“It’s fun but at the same time difficult”: Experiences of and perspectives on children’s participation in decision-making processes in Physical Education and Health

Swedish compulsory school education rests upon the foundation of democracy, and the Curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and school-age educare 2011 (Skolverket, 2018) stresses that children should have the opportunity to take initiatives. Research shows that children are not able to have any influence on activities in Physical Education and Health (PEH). Usually, they have to follow the teacher’s instructions and reproduce specific movement patterns. This article discusses a research project that challenged traditional ways of teaching PEH, in order to give 10-year-old children the opportunity to have an influence on PEH. The project involved 10 circus lessons in which the children were encouraged to explore movement and put their own ideas into practice. In terms of theory, the approach is based on Hart’s (1997) Ladder of Children’s Participation. Data were collected through participant observations, video observations, interviews, and a field diary. The results show that the children participated in varying degrees and experienced attempts to increase their influence in different ways: Some found it fun and free, while others found it difficult and boring. One important conclusion is that influence and participation need to be practised – both by children and by teachers. Circus activities, because of the playfulness and creativity involved, may be very suited to practising influence and participation..

How the Finnish compulsory school science curriculum emphasises scientific literacy

Soome põhikooli ülemise astme riiklikus õppekavas käsitletakse loodusaineid eraldi õppeainetena. Õppekava keskendub hoiakute kujundamisele, mis toetavad teaduslike teadmiste kasutamist erisugustes uurimuslikes olukordades ja kontekstides. Õppekava kohaselt on loodusainete õpetamise eesmärk anda õpilastele loodusteaduslik pädevus, mis võimaldab neil teaduslikele teadmistele tuginedes kirjeldada, selgitada ja prognoosida loodusnähtusi, märgata ja määratleda elukeskkonnas esinevaid probleeme ning tõlgendada andmeid ja tõendusmaterjale. Õppekavas pannakse suurt rõhku ülekantavate pädevuste omandamisele, näiteks kriitilise ja loova mõtlemisoskuse ning mitmekesiste töötamisviiside omandamisele. Õppekava keskendub ka omandatud teadmiste kasutamisele uurimistöös ning elulistes ja ühiskondlikes olukordades. Üldiselt püütakse loodusainete õpetamise peamise eesmärgi kirjeldamisel ühendada Robertsi esimest visiooni (kontseptuaalne lähenemine) teise visiooniga (kontekstipõhine lähenemine), millega saavutatakse loodusteadusliku kirjaoskuse areng. Full text

Pupils as subjects or objects: Policy changes in the area of pupils influence

The aim of this article is to describe and analyse how policy changes in the three latest Swedish compulsory school, preschool class, and school-age educare curricula affect the political goal of pupil influence. This is done with an interest in implications for utterances of power relations and for didactical considerations for living and learning democracy in school. This article analyses pupil influence by using theories of democracy, power, and didactics. The method used is content analysis. The empirical results show that pupil influence in the curricula is linked to seven concepts: democracy, value, norm, rights, responsibility, influence, participation. Our conclusion is that only small differences exist in terms of the central concepts mentioned in the curricula linked to pupil influence. Secondly, we found a policy shift with respect to the pupils, i.e., viewing pupils as subjects or objects. Thirdly, we found a shift in how learning is viewed in the curricula and the type of didactical questions that are in focus, which illuminates a change in utterances of power relations that challenges possibilities for living and learning democracy in Swedish school education.

A szórvány magyar tanköteles gyermekek családon kívüli elhelyezése Baranyában az 1941–1942-es tanévben

The framework for the placing of Hungarian compulsory school children outside the family was based on the 25.360/1941. Religion and Public Education Ministerial decree, which constituted new provisions from the 1941/1942 school year for the education of native Hungarian children living in non-Hungarian environment. The reason for issuing the decree was the growing demand of the nationalities for education in their native language, which the Hungarian state – after the failure of the unified education system introduced in 1935 – made available to them in 1941. This measure was supported by nationalities as well, but at the same time we must not forget that the Horthy-era represented a strong national policy, and the patriotic, national education began in elementary school. Thus, the education of Hungarian children could not be neglected while striving to fulfil the needs of nationalities. According to paragraph 1 of the 25.360/1941. Religion and Public Education Ministerial decree on the education of Hungarian children: ‘A native Hungarian compulsory school child living in Hungary, who stays in a not native Hungarian environment must be educated in a Hungarian school or class, by a traveling teacher, in a Hungarian boarding school, or in another native Hungarian environment.’ The placing of children outside the family was only necessary if there was no school with Hungarian educational language in the municipality, because in that case ‘a native Hungarian child living in the municipality (city) can only be sent by his or her tutelary to such a school, until reaching the age of compulsory schooling.’ In accordance with the decree, from the summer of 1941 the Education Inspectorate collected data on the native Hungarian compulsory school children who lived in a non-Hungarian environment to provide them enrolment elsewhere. The first version of the options listed in the decree (Hungarian school or class in municipality) is not the subject of the study, since in that case, the child remains in the family. The second version – a traveling teacher – would not cause change either, but I did not find any example of this in the archives anyway. What may be more interesting in the terms of Family law is the placing in a boarding school or with a family of a relative or acquaintance in native Hungarian environment - this is indicated by the phrase in an otherwise ‘native Hungarian environment’. I give examples of these cases – boarding school and placement in Hungarian families – from practice based on archival records.

En läroplansanalys om samstämmighet inom Lgr11

This article investigates in what way the Swedish compulsory school curriculum (Lgr11) addresses knowledge regarding Swedish national minorities. The aim is to study alignment within Lgr11 through a case of the theme national minorities. Research questions target alignment within syllabi and alignment between syllabi and the aim and guidelines in the curricula. Theories of alignment and curriculum theory formed the theory and methodology for the analysis, foregrounding similarities and differences in how Swedish national minorities are addressed in Lgr11. Results show numerous inconsistencies. Learning goals in curriculum and syllabus content are, for instance, not aligned, and differences exist within the syllabus between aim (syfte), central content (centralt innehåll) and the lower set measurable demands (kunskapskrav). This is problematic since earlier research demonstrated that measurable demands have out-conquered teaching content. These challenges for teacher’s interpretation of curricula and syllabus can affect the teaching content.

Joy in learning

Both in research and in the Swedish curricula, positive emotions such as joy, pleasure and desire are said to stimulate learning. However, it is not clear what the meaning of joy is in relation to learning. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to gain knowledge about the essential meanings of the phenomenon joy in learning for children aged 9 and 12 years in compulsory school. The questions are as follows: What meanings constitute the phenomenon joy in learning in the current context? What implications do the findings have for teaching? The study is phenomenological and is based on interviews with or written stories by the participating children. The findings indicate how joy stimulates learning and emerges when children understand and ‘own’ their learning process. Teachers are important as ‘facilitators’ for joy in learning through being supportive and inspiring. Joy in learning during lessons is related to joy and friendship during school breaks. Teachers’ decisive importance for joy is discussed in relation to various modalities of pedagogical contact. Conclusions can be drawn that school breaks need attention from a learning perspective and that children need teacher support to understand their learning process.