This paper reports the development of an instrument for monitoring teaching strategies in the teaching of mathematics. The main purpose of research into this area was to determine the aspects of mathematics teaching which result in differential learning within a class. A second purpose was the development of a theoretical model for the teaching…

A study of interactions among Swedish intermediate-grade students as they solved a nonstandard mathematics task confronting the phenomenon of infinity shows that the children can reach a considerable understanding of the problem by contextualizing the problem in different ways. The collective orchestration of problem variations results in enhanced…

Investigates to what extent contextual changes in the meaning of the concept of "week" causes problems for children in the fifth and sixth grades. Reports that poor performing children have difficulties in finding the proper semantic referent. (YP)

Results from achievement and ability testing of about 150 Swedish urban children in third, fifth, and sixth grades were analyzed according to the children's physical maturity and social background. Social background played the main role in performance on the achievement and most of the mental ability tests. (MP)

Analyzes tradition and change in the education of elementary school teachers in Sweden in the 19th and early 20th century. Reveals two substantial periods of change. States that changes included the interplay between public and private institutions and new ideas of the individual, nature, the child, and morality. (CMK)

This article will show how children (9-12 years old) describe the Internet in terms of different models. It is related to how they understand the reliability of the Internet as well as some other aspects. The study was carried out in a 4th-grade class in 1998/1999. The study has an ethnographic approach. With inspiration from information research…

This journal issue discusses the idea that 1988 was a year in which "green thinking" and environmental matters came to the top of the political and public agenda. At the same time, environmental education received new recognition as a vital dimension of education having relevance to all. In 1989, it seems likely that environmental…

An investigation of pupil and teacher preferences concerning different ways of presenting subject matter in science and social studies in Swedish public schools is discussed. The curriculum used for these subjects was studied and an analysis made of a number of books used. Responses of a questionnaire gauging pupil and teacher preferences for…

An experiment involving 14 small groups of Swedish students (usually 3 per group) aged 10, 11, and 12 years shows that these students acting in groups and creating shared contextualizations were able to solve mathematics word problems calling for real-world knowledge. Research has shown students acting alone to have difficulty with the same types…

Explanations and accounts used by teachers in 4 team meetings to make decisions about 12 pupils with learning and social disabilities were studied. Teachers, under certain circumstances, were able to apply an elucidative model based on shared explanations, but they often used a more restricted model. (SLD)

As part of the National Evaluation Program of the Swedish school system, proficiency in the English language is evaluated for students in grade 5 (at age 12 years). Variation between classes and variation within classes were studied in a multilevel factor analysis (MFA) using a sample of 3,162 students in 162 classes for whom student questionnaire…

The role played by written tests in Swedish schools was studied through a survey of 1,817 eighth-grade teachers (the senior level of compulsory school in Sweden) and 589 teachers of the second year of upper secondary school in three counties in Sweden (the response rate was 75%). The survey was supplemented with 51 interviews of teachers at four…

This paper discusses the question of whether, in a multilingual society, the child's first or second language is best as a language of instruction in primary school. Reviewing eight case studies from seven countries in which initial primary schooling was given either in the second or first language, the discussion compares achievement in reading…

Educational issues in Finland and Sweden are addressed in the following papers: (1) "Teacher Training and the Official Teacher's Role" (Karl-Georg Ahlstrom and Maud Johnsson); (2) "Evaluation of Coercive Elements in Education" (Timo Airaksinen); (3) "Philosophy from the Viewpoint of Education" (Pertti Kansanen); (4)…

After a short introductory discussion, the results are presented from a series of mapping studies in which headmasters, supervisory teachers, student teachers and different teacher and student groups have expressed their views on co-influence in the school--how they experience the situation today and how they would like the influence to be divided…