Elevinflytande ställer stora krav på ledarskap i skolan utifrån skolans funktion som demokratisk institution, kunskapsarena och arbetsplats för många. I kapitlet ställer vi frågan om ledarskapets betydelse i förhållande till elevinflytande som didaktisk praktik. Vi belyser även några policyförändringar med betydelse för dessa frågor och presenterar en möjlig didaktisk modell för elevinflytande. Elevinflytande förstås som ett mål och ett medel länkat till skolans sammantvinnade kunskapsuppdrag och demokratiska uppdrag. Tvärtemot vad som kanske ofta antas eller förstås ställer elevinflytande som didaktisk praktik mycket stora krav på proaktivt ledarskap i klassrummet.

Göran Bostedt, Associate professor of Political Science, Department of Education, Mid-Sweden University. goran.bostedt@miun.se

Linda Eriksson, Assistant professor in Pedagogy, Department of Education, Mid-Sweden University. linda.eriksson@miun.se

Abstract

‘Living’ and ‘learning democracy’ through pupil influence.

Policy changes in the Swedish school system

The aim of our paper is to discuss policy changes in the Swedish school system in relation to the area of ‘living’ and ‘learning democracy’ through pupil influence. The Swedish Education Act (Skollag, 2010:800, § 4) stipulates that education in the school system should aim at pupils acquiring and developing both knowledge and values. It should also promote learning and development of pupils. Despite those statements there is an ongoing discussion in Sweden today primarily about the importance of the knowledge commission. This due to results presented in international measurements studies such as PISA. The aim about values is subordinated and issues of democracy and pupils influence have come to the fore. This is troublesome for Social studies, where the curricula states that teaching should give pupils the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in the area of power, democracy, gender equality and human rights (Skolverket, 2019)

Our interest is to illuminate changes in policy in relation to education in schools. Earlier research in this area (Englund 1995, 2005) have focused changes in society in relation to policy. Pupil influence could be understood and discussed in different ways (Eriksson, 2019). In our paper, we analyze and discuss the policy shift in Sweden on pupils influence as a change of perspective on pupils as subjects participating in achieving the aims of the school system to pupils as only receiving objects of school activities. We do this by comparing relevant parts of the Swedish curricula for compulsory school from year 1980 to year 2019. The results are discussed in the context of power relations, perspectives on democracy, knowledge and didactical considerations. Our results questions the possibilities to fulfill of the aim of ’learning’ and ‘living’ democracy in schools today.

References:

Englund, T. (2005). Läroplanens och skolkunskapens politiska dimension. Göteborg: Daidalos.

Englund, T. (Red.). (1995). Utbildningspolitiskt systemskifte. Stockholm: HLS Förlag.

Skolverket (2019) https://www.skolverket.se/download/18.4fc05a3f164131a74181078/1535372299998/Social-studies-swedish-school.pdf

Skollag (2010:800).

Lena Boström

Department of Education

Mid Sweden University

Göran Bostedt

Department of Education

Mid Sweden University

Motivation to Study. Upper secondary school teachers’ and students’ views on students’ motivation to study

In order to increase the number of student who successfully complete upper secondary school, Sweden has reformed its school system. The new system has not changed the throughput, mainly due to low study motivation. The multifaceted concept of study motivation includes various definitions and understandings of the motivation to study. Internal and external motivation factors are important for our study. Motivation originates from dynamic relationships between people; it is context-bound and changeable rather than generalizable and stable. To analyze the lack of motivation to study as the cause of low throughput in the upper secondary school, the perspective must account for the entire school and for the classroom situation. Students’ perceptions of their self-worth, competence, experience, and individual goals are also crucial for the motivation to study. This interacts with how students perceive their duties—if they are relevant, how much benefit they see in them, their difficulty level and working methods, feedback, group dynamics, and other factors relevant to classroom work to influence students’ motivation to study. The aim of this study is to describe and analyze what determines students’ study motivation. Interaction and transaction is used as theoretical tools. The study is based on a multimethod approach. The empirical data comes from 207 students’ responses to a web-survey containing 20 questions about motivation and from six semi-structured group interviews with 12 students and 20 teachers. The statistical data show significant differences between students in study programs regarding positive and negative attitudes toward schoolwork, absence from school, expectations for teachers and for results, competitiveness in realizing personal ambitions, personal feedback, and attitudes toward learning. Significant differences in self-esteem and in self-confidence that affect motivation also exist among the student groups. On the other hand, the results also indicate similarities among the students. They appreciate school as an institution, they feel safe at school, and they recognize teachers’ legitimacy. The interview results indicate that teachers and students both view the complex interplay between results and motivation as important for motivation. Study results affect motivation and vice versa in both positive and negative ways. Teachers and their leadership are also greatly important for students’ study motivation. Teachers focus their leadership on the importance of knowledge. Students relate to teacher leadership in relation to personal qualities, such as being understood and getting support. One difference between the two samples is that teachers emphasize “life skills” in learning, such as strategies for purposes, intermediate goals, and a sense of belonging, but students do not mention these strategies at all. A category where teacher and student perceptions coincide is the importance of well-being and safety in the learning environment and that the class, groups, and peers motivate them.  This study highlight the importance to understand study motivation from different perspectives and different student groups.

Social studies students’ motivation to study in upper secondary schools

Göran Bostedt (Associate Professor in Political science), Department of Education

Mid Sweden University

Abstract

In order to increase the number of students who successfully complete upper secondary school, Sweden reformed its upper secondary school system in year 2011. Despite the new system the throughput is in principle unchanged, which means that approximately every fourth student interrupts his upper secondary studies. The main explanation for this has been stated to be a lack of study motivation among students. In order to analyze the lack of motivation to study as the cause of low throughput in upper secondary school, a perspective is chosen which not only focuses the individual student but also takes into account both the classroom situation as well as the entire school.

The results of this study is based on empirical data from one of Sweden’s 20 largest municipalities. The municipality was chosen because of a decision taken by local politicians to focus raising the students’ motivation to study as a highly prioritized activity for the upper secondary school programs. The chosen municipality is, compared to both Swedish municipalities of the same size as well as other municipalities in Sweden, in a troublesome situation in terms of student completion.

The aim of the study is to describe and analyze what determines social studies students’ motivation or lack of motivation to study. The research questions is:

a) What are teachers’ and upper secondary school social studies students’ perceptions on motivation/lack of motivation to study?

b) To what extent is motivation linked to course content?

c) To what extent is motivation related to the conditions for the implementation of the course/didactical approaches?

The study has been designed as a case study with an ethnographically inspired approach. The empirical data is based on students’ responses in a web-survey containing 20 questions about motivation and 6 semi-structured group interviews with 12 students and 20 teachers. All participants were informed about the project's objectives and applicable research ethics rules.

The study is divided into two sub-studies. Sub-study one is based on a quantitative approach. The responses to the different questions in the questionnaire are presented by descriptive statistics. Sub-study two is based on a qualitative research design, which can be characterized as a hybrid content analysis. Four themes have been determined in advance before the

interview material is analyzed. The four themes are the concepts of motivation, motivational strategies, learning environments and other environment. With the four themes as a basic structure, a categorization matrix was developed and all data were sorted into the relevant theme. Based on the results from the two sub-studies, the research questions will be addressed and discussed.

Keywords: social studies, study motivation, upper secondary school

References

Sveriges elevkårer & Lärarnas Riksförbund, (2015). Från avhopp till examen- så vill skolan utveckla skolan. Retrieved from www.lr.se/download/18.682f72ec14e16f2ff5c7b1ba/1435316342104/Fr%C3%A5n%20avhopp%20till%20examen%20Web.pdf

Students’ motivation to study in upper secondary schools

Lena Boström (Professor in Education)

lena.bostrom@miun..se

Göran Bostedt (Associate Professor in Political science)

goran.bostedt@miun.se

Department of Education

Mid Sweden University

Sidsjövägen 5

S- 851 70 Sundsvall

Keywords: study motivation, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, upper secondary school

Abstract

In order to increase the number of student who successfully complete upper secondary school, Sweden reformed its upper secondary school system in year 2011. Despite the new system "the throughput is in principle unchanged, which means that approxima­tely every fourth student interrupts his upper secondary studies" (Sveriges elevkårer & Lärarnas Riksförbund, 2015, p 6). The main explanation for this was stated to be a lack of study motivation among students. Some 53 percent of the upper secondary school students reported low study motivation.

The most important factors for improving students’ motivation are, according to Sveriges elevkårer & Lärarnas Riksförbund, a) the supportive interaction between teacher and student and b) access to student health. This means that both internal and external motivational factors are viewed as important for reaching better study results. Research often highlights internal factors as particularly interesting when focusing students’ study motivation (Wery & Thomson, 2013). However some researchers (Blomberg, 2016: Hugo 2011; Håkansson & Sundberg, 2012) also argue for a broader perspective on the issue of motivation. In order to analyze the lack of motivation to study as the cause of low throughput in upper secondary school, a perspective is thus chosen which not only focuses the individual student but also takes into account both the classroom situation as well as the entire school. International research on student motivation is extensive.  While international research on student motivation is extensive, it is not as prominent in the Swedish educational context (Giota, 2013).

The results of this study are based on empirical data from one of Sweden’s 20 largest municipalities. The municipality was chosen as a result of a decision taken by local politicians to focus raising the students’ motivation to study as a highly prioritized activity for the upper secondary school programs. In 2015, the chosen municipality was, compared to both Swedish municipalities of the same size as well as other municipalities in Sweden, in a troublesome situation in terms of student completion (Skolverket, 2015).

The aim of the study is to describe and analyze what determines student motivation or lack of motivation to study. The research questions are:

a)      What determines upper secondary school students’ motivation/lack of motivation to study?

b)      What are teachers’ and students’ perceptions on how to increase students’ study motivation in upper secondary school and reasons/explanations for low study motivation? 

c)      To what extent is motivation linked to specific course content? 

d)     To what extent is motivation related to the conditions for the implementation of the course/didactical approaches? 

e)      How can we understand and describe students’ ambitions or lack of ambitions in relation to acquire the knowledge and skills the programs and its courses are in line with the intentions? 

Students’ study motivation will be analyzed from a perspective where motivation is more about transaction than interaction (Perry, Turner and Meyer, 2006). Motivation should not only be understood as an individual aspects, but also as negotiating meaning in social interaction. Motivation is seen as a process integrated into a larger whole, impossible to separate from learning, individual differences, and the nature of tasks or social context. For these reasons, it is important to analyze and discuss the results in relation to learning and perspectives on knowledge. According to Perry et al. there are strong links between motivation and a) communicated expectations b) clear feedback on results, c) interaction between teacher and pupil and between students, d) positive climate and e) teacher leadership. Students` study motivation will thereby be discussed based on individual characteristics, group dynamics, didactics and learning environments. In other words, we will analyze how both internal and external motivational factors can affect the results.

Since the study focuses on organizational conditions, perceptions of inter-human processes and individual properties, the study has been designed as a case study with an ethnographically inspired approach (Hammersley & Atkinson, 2007). The empirical data is based on 207 students’ responses in a web-survey containing 20 questions about motivation and six semi-structured group interviews with 12 students and 20 teachers. The students and teachers represent four different study programs (Social Science, Social Care, Individual choice and Vehicles and Transport programs). The programs were selected according to the principle of a) constituting a variation in what is theoretically versus practical oriented programs, b) ensuring a reasonable distribution between boys and girls, c) representing a possible variation in pupils with regard to learning strategies and d) representing student groups with different challenges in learning. All participants were informed about the project's objectives and applicable research ethics rules.

The study is divided into two sub-studies. Sub-study one is based on a quantitative approach. The responses to the different questions in the questionnaire are presented by descriptive statistics with the four study programs divided into separate groups. The data were also analyzed with the help of other statistical methods, such as analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal-Vallis. The statistical calculations were conducting using SPSS.

Sub-study two is based on s a qualitative research design, which ca be characterized as a hybrid content analysis (Fereday & Muir-Cochrane 2006), which started initially with deductive analysis, switched to inductive analysis and finally linked with deductive analysis and then switched to an inductive analysis and finally linking the theoretical starting points in the result. Here deductive analysis (theory-driven) means that themes have been determined in advance before the interview material is analyzed, which can be described as themes based on existing theories and research results (Mayring, 2000). The four themes we build the analysis on are the concepts of motivation, motivational strategies, learning environments and other environment. In order to analyze the content of the interviews, an inductive content analysis was used which was based on the interview responses. In other words, the analysis switched to an inductive approach. With the four themes as a basic structure, a categorization matrix was developed and all data were sorted into relevant theme. Based on the results from the two sub-studies, the research questions will be addressed and discussed.

The statistical data show differences between study programs in terms of positive/negative attitude towards schoolwork, absence from school, expectations on teachers and on results, competitiveness in realizing personal ambitions, support in terms of personal feedback and attitudes towards learning (i.e. learning for exams or learning for knowledge). There are also differences in self-esteem and self-confidence that affect motivation among the students. On the other hand, students tend to appreciate school as an institution, they feel safe being at school and the teachers have legitimacy in the eyes of the students.  

The results from the interviews indicate that both teachers and students view the complex interplay between results and motivation as an important part of the concept of motivation. Study results affect motivation and vice versa in both a positive and a negative way. Teachers and teachers' leadership are also of great importance for students’ study motivation. Teachers focus their leadership tasks on the importance of knowledge. Students relate to teacher leadership in relation to personal qualities such as being understood and getting support.

A difference between the two samples, is that teachers emphasize "life skills" in learning such as strategies for purposes, intermediate goals and sense of belonging, whiles students do not ll mention these strategies at all. A category where the perceptions between teachers and students coincide is the importance of well-being and safety in the learning environment and that the class/group/peers represents a motivational source for them. The teachers pointed to the importance of adaptations and smaller groups in the learning environment. The students believed that the external learning environment also played an important role. Regarding the surrounding environment, the two groups mentioned the importance of peers as a motivational factor, either helping to increase or reduce study motivation.

References

Blomgren, J. (2016). Den svårfångade motivationen: elever i en digitaliserad lärmiljö. (Diss) Gothenburg studies in educational sciences 393

Giota, J. (2013). Individualisering i skolan – vilken, varför och hur? En

forskningsöversikt. Vetenskapsrådets rapportserie, 3, Stockholm:

Fereday, J. & Muir-Cochrane, E. (2006). Demonstrating Rigor Using Thematic Analysis: A Hybrid Approach of Inductive and Deductive Coding and Theme Development. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, pp 80-92.

Hammersley, M. & Atkinson, P. (2007).  Ethnography: Principles in practice. New York Routledge,

Håkansson J. & Sundberg, D. (2012), Utmärkt undervisning: framgångsfaktorer i svensk och internationell belysning. Stockholm: Natur och kultur,

Illeris, (2015) Lärande. Lund: Studentlitteratur

Mayring,P. (2000). Qualitative Content Analysis. Qualitative Social Research, Vol. 1, No. 2, Art. 20

Perry, N., Turner,J.C.,  & Meyer, D.K  (2006) Student Engagement in the classroom. In Alexander, P., Winne, P. (Eds) Handbook of Edcucational Psychology. Erlbaum

Sveriges elevkårer & Lärarnas Riksförbund, (2015). Från avhopp till examen- så vill skolan utveckla skolan. Retrieved from www.lr.se/download/18.682f72ec14e16f2ff5c7b1ba/1435316342104/Fr%C3%A5n%20avhopp%20till%20examen%20Web.pdf

Wery, J. & Thomson, M. (2013). Motivational strategies to enhance effective learning in teaching struggling students. Support for learning, Vol. 28, pp. 103-108

Elevinflytande som didaktisk strategi

Samhällskunskapsämnet i svensk skola har sin bakgrund i erfarenheterna av de totalitära staternas framväxt på 1930-talet och sedemera nederlag i andra världskriget. Erfarenheterna av europeisk fascism och, i synnerhet, nationalsocialism motiverade ett starkare fokus på demokratifostran. I 1940 års skolutredning, som åtföljdes av 1946 års skolkommission, betonades att samhällsundervisningen behövde förstärkas.”Uppgiften är så pass betydelsefull för elevernas fostran till samhällsmedborgare, att ett särskilt skolämne härför bör inrättas, samhällskunskap ..” (SOU1948:27, s.7). I skolkommissionens rapport föreslogs inrättandet av ett nytt ämne och vikten av det innehåll (samhällsfostran) ämnet skulle förmedla diskuterades. Därutöver kommenterades även formerna för undervisning. ”Lika viktigt är det, att ämnet lägges upp så, att det fångar elevernas intresse.” (a.a., s. 165) Skolans samhälls- och demokratifostrande roll har återfunnits i de läroplaner som därefter gällt. Samtidigt har elevernas delaktighet i genomförandet av undervisningen betonats. I den nu gällande läroplanen för gymnasieskolan står t ex att ”Det är inte tillräckligt att i undervisningen förmedla kunskap om grundläggande demokratiska värden. Utbildningen skall dessutom bedrivas i demokratiska arbetsformer och utveckla elevernas förmåga och vilja att ta personligt ansvar och aktivt delta i samhällslivet.” (Skolverket 2011, s.6). I den svenska skollagen konstateras att ”Barn och elever ska ges inflytande över utbildningen” (SFS 2010:800). Skolans uppdrag att ge de unga en förståelse för det demokratiska samhällets arbetsformer och värderingar omfattar således att både ’leva’ som ’lära’ demokrati. I vår presentation kommer vi diskutera elevinflytande som möjlig didaktiskt orienterad handlingsstrategi i undervisningspraktik. Detta kommer ske såväl i ljuset av de förändringar som införts i den senaste svenska läroplanen gällande elevinflytande, som empiriska resultat från ett antal skolors arbete med elevinflytande. Resultaten kommer analyseras utifrån perspektiv på makt.

Källor: SFS 2010:800. Skollag, Stockholm

Skolverket (2011). Läroplan, examensmål och gymnasiegemensamma ämnen för gymnasieskola 2011, Stockholm:

Skolverket SOU 1948:27. 1946 års skolkommissions betänkande med förslag till riktlinjer för det svenska skolväsendets utveckling. Stockholm

Det civila samhället har länge haft en betydelsefull roll i svensk demokrati. Under 2000-talet har ett omfattande arbete pågått för att utveckla folkrörelsepolitiken och dess mål. Syftet har varit att förbättra villkoren för det civila samhället och dess aktörer såsom ideella föreningar, stiftelser och andra nätverk. Under år 2008 skrevs en överenskommelse mellan den svenska staten, Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting (SKL) och de idéburna aktörerna. Överenskommelsen bygger på sex principer för samverkan mellan parterna. Flera kommuner, län och regioner har därefter slutit motsvarande överenskommelser, lokalt och regionalt. Under hösten 2011 togs initiativ till en regional överenskommelse i Västernorrland där fokus varit att utveckla samverkan mellan Landstinget Västernorrland och idéburna organisationer verksamma i länet. Syftet med utvärderingen var att beskriva och analysera verksamhetsinsatser och resultat gällande arbetet med Länsöverenskommelsen Västernorrland. Utvärderarna har deltagit i styrgruppsmöten samt genomfört sammanlagt 11 intervjuer. Utgångspunkten för arbetet har varit den Nationella överenskommelsen. Med syfte att sprida kunskap om överenskommelsen har det hållits konferenser och dialogmöten, där det från start funnits ett intresse för frågorna då flertalet organisationer fanns representerade i de möten som arrangerades. Med tiden har antalet medverkande organisationer minskat. Resultatet visade att processen arbetat utifrån tre mål, att utveckla samverkan och partnerskap, att de idéburna ska ges möjlighet att vara bärare av demokratiska värderingar och att skapa förutsättningar för en ökad mångfald av utförare av välfärdstjänster. Det förefaller som att den senare haft ett större fokus, vilket är det omvända i jämförelse med den Nationella överenskommelsen. Det upplevdes svårt att engagera personer i processen, det gäller såväl bland de idéburna organisationerna som bland tjänstemän och politiker från landstinget. En möjlig förklaring till detta kan vara att processen arbetat utifrån flera spår och haft inriktningen att skriva överenskommelsen på en övergripande nivå. Detta har belysts som en svårighet i utvärderingar av andra lokala och regionala överenskommelseprocesser. Dessa skulle sannolikt tjänat på att arbeta utifrån tydligt avgränsade och definierade verksamhetsområden. Ambitionen var att processen skulle avslutas med ett undertecknande av en överenskommelse för samverkan mellan Landstinget Västernorrland och idéburna organisationer i länet. Så blev inte fallet och arbetet fortsätter i viss mån. Processen ska dock inte ses som ett misslyckande då den har fyllt en annan viktig funktion. De idéburna har funnit en gemensam arena att arbeta utifrån. En annan viktig aspekt att betona är att som titeln antyder, det första steget mot att skapa en plattform för samverkan mellan idéburna och offentliga aktörer i Västernorrland har tagits.