Inom ramen för denna artikel diskuterar vi såväl den psykosociala som den fysiska miljön i skolan. Vidare argumenterar vi för att skolans miljö är av betydelse för elevernas möjligheter att lära sig, likväl som för deras upplevelser av lärandesituationerna. Särskilt intressant blir då att lyssna till eleverna. Syftet med denna artikel är därför att synliggöra och diskutera elevers röster i förhållande till hur skolan kan bli den bästa platsen för lärande. Detta görs med utgångspunkt i forskningsprojektet ”Skolan suger” eller?, där drygt 200 elever i åldrarna 11–15 år deltog. Eleverna fick skriftligen reflektera över hur skolan ska bli en riktigt bra lärandemiljö. För att utveckla skolan till den bästa platsen för lärande uttryckte eleverna en önskan att kunna påverka sin lärandemiljö, att uppnå ömsesidighet och samspel, att kunna hantera tidsregleringen i skolan, samt att uppfylla behov för välbefinnande.

De demokratiska värdena, elevernas delaktighet och inflytande, ska vara lika centralt i utbildningen som kunskaper i olika skolämnen. Det framgår tydligt i skollagen och läroplanerna.

Denna kunskapsöversikt lyfter fram forskning som handlar om vad delaktighet och inflytande innebär och hur man kan arbeta med elevers inflytande över beslutsprocesser och elevaktiv undervisning.

Kunskapsöversikten riktar sig i första hand till personal i grund- och gymnasieskolan och mot-svarande skolformer eller till dig som vill veta mer om elevdelaktighet och inflytande.

Education is one way for society to promote active engagement and participation as forms of civic responsibility. The decline in academic achievement in schools in Europe, and particular in Swedish schools, can be addressed through working with issues related to teaching, where student participation is an important part.

In this article, we aim to illustrate and exemplify how student participation can be described and understood as a continuous process that includes both students’ influence over formal decision-making and student active education. The content of the text emerges from a research overview (Swedish National Agency for Education, 2015), in which current research about student participation and influence in schools was collected, illuminated, analysed and discussed.

The article illustrates existing challenges and opportunities identified in educational research, relating to students’ influence over decision-making processes and students being active in their education. The article concludes with a few thoughts about the future, including how student voices are becoming a clearer part of school improvement. Furthermore, we discuss the need for staff training, organisational conditions for developing participation work and the importance of further educational research that will highlight student participation and influence. 

As humans, we have the ability to use many forms of “language” to express our self and our experiences, where visual art, an image, is one. Accordingly, experiences can be described in many different ways. In this paper we describe the challenges and benefits of using visual art as a research method to voice lived experiences of students and teachers based on life-world phenomenology. We give three examples of the analysis of visual art works, such as photographs, lino prints, and drawings made by students and teachers, as a way to express their lived experiences of different phenomena. The conclusion is that there are limits with using visual art as the sole source of empirical data. We argue that such data has to be accompanied by oral or written comments to enhance credibility and rigor. A life-world phenomenological analysis of visual art and subsequent comments emphasizes openness and humility to participants’ experiences as well as an all-inclusive understanding of a phenomenon.

Vad innebär det i praktiken att skolans och förskolans verksamhet skall vila på vetenskaplig grund och beprövad erfarenhet? Det vi tycker är intressant att lyfta fram är på vilket sätt forskningen bedrivs, hur forskningsfrågorna kommer till och hur resultaten kommer den pedagogiska praktiken tillgodo. I denna artikel diskuterar och problematiserar vi relationen mellan den pedagogiska forskningen och förskolans och skolans verksamhet. Diskussionerna exemplifieras från ett konkret forsknings- och samverkansprojekt, där forskning och praktik har gått hand i hand. Vidare ger en forskare, en doktorand, en lärarutbildare, en skolledare och en lärare sin personliga syn på samverkan mellan pedagogisk forskning och praktik.

Managerial documents for the national school system in Sweden have emphasised taking students’ voices as a starting point in forming education, and several previous studies have indicated the benefits of giving students opportunities to participate in school. This study aimed to explore students’ reflections on what they would do if they were to decide how to make school the best place for learning. A total of 200 students aged 11 to 15 years from four schools (rural and urban) in two municipalities in the northern part of Sweden participated. The empirical data consisted of the students’ written reflections. The findings fall within four themes: (i) influencing educational settings; (ii) striving for reciprocity; (iii) managing time struggles; and (iv) satisfying well-being needs. Tensions between the students’ previous experiences and future visions appeared. The findings can offer direction regarding aspects of the learning environment in school that could be improved.

The aim of this study was to describe, reflect upon, and create a deeper understanding of aspects relevant for promoting a positive school environment from a student perspective. The data was analyzed by using an inductive phenomenological method and based on written responses from 200 Swedish students from grades 5–9. The results indicated that the students found aspects within, as well as beyond, the classroom relevant for a positive school environment. For instance, outings were considered relevant for building and maintaining friendships and for learning processes. Moreover, the students discussed formal and informal conditions and considered social as well as structural circumstances important for having a good time in school. The relation between learning and well-being was also emphasized by the students.

Att bli uppskattad som lärare - vilken roll spelar det i den pedagogiska vardagen? Hur kan en lärares erfarenheter om uppskattning förstås ur ett teoretiskt perspektiv? Syftet med artikeln är att synliggöra, skapa förståelse för och diskutera uppskattningens roll i pedagogisk praktik i allmänhet och i synnerhet lärares pedagogiska vardag. Artikeln vill erbjuda kunskapsbidrag om och möjligheter till reflektion över kopplingar mellan uppskattning, lärande och undervisning. För att belysa artikelns ämne inbjöds en lärare med lång erfarenhet av yrket att skriva ner reflektioner om betydelsen av att bli uppskattad som lärare. Att bli uppskattad har stor betydelse för en lärares identitet och vilja till fortsatt utveckling som lärare är något som denna studie visar. Uppskattning kan ges på olika sätt, vid olika tillfällen och av olika personer. Samtidigt finns det utmaningar i samband med uppskattning av lärares arbete. Det kan förekomma inneboende svårigheter för elever att ge sina lärare uppskattning, beroende på deras asymmetriska maktförhållande. En möjlighet är dock att lärare och elever tränar sig i att se sig som ett "vi" och inte som vi och dem. Detta för att skapa en dialog som kännetecknas av respekt som uppmuntrar till kreativa handlingar som ett led i att etablera en uppskattande miljö i skolan.

The overall aim of this thesis was to explore the school as a site for ethical practice. Specific objectives were to elucidate, encourage understanding for, and discuss: (i) teachers' and students' lived experience of ethical situations in school, (ii) teachers' and students' working together to promote learning in subjects and also to develop an ethical attitude towards society and the way people interact, and (iii) teachers' and students' working together to create an appreciative and positive climate in school. The research was conducted in a secondary school in Northern Sweden, which participated in a school improvement process, entitled Full of Value. The process has aimed at promoting learning through the development of an ethical attitude. This involves both the psycho-social and the physical community of the school.The research was inspired by life-world phenomenology. A total of 45 teachers and 45 students participated in the study. To create empirical data, the following methods have been used: written reflection, interview, close observation, and photo documentation. Through empirical findings during the research process, some parts of the research were inspired by participatory and appreciative action research (PAAR).The thesis consists of five part studies, published in international pedagogical journals. The findings show essential values for teachers and students in school, such as: openness, communication, trust, respect, care, empathy, truth, justice, appreciation, participation, and mutual learning.Teachers' and students' experiences of school as a site for ethical practice imply the value of: striving for ethical awareness, building ethical relationships, and encouraging ethical actions. The findings in this thesis suggest that the schools' mission to integrate ethics into the curriculum can be viewed as a process whereby, together with students in different educational settings, an ethical learning community can be created and sustained.

This paper emanates from my thesis (Bergmark, 2009), which explored the school as a site for ethical practice. The research was inspired by life-world phenomenology. A total of 45 teachers and 45 students participated.Teachers’ and students’ experiences of school as a site for ethical practice imply the value of: striving for ethical awareness, building ethical relationships, and encouraging ethical actions. The findings in this thesis suggest that the schools’ mission to integrate ethics into the curriculum can be viewed as a process whereby, together with students in different educational settings, an ethical learning community can be created and sustained.When exploring teachers’ and students’ experiences of school the opportunity for an appreciative attitude emerged. This outlook includes the importance of meeting others where they are, care about them, have faith in their abilities, letting them influence, and encouraging and recognizing them. It is of specific interest to reflect on how the findings from my thesis can be interpreted and affect the preparation and practice of school leaders. One aspect of ethical leadership interpreted as fostering an appreciative environment in schools will be discussed.This paper emanates from my thesis (Bergmark, 2009), which explored the school as a site for ethical practice. The research was inspired by life-world phenomenology. A total of 45 teachers and 45 students participated.Teachers’ and students’ experiences of school as a site for ethical practice imply the value of: striving for ethical awareness, building ethical relationships, and encouraging ethical actions. The findings in this thesis suggest that the schools’ mission to integrate ethics into the curriculum can be viewed as a process whereby, together with students in different educational settings, an ethical learning community can be created and sustained.When exploring teachers’ and students’ experiences of school the opportunity for an appreciative attitude emerged. This outlook includes the importance of meeting others where they are, care about them, have faith in their abilities, letting them influence, and encouraging and recognizing them. It is of specific interest to reflect on how the findings from my thesis can be interpreted and affect the preparation and practice of school leaders. One aspect of ethical leadership interpreted as fostering an appreciative environment in schools will be discussed.

Different kinds of meetings are natural for every student and teacher in schools around the world. This study deals with matters of ethics as a relation, meetings with Others, narratives, reflection and learning experiences. In a secondary school in northern Sweden eight students and one teacher worked within a course where different guests were invited into the classroom - a homosexual, a refugee and a disabled person. The aim of this article is to elucidate, enable understanding for and discuss students' and a teacher's learning experiences through their meetings with Others. The empirical data was created through close observation, field notes, reflective journals and e-mail communication. Theoretically the study is based on the philosophies of Emanuel Lévinas and Nel Noddings.

Different kinds of meetings are natural for every student and teacher in schools around the world. This study deals with matters of ethics as a relation, meetings with Others, narratives, reflection and learning experiences. In a secondary school in northern Sweden eight students and one teacher worked within a course where different guests were invited into the classroom - a homosexual, a refugee and a disabled person. The aim of this article is to elucidate, enable understanding for and discuss students' and a teacher's learning experiences through their meetings with Others. The empirical data was created through close observation, field notes, reflective journals and e-mail communication. Theoretically the study is based on the philosophies of Emanuel Lévinas and Nel Noddings.

Aktionsforskning har utvecklats utifrån en kritik av tidigare forskningstraditioner, där lärare har betraktats som forskningsobjekt, med risk för att bli marginaliserade. I aktionsforskning ses lärare som professionella, vilket höjer deras status till subjekt – de kan ha en aktiv roll i forskning. Forskningen utförs med eller av människor snarare än på någon, vilket förändrar roller och relationer. Etiska dilemman kan uppstå, särskilt i aktionsforskning, där skillnaderna mellan forskare och lärare är diffusa, vilket väcker frågor om anonymitet, vem som fattar beslut i forskningen, vem som äger forskningsresultaten och implikationer av resultaten. Denna presentation kommer att fokusera på situationer där forskare och lärare tar olika roller, som universitetsforskare och lärare i skolan, men båda parter har undervisnings- och forskningskompetens. Presentationen syftar till att utforska de förändrade roller och relationer mellan forskare och lärare som kan uppstå när de samverkar i aktionsforskning. Baserat på mina egna upplevelser i aktionsforskningsprojekt som universitetsforskare, kommer etiska dilemma med fokus på ansvar och kunskap samt ömsesidighet och kommunikation att tas upp. För att fördjupa analysen av de olika etiska dilemman diskuteras också filosofiska begrepp baserade på Nel Noddings filosofi, särskilt begreppet ethics of care. Presentationen belyser slutligen hinder och möjligheter med att utveckla relationer av omsorg och tillit mellan forskare och lärare samt strategier för att hantera etiska dilemman i en aktionsforskningsprocess som leder till hållbar samverkan.

In Sweden the compulsory school curriculum prescribes that education should promote learning in different subjects while simultaneously assisting students to develop into citizens of good character. To achieve these goals students need to cultivate such character strengths as respect and responsibility, so that they can create positive relationships and live in a community. The development of these skills in a school setting could be called character education. Research shows that good character education promotes the moral development of students and also enhances their academic learning. Giving voice to students is the cornerstone of character education; if adults in schools listen carefully to students educational practice can be improved. This study was conducted in a secondary school in northern Sweden. The phenomenology of the life-world and the principles of participatory and appreciative action research guided the research. The aim was to explore student voices as they described how they do and do not wish to be treated by others. The empirical data consisted of written responses to questions posed to students in Grades 7 and 8. The data analysis revealed four themes: striving for mutual understanding, being accepted for who you are, seeking honesty and truth and being acknowledged, recognized and encouraged. A comprehensive understanding of the themes suggests how practice may be improved in educational settings.

The aim of this paper is to discuss the theoretical foundations which lie as a base for my PhD study about the ethical learning community in the school. The core of the school's activities is the process of learning and the school is also a meeting place for both teachers and students with different life stories. Because of the many opportunities of meetings, relations between individuals become very important. The meetings often contain interaction and therefore it is also of importance what values that are guiding our actions. On basis of that the community of the school plays a major part in the school's mission - education. Within this paper the phenomenology of the life-world will serve as a point of departure for the discussion, as well as the concept of ethical learning. The discussion deals with two concepts - ethics and learning - and in an attempt to visualise some conceivable answers to the question of what an ethical community can be, different ways of looking at this concept will be highlighted and discussed. The line of reasoning starts out from philosophical perspectives, and to provide exemplification a few dives will be made into the empirical context, which in this study is teachers written reflections of ethical learning situation at a Swedish compulsory school.

Action research approaches have evolved out of a criticism of previous research traditions, where teachers have been seen as research objects, at risk of being marginalized. Such approaches have also arisen out of the view that teaching, learning, and educational research are interrelated. In action research, teachers are seen as professionals, raising their status to subjects, conducting own research. The research is carried out with or by people rather than on someone, which changes the roles and relationships. Ethical dilemmas can arise, especially evident in action research, where the distinctions between researcher and researched are blurred or removed altogether. This paper aims to explore the changing roles and relationships between researchers and teachers in action research through a philosophical analysis based on the writings of Nel Noddings, especially the concept of ethics of care. The analysis creates an opportunity for a rethinking of researcher–teacher roles, focusing on responsibility and knowledge as well as reciprocity and communication. Based on the author’s own action research experiences, various dilemmas are discussed. Obstacles to and opportunities for developing caring relationships between researchers and teachers will also be highlighted. The implications of the study include valuing both researcher and teacher expertise and learning to understand each other’s perspectives as well as giving tailored care. It is also vital to find strategies to contextualize and enact these views and beliefs within the researcher–teacher relationship. Neither researchers nor teachers will have total control over the process, as they stay open to each other’s perspectives and needs based on a caring relationship.

A prominent phenomenon in education in Europe and internationally is the demand for research-based education, which is also the case in Sweden, the context of this study. Therefore, greater academic demands have been placed on teachers, which can present a distinctive challenge for teachers who were educated when teacher education prioritised practical teacher training rather than academic training. Therefore, it is especially important to explore what and how experienced teachers learn and develop when moving towards a research-based education. The theoretical framework builds on communities of practice and social learning. The empirical data consists of written reflections from 50 teachers in preschool, compulsory and upper secondary school, who participated in action research projects that aimed to help build research-based education. The findings show that the teachers’ professional learning entailed changes in the ways they think, act and relate to others in three areas: teaching, research and collaboration. The study offers insights into the importance of a professional development process being based on a bottom-up perspective, collaborative, context-specific and integrated in teachers’ work. Lastly, the study points to the benefit of engagement on multiple levels – principals, lead teachers, teachers and researchers – to achieve lasting success in building research-based education.

This paper analyzes teachers’ motivations and expectations when engaging in action research and relates these to the process outcomes and to the broader evidence movement in education. The theoretical framework builds on research on motivations for teaching and engaging in action research. The empirical data consisted of 50 written teacher reflections completed on two occasions within the action research and teachers’ oral presentations using PowerPoint slides. The outcomes regarding individual and collegial professional learning corresponded well to the teachers’ expectations. However, the relationships with their principal, and also with the researcher, developed more than had been expected. Also, the teachers saw evidence of student/child learning in line with the intentions, but the fact that social and emotional learning was, ultimately, more visible, was unexpected. This study shows that action research, based on an evidence-informed perspective, plays an important role when teachers are building a research-based education, in a context where evidence-based teaching is promoted. Implications of this study include: the importance of establishing fair conditions for teachers’ voluntary engagement in action research; highlighting intentions in the beginning, and throughout the process, which increases the probability of achieving the expected outcomes; and promoting teacher-driven processes.

Berättelserna i Värdefullt lärande - Den goda cirkeln visar med tydlighet hur de aktiva val som vi gör i vår vardag och det vi väljer att fokusera på, påverkar andra och oss själva. Väljer vi att lära av varandra och fokusera på styrkor och det som fungerar i en pedagogisk vardag påverkas vi positivt av det. På så sätt kan den goda cirkeln skapas, som gör att människor växer och lär. När den goda cirkeln snurrar av sig själv sprids erfarenheterna av den som ringar på vattnet. Forskning har visat att etiska aspekter av lärande och undervisning ofta är outtalade i skola och förskola. En tyst kunskap som sällan får utrymme att ställas under strålkastarljusets sken. Här ger vi en rad nycklar som visar på hur ett etiskt förhållningssätt kan prägla din förskola eller skola så att ett värdefullt lärande uppstår. Hur kan du främja elevers lärande och utveckling till goda medmänniskor? Hur kan du göra det i din pedagogiska vardag, med alla dess krav på mätbara resultat? Om du vill veta är det här boken för dig. Här återfinns en rad berättelser av och med lärare, forskare och elever som skildrar erfarenheter som de har upplevt tillsammans.Det är glimtar från en, många gånger komplex och mångfacetterad värld. Men samtliga berättelser har ändå en mycket viktig aspekt gemensamt: De visar alla på hur man som lärare kan utvecklas genom att ta sig tid för reflektion och eftertanke. Välkommen in i en värld av värdefullt lärande!

In meetings between people in school our values are shown through, for example, our actions, our speech and body language. These meetings can be regarded as ethical situations, which can arouse strong emotional reactions that ordinary, everyday situations usually do not do. The aim of this paper is to illuminate, interpret and discuss students' lived experiences of ethical situations in their school. The participants in the study were students in a Swedish secondary school, and the empirical data consisted of written reflections and interviews. The study is based on the lived experiences of students. The analysis of the empirical data resulted in two themes: response in speech and action, and power relations. The comprehensive understanding of the results is that healthy relationships play an important ethical role in the school. Finally, we discuss how ways of listening to students' voices and appreciating practice can develop an ethical school.

Daily there are a vast number people within educational systems around the world. The school can be regarded as a meeting place for both adults and children with different backgrounds and expectations. A meeting between humans means for example that we are talking and acting together. Consciously or unconsciously one of the factors that govern our actions are our values - the morals or ethics one has. The aim of this paper is to elucidate, interpret and understand ethical situations in a Swedish secondary school. To develop an understanding of this, teachers were invited to formulate in writing their reflections on ethical situations in their profession. The phenomenology of the life-world is the theoretical basis in this study. During the analysis of the empirical data different themes gradually crystallised, and the picture of ethical situations in a learning community that emerged consists of three themes: Relations to the Other, Conflicts of Values, Ethical Maturity. The findings are discussed according to the philosophers Emanuel Levinas and Nel Noddings. The comprehensive understanding of the results is thatn the teachers are trying to achieve ethics of care. Finally we raise the question if ethics of care can be considered as a dilemma or a challenge in education.

The school's mission is to educate the children and young people in its society, so that they may reach the level of knowledge that the Government has stipulated by law. The task of educating the citizens of Sweden is described in the text of the schools' management documents and these documents stress the importance of taking students' experiences as a starting point in teaching situations, with the goal of increasing the level of knowledge. One way to really take students experiences into account is voicing them, which is the research topic for this study. Three major reasons for contemporary schools giving voice to students are presented by Rudduck and Flutter (2004). The first is the children's rights movement, based on the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child, which states that children are entitled to have a say in decisions that affect them (CRC, 1989). The second reason is the school improvement movement, founded on the perspective of students and advocating their active participation in the learning process. Active participation is also closely linked to citizenship education, the third reason, dealing with matters of student engagement, student empowerment, and fostering democracy in the present and for the future. The importance of student voice underlies inviting students to participate in their own education, as well as in educational research. In schools every day life a lot of people meet and interact with each other, students as well as teachers, and schools can therefore be viewed as meeting places. While meetings and relationships are common we argue for the need to further explore behaviours in school in general, and more specific to voice students lived experiences of the same, as we consider this as an ethical matter and right. The aim of this paper is to explore students' lived experiences of behaviour in school. The theoretical framework of this study is the phenomenology of the life-world.The research was designed according to following: A total of 25 students got a school task to express, in writing, how they want to be treated by others, but also how they do not want to be treated. After many discussions with classmates, teachers and one researcher the students agreed upon three themes in their writing: respect, appreciation, and recognition. Students then expressed these themes with the aid of creative activities in the form of short stories and production of art, combined with subsequent oral comments. The results which emerged indicate that the students give voice to multi-faceted experiences, reflecting both positive and negative aspects of behaviours in school. The results indicate the necessity to take the students' understandings of behaviours into account when improving educational settings. Finally, it is important to raise questions how these results can be considered in other Nordic countries, in order to enable deeper understanding of schooling and educational research within our shared Nordic context.

This reflective account discusses the ‘creative renderings' that surfaced as a consequence of a workshop about ethical issues in education, with school staff in a Municipality in Northern Sweden. The paper is part of a longer, on-going conversation in that community about building and sustaining an ethical place and space called ‘school'. The focus for the conversation on this particular day was around every child and every teacher being valued in school. We worked alongside 30 school staff throughout that day with two appreciative activities - The Show-and-share activity and The Building blocks activity. During the day we also made field notes of teacher's shared experiences, we analysed their writing on the Building Blocks and documented the process with a digital camera. After the workshop we invited teachers to write some reflective notes. In the paper we share our collective reflections on what we felt we learnt. The workshop was guided by the principles of participatory and appreciative action research or PAAR.

In this article, we will scrutinize teacher understanding and implementation of a new democratic initiative in a United States school. In Dewey Elementary, the principal and two teachers introduced Small School Gatherings (multi-aged advising student groups) as part of a continuing effort to cultivate a democratic school. Drawing on the large body of literature regarding teacher learning and sensemaking, teachers’ understandings of new initiatives are informed by their previous experiences, as well as beliefs about learning and the purposes of schooling. Using a longitudinal case study design intended for the purpose of explanation building, we have chosen to examine three experienced teachers’ Small School Gatherings, and their process of implementing the initiative. We analyzed the empirical data consisting of observations of Small School Gatherings from 2009 to 2011 and interviews with teachers and principal. Semi-structured protocols during these interviews focused on the types of activities occurring and the types of outcomes for youth and how teacher intentions were translated into practice. Two themes emerged from the data analysis: teacher philosophy and teacher engagement. These findings will be discussed in the context of teacher learning and understanding. Finally, the paper sheds light on the processes needed to be in place for teachers to successfully implement new democratic initiatives. This paper has implications for Nordic schools seeking to translate the underlying democratic philosophy present in the national curricula into standard classroom practice.

Intresset för praktiknära skolforskning är idag stort. Aktionsforskning är en populär form för samarbete mellan forskare och lärare där handledning är centralt. Syftet med denna studie är att problematisera handledning och handledarroller i aktionsforskningsprojekt. Som teoretisk grund ligger den amerikanska utbildningsfilosofen Nel Noddings omsorgsetik. Deltagarna i studien är en forskare och tre lärare som alla har erfarenheter av att leda aktionsforskningsprojekt genomförda inom kommunal skolverksamhet. Datainsamling har skett genom skriftliga reflektioner och kollegiala samtal om handledning och handledarroller. Analysen har utgått ifrån tematisk analys och domäninteraktionsmodell. I analysen framträder fyra handledningsmetaforer i aktionsforskning: trädgårdsmästaren, herden, läraren och brobyggaren. Alla rollerna kan praktiseras samtidigt och fingertoppskänsla avgör när en handledare går in i och ut ur olika roller. Slutsatsen är att omsorgsetik kan bidra till ökad förståelse för handledning som något situerat och relationellt, där ett symmetriskt förhållningssätt mellan handledare och handledd betonas. I handledning är det viktigt att inte behandla alla likadant, utan att i stället lära känna varandra som individer, ha tilltro till varandra och visa omsorg baserad på specifika behov. Handledarens roll omfattar att skapa förståelse för andras perspektiv samt att inbjuda till kommunikation och reflektion. Utifrån studiens resultat kan konstateras att de fyra metaforerna för handledarroller är användbara för att belysa komplexiteten i handledarroller och för att bidra till underlag för reflektion och omformulerande av stereotypa handledarroller.

Mentoring is a central aspect of action research processes and raises ethical issues concerning roles and responsibilities, particularly when teachers and researchers collaborate. The purpose of the study is to explore mentoring and the roles of mentors in action research from an ethical stance. The theoretical basis is the philosophy of care ethics developed by the American educational philosopher, Nel Noddings. Participants in the study included one researcher and three teachers with experience serving as mentors in action research. Data collection included written reflections and collegial conversations on mentoring. Thematic analysis and the domain interactional model were used in the analysis, where four mentor metaphors in action research emerged: the gardener, the shepherd, the teacher and the bridge-builder. All roles can be practiced at the same time; sensitivity determines when a mentor moves in and out of different roles. The study finds that care ethics can contribute to an increased understanding of mentoring as something situated and relational, where a symmetrical approach between mentor and mentee is emphasized. The goal of mentoring should not be to treat everyone equally, but instead to build relationships on the individual level in order to establish mutual trust based on individual needs. The study shows that the four mentor metaphors can serve as a useful tool for critical reflection on the complexity of the mentor role and accordingly, the renegotiation of stereotypical mentor roles in relation to the quality of teaching.

This workshop presents a school improvement process in an area in Northern Sweden. The shared goal for this school area is to develop and sustain an ethical learning community from pre-schools to secondary schools. In an ethical learning community it is important that children's views and thoughts are listened to and taken seriously. Adults, especially the teachers, have a responsibility to encourage the children to be committed to managing their own learning. Adults bring forward fundamental democratic values, which are discussed with the children. In an ethical community there is an ambition that both children and adults will work and learn together with respect and empathy, in order to enable children to grow as humans. Principals, teachers and children from the school area and also researchers from a local university are involved in this on-going process. Different perspectives on the process will be highlighted in the workshop: a principal's view on the importance of bridging practice in schools together with research for improvement in school and a teacher's view on reflection as a way for development, growth and change. Finally we will present the outcomes so far with children and teachers from this school area.

In this article, we study the academisation of the teaching profession in Sweden, which follows contemporary trends in other Nordic and European countries. The specific aim was to analyse 14 reports written by researching teachers enrolled in a master’s programme to investigate how they perceive, interpret and value academic and professional knowledge. The conceptual framework comprises theories concerning academic literacies and knowledge structures. The report analysis focussed on scope, aims and research questions, and how the researching teachers related to teacher knowledge and academic knowledge, normativity and a critical approach. After a preliminary analysis, the researching teachers were invited to participate in the analysis, giving their contextual understanding. The study indicates that the reports were based on empirical data and situated in a professional context, with the aim of exploring and understanding professional issues in relation to research, national policies and professional teacher experience. Report orientation was deeply nourished by teacher knowledge. The researching teachers’ contextual knowledge both benefitted and challenged academic knowledge and vice versa, with the ambition to improve practice. Accordingly, the teachers’ contextual knowledge can deepen the understanding of a research phenomenon. There was an empowering oscillation between teacher knowledge and academic knowledge in the teachers’ research.

Artificiell intelligens (AI) och chattbottar som ChatGPT har blivit allt vanligare i lärares undervisningspraktik. Syftet med studien är att fördjupa kunskapen om hur AI och specifikt chattbottar (ex. ChatGPT) påverkar undervisning, lärarroll och elevers lärande samt vilka utmaningar och möjligheter som lärare upplever. I studien deltog 15 lärare från högstadiet och gymnasiet i fokusgruppsintervjuer vid två tillfällen. Dessa berörde erfarenheter av AI och ChatGPT, elevers användning av ChatGPT samt hur ChatGPT påverkat undervisning, lärarroll och ämne. Analysen resulterade i fem roller som beskriver lärares undervisning och förhållningssätt: Kontrollanten, Upptäckaren, Demokraten, Observatören och Filosofen. Lärarna kan anta olika roller och gå emellan dem beroende på situation. Resultaten visar att det för lärare är centralt att komma förbi tanken på fusk för att också utforska möjligheterna med AI, men samtidigt vara medveten om och hantera de problem som kan uppstå när chattbottarkommer in i skolan.

In 2010, Sweden was the first country in the world to introduce a legal requirement that education should be research-based, placing huge demands on schools. The study’s aim is to explore how, through sensemaking, teachers and principals enact this policy in schools. In total, 272 teachers and 23 principals from pre-schools, leisure-time centers, compulsory schools, and upper secondary schools completed a questionnaire.

The findings show the need for understanding central policy concepts, alignment with previous experiences, and a social context within which the policy can be understood, negotiated, and enacted. Policy enactment was dependent on the support given – professional development, time, and financial resources. Teachers and principals have so far experienced challenges and opportunities – a rewarding if complex process.

Research topic/aim

Over time, states undertake various education policies reforms to govern the development of education. The issue of practice-based research in teacher and school practice in Sweden may be seen as such an example. The Swedish Education Act states, “Education should be based on research and proven experience”. The change to a research-based way of working imposes great challenges on both teachers, school leaders and on non-academic organisations like municipalities to handle.

The aim of this study is to create an understanding of teachers’ and school leaders’ understandings of the mission of integrating practice-based research into the school, their concrete work with the question, perceived challenges and opportunities as well as the support they need in order to fulfill their mission.

Theoretical framework

The theoretical framework is based on policy enactment and policy implementation, relating it to a school development perspective.

Methodological design

The study is performed at a municipality in Sweden, who enacted initiatives to promote the integration of practice-based research into schools. Participants of the study were teachers and school leaders from pre-school, compulsory and non-compulsory school. Surveys were used to grasp the participants’ understandings and work with the mission of integrating practice-based research into the school.

Expected conclusions/findings

The preliminary findings are that the participants experienced the mission to integrate practice-based research as a somewhat complex and ambiguous task that is difficult to master and enact in their practice. However, they also perceived that there are opportunities connected to the mission, which relate to school development. The participants also highlighted the importance of support in carrying out the mission. The support related to, for example, their need for developing their knowledge about practice-based research and also receiving supervision in their practical work as teachers or school leaders working with practice-based research.

Relevance to Nordic educational research

In the Nordic countries, there is an increasing interest for practice-based research in schools, which aims for developing schools through implementing research results and also producing practice-based research. Therefore, our study in Sweden represents an interesting example on different dilemmas and opportunities, based on teachers’ and school leaders’ experiences of integrating research in schools, that can inform other research and developent projects in Nordic countries and internationally.