This project report outlines a continuing investigation (1965-73) into the teaching of German in Swedish public schools and steps taken toward the compilation and construction of teaching materials for use in introductory courses. The work is reviewed following four principal phases of completed project research and development: (1) analysis of…

A comprehensive study of the types of care provided for Swedish children is presented. The point is made that the three major frameworks which support the Swedish philosophy of early childhood education are those of Arnold Gesell, Jean Piaget, and Erik H. Erikson. From all three sources, preschool teachers learn the concept of epigenesis, the…

Parallel to the implementation of the comprehensive school system in Sweden, English has become obligatory for all pupils and has acquired increasing prominence. This is a report on the EPAL (English at the junior level) project in Sweden, a project which can be compared to FLES in the U.S. and the French-teaching project in England. The general…

Interviews regarding physical and sexual development were conducted with 838 children ages five through 15 in Australia, England, North America, and Sweden. Children identified the people whom they asked sex-related questions and indicated their major sources of information. Mothers, school, and the media were the most frequently cited sources.…

Assessed the quality of home and out-of-home care environments, child temperament, and the development of verbal abilities among infants at 18 months and then at 8 years of age. Found that both tested and rated cognitive abilities at age 8 were related to earlier measures of verbal ability and to paternal involvement during preschool years. (MOK)

The effects of fathers' absence from the home on their children's educational aptitude and achievement were studied for about 9,000 Swedish children from grade 6 to age 21 years, 15 percent of whom lived only with their mothers. Low achievement in the mathematical and technical spheres characterized those with no father in the home. (SLD)

Describes public day care in Scandinavian countries. Argues that a "second welfare state" has emerged to carry out some family functions. Discusses repercussions for children and families, as well as problems of equity, quality, and bureaucratization in the system. Suggests that the United States can benefit from Scandinavian experience.…

Describes the Barkestorp Project that investigated the teaching and learning process for Swedish elementary school children after libraries had been introduced into the curriculum. Highlights include planning by principals, teachers, and librarians; the librarian's role; cooperation between teachers and librarians; student behavior; library…

Major findings from a five-year study of the impact of the Swedish School Leader Education Program (SLEP), a program of leadership development for principals and vice principals, are reported. Despite research design difficulties, results for 35 school management areas and 66 evaluators suggest a positive impact of the SLEP. (SLD)

Investigated long-term effects of infant temperament on problem behavior and cognitive abilities at age 5 years, taking into account interactions between infant temperament and biological and social risk. Found that when high scores on temperamental factors are combined with social or biological risk, the level of later behavioral problems is…

Parental leave is a complex area of public policy. Concerns include health protection for working mothers, equal employment opportunities for women, access to adequate antenatal and birthing care, maternal recovery, optimal nutrition for infants, and gender equality within families. Given this complexity, the design of parental leave schemes,…

The development of two dominant research traditions is described: students' approaches to learning (SAL) and information processing (IP). The development of the third tradition, self-regulated learning (SRL) is added. SAL is based on European research, whereas IP and SRL are more typical background ideas for North-American research. The most…

Sweden's present school curricula emphasise personal flexibility, creativity, responsibility for learning and suggest new understandings of quality in learning, where individual freedom of choice is meant to help produce creative, motivated, alert, inquiring, self-governing and flexible users and developers of knowledge. These curriculum changes…

Medical students will influence future health care considerably. Their professional orientation while at medical school will be related to their future professional development. Therefore, it is important to study this group's view of the role of medical doctors, especially because Swedish health care is currently undergoing major changes and…

Educational Process Reflection (EPR) has been introduced in Swedish pre-school practice and brought about an expanded focus in educational work, concerning democratic values and promotion of health. The study used EPR to facilitate professional development, by teachers' collective reflection of narratives and observations of interaction and play…