of climate adaptation measures, and illustrates links with selected Agenda 2030 goals, which the player has to consider, while limiting impacts of hazardous climate events. The game design builds on the key goals in Education for Sustainable Development combining comprehensive views, action competence, learner engagement and pluralism. This study draws on game sessions and surveys with high school students in Sweden, and aims to assess to what extent different aspects of the game can support an increased understanding of the needs and benefits of adaptation actions. The results of this study indicate that the game can engage players to reflect upon challenges related to climate adaptation decision making, but also point towards the challenge of including a high degree of complexity which can make it difficult to grasp consequences of individual measures, as well as to link these to the natural variability of the occurrence of extreme climatic events.

Safe spaces? A social-ecological perspective on student perceptions of safety in the environment of the school canteen

ABSTRACTBackground Research suggests that negative peer interactions that compromise student safety and wellbeing often occur in spaces at school that are not easily visible, not adequately monitored, overcrowded and/or relatively unstructured. In a large online survey conducted in Swedish schools by the anti-bullying organisation, Friends, a small proportion of students indicated that they felt unsafe in the school canteen and responded to a question about why they felt unsafe there. As the canteen is often reported to be a space where negative peer interactions, such as harassment, bullying and other forms of school violence, occur, but little is known about why negative peer interactions occur there, we were particularly interested in exploring why some students perceived their school canteen to be an unsafe space.Purpose Taking a social-ecological perspective, our aim was to investigate why students reported feeling unsafe in the environment of the school canteen.Method In order to investigate this question, we analysed 1,547 responses from students in Swedish schools in grades 3–6 (ages 9–12). The responses were from the anti-bullying organisation Friends’ online questionnaires from 2011 to 2016. In the responses, students who indicated that they felt unsafe in the school canteen explained why they felt this way. Data were analysed qualitatively, using a six-step thematic approach.Findings The analysis identified four key themes: Space constraints, Time restrictions, The risk of social blunders and The negative actions of others. We discuss the findings in terms of the macrosystem, exosystem, mesosystem and microsystem.Conclusions In matters of student safety and wellbeing, we argue that it is not only important to consider the social context, but also how that context is interconnected with environmental and structural elements.

Perceptions about firesetting among Swedish high school students

ABSTRACT Fires in school buildings are a major problem in Sweden. However, there is lack of research about juveniles’ attitudes to this phenomenon. The aim of this study was to investigate how high school students in Sweden discussed arson and firesetting. Semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews were conducted with 32 high school students (aged 14–15). It was found that although most students argued that playing with fire were common phenomena in their schools, deliberate firesetting was said to be less common. In contrast to previous research the students in this study argued that both girls and boys were equally involved in firesetting and fire play. There was a consensus that arson was a serious problem and a problem that should be prevented.