Mid Sweden University

The lower academic performance of boys in compulsory school has long been a well-known fact, but only in the last decade has it been shown in the public debate. Various explanations for boys’ underperformance mainly include background, expectations, norms, and hierarchical gender order. Few studies have focused on what can be affected, namely the teaching in the classroom. In addition, studies have not, to any significant extent, focused on the students’ perceptions. This study was conducted through eight group interviews with 2nd and 5th-grade students and explored how boys and girls perceive learning in a classroom context. Similarities and differences in perceptions emerged through a reflexive thematic analysis from a didactic theoretical perspective—the similarities in perception concerned the teacher’s leadership, interactions, learning strategies, and learning environment. The differences were about reprimands, different developed learning strategies, confidence in the teacher, and the social atmosphere. The result indicates a need for the teacher to be more aware of the processes going on in the classroom and to build both social and learning support structures with a focus on learning strategies.

Bristen på behöriga lärare har det senaste decenniet varit ett allvarligt samhälls-problem. Orsakerna till den uppkomna bristsituationen beskrivs på olika sätt beroende på avsändare. Detsamma gäller lösningsförslagen. Att balansera utbild-ningsvolym mot arbetsmarknadens efterfrågan av arbetskraft är i sig ett komplext problem omfattande olika parametrar. Den här artikeln har, med utgångspunkt i Arbetskraftsbarometern under de senaste 50 åren, granskat kontinuitet och varia-tioner vad avser tillgång och brist på lärare i F-6, samt troliga samband mellan olika skol-, policy och lärarutbildningsreformer. Genom ”wicked problem-teorin” har det empiriska resultatet kunnat analyseras och förstås fram för allt i relation till de underliggande processerna i problembilden. I relation till de många reformerna tycks fluktuationerna återkomma och accentueras med tydliga sam-band till just reformer. Utifrån resultaten ställer vi oss frågan huruvida utredare och beslutsfattare av de olika reformerna beaktat konsekvenserna av lärarrekry-teringen. Resultatet visar därtill att lärarbrist är ett sammansatt problem och att enskilda insatser inte löser problemet. Vi föreslår ett perspektivskifte i frågan från problem- till ett förståinriktade analyser med samordnade insatser av alla aktörer.

 Syftet med studien är att bidra med kunskap om barns trivsel i relation till deltagande i fritidshemmet, med särskilt fokus på hur fritidshemmets organisering möjliggör och hindrar detta. I studien används belonging (tillhörighet) som teoretiskt begrepp för att analysera barnens beskrivningar av trivsel i fritidshemmet. Data producerades genom semistrukturerade gruppintervjuer med barn där de fick rita och berätta om sin vardag i fritidshemmet. Den analyserades med fokus på barnens huvudangelägenhet. Möjligheten att få ta del av ”roliga” aktiviteter och att få vara del av relationer lyfts genomgående fram av barnen, både i deras bilder och i deras berättelser om vardagen i fritidshemmet. Motsatsen, att inte kunna vara del av detta, beskrivs som störande i förhållande att känna tillhörighet. Resultatet visar hur barnen ”gör” trivsel genom olika gränsdragningsprocesser utifrån fritidshemmets organisering av tillhörighet i grupper och den egna individuella identifikationen och anknytningen

Institutionalised extended educational services provide for primary-age children in the hours outside school, with a focus on children’s care, play and leisure. Despite its social importance, there is little research investigating the pedagogical practices of these services. This article reports on the first phase of an international research collaboration between Switzerland, Sweden and Australia aiming to provide greater understanding of global institutionalised extended educational services that are based on play, leisure and learning.

I forskningsprogrammet Framtidens Välfärd: Vård och Skola samarbetar Mittuniversitetet och fem kommuner för att utveckla vård och skola. Genom att förena forskning och praktik tas långsiktiga lösningar fram för att möta samhällsutmaningar som kompetensförsörjning, demografiska förändringaroch behovet av starka välfärdstjänster i både stad och glesbygd.

Denna antologi samlar forskningsprojekt inom programmet och belyser hur akademi och kommuner tillsammans kan skapa ny kunskap som stärker både utbildningar och yrkesverksamheter inom vård och skola. Bidragen speglar en bred palett av forskningsområden – från tekniska innovationer och organisatoriska förändringar till sociala och kulturella perspektiv.

Genom denna samling av resultat, tankar och idéer hoppas vi inspirera till fortsatt utveckling och fördjupad samverkan mellan forskning och praktik. Antologin visar på vikten av lokala samarbeten, forskningsdriven utveckling och innovativa metoder för att hantera framtidens välfärdsutmaningar.

Swedish School-age Educare Centers [SAECs] are predominantly integrated within primary schools, andstudies have highlighted problems related to the physical learning environment. This study aims toinvestigate, analyze, and explain how the indoor physical learning environment constitutes opportunitiesand constraints from the pupils’ perspectives. The study was conducted through walk and talk conversationswith pupils in four SAECs. The pupils’ descriptions were analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis andinterpreted through the theoretical frameworks of Sociology of Childhood, structuration theory andpsychological ownership theory. The results show that the physical learning environment is a complexinterplay between people and the physical, social, and organizational environment. Four themes, containinga duality of possibilities and constraints, were identified: variety and diversity; privacy protected places;premises and organization; and well-being and belonging. These themes relate to educational aspects, suchas students’ agency, creativity, play, socialization, recovery, participation and sense of ownership. The studyconcludes that the design of the physical environment should not be too complex, as structural conditionslimit the pupils’ freedom and agency. The findings underscore the importance of creating spaces thatpromote both independence and belonging for students.

The lack of educated teachers has long been an accelerating problem in Sweden. The difference between access and demand for teachers will increase until 2035, and the imbalance will continue for many years. Currently, Sweden has about a 30% shortage of trained teachers. National politicians are trying to address this problem through several reforms (Håkansson et al., 2022). The question, however, is what opinions school authorities (According to the Education Act (Skollagen, 2010, p. 800), the school authority in a school system can be a municipality, county council, state, or individual that is responsible for the school's activities. In this text, the most responsible head of a municipality responded to the survey.)-those who are most responsible for teacher recruitment and, to some extent, are closest to the problem-have about the situation. Therefore, this paper presents empirical data from a Web survey answered by 55 schools and analysed by content analysis. The results show that they take this major shortcoming seriously and that both the short- and long-term solutions include improving the profession's reputation, salaries, and working environment. Fast tracks for teacher training and effective validation for existing skills were called for. The results also pointed to the need for a national gathering on the issue. 

The background of this study is the accelerating teacher shortage in Sweden.Various stakeholders have expressed their views on the issue, but not those workingwith pupils. Therefore, this study is focused on seven professional groups whoresponded via an online survey to statements about causes of and solutions tothe teacher shortage. The statements had previously emerged from nationaland regional dialogues with policy makers. The results showed that most of thestatements were relevant, but not the imbalance between men and women orviews on knowledge and teacher certification. Regarding solutions, respondentsagreed with most of the proposed solutions, but not more independent schoolsor shorter teacher training programs. Many significantly different perceptions alsoemerged between stakeholders regarding the causes of the teacher shortage.The perceptions of student health staff differed significantly from those of theother stakeholders. Compared to the other groups, they considered the teachershortage to be due to curriculum reforms, conditions for teachers, drop-outsfrom the teaching profession, the number of pupils, and the view of knowledge.Principals and qualified teachers also showed different perceptions of the mediadebate and workload as causes of the teacher shortage. Regarding solutions, theviews of authorized and unauthorized teachers differed. The study utilized wickedproblem (what the problem is represented to be) and coordination theories astheoretical frameworks. The results confirm the usefulness of wicked problemtheory. Regarding causes and possible solutions, the multiactor design of thisstudy shows variation in representations of the problem. This variation in views onwhich solutions are preferable/most important provides a basis for the need forfurther analysis and public discussion of the teacher shortage, as well as concernabout the possibilities for coordinated efforts.