Browsing Licentiate Theses /LS KSM by Title

Att bygga läsning-om byggelevers förhållningssätt till läsning i sven...
Bardenstam, Malin : Malmö högskola, Lärarutbildningen Malmö studies in educational sciences; (2012) Preliminär post	LICENTIATE THESIS

English abstract:

This licentitate thesis is a study of Upper-Secondary School stu-dents’ approach towards reading fiction in the school subject of Swedish from a socio-cultural perspective. Furthermore, the social context and its importance for the students’ reading situation has been mapped. The students participating in the study are all first-graders and boys, studying the Construction Programme. The empirical material consists primarily of oral statements made by the students concerning their perception of how to read fiction in school. Using the construct of Pierre Bourdieu and with the reception model of Kathleen McCormick as a point of departure, the repertoirs of the students are described and analyzed. This study shows that the students bring different representa-tions of their group belonging, which effect their approach to rea-ding fiction. It also shows that the students’ idea of what a reader is and their own reading ability create their approach to reading. Ad-ditionally, the students have problems to see the actual purpose of reading fiction in a school situation. The results of the study show that in order to read fiction success-fully in a classroom situation, the school has to discuss and chal-lenge the students’ views of group belonging. Furthermore the school must improve when it comes to illustrating the more precise purpose and meaning of reading fiction in the school subject of Swedish. The study shows that because of the students’ different approa-ches to reading fiction, they tend to do two types of reading, one in-dividual and one for the school . In the latter, the students are incli-ned to limit their reading potential. And this is the real challenge for the subject of Swedish, but also ultimately the school, to challenge the students to use their full reading potential. Finally, the results of the study is discussed in relation to the new curriculum of the subject of Swedish, as it is presented in the sylla-bus ”Gy 11”. ”Gy 11” has been implemented since the autumn of 2011. Additionally, the consequences of the decreased number of hours for the subject of Swedish is considered. There are, however, stil good possibilities for the Swedish school to enable the students to reach their full reading potential in a class-room sitution.

Att_bygga_läsning_Malin_Bardenstam_20_januari.pdf (3.137Mb)

Att sätta erfarenheter i rörelse. En undersökning av hur elever i år ...
Söderling, Maria : Malmö University Malmö Studies in Educational Sciences: Licentiate Dissertation Series;2011:24 (2011)	LICENTIATE THESIS

English abstract:

ABSTRACT This licentiate thesis is a study of the curriculum of the school subject Swedish from a socio-cultural perspective. The aim of the study is to obtain insights into how pupils in the seventh grade of the Swedish secondary school system read films, and further to investigate how the education in Swedish can manage and make the most of various approaches to film. The survey was conducted in a class which I teach myself, and the empirical data consists primarily of oral and written statements by the pupils, concerning the films they have seen. Furthermore the social context around the reception of the films has been mapped. As part of the empirical data there is also a record of a discussion in the classroom concerning filmmaking. With the reception model of Kathleen McCormick as a point of departure, the filmic repertoires of the pupils are analyzed, described and interpreted as they stand out within the framework of the study. The general repertoires of the pupils are also dealt with to some extent. The representations and non-representations of the readings are further discussed in a social semiotic perspective. The research shows that the pupils bring rich experiences of fiction from television as well as film to school. The research also indicates that there is a potential for specific learning processes in the reading of film, since the reception of film entails a possibility to widen the general and filmic repertoires as well as to be conscious of them. The most important potential for learning is in the meeting with films that create a tension between the general repertoires of the reader and the film itself, since the film in those cases stands for something hitherto unknown for the reader. The pupils in my survey do not, however, primarily watch film in order to obtain new experiences, or to learn something; they watch film as a means to feel and share experiences with others in order to strengthen their sense of belonging to a group. One exception appears to be films that the pupils interpret as based on reality, since there is a tendency among the pupils to be more openminded for clashes between their own repertoires and the repertoires in films when it comes to fiction anchored in reality. The true challenge of the teaching is to attract the pupils to develop conscious relationships to films that imply a tension between repertoires. The reasons for these tensions have furthermore to be investigated. When it comes to films based on reality, the study makes it clear that the population of pupils represents a diverse set of attitudes towards the films; some pupils read the films as pure facts, while others read them in a more reflective way, comparing the mediated images of reality in the actual films with other types of experiences. The teaching of Swedish with the intention to take care of the reception of film among school children must be conducted in an awareness of the fact that not all pupils are representing their readings in a way that makes it possible to create meeting places around them within the educational framework. In my view, the education in Swedish for the secondary school must in a more active way open up for the possibility for the pupils to acquire strategies for a conscious handling of their film readings, as well as access to a language by which they can make their representations. The fact that not all pupils are aware of how film can mediate constructions of reality makes it important to take care of the children’s readings in such a way that makes them aware of the semiotic resources of the cinematic medium. This is one reason why one should allow them make their own films. It is also important to use a diversity of semiotic resources when pupils are representing their readings in order to underline the plurality of interpretations and filmic repertoires. Finally, I discuss the results of my research in relation to the new curriculum of Swedish education as it is presented in the syllabus “Lgr 11” which will take effect as from the autumn semester of 2011. In my analysis I find that the space for work of the kind I have conducted in the classroom will be diminished due to the new curriculum. There are, however, still possibilities and a learning potential for a teaching in Swedish that in an active way will take care of film experiences, as well as other kinds of textual experiences.

2043_12594 Söderling muep.pdf (2.376Mb)

Heder på schemat : En didaktisk studie av hederskultur i svensk ungdo...
Thörnqvist, Petter (2011)	LICENTIATE THESIS

English abstract:

This thesis investigates the concept of honour and why this is a relevant concept in the teaching of literature in the school subject of Swedish. In order to investigate this I have analyzed two Young Adult books; Heder (2002) and Fallen flicka (2009) by the author Christina Wahldén. These books show how young women of today are systematically subordinated and how their lives are controlled by male relatives. This culturally specific oppression of young women is constituted by ancient concepts of honour, which in turn are interlinked with women’s sexuality and the male control of it. The oppression has its roots in patriarchal and traditional thinking which is specifically characteristic for an honour culture. Both the male as well as the female characters are modeled by the author in order to make a didactic point. She wants to put the oppressive males on display in order to make us (the readers) aware of the horrific situation that many young women of today suffer from. In order to problematize this I apply postcolonial theory. This theoretical approach allows me to question the way in which the characters are constructed in the books. The standpoint which Christina Wahldén takes in writing her books is disputed, and in this thesis I discuss different viewpoints on this matter. On the one hand there are those intellectuals who agree with the above stated. On the other hand there are others who disagree and instead of a clear-cut cultural pattern, view the concept of honour and how it is used in societal debate with great suspicion. For them the finger pointing only cements prejudices and construct clear-cut difference-markers between Us: the good and modern, and Them: the evil and barbaric. Postcolonial theory lends its support to this latter way of thinking. In this thesis I therefore discuss postcolonial theory at lengths. In this discussion I rely on three theorists’ viewpoints in particular: Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak and Homi Bhabha. My own understanding of postcolonial theory is founded on the central thoughts which these theorists advocate. Besides lending its theoretical viewpoints to my readings of Christina Wahldén’s books, Postcolonial theory also influences my didactic discussions. In these discussions I try to explore why, and in what way, Postcolonial theory is applicable to the school subject of Swedish. My own view is that it can be used as a pedagogic tool to enable critical readings. I find this theoretical approach valuable in order for the school subject of Swedish to become a democratic one which engages the students to practice critical thinking and together read, write and discuss texts dealing with the conflicts that surrounds them in today’s multicultural society. In this thesis I argue strongly for this kind of awareness, an awareness which results in an understanding for the purpose of teaching Literature as a way of dealing with topics of significance for the students as members of a democratic society.

2043_12261 Thornqvist MUEP.pdf (635.7Kb)

Inga IG i Kemi A : En språkdidaktisk studie av en kemilärares undervi...
Kouns, Maria : Malmö Högskola, Lärarutbildningen Malmö Studies in Educational Sciences Licentiate Dissertation Series;15 (2011)	LICENTIATE THESIS

English abstract:

As global migration escalates, the number of students with Swedish as their second language entering high school in Sweden also increases. This demographic and linguistic change in the mainstream classroom has forced the role of language in teaching/learning to surface. In order for society to provide all students with equal educational opportunities, accommodation to the needs of second language learners has become a pressing issue. The purpose of this study is to try to understand what opportunities the teaching strategies of a 10th grade chemistry teacher may create for second language learners to develop their Swedish language repertoire in the subject. The study has been conducted from the point of view of language didactics, and a socio-cultural framework has been used to provide a theoretical perspective. Of fundamental importance is the notion that language is the primary mediating tool in learning; that learning is situated; that the situated learning is socially constructed. Furthermore, the concepts of vygotskian origin, scientific and everyday language/scientific and everyday concepts are part of the theoretical perspective along with scaffolding, second language development, language repertoire, and chemistry teaching. The empiric material was collected by observations and video and audio recordings of 31 lessons in one class with one teacher. The vast majority of the students had Swedish as their second lan-guage and half of them had, at the time of the study, been in Sweden four years or less. This primary source material has been transferred into secondary material by way of transcription. The analyses sought to answer three questions regarding 1) the teacher’s general didactic and subject related didactic strategies; 2) the teacher’s language didactic strategies in the whole-class teacher talk; 3) the consequences for the opportunities this may afford the students to develop a language repertoire in the subject. A variety of theoretical concepts has been applied in the process of analysis: cooperation and drive; Johnstone’s triangle; interactivity, a dialogic or authoritative voice, and directness. Consequences of the teacher’s strategies are discussed in terms of positions allowing for receptive or productive language use, scaffolding and meta-skills. The study is concluded by the presentation of a didactic approach to an oscillating shift of focus on the subject matter and on how this subject matter is linguistically constructed.

Kouns.pdf (1.485Mb)

Klassråd - ett socialt rum för demokrati och utbildning : Om skola oc...
Lelinge, Balli : Lärarutbildningen, Malmö högskola Malmö Studies in Educational Sciences : Licentiate Dissertation Series;17 (2011)	LICENTIATE THESIS

Swedish abstract:

I denna licentiatuppsats studeras klassrådets möjligheter och villkor för att fungera som ett socialt rum för demokrati och utbildning. Studien förankras i en historisk tradition om skolans demokratiska uppdrag men tar också avstamp i en aktuell diskussion om deliberativ demokrati i skolan. Elever och lärare formulerar sig kring de villkor som behöver uppfyllas för att eleverna skall ha inflytande och ta ansvar i frågor som engagerar dem. Vidare observeras hur elever och lärare agerar i klassrådet under olika besluts- och diskussionsprocesser. Studien belyser en aspekt på skolan och den förändrade barndomen, där barns inflytande och egenansvar synliggörs. Genom att tydliggöra villkor och dilemman som lärare och elever ställs inför, problematiseras också barns aktörskap. Det framgår att eleverna har god förståelse av de beslutsprocesser som skolan är en del av. De är också engagerade i och vill utveckla klassrådet, samtidigt som de anger en rad villkor för att klassrådet skall vara en demokratisk arena. Eleverna framhåller att i klassrådet är det viktigt att alla får komma till tals och att alla lyssnar på de som talar. De talar om disciplinära aspekter av demokratiska processer och en strävan efter att låta klassrådet vara en störningsfri zon. För några av eleverna är den formella strukturen i ett klassråd ett problem, för andra är den snarare en möjlighet att rucka på maktbalansen mellan lärare och elever och mellan elever. Lärarna ser klassrådets potential men uttrycker också en osäkerhet om vilka frågor som eleverna kan och får besluta om i klassrådet för att skapa reell demokrati. Lärarna uttrycker en osäkerhet om det är den demokratiska processen eller det konkreta beslutet som är viktigast. Studien ger ett viktigt bidrag till debatten om demokrati i skolan genom att synliggöra de dilemman som elever och lärare ställs inför då de ”gör” demokrati i klassrådet. Avhandlingen ger en bild av den komplexitet som är invävd i begreppet demokrati och demokratiska processer i skolan och en fördjupad kunskap om barndom och sociala relationer i förändring, särskilt i förhållande till skolans demokratioch fostransuppdrag. Avhandling är en del av projektet ”Mångkontextuell barndom”, där skola, fritid och familj studeras som gränsöverskridande sociala rum i förändring.

Lelinge muep.pdf (1.755Mb)

Läroböcker i svenska? En studie av ett läromedel för yrkesförberedand...
Lilja Waltå, Katrin : Malmö University Malmö Studies in Educational Sciences: Licentiate Dissertation Series 2011;23 (2011)	LICENTIATE THESIS

English abstract:

This licentiate thesis addresses what textbooks in the school subject Swedish specifically oriented to pupils in different vocational programmes at Swedish high school/ upper secondary schools (Gymnasiet) offer to their readers. The study uses qualitative textual analysis as its main approach as well as, to a certain extent, quantitative data from textbooks in the Blickpunkt series (Blickpunktserien). Since they are included in so called comprehensive teaching materials, Bra Svenska A and Bra Svenska B, certain aspects of these two books, primarily their selection of texts are also studied. My point of departure is that a given textbook presumes a certain type of reader – this is supported by Umberto Eco’s theory that an author always writes with a reader in mind, a model reader, and I pose the following question: What views on subject matter, literature and cognitive approach are conveyed by the textbooks and what does this tell us about their model readers? My interpretation is that there are both many similarities and many differencies between the various model readers presumed by the textbooks. The focus on future professional activities permeates all of the textbooks, but is somewhat less prominent in Blickpunkt bygg and Blickpunkt el, where, to a certain extent, the model reader is presumed to be working with topics which can be attributed to the Swedish subject matter area. In Blickpunkt barn och fritid, Blickpunkt fordon, Blickpunkt hotell och restaurang and Blickpunkt omvårdnad, the postulated reader is assumed to be uninterested in literature and is expected to work in a field only marginally related to the Swedish subject matter area. Instead the textbooks are organized on the basis of a general assumption regarding what know-how and qualifications are currently in demand on the labor market. Therefore we cannot say that they contain a genuine Swedish subject matter area. The formulation of the textbooks implies that a model reader is not expected to approach the texts with a critical mind in order to help him or her develop cognitive thinking and oral and written language skills.

2043_13383 Waltå muep.pdf (1.214Mb)

Läsning i ny tid. Pappersburen skrift i ett multimodalt perspektiv.
Magnusson, Petra : Malmö högskola Malmö studies in Educational Sciences:Licentiate Dissertation series;2011:20 (2011)	LICENTIATE THESIS

English abstract:

This thesis investigates a practice at an upper secondary school in Sweden. The starting point is the teachers’ questions concerning the possibilities of supporting the development of the students’ reading abilities through texts that are long, alphabetical and printed, and in this study, non-fictional. The thesis suggests that by applying a multimodal and multiliteral approach the possibilities are widened. The purpose of the study is to investigate how teachers handle the challenge of teaching using lengthy alphabetical printed texts in the text realities of today, and to describe such teaching through a multimodal framework. Data was collected through ethnographical methods and includes information gathered in interviews with three teachers, observations of lessons, and group discussions on texts. The data also include the texts used in the history and social science classes. Three analyses were made. Firstly, the practical theory of the teachers was analysed using the discourse analytical tool suggested by Roz Ivanic. She presents two dynamic models, one showing four layers of language and one providing a framework of six discourses for understanding the layer in focus. The models were used in this study to examine each of the teachers’ approaches to reading, reading development, and learning as a whole. In the first analysis the teachers are shown to be focusing on different discourses but they all result in explicit, structured teaching. In the second analysis, the texts used in the history and social science classes are categorised and discussed from a multimodal point of view, and the questions used to influence the students’ reading strategies are examined in terms of what kind of meaning-making they promote. The third analysis focuses on the students’ group discussions, with and without the teacher. The discussions are described through a didactic designing model as a learning sequence. The results show that the teachers’ approach offers possibilities for working with lengthy alphabetical printed texts: in applying a multimodal view of text the teachers try to incorporate the text worlds of today. Through structured teaching they aim to develop the students’ skills in meaning-making processes in a multimodal world, which includes designing through texts that are alphabetical and printed. By using modelling in text conversations the teacher is pointing out reading paths to the students, guiding them through the questions. By using the field of multimodality in describing what is taking place in the study the thesis points to possibilities when the fields of didactics and multimodal research come closer together. It is suggested that by putting reading into a multimodal perspective it is possible to empower the students’ design authority and by using a didactic approach to other texts multimodal meaning-making is put in a broader perspective.

2043_12280 Magnusson muep1.pdf (1.846Mb)

När känslorna får styra : om litteraturläsning i en mångkulturell gy...
Bringéus, Eva : Malmö högskola, Lärarutbildningen Malmö studies in educational studies Licentiate dissertation series;18 (2011)	LICENTIATE THESIS

English abstract:

This licentiate thesis, When emotions are allowed to rule, a study on reading literature in a multicultural classroom in upper secondary school, attempts from a didactic perspective to understand literature reading in the school subject Swedish in the light of a multicultural and changing society. From a socio-cultural perspective, the study illustrates the teacher's choice of literature, the teacher's and the students' attitudes to literature, and the ways of reading that are being negotiated in the common reading and what opportunities for understanding and meaning making that are made available. The analyses are based on reception theories and have an underlying intercultural perspective. The study has been conducted in a class represented by students with many different mother tongues in the school subject Swedish during the first year at the natural science programme at an upper secondary school. The main methods are recordings of literature discussions, which have been documented by video and digital voice recorder, qualitative interviews with students and teacher, log books, and the students' novel reading logs. The empirical material is presented in two chapters. The first chapter, The conditions of the reading, focuses on the teacher's and the students' attitudes to literature and literature reading while the second chapter, The actual reading, brings forward the ways of reading that are being negotiated in the common reading of two novels in the class. The results show that there are several factors that are of importance to the understanding and the meaning making that are made possible in the teaching of literature. The students speak about experience oriented attitudes focusing on life experiences and cultural meetings. This differs from the teacher's attitude which is focused on providing the students with language skills and literary history education. The study shows how the reading of the novel Herakles (Kallifatides 2006) results in ethic ways of reading and a rejection of the text while the reading of the optional novel leads to a subjective reading and a common interpretation from ways of reading of enjoyment. The study discusses the importance of safeguarding the students' knowledge, experiences, and emotions and of making explicit their different ways of reading as well as the different readings of the teaching. Discussed further is the need for a teaching that catches and challenges the students' general and literary repertoires from various perspectives in order to provide context and contribute to an active meaning making. The study suggests a caring way of reading, which is characterised by interpretive communities focused on openness to the foreign and different view and a reading that strives towards a cognitive, moral, and emotional understanding.

Bringeus.pdf (1.331Mb)

Tala om text. Om gymnasieelevers metaspråk i gruppsamtal
Hansson, Fredrik : Malmö högskola, Lärarutbildningen Malmö Studies in Educational Sciences: Licentiate Dissertations Series;8 (2009)	LICENTIATE THESIS

English abstract:

This thesis investigates the use of metalanguage and its relation to learning outcome in group discussions. Metalanguage is defined as a language about language, a way to talk about the features of a language using a specific vocabulary with great precision. It is suggested that metalanguage is necessary in order to develop the pupils' awareness when text analyses are carried out in school. The purpose of the study is to understand how pupils take on the task presented by the teacher, how they reach consensus, if and how they make use of some kind of metalanguage, and to what degree their discussions can be regarded as learning conversations. Twelve conversations in groups were recorded on video. The pupils were in the first or the final year of upper secondary school and they all attended either Natural Science Programme or Technology Programme. The conversations took place without the teacher being present. In three groups the conversation was observed by the researcher. The task was to talk about a phishing mail using questions provided by the teacher. The three observed conversations were transcribed following principles from Conversation Analysis, CA. The rest of the conversations were transcribed following a key close to written language in order to simplify the reading. Two analyses were carried out. First, the conversations were analysed regarding how to take on the task, interaction and use of metalanguage. Secondly, the structures of the conversations were analysed using concepts from systemic functional grammar. The results show that the conversations are symmetrical and co-operative and that the pupils are focused on solving the task. No metalanguage is used by the students; the discussions are performed using colloquial speech and dramatizations and referring to experiences. The absence of metalanguage is contrasted in effectiveness by the using of terms from the field of information technology. Using experiences from texts outside school proves to be a way of dealing with the task. However, experiences and results are not abstracted into scientific terms and no learning concerning language and text seems to take place. The using of concepts from systemic functional grammar shows that the pupils are mainly concerned with interpersonal aspects of the text, somewhat concerned with ideational aspects – especially logical – and to a less degree concerned with textual aspects. It is suggested that the lower degree of textual focus is related to the absence of metalanguage. It is also shown that the pupils discuss features of the text focusing on various strata of language. Although the pupils' frequent use of experiences from text encounters should be regarded as a great potential from a pedagogical point of view, the results indicate the need of a metalanguage to achieve precision and effectiveness in discussions about texts. Also, the need of instructions guiding the pupils to make use of metalanguage is indicated. The possibility of using concepts from systemic functional grammar is pointed out and further research is suggested.

Fredrik_Hansson_-_Tala_om_text.pdf (1.571Mb)

Tillbaka till texten : derivativt skrivande i en svensk gymnasieklass
Malmström, Martin : Malmö högskola, Fakulteten för lärande och samhälle Malmö Studies in Educational Sciences: Licentiate Dissertation Series;27 (2012)	LICENTIATE THESIS

English abstract:

This licentiate thesis investigates fiction writing and reading in up- per secondary school in Sweden. Inspired by fanfiction I created a teaching project of derivative writing in which the students in a se- cond-year social science class wrote short stories derived from 20th century novels. They also gave peer response, both orally and in writing. Finally they wrote a reflective text about the project. The main purpose of the study is to describe and analyse the teaching project. The primary material is the students’ short sto- ries. Drawing from theories of intertextuality, most notably Genette’s transtextuality theory and fanfiction theories, I analyse how the students make use of the source text. Theories of narratology have been used to analyse techniques of storytelling, mainly characterization and focalization. In the analysis of the stu- dents’ written comments on each other’s texts I draw from re- sponse theories. The results show that the students tend to stay close to the source texts. The most common subgenre is refocalization, that is to change the perspective to one of the secondary characters’ view. Refocalization seems to be an efficient way of deepening the under- standing of the main character of the source text; in many of the students’ stories the protagonist functions as the focalized object. Which novel the students read plays an important part in how fo- calization is expressed, however. Short stories based on novels with complex focalization tend to be focalized in a variety of ways whereas stories based on novels with fixed focalization mostly fol- low the pattern of the source text. Reading the short stories and, not least, the reflective texts it becomes evident that the characters are extremely important in this kind of literature, more so than semiotic theories of characters have acknowledged; the characters are more than merely functions. In the chapter about peer response I argue that many students write analyses of the text they are about to respond to rather than give advice about how to proceed. It is difficult to see if the response is of any help to the writer. Thus, I question whether peer response has any other effect than strength- ening the social bonds between the group members. The study shows that creative writing could very well be an in- tegral part of the education in Swedish in upper secondary school. Derivative writing may function as an alternative to traditional lit- erary analyses. Refocalizing is a way of seeing the story from a dif- ferent viewpoint, which could enhance the students’ sense of empa- thy. Questions of focalization might also lead to discussions of power. Furthermore, creative writing may make the students more attentive as writers. In the new syllabus Gy 11, however, the op- portunities for working with creative writing are, unfortunately, limited.

2043_14272 Malmstrom MUEP.pdf (3.790Mb)

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Ett annorlunda BRUS : ett läromedels litteraturförmedling i spännings...
Dahl, Christoffer : Lärarutbildningen, Malmö högskola Malmö studies in educational sciences. Licentiate dissertation series;12 (2010)	LICENTIATE THESIS

Skapande föreställning : elevers uppfattningar av arbetet i ett musik...
Törnquist, Els-Mari : Malmö Academy of Music Musikhögskolan, Malmö Musikpedagogik - Forskning och utveckling;7 (2000)	LICENTIATE THESIS