Even though the importance of extensive reading practice is well documented, as are students' changing leisure-time reading habits, knowledge of how much students read at school is still limited. Therefore, this study investigates how many pages of continuous text, nonfiction as well as fiction, students in middle (Grades 4-6) and lower secondary…

In 2011, new teacher education programmes were introduced in Sweden. This policy case study examines the outcome of the reform, focusing on the pedagogic discourses in the examination practise of the primary teacher education programme, but also on the possible effects of dividing teacher education for primary teachers into two specialisations:…

In this article, we focus on the interaction in a Year 5 classroom where students fill in a "self-evaluation form" as a preparation for a forthcoming discussion on progress aiming at the production of an Individual Developmental Plan. Drawing on the theoretical concepts of fabrications and performativity, we understand this as an…

The focus of this article is children's positioning and agency in a Swedish school class. Drawing on ethnographic data generated during a year-long field study, the actions of three different children are used by the researcher to illustrate how children position themselves and are positioned by others. Using the concept of "professional…

A three year longitudinal intervention study is presented where two conditions of reading instruction are compared. In a base condition six teachers--four in the experimental groups and two in the control groups--and their students in grade 4-6 discussed expository texts during a regular lesson. The discussions, which took place in small groups,…

Studies error detection by Swedish children. Finds that the sixth-grade children were better at the task, that errors were easiest to detect while listening, that errors were easiest to detect from paper copy, but that fourth graders detected more errors when reading from the moving window. (RS)

Demonstrated an experiment on the properties of air to 2 groups of Swedish fourth graders (total n=45), using familiar materials in one case and unfamiliar, "scientific," materials in the other. Written explanations by students show that the unfamiliar materials were a barrier to understanding and may have actually obstructed students'…

Studied how Swedish schools try to promote students' reading through examination of school-run booktalk conversations held by students in grades 4 through 7. Observations of eight groups show the conflict between the stated aim of promoting reading for pleasure and both tasks presented to students and problems in synchronizing the reading of…

Birth weight above and below 2,500 grams was compared with intellectual performance and school achievement at ages 10 and 13 for 874 students in a Swedish community. Results indicated that low birth weight girls, but not low birth weight boys, suffered in their school performance. (Author/JDD)

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…

One Swedish university designed a program based on problem solving to make student teachers more reflective about mathematics teaching and learning. Student teachers work cooperatively in small groups, with teacher educators facilitating. Preliminary evaluation suggests the program helps student teachers develop insight into the complexity of…

Changes in intelligence among Swedish 13-year-olds during a 20-year period was studied. Results show: (1) the average of spatial and reasoning intelligence has risen; (2) verbal intelligence increased during the 1960s, but declined thereafter; and (3) by the 1980s girls surpassed in verbal ability and equalled in spatial ability. (Author/LMO)

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)

Points out the important role of social studies education in dealing with both the history and the future of mankind. Urges the cooperation of teachers in educating students for a better world. Discusses Swedish approaches to the social studies curriculum. Also describes Swedish teacher training and staff development process. (KO)