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In this paper we survey different teaching traditions in Swedish Science Education. The purpose is to map and investigate patterns in teachers' views of what constitutes "good" Science education in the middle years of compulsory school in Sweden. This is done with the background of a new curriculum with national testing and grading being introduced, which could potentially alter teachers' views of what is relevant content. A web-based questionnaire to teachers all throughout Sweden (response rate 43%, N=796) was used. The results show that groups can be formed with teachers emphasizing different teaching objectives including emphasis on; scientific facts and concept, laboratory work, everyday knowledge, and political and moral questions, even though the groups had a lot of similarities. The teachers indicate that they changed their instruction to a considerable extent after the three parallel reforms carried out 2011-13.

There are many similarities between the Nordic countries of Sweden and Finland, but they have made different decisions regarding their teacher-education policies. This article focuses on how the objectives of teacher education, particularly the vision of the ideal teacher, have changed in Sweden and Finland in the period after the Second World War. In Finland, the period since the 1960s can be described as a gradual scientification of teacher education. The image of the ideal teacher has transformed according to a research-based agenda, where teachers are expected to conduct minor-scale research in the classroom. In Sweden since the 1980s, on the other hand, teacher education has oscillated between progressivist and academic orientations, following shifts in government between the Social Democratic Party and the centre-right. Since the turn of the millennium, however, a consensus in favour of a strengthened research base of teacher education has also emerged in Sweden.

"A large body of research in disciplines from sociology and policy studies to neuroscience and educational psychology has confirmed that socioeconomic status remains the most powerful influence on children's educational outcomes. Socially disadvantaged children around the world disproportionately suffer from lower levels of educational achievement, which in turn leads to unfavourable long-term outcomes in employment and health. Education in the Best Interests of the Child addresses this persistent problem, which violates not only the principle of equal educational opportunity, but also the broader principle of the best interests of the child as called for in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

"A large body of research in disciplines from sociology and policy studies to neuroscience and educational psychology has confirmed that socioeconomic status remains the most powerful influence on children's educational outcomes. Socially disadvantaged children around the world disproportionately suffer from lower levels of educational achievement, which in turn leads to unfavourable long-term outcomes in employment and health. Education in the Best Interests of the Child addresses this persistent problem, which violates not only the principle of equal educational opportunity, but also the broader principle of the best interests of the child as called for in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

This thesis has two overarching aims. The first is to generate further knowledge about Swedish independent schools, specifically regarding the organisation and provision of special support and how these relate to special educational traditions and inclusive education. This is conducted through four empirical studies, utilising data gathered in two total population survey studies. The first survey was a total population study of Swedish independent compulsory schools (N = 686, response rate = 79%), and results from this study are presented in articles I, II and IV. Article III presents results derived from a total population survey of special pedagogues (SENCOs) and special education teachers in Sweden educated according to the degree ordinances of 2001, 2007 and 2008 (N = 4252, response rate = 75%). Article I contains a general description of special education issues in the total population of independent schools. Article II continues with comparisons of these issues in different groups of independent compulsory schools. Article III studies differences in organisational prioritisations regarding special support and special educators in municipal and independent schools. Finally, article IV presents qualitative content analysis of over 400 responses regarding special support at independent schools. The second overarching aim of the thesis is to further develop the discussions initiated in the articles about how special education and inclusive education can be understood in light of the education reforms that introduced the independent schools. A critical theoretical analysis and contextualization of the empirical results from the articles is conducted to explain and describe the consequences of the new (market) education paradigm. Results show that, generally, the independent schools have not challenged special educational traditions to a significant degree. Rather, traditional conceptions, explanations and organisational measures are reproduced, and in some cases enhanced, by market mechanisms. However, there are great differences between the different types of schools with regard to both their perspectives on special education and their organisational approaches. There are also indications that the principle of choice is limited for this pupil group as compared to some other groups. Additionally, the increasing clustering of pupils in need of special support at certain schools replicates a system with special schools. In this case, market mechanisms are contributing to a system that is in contradiction to the idea of an inclusive school system. The theoretical interpretation of the results suggests that Skrtic's theory can largely explain the empirical patterns found. However, his theory gives rise to different predictions or potential scenarios depending on what parts of his theory are underscored. Moreover, his theory must be complemented with additional perspectives to more fully account for diversity within the results, particularly as the results indicate that discourses/paradigms of special education and inclusive education often occur simultaneously and can thus be seen as expressions of practices taking place in a complex social and political environment. Keywords: Special education; inclusion; school choice; education reform; independent schools; compulso-ry schools; pupils in need of special support, SENCOs; special education teachers; critical pragmatism; Thomas M. Skrtic ; Denna avhandling har två övergripande syften. Först, att generera kunskaper om fristående grundskolor i Sverige, specifikt vad gäller organisation och tillhandahållande av särskilt stöd, samt hur det kan förstås i ljuset av specialpedagogiska traditioner och inkludering. Fyra empiriska studier presenteras med data från två stora forskningsprojekt. Det ena var en totalpopulations undersökning av fristående grundskolor (N=686, respons=79 %), resultat från den presenteras i artikel I, II och IV. Artikel III presenterar resultat från en totalpopulations undersökning av specialpedagoger och speciallärare i Sverige, utbildade enligt examensförordningarna från 2001, 2007 och 2008 (N=4252, respons: 75 %). Artikel I beskriver specialpedagogiska frågor inom hela populationen av fristående skolor i generella termer. Artikel II gör jämförelser mellan olika grupper av fristående skolor, artikel III beskriver skillnader i specialpedagogisk organisation mellan fristående och kommunala skolor i termer av specialpedagogers och speciallärares anställningssituation och artikel IV presenterar resultat av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av över 400 svar om särskilt stöd i fristående skolor. Det andra övergripande syftet är att utveckla den teoretiska diskussionen som initierades i artiklarna, om hur specialpedagogik och inkludering kan förstås i ljuset av de utbildningsreformer som presenterade skolval och fristående skolor i Sverige. En kritisk teoretisk analys och kontextualisering av de empiriska resultaten från artiklarna genomförs för att förklara och beskriva konsekvenserna av de nya (marknads) paradigmet inom svensk utbildning. Resultaten visar att de fristående skolorna inte har utmanat specialpedagogiska traditioner i någon högre grad generellt. Traditionella synsätt, förklaringar och organisatoriska lösningar reproduceras, till och med förstärks, av marknadsmekanismer. Däremot så är det stora skillnader mellan olika skolor, både vad gäller specialpedagogiska perspektiv och organisatoriska lösningar. Det finns också tecken på att skolvalet kan vara begränsat när det gäller elever i behov av särskilt stöd. Dessutom riskerar en samling av elever i behov av särskilt stöd på vissa skolor att reproducera ett system med specialskolor, något som inte är i linje med ambitioner för ett inkluderande skolsystem. De teoretiska tolkningarna av resultaten visar att Skrtic's teoretiska verktyg kan till en hög grad förklara de empiriska resultaten. Däremot kan olika scenarier skapas beroende på vilka delar av hans teorier som betonas. Dessutom behöver hans teorier kompletteras med tilläggsperspektiv för att förklara variationen i resultaten. Nyckelord: Specialpedagogik; inkludering; skolval; utbildningsreformer; fristående skolor; grundskolan; elever i behov av särskilt stöd, specialpedagoger; speciallärare; kritisk pragmatism, Thomas M. Skrtic ; Fristående skolors arbete med elever i behov av särskilt stöd ; Speciella yrken? – om speciallärares och specialpedagogers arbete och utbildning

Discuss real estate with any young family and the subject of schools is certain to come up-in fact, it will likely be a crucial factor in determining where that family lives. Not merely institutions of learning, schools have increasingly become a sign of a neighborhood's vitality, and city planners have ever more explicitly promoted "good schools" as a means of attracting more affluent families to urban areas, a dynamic process that Maia Bloomfield Cucchiara critically examines in Marketing Schools, Marketing Cities. Focusing on Philadelphia's Center City Scho

This thesis has two overarching aims. The first is to generate further knowledge about Swedish independent schools, specifically regarding the organisation and provision of special support and how these relate to special educational traditions and inclusive education. This is conducted through four empirical studies, utilising data gathered in two total population survey studies. The first survey was a total population study of Swedish independent compulsory schools (N = 686, response rate = 79%), and results from this study are presented in articles I, II and IV. Article III presents results derived from a total population survey of special pedagogues (SENCOs) and special education teachers in Sweden educated according to the degree ordinances of 2001, 2007 and 2008 (N = 4252, response rate = 75%). Article I contains a general description of special education issues in the total population of independent schools. Article II continues with comparisons of these issues in different groups of independent compulsory schools. Article III studies differences in organisational prioritisations regarding special support and special educators in municipal and independent schools. Finally, article IV presents qualitative content analysis of over 400 responses regarding special support at independent schools. The second overarching aim of the thesis is to further develop the discussions initiated in the articles about how special education and inclusive education can be understood in light of the education reforms that introduced the independent schools. A critical theoretical analysis and contextualization of the empirical results from the articles is conducted to explain and describe the consequences of the new (market) education paradigm. Results show that, generally, the independent schools have not challenged special educational traditions to a significant degree. Rather, traditional conceptions, explanations and organisational measures are reproduced, and in some cases enhanced, by market mechanisms. However, there are great differences between the different types of schools with regard to both their perspectives on special education and their organisational approaches. There are also indications that the principle of choice is limited for this pupil group as compared to some other groups. Additionally, the increasing clustering of pupils in need of special support at certain schools replicates a system with special schools. In this case, market mechanisms are contributing to a system that is in contradiction to the idea of an inclusive school system. The theoretical interpretation of the results suggests that Skrtic's theory can largely explain the empirical patterns found. However, his theory gives rise to different predictions or potential scenarios depending on what parts of his theory are underscored. Moreover, his theory must be complemented with additional perspectives to more fully account for diversity within the results, particularly as the results indicate that discourses/paradigms of special education and inclusive education often occur simultaneously and can thus be seen as expressions of practices taking place in a complex social and political environment. ; Denna avhandling har två övergripande syften. Först, att generera kunskaper om fristående grundskolor i Sverige, specifikt vad gäller organisation och tillhandahållande av särskilt stöd, samt hur det kan förstås i ljuset av specialpedagogiska traditioner och inkludering. Fyra empiriska studier presenteras med data från två stora forskningsprojekt. Det ena var en totalpopulations undersökning av fristående grundskolor (N=686, respons=79 %), resultat från den presenteras i artikel I, II och IV. Artikel III presenterar resultat från en totalpopulations undersökning av specialpedagoger och speciallärare i Sverige, utbildade enligt examensförordningarna från 2001, 2007 och 2008 (N=4252, respons: 75 %). Artikel I beskriver specialpedagogiska frågor inom hela populationen av fristående skolor i generella termer. Artikel II gör jämförelser mellan olika grupper av fristående skolor, artikel III beskriver skillnader i specialpedagogisk organisation mellan fristående och kommunala skolor i termer av specialpedagogers och speciallärares anställningssituation och artikel IV presenterar resultat av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av över 400 svar om särskilt stöd i fristående skolor. Det andra övergripande syftet är att utveckla den teoretiska diskussionen som initierades i artiklarna, om hur specialpedagogik och inkludering kan förstås i ljuset av de utbildningsreformer som presenterade skolval och fristående skolor i Sverige. En kritisk teoretisk analys och kontextualisering av de empiriska resultaten från artiklarna genomförs för att förklara och beskriva konsekvenserna av de nya (marknads) paradigmet inom svensk utbildning. Resultaten visar att de fristående skolorna inte har utmanat specialpedagogiska traditioner i någon högre grad generellt. Traditionella synsätt, förklaringar och organisatoriska lösningar reproduceras, till och med förstärks, av marknadsmekanismer. Däremot så är det stora skillnader mellan olika skolor, både vad gäller specialpedagogiska perspektiv och organisatoriska lösningar. Det finns också tecken på att skolvalet kan vara begränsat när det gäller elever i behov av särskilt stöd. Dessutom riskerar en samling av elever i behov av särskilt stöd på vissa skolor att reproducera ett system med specialskolor, något som inte är i linje med ambitioner för ett inkluderande skolsystem. De teoretiska tolkningarna av resultaten visar att Skrtic's teoretiska verktyg kan till en hög grad förklara de empiriska resultaten. Däremot kan olika scenarier skapas beroende på vilka delar av hans teorier som betonas. Dessutom behöver hans teorier kompletteras med tilläggsperspektiv för att förklara variationen i resultaten.