Swedish Teachers Research Articles

Is teacher attrition a poor estimate of the value of teacher education? A Swedish case

ABSTRACTFar from all who complete teacher education end up working as teachers throughout their entire career. At first sight the value of teacher education, in terms of efficiency, seems to be a failure. In the present article we argue that teacher attrition, when defined as whether one is working as teacher or not, is a too blunt measure to gauge whether teacher education has been valuable. With a unique dataset, where we have detailed information on 87 Swedish teacher graduates’ working life across 23 years, we can consider whether activities and/or experiences point to an apparent use of teacher education. In conclusion, we find that in order to get informative estimates of its value it is important to consider it from different perspectives and to consider attrition related to the total working time spent in educational settings across a career rather than percentage leaving teaching after a set of years

Att vetenskapligt förankra ett yrkeslärarprogram: Erfarenheter från ett utvecklingsprojekt

Demands on the scientific foundation of Swedish Vocational Teacher Education has led to a development project on academic competence at Dalarna University in 2018. The project contained two sub-projects; the construction of a matrix, to display the progression of students’ academic competence; and the implementation of a series of seminars on VET research. This article presents the point of departure and the methods used, together with the results of mappings and analysis of four different aspects of academic competence. This inventory of features of academic competence in teacher education, evokes a wide range of questions on the meaning and consequence of scientific foundation, the research-practice relationship and concrete questions concerning course content.

Well-Being and Working Conditions of Teachers in Sweden

BackgroundIn Sweden, teachers are subject to high turnover, unfavorable working conditions, and high incidence of stress-related disorders. The aim of the present study was to (a) assess teachers’ perceptions of work-related health and working conditions, (b) examine the relationship among sev- eral key characteristics in teachers’ work environment, and (c) examine the importance for well-being of job satisfaction, separation between work and spare time, and recovery from work.DesignPrimary and lower secondary school teachers in Sweden were invited to participate in a questionnaire study assessing five central aspects of health (subjective well-being, physical activity, self-rated health, sleep quality, and health complaints). Building on previous research, the effect of job satisfaction on well-being as well as on health complaints was tested using a mediation model with separation between work and spare time, and recovery from work, as mediators.ResultsOf the respondents, 40.2% scored below the cut-off recom- mended in the screening for depression, 43.8% qualified as leading a sed- entary lifestyle, and 33.7% reported insufficient recovery from work. Sixty- one percent reported one or more sleep problems indicative of insomnia. Well-being correlated highly with self-rated health, health complaints, and separation between work and spare time. There is moderate support for the two models used to analyze the associations between job satisfaction and the outcome variables – well-being and health complaints – as both separation between work and spare time, and recovery from work, partially mediate the associations.ConclusionThe results confirm recent research pointing to the teach- ing profession as a vulnerable occupational group. Especially disconcerting and relevant for teachers in Sweden are results indicative of problems with recovery from work and insufficient separation between work and spare time. (Less)

Teaching Financial Literacy: Competence, Context and Strategies among Swedish Teachers.

Purpose: The aim of this article is to compare if and how experienced and novice teachers differ from each other regarding teaching and expressed aims regarding their financial literacy education.M ...

The impact of support on growth in teacher-efficacy: a cross-cultural study

Purpose Perceived support from co-workers and managers is important for many organizational outcomes. However, the benefit of competence support from colleagues and school management on personal teacher efficacy has not been investigated. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to investigate the impact of competence support from colleagues and the school management on growth in teacher efficacy and second, to investigate cultural differences (Canada and Sweden). Design/methodology/approach The authors administered an inventory measuring support for competence and personal teacher efficacy to over 400 teachers in Canada and Sweden at 27 schools, at two times. Time 1 took place at the first week of a fall semester and Time 2 at the end of the same semester. Findings Structural equation modeling revealed that competence support from colleagues predicted growth in teacher efficacy, whereas competence support from school management did not. No differences in these relations emerged between Canadian and Swedish teachers. Practical implications The findings have implications for how schools organize teachers in teacher teams so that competence support from co-workers is promoted. Originality/value This study is the first cross-cultural study to empirically show that teachers’ self-efficacy is significantly benefitted by competence support from their teacher peers.

Fabricating and Governing the Swedish School Pupil: The Swedish Post-War School Reform and Changing Discourses of Discipline and Behaviour

This article examines the dominant discourses of behaviour and discipline in the debate on schooling and the conduct of school pupils in Swedish professional teacher journals between 1946 and 1962, the formative years of the Swedish comprehensive school. Drawing from the theoretical framework of discourse, governmentality and the fabrication of the subject developed by Michel Foucault, the fabrication and governing of the school pupil is highlighted and analysed. The findings of the study are related to historical research of the period as well as Foucauldian studies where a historical shift of perspectives on discipline and behaviour in the school have been proposed. The result is a detailed analysis of the fabrication and governing of the subject within the dominant discourses of behaviour and discipline during the period, as well as a critical nuancing of the idea of this historical shift.

Swedish Final Year Early Childhood Preservice Teachers' Attitudes, Concerns and Intentions towards Inclusion

Abstract This article explores ninety-seven (n=97) Swedish Early Childhood (EC) preservice teachers' attitudes, concerns, and intentions to include children with disabilities in regular classrooms. A six-part self-reporting questionnaire was used to examine participants' attitudes, concerns, efficacy, and intentions toward inclusion. The results showed that although the Swedish EC preservice teachers' in this study expressed 'some' concern about working with children the results indicated a high degree of teacher efficacy. To determine predictors of participants' intentions and use of inclusive practices a series of regression analysis were undertaken. Knowledge of local legislation emerged as significant predictor of participants' intention scores. Teaching efficacy scores were significant predictors for both intention and use of inclusive practices. The results are discussed in the context of the Swedish idea ‘a school for all' with a focus on the Swedish preschool teacher education program.

What is the ‘problem’ that digital competencein Swedish teacher education is meant to solve?

This paper explores how policy makers argue for the importance of digital competence in Swedish teacher education. A policy analysis of key policy documents from the government and from government-affiliated organisations from the time period 2011–2016 is conducted using Carol Bacchi’s ‘what’s the problem represented to be?’ approach. The paper critically examines underlying assumptions and particular viewpoints that underpin how the concept digital competence is formulated in key policy texts.

Standardization and cross-cultural comparisons of the Swedish Conners 3® rating scales

Purpose: The Conners Rating Scales are widely used in research and clinical practice for measuring attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and associated problem behaviors, but country-specific norms are seldom collected. The current study presents the standardization of the Swedish Conners 3® Rating Scales. In addition, we compared the Swedish norms to those collected in the U.S. and Germany.Material and methods: The study included altogether 3496 ratings of children and adolescents aged 6–18 years from population-based samples.Results: The scores obtained for the Swedish Conners 3® showed satisfactory to excellent internal consistency for most subscales and excellent test–retest reliability. Across-informant correlations were modest. Cross-country comparisons revealed that aggression symptoms rated by teachers and ADHD symptoms rated by parents differed between Sweden, Germany and the U.S. Executive functioning deficits also varied as a function of rater and country, with German and Swedish teachers reporting increasing behavior problems with age, whereas a decrease was observed in the U.S. For some subscales, the observed cross-cultural differences were large enough for a child to be classified as being within the normal range (t-score <60) in one country and within the clinical range (t-score > 70) in another country.Conclusion: The present study shows that the Swedish adaptation of the Conners 3® provides consistent and reproducible scores. However, across-informant ratings were only modest and significant cross-cultural differences in scoring were observed. This emphasizes the need for multi-informant assessment as well as for national norms for rating instruments commonly used within child and adolescent psychiatry research and clinical settings.

Preschool teachers as keepers of traditions and agents of change

ABSTRACT According to the Swedish Preschool Curriculum, one of the tasks of the preschool is to pass on a cultural heritage, its values, traditions and history, language and knowledge, from one generation to the next. The formulation indicates that cultural heritage plays an important role in defining the tasks of preschool teachers as far as the transmission of cultural norms is concerned. The aim of the overall study was to explore how Swedish preschool teachers implement and reflect on the task of transmitting a cultural heritage. This paper has its focus on how a particular cultural tradition, Easter, is celebrated in two preschools. The empirical data consists of 227 min video data from two preschools. The video data were analysed through qualitative content analysis with a focus on how different semiotic resources, actions and artefacts are used to perform Easter. The different modes of enacting traditions are used as instruments of socialisation into a cultural heritage as well as means of actualisation of a preschool pedagogy. While preschool teachers can be seen as agents of change who challenge some of the ways of celebrating a tradition, they are also agents of national reproduction. Thus, the teachers both enact the curriculum and build a bricolage of elements, some of which represent continuity, while others represent change.

Developing a reform mathematics curriculum program in Sweden: relating international research and the local context

This paper reports on a research-based mathematics curriculum program development project in Sweden, whose educational context is currently characterized by multiple reform initiatives. Current reforms include a repositioning of the teacher as central for students’ learning, but also a trend toward initiatives and teacher resources that are more directive than has been the case in the past 30 years. Collecting data from multiple sources, such as teacher log books, lesson observations and feedback meetings, we build on input from 11 elementary school teachers trying out our materials, including student texts and a teachers’ guide, during four trial rounds. We analyze how international research about curriculum programs and teachers’ use of these programs are interpreted and operationalized within the Swedish context. In particular, the two research questions guiding the study are: (1) “How do Swedish teachers interact with and reason about the reform-based classroom practices promoted by the curriculum program?” and (2) “How do Swedish teachers interact with and reason about their use of a teachers’ guide?” From our experiences in the Swedish educational context, we suggest the following contextual aspects to take into account when designing a curriculum program whose design is grounded in international research literature: characteristics of current classroom practices, teachers’ role in classrooms, the level of explicit/implicit support teachers are used to receiving, and teachers’ experiences using a teachers’ guide.

Predicting general mental health and exhaustion: the role of emotion and cognition components of personal and collective work-identity

The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between emotion and cognition components of personal and collective work-identity and self-reported general mental health and exhaustion, in Swedish teachers (N = 768). In line with our predictions, we showed that the emotion component of personal work-identity and the cognition component of collective work-identity associated positively with general mental health and negatively with exhaustion. The reverse result was found, however, for the cognition component of personal work-identity and emotion component of collective work-identity. In general, all this indicates that person-work bonding might, to some degree, account for general mental health and exhaustion in employees. In particular, the findings suggest that general mental health and exhaustion may vary symmetrically across the: (1) Type of person-work bonding (personal vs. collective work-identity); and (2) Type of psychological component (emotion vs. cognition) involved in personal- and collective work-identity.

Using iPad-mediated recordings to offer contingent feedback and introduce pre-service teachers to the epistemology of the teaching practice

The current study investigates the role of iPad-mediated recordings as culturally enacted artifacts in generating affordances for constructive feedback on pre-service teachers teaching practice, self-reflection, and evaluation and enacting a path to guide pre-service teachers in becoming part of the epistemology of the teaching practice. A group of Swedish pre-service teachers embarked on a teaching practice placement in Tanzanian elementary schools where they documented their teaching practicum experience using iPad minis. Pre-service teachers then selected specific parts of the videos and uploaded the content on the university’s Moodle VLE site. The recorded sessions formed the primary mechanisms through which an experienced instructor offered pre-service teachers constructive feedback. Specific guidelines and training on the four indicated lesson elements that pre-service teachers needed to upload were provided prior to this practical teaching experience. Results indicate that the feedback strategies focused primarily on pre-service teachers’ planning and actual teaching practice.

Decision-making and control: perceived autonomy of teachers in Germany and Sweden

ABSTRACTTeacher autonomy has become an increasingly popular research topic over the past decade, reflecting wider national and global education trends. In this light, this article investigates and compares the perceptions of German and Swedish teachers concerning their professional autonomy. We analyse teachers’ perceptions using a grid, and view teacher autonomy as a multidimensional phenomenon taking place in different domains (educational, social, developmental and administrative) and at different levels (classroom, school, profession). The findings show that the teachers interviewed in Germany and Sweden value autonomy in various domains and dimensions differently, even if there also are many similarities. In instruction, that is, the educational autonomy domain, they perceive themselves to be very autonomous, in particular in relation to choices of content and method. Autonomous work in the classroom arena is also seen as the very core of the teaching profession. Overall, German teachers perceive themselves to be significantly involved in more areas of their work, and they refer much more to decisions which are to be made, whereas their Swedish colleagues are more concerned about control. Finally, we discuss the findings in relation to different nation-specific forms of extended or restricted autonomy teacher autonomy.

Student participation within teacher education: emphasising democratic values, engagement and learning for a future profession

ABSTRACTThe aim of this article is to explore student participation in teaching and learning, focusing on third-year students’ experiences in a Swedish teacher education programme. Student participation is here defined as students being active and engaged in the classroom; students impacting on curriculum design; and students’ feeling of belonging to a community. The research reported is based on an interview study and analyses processes, benefits and challenges of, as well as motivations for, student participation. The findings revealed that students have diverse understandings of student participation and that the degree of participation is dependent on students’ and teachers’ engagement, expectations and responsibility. Student teachers also connected student participation to their learning and future profession as teachers. The students mainly discussed intrinsic motivations (beneficial to learning) for student participation, but there were also traces of altruistic motivations (learning citizenship). Extrinsic motivations (university benefits), however, were absent. Voices of resistance to student participation were also present; these students preferred a more teacher-led education and were not used to a high degree of participation. Students’ understandings of student participation challenge teacher–student roles in teacher education specifically, but also in higher education generally. It is important to acknowledge students’ diverse understandings of student participation. Overall, based on students’ experiences, student participation creates engagement and motivation for learning here and now and for the future profession. The study indicates that student participation has an inherent value beyond benefitting measurable outcomes, where democratic values, engagement and learning for the future profession are promoted.

Challenging traditional classroom practices: Swedish teachers’ interplay with Finnish curriculum materials

ABSTRACTIn the current paper, we present an analysis of a case study in which we have followed Swedish primary teachers who voluntarily began using translated Finnish curriculum materials, i.e. a textbook and teacher guide, in order to reform their mathematics teaching. The multifaceted data, consisting of questionnaires, interviews, protocols from collegial meetings and classroom observations, were gathered during the period 2010–2014. The analysis of the interplay within this cross-cultural setting reveals the special characteristics and the challenges existing in practice. Both the experienced and inexperienced teachers offloaded a great deal of their agency to the materials in order to become familiar with the ideas they mediated. Yet, the lack of a clear rationale behind the organization of the materials, as well as the suggested activities connected to taken-for-granted features of the Finnish teaching tradition, made fruitful interaction problematic. The changes teachers made in their classroom practice were tightly connected to the support offered in the materials, without which the teachers abandoned their new classroom patterns. Based on the results of this study, we suggest a number of general aspects that we regard as important to consider when implementing curriculum materials developed within another cultural-educational context.

Individual growth or institutional development? Ideological perspectives on motives behind Swedish higher education teacher training

What are the motives for offering or engaging in higher education teacher training courses? This question is of interest for educational developers, teachers, university managers, and policy makers in order to design courses and to meet stakeholders’ expectations. Previous research has mainly focused on the impact of higher education development courses on teacher practice and student learning. Few studies have investigated the motives behind these courses. In this paper, the motives are investigated among students, teachers, university management, and the government. The study is based on national and local documents on educational development and on interviews with representatives from four Swedish universities. The results show that all stakeholder groups are in favour of compulsory courses but the motives differ. Students, management, and government embrace an institutional perspective on educational development, in line with a social efficiency perspective on the purposes of higher education emphasising usefulness, function, and the production of skills. University teachers, on the other hand, have a more individual-oriented view on educational development and are more oriented towards a learning-centred perspective.

Vad uppmärksammar lärare i samtal om skrivbedömning?

This article reports on a qualitative study of Swedish teachers’ summative assessments of students’ writing in upper secondary school. Based on teacher group discussions, the study describes and analyses teachers’ expressions of norms when assessing and grading students’ writing in the subject of Swedish. Data consist of audio- and video recordings from three focus group discussions, comprising a total of 17 teachers. Topic analysis (Linell, 2001) is the method used to identify expressions of assessment norms in these discussions. The analysis reveals that these teachers’ summative assessments of students’ writing express two competing norms: a non-compensatory and a compensatory norm. The non-compensatory norm is expressed through perceptions that all text qualities must correspond to the same criteria. This means that shortcomings in texts are crucial for teachers’ summative assessments. The text qualities that primarily determine these decisions are language style and text structure. Meanwhile, the compensatory norm is expressed through perceptions that in summative aspects such as students’ age and writing instructions as well as students’ writing development and the national test must be considered. These competing assessment norms have a substantial impact on these teachers’ decisions on summative assessments. The teacher groups show significant variation in the basis for their decisions regarding summative assessment of students' writing.

Är vi överens om det? Samspel och samstämmighet i svensklärares bedömningssamtal om gymnasieelevers skrivande

Artikeln beskriver svensklärares interaktion och samstämmighet i samtal om summativ bedömning av gymnasieelevers skrivande. I ett dialogiskt perspektiv (Linell, 2011) undersöks interaktionella mönster avseende dominans, dynamik och koherens i tre svensklärargruppers bedömningssamtal. Dessa interaktionella mönster ställs i relation till uttryck för samstämmighet inom och mellan lärargrupperna. Resultatet visar att lärarna uttrycker hög grad av samstämmighet i bedömningssamtalen men att de bedömningar som lärarna gör enskilt i anslutning till samtalen enbart till viss del överensstämmer med gruppens beslut. Lägst grad av samstämmighet uppvisar den lärargrupp som i samtalen framstod som mest samstämmig. Där kännetecknas beslutsprocesserna av låg intensitet genom att få alternativ till bedömningar prövas. I de lärargrupper där intensiteten är högre genom att flera lärare styr samtalet i olika riktningar och där lärarna tillsammans prövar flera olika förslag på bedömning överensstämmer även enskilda lärares bedömningar i högre grad med gruppens beslut. Bedömningsöverensstämmelsen mellan lärargrupperna är däremot låg. English abstract Is There a Consensus? Interaction and Consistency in Teachers' Assessment Discussions of Upper Secondary Students' Writing This article reports on a qualitative study of the interaction in Swedish teachers’ discussions about summative assessment of students’ writing. Interactional patterns of dominance, dynamics and coherens in the decision-making processes are described and analyzed, comparing the degree of assessment consistency between and within the groups. The analysis reveals a high degree of consistency within each teacher group’s discussion. However, the assessments that individual teachers make after the discussions comply only to some extent with the group’s decisions. The least degree of consistency was shown by the teacher group who seemed the most consistent in the discussions. Decision-making processes in these discussions are characterized by low intensity, where few assessment alternatives are being considered. In teacher group discussions characterized by higher intensity, a variety of suggestions for assessment are made by the teachers. The individual teachers' assessments in those groups are more consistent with the group's decisions. Meanwhile, the overall assessment consistency between the teachers was found to be low.

A snapshot of substitute early childhood teachers in Sweden and Australia: Differences in training, regulation and quality

Substitute teachers play an important role within early childhood education. They are expected to take on the roles and responsibilities of working with children and parents when the regular teacher is away. While they have an important role, they have received little attention within the research literature. This study helps to fill this void by providing a snapshot of early childhood substitute teachers in Sweden and Australia. A comparative analysis was used to find similarities and differences across the two contexts. Findings show that while the role may be similar, there are many differences in the training, regulation and quality assessment of early childhood substitute teachers. These differences are important for investigation to help improve the quality within early childhood education.