Swedish Teachers Research Articles

Teaching Avatars on Controversial Issues: Lessons Learned

This paper describes and evaluates student teachers’ virtual simulation training on teaching a controversial issue. In the fourth year of their program to become social science teachers at lower and upper secondary schools, 43 student teachers in Sweden conducted simulation teaching on conspiracy theories as an example of a controversial issue. Conspiracy theories appeal to young people and they often encounter these theories online, but they can be met with increased knowledge about how conspiracy theories work, and how they can be identified and countered. Thus, students at primary and secondary school need to develop their critical source skills. The Swedish Schools Inspectorate (2022) found that these issues were not properly taught because they were not connected to schools’ values-based work or to the development of students’ democratic competence. To analyze the simulation teaching, data was collected through observations, video-recorded simulation teaching, interviews with student teachers, and reflective documents. The results show that simulation teaching offers student teachers the opportunity to integrate content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and subject knowledge, by being trained to become flexible and responsive to avatars’ individual differences as well as their different attitudes and understanding of the subject.

School-age-educare teachers in an ambivalent school practice - empirical examples in the wake of policy changes in Sweden

ABSTRACT In recent decades, there have been policy changes affecting School-Age Educare (SAE) teachers in Sweden. Today, SAE teachers must be aware of the historical underpinnings, educational policy aims, and a ‘new’ undergraduate teacher education program. The aim of the present article is to explore in what way SAE teachers, graduated from the basic teacher program in 2020, describe their professional roles and experiences, during their first year in school practice. In order to analyze how SAE teachers experience structural tensions in school practice, Merton’s [(1976). Sociological ambivalence and other essays. The Free Press] concept of sociological ambivalence will be employed. The findings show examples of the ambivalent positions for SAE teachers within the school organization as well as outside schools. Consequently, the ambivalent positions for SAE teachers, along with the reform aim to transform the ‘traditional’ SAE teacher into ideas focusing on compulsory school teaching need attention when it comes to recruiting SAE teachers for future practice.

Development and validation of the InEquality in organisations Scale (InE-S): a measure based on Acker’s inequality regimes

Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop a scale that can be used to assess inequality at work based on gender, age and ethnicity that is grounded in Acker’s (2006) inequality regimes. Design/methodology/approach The authors used three representative samples (total N = 1,806) of Swedish teachers, nurses and social workers to develop and validate the scale. The validation process included the assessment of content validity, confirmatory factor analysis for factorial validity, internal consistency and associations with theoretically warranted outcomes and related constructs to assess criterion-related validity and convergent validity. Findings The authors found evidence supporting the content, factorial, criterion-related and convergent validity of the InEquality in organisations Scale (InE-S). Furthermore, the scale demonstrated high internal consistency. Originality/value The newly developed scale InE-S may be used to further the understanding of how inequality at work influences employees. This study makes a contribution to the current literature by providing a scale that, for the first time, can test Acker’s hypotheses using quantitative methods to demonstrate the consequences of inequality at work.

Forbidden and necessary: making sense of smartphones in vocational teaching

PurposeThe digitalization of schools has intensified in recent years. It is reflected in policy documents as well as in extensive investments in digital technology and professional development initiatives to promote digitalization. At the same time, attempts are being made to “tame” the same digitization sometimes by regulations banning smartphones in class. This study aims to examine how smartphones are interpreted by vocational teachers in Sweden using the theoretical lens of technological frames.Design/methodology/approachThe data consist of ten semi-structured interviews with vocational teachers, representing eight vocational programs in Sweden.FindingsThe results show breadth in how teachers understand, interpret and relate to the smartphone in vocational education. The authors show how the smartphone often forms an integral part of professional work and is thus difficult to separate from vocational teaching and nurturing vocational competencies.Originality/valueThe authors’ contributions include using technological frames to explore how smartphones are interpreted and understood by vocational teachers by demonstrating how they relate to the nature of the smartphone, the strategy for the smartphone and the smartphone in use. The theoretical framework is used to interpret restrictions on technology use, in this case a smartphone, in education. The results could be of interest to researchers as well as to teachers, school leaders and policymakers.

Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education: eliciting and reflecting on Swedish teachers' understanding of AI and its implications for teaching & learning

Uncovering patterns and trends in vast, ever-increasing quantities of data has been enabled by different machine learning methods and techniques used in Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. Permeating many aspects of our lives and influencing our choices, development in this field continues to advance and increasingly impacts us as individuals and our society. The risks and unintended effects such as bias from input data or algorithm design have recently stirred discourse about how to inform and teach AI in K-12 education. As AI is a new topic not only for pupils in K-12 but also for teachers, new skill sets are required that enable critical engagement with AI. AI literacy is trying to close the gap between research and practical knowledge transfer of AI-related skills. Teachers' AI-related technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) are important factors for AI literacy. However, as teachers' perspectives, beliefs and views impact both the interpretation and operationalisation of curriculum. this study explores teachers' and teacher educators' understanding and preconceptions of AI to inform teacher education and professional development. To gain a comprehensive understanding of teachers’ conceptualisations regarding AI an anonymous questionnaire together with focus group discussions were employed. The qualitative content analysis underpinned by the theoretical framework Intelligent TPACK reveals that teachers' AI-related content knowledge is generally gained through incidental learning and often results in pre- and misconceptions of AI. Our analysis also revealed several potential challenges for teachers in achieving core constructs of Intelligent TPACK, examples of such challenges are vague and unclear guidelines in both policy and curriculum, a lack of understanding of AI and its limitations, as well as emotional responses related to participants' preconceptions. These insights are important to consider in designing teacher education and professional development related to AI literacy.

Narratives of Teachers and Teacher Unions in Swedish Facebook Rebellion Groups

This study examines narratives about the teaching profession and teacher unions that Swedish teachers jointly produce in two teachers’ rebellion groups on Facebook, which is followed by a total of around 20,000 teachers. A sample of 33 posts and 2,445 comments were analysed using a narrative approach. The findings highlight narratives in which teachers wish to return to “the good old days”, struggle with everyday frustrations, call for a strike as an immediate solution, and describe hypothetical futures presenting the opportunity for proactive action and call teacher unions to dialogue rather than wait for them to satisfy the teachers’ demands.

Closer to the senses in post-pandemic teacher training – Reclaiming the body in online educational encounters

AbstractThis study qualitatively examines synchronous online encounters in Swedish teacher education, learning from the distance and hybrid mode triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, conceptualized as emergency remote teaching. The separation of bodies in such online teacher education challenges participants’ sensory involvement and how they can be “present” to one another. The aim of this study is to scrutinize body-sensory dimensions of presence to enlighten online encounters in teacher training in circumstances of emergency remote teaching, as well as in contemporary and future online teacher education, generally. Online encounters were documented by video recordings during online seminars and lectures, and by diary entries and focus groups with eight teacher educators and their students. With inspiration from a posthumanist problematization of communication and post-qualitative methodology, the analytical process puts the concepts alterity and attunement to work with the data. Results show that online teaching encounters provides an altered body-sensory situation to which participants sensorily attune in different ways, bringing both positive, and troublesome affects. Different sensory attunements further involve exploiting some body-sensory dimensions (i.e. vision) when others are concealed. When performing teacher training of all levels through emergency remote teaching/online teacher education, awareness of how the material setting of online encounters affects the body and thus the didactic conditions for building meaningful relationships in the study environment, is important. Since the lived body has a key role in teachers’ professional becoming, the study suggests a critical, creative consideration of its full sensory, along with further, qualitative expansion of online teacher education.

Transition to hybrid teaching of mathematics: challenges and coping strategies of Swedish teachers

Sweden was one of the few countries that did not close down their schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. Different hybrid teaching methods were adopted, some of which are here to stay. This qualitative study explores the challenges that Swedish mathematics teachers had transitioning from face-to-face to hybrid teaching and the coping strategies that they adopted to reduce the effect of these challenges on their practices, well-being and students’ learning experiences. The results from the study were gathered from some 51 primary and secondary mathematics teachers in Stockholm using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analysed with cognisance of Lazarus and Folkman’s coping theory and Simonson’s equivalence theory. The results revealed that hybrid teaching had some negative impact on teaching quality, student achievement, student health, teacher workload, and teacher-student dialogue, which underpins the Swedish school curriculum. This lack of dialogue and high-quality interaction undermines the equivalency theory principle, which suggests that the format of instruction should not influence the quality of students’ learning experiences. Also, the results revealed that majority of the teachers ascribed positively to problem-based coping strategies as compared to the emotion-based coping strategy as they worked hard to provide students with good learning opportunities.

What is the problem and how can we solve it? School authorities’ perceptions of the shortage of teachers in Sweden

The lack of fully trained teachers is a national challenge in Sweden despite numerous attempts by authorities to approach the issue from a long-term perspective. The proportion of fully trained teachers needs to increase by just over 50% by 2035, and the imbalance will continue for many years to come. Many actors such as the media and politicians have participated in the debate, but not those who are significantly forced to handle, control, and lead in resolving the current situation and who have an overview of the problems at a structural level, namely, the school authorities (school authority in the school system according to the Education Act (Skollagen 2010: 800) can be a municipality, county council, state, or individual who is responsible for the activities in the school. In this text, the most responsible head of a municipality in the educational department has responded to the survey). This study covers 55 school authorities’ views on national tendencies and possibilities of solving this problem using an enactment policy theory. The empirical data are based on a web survey and analyzed through thematic content analysis. The result shows deep concerns about the accelerated problem, the challenges of finding fully trained teachers, and negative attitudes toward the profession. Possible solutions are higher salaries, flexible solutions to becoming teachers, higher status, and better working environments. The school authorities’ perceptions of possible solutions are to some extent consistent with ongoing political initiatives. Neither do they emphasize an overall picture of the working conditions for teachers, nor the far-reaching consequences of all political reforms. In summary, their actions are interpreted as quite re-active, nonlinear, and ad hoc solutions and less proactive perceptions and actions. This can possibly be explained by the fact that the state sets limits on economic initiatives.

Diversification and division – ‘academic drift’ in Swedish teacher education in the aesthetic school subjects in a new higher education structure

ABSTRACT This study deals with the academisation or “academic drift” of teacher education in the aesthetic subjects in Sweden from the 1970s to the millennium shift. After long preparations that already began after the Second World War, TE, along with other vocational education, was integrated into the Swedish university system as part of the expansion of the higher education sector in 1977 (H77). The study’s aims were to describe and analyse how the conditions for teacher education in practical/aesthetic subjects changed in the new and diversified higher education sector. For the study, we drew on Official Reports of the Swedish Government (SOU), a type of authoritative policy text intended to influence an activity, but which govern less formally than “governing policy texts” like bills that are legislative in nature. Our study reveals that a division was made between the old, prestigious and discipline-based universities and the newcomers in terms of vocationally-based education. The entire teacher education ended up on the periphery of the new higher education sector. We establish that the absence of own academic structures and thereby power within the higher education structures has harmed the independent development of teacher education in the aesthetic subjects as part of the enlarged higher education sector in the process of them moving from school subjects to university-like disciplines.

Using self-assessment to enhance self-regulated learning – an intervention study in a Finnish lower secondary school

The aim of this intervention study was to explore how the emphasised use of self-assessment in Swedish classes affects ninth graders’ perceptions of self-regulated learning and their self-assessments in Finland. The dataset includes the survey responses of 36 students and their written self-assessments. The results suggest that the quality of the self-assessments increased during the intervention, although the level of reflection was still superficial. The students exhibited more positive perceptions of their skills in self-regulated learning at the end of the intervention. The results indicate that incorporating self-assessment into teaching boosts students’ perceptions of self-regulated learning and enhances the quality of their self-assessments. Swedish teachers should consider the extent to which they use self-assessment in courses and whether their practices could be adjusted to promote reflection and self-regulated learning.

Teaching-learning in virtual learning environments: a matter of forced compromises away from student-centredness?

ABSTRACT In this phenomenographic study, we contribute with a critical view on teachers’ understanding of the use of digital technology in education is at the core. By analysing engineering teachers in Sweden’s qualitative different ways of experiencing teaching-learning in virtual learning environments (VLEs) pre-COVID-19 pandemic, we found three different approaches: (A) increased transmission possibilities, (B) outlined trail and (C) forced compromises. Based on our findings, the tensions between the possibilities in the virtual learning environment and teachers’ teaching-learning intentions are discussed, and teachers’ decreased room for action to design for learning is problematised. Notably, teachers with an increased breadth of awareness of teaching-learning appear to experience the greatest tensions, forcing them to compromise their student-centred intentions.

Teaching and family: either or both? Work and family among women primary school teachers in northern Sweden, c. 1860–1937

ABSTRACT This study examines the life and career trajectories of teachers recruited to primary schools in coastal northern Sweden. A variety of historical sources are combined to construct collective biographies which include approximately 500 primary school teachers divided in four birth cohorts. Main findings show that women teachers with a teaching certificate came to constitute a majority of the teachers from the 1870s and onwards in the rural region studied. These women teachers were increasingly inclined to form a family of their own and the share that never became mothers decreased continuously during the studied period. Furthermore, among those who formed a family the practice to return to work when the children were older increased over time. Towards the end of the 19th century having children became an increasingly available option among women teachers and a few decades later it had become common. In sum, through the combination of multiple sources, this study suggests that women primary school teachers in Sweden were able to combine family and teaching well before these rights were protected by law in 1939.

Learning from the outsiders-within: wearing the niqab in Swedish teacher profession and training

ABSTRACT This article discusses how the politics of the niqab manifests in educational settings by drawing on interviews with niqabi Swedish teachers and teachers-in-training. Participants contested dominant discourse on niqabi wearers as ‘unassimilated’ and out-of-place in multicultural education. They built on their marginal positions as outsiders-within education to affirm children’s cultural identities and religious rights neglected by mainstream educators. Contrary to the preconception that the niqab “hides teachers’ face”, participants wore the niqab up when alone with children and introduced it to pupils in intimate and hands-on interactions. Suggestively, through unfolding pupil-teacher relationships, children gained a child-centric view of the niqabi teachers, to which adults in the public space are exempt. Participants were arbitrarily included in Muslim and mainstream schools as individual educators saw fit, illustrating lack of institutional rights in the schools and universities participants attended.

Äidinkielenomaisen ruotsin oppimäärän kartoitustutkimus

The school system in Finland is primarily divided into Finnish-medium and Swedish-medium schools, where pupils with Finnish as first language as a rule attend Finnish-medium schools while pupils with Swedish as first language attend Swedish-medium schools. In both Finnish- and Swedish-medium schools, there are also bilingual pupils, with Finnish and Swedish as their first languages. Since 2004, the national curriculum includes a school subject intended for these bilingual pupils at Finnish-medium schools, although only few of them are given the chance to study this subject and thus to participate in teaching that would deepen their Swedish skills and strengthen their bilingual identity. Our study shows that neither principals nor Swedish teachers are even familiar with this syllabus and they are thus not fully acquainted with the official language policy of the national curriculum. These findings show that there is a gap between the official language policy expressed in the national curriculum and the language practices of the schools. Our results further indicate that the language practices for teaching bilingual pupils vary a lot. In the few schools that offer the Swedish syllabus intended for bilingual pupils, the teaching is put into practice in different ways, e.g., through differentiated teaching within mixed groups or by forming specific teaching groups for bilingual pupils. Our research shows a clear need for more knowledge about and promotion of this under-researched and largely unknown syllabus.

Effects of Virtual Teaching on Swedish Teachers’ Voices During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Since the beginning of 2020, teachers all over the world have had to switch over to virtual teaching because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This change of teaching mode has unknown consequences on the vocal health of teachers who already experience voice disorders at a rate nearly double that of the general population. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate teachers' self-reported voice problems during virtual teaching compared to face-to-face teaching and how they are associated to perceived risk factors in the work environment. Participants included 141 teachers (49 males, 92 females) in high schools and higher education in Sweden who responded to an internet-based survey. Information was collected about participants' self-reported voice handicap using a translated version of the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10). Information about self-reported VTD (Vocal Tract Discomfort) symptoms and dysphonia was collected in regard to both modes of teaching (virtual vs face-to- face). The survey also included questions on risk factors related to vocal health. Self-reported voice handicap and VTD symptoms were slightly lower during periods of virtual teaching compared to periods of face-to-face teaching. There was a lower frequency of dysphonia symptoms during virtual teaching compared to face-to- face teaching, however the difference was not statistically significant. In addition, 34% of teachers reported experiencing more voice problems when teaching face-to-face while 15% reported more voice problems when teaching virtually. The most reported VTD symptoms during both virtual and face-to-face teaching were having a dry and a tight throat. The dysphonia symptoms with the highest reported frequency were a tense voice and hoarseness in both modes of teaching. Risk factors associated with higher prevalence of voice symptoms and/or higher levels of voice handicap during virtual teaching were air quality and straining the voice while teaching face-to-face. In addition, those teachers who reported more voice problems while teaching virtually also reported feeling more stressed. The results showed a slight decrease in voice symptoms and voice handicap during virtual teaching compared to face-to-face teaching. Although multifactorial, results suggest that a potential positive effect may be attributed to better air quality in the work environment and more favorable acoustic conditions preventing teachers from straining their voice.

Sustainable Development Competencies among More than 1100 Certified Physical Education and Health Teachers in Sweden

School physical education and health (PEH) may not only be an important cornerstone to the holistic development of students but may also contribute to the sustainable development (SD) agenda. Although PEH may have unique characteristics that can contribute to the SD agenda, most research to date has been theoretical. The overall aim of this study was to explore the sustainable development competencies among physical education and health (PEH) teachers in Sweden. An online questionnaire was used to collect data about background and SD competencies. SD competencies was collected through the use of the Physical Education Scale for Sustainable Development in Future Teachers (PESD-FT). Of the 1153 participants, 31% reported being males, and 48% of the participants reported teaching PEH when completing the questionnaire. The median SD competencies score for all the participants was 105 (range: 18-144) out of 144. Virtually no differences were observed across the groups of participants. A stronger correlation was observed between SD competencies vs. long-time interests in health and health issues (rs = 0.343) than for long experience of participating in organized sports (rs = 0.173). In the total sample, 26% reported having taught about SD in PEH, such as using outdoor education, interdisciplinary projects, picking, and sorting waste, as well as paying attention to material issues. Among those who reported teaching PEH when completing the questionnaire, 70% perceived that they are in great need of professional development education in the area of SD. In conclusion, SD competencies were higher for the PESD-FT items that concerned the social dimension of SD compared to the economic and environmental dimensions. Relatively few teachers had taught about SD in PEH, and the majority perceive that they are in great need of professional development education in the area of SD. Future studies are required to understand more of what types of competencies practicing PEH teachers, and PEH teacher education programs, are lacking to fulfil the call for a contribution to the SD agenda.

“When you get out there, you don't have a toolbox”. A comparative study of student teacher's identity development in Swedish and Danish teacher education

This study explores student teachers’ development of professional identity in two teacher education programmes in Sweden and Denmark. Interviews were conducted with ten students in a comparative case study. Data were analysed by employing conceptual approaches of hermeneutic phenomenology and identity trajectories. The results indicate that student teachers attribute professional identity development to teacher education to a limited extent. Despite the different organization of Danish and Swedish teacher education, informants from both settings interpret the qualities of a good teacher mostly through personal beliefs and previous experiences, and refer to ethnicity, social segregation, and discrimination in characterizing themselves as teachers.

Rhetoric, and the Swedish high-school mission for democracy

ABSTRACT Following legislation in 2010, all Swedish teachers, at all levels, had a double mission: to teach democracy as well the content of their subject. This mission was seen as troublesome by evaluating authorities, among others. In the latest state curriculum, rhetoric has re-emerged as a central element of Swedish mother-tongue high school education and is also seen as troublesome. In this article we will try to show how it may be feasible to combine these two elements: first, by working with the democratic mission, the rhetorical tools will facilitate and favour the preparation and execution of democratic activities; second, the rhetorical tools and concepts may be highly beneficial in the necessary meta-reflection of school activities supporting the democratic mission. Working with rhetoric means working with the foundations necessary for democracy. Since all mother-tongue teachers are obliged to teach rhetoric, it could also be used for the democratic mission.

Growing nature connection through greening schoolyards: preschool teachers’ response to ecosystem services innovations

ABSTRACT This article reports how Swedish teachers’ aims and practices were modified by an ecosystem services development project that introduced insect hotels, bird boxes and planting to ten preschool yards. Teachers’ understanding of ecosystem services, human–nature relationships and the impact of these on nature connectedness showed that their conceptualisations of human–nature relationships were shifting and complex, reflecting overlapping ideas about what schoolyard ecosystem services might mean to/for young children and how children’s connection with nature might best be supported. The findings suggest creating pockets of urban nature in schoolyards is a useful strategy to unpack some of this complexity through direct experience of ecosystems encouraging interest in, concern for and understanding of our mutuality with nature.