This paper reviews the remarkably similar experiences of school science reported by high school students in Sweden, England, and Australia. It compares student narratives from interpretive studies by Lindahl, by Osborne and Collins, and by Lyons, identifying core themes relating to critical contemporary issues in science education. These themes…

Findings are presented from a study of undergraduate students' experiences of understanding in first-year engineering. At the end of their first year of study 86 Swedish students of electrical engineering and computer science were asked to reflect in writing on their experiences of studying and learning. Fifteen of them also took part in…

Monica's educational bearings are now set toward a field she had never even considered a career possibility until she got into Sweden's required work-sampling program. (Editor)

Information concerning children's knowledge of and interest in sport and physical activities was sought in a study of the aims and methods of physical education instruction at elementary levels (age 7-12). Factors in the children's immediate environment, presumed to influence interest in physical activities, were also investigated. These include:…

This monograph describes Supplemental Instruction, a student assistance program designed to improve the academic success of college freshmen based on the idea that if students are not being successful in courses then perhaps colleges should change the way courses are taught. Supplemental Instruction (SI) utilizes regularly scheduled, out-of-class,…

Current research on students' experiences in encounters with their classmates in school is explored by using the narrative of a 25-year-old nursery school teacher in Sweden about her own experiences as a quiet and well-behaved student. Her story illustrates some of the built-in conflicts of the comprehensive school. (SLD)

This report compares the educational experiences of young children and their teachers in England, Sweden, and Spain. Data on which the report is based was derived from two studies of educational quality and teacher training throughout Europe. For each of the three countries reported, a description is presented of early childhood curriculum,…

The term "pupil voice" has, in recent years, become part of a wider discourse but tends to refer to a limited conception of young people "having a say" within the bounds of school convention. This article is about what Henry Giroux terms "border crossings," in which voice develops through a physical and intellectual…

This study investigates how students and their teacher experience online courses and whether both parties perceive similar advantages and disadvantages in online learning. Both parties consider geographical independence advantageous and express the need for a well-structured course; this includes the administration as well as the content.…

Whether gender differences in Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test results changed with the age and experience of new examinees was examined for 7,779 male and 7,294 female students, including those under age 24 newly eligible for the examination. No real differences were found for traditional age group and younger examinees. (SLD)

The "folkehojskoler," innovative Scandinavian secondary schools based on radical humanistic ideas, are examined from both empirical and philosophical perspectives, focusing on three elements: ideology; the student experience; and the teaching culture. Implications for goals, objectives, assumptions, forms, and practices in American…

Students around the globe have unique first-year experiences but struggle with many of the same challenges. This monograph focuses on their journeys and provides insights for educators interested in learning about how institutions across the globe provide supports to students dealing with first-year transition issues. Based on the successful…

This comparative study of social care programs at four European colleges in Nijmegen (Netherlands), Malmo (Sweden), Sligo (Ireland), and Lillehammer (Norway) looks at whether graduates from one country would be qualified to work in social care in the other countries. The report is based on analysis of data from official documents, questionnaires…

In response to the growing dissatisfaction of students in the late 1960's to the traditional educational system, where the student felt forced into a role of dependency and passive consumption, the Swedish Commission on University Education suggested an instructional system of supervised student teams as a supplement to regular instruction. The…