Objectives: to describe topics (1) presented by midwives during antenatal classes and the amount of time spent on these topics and (2) raised and discussed by first-time parents and the amount of time spent on these topics. Design: qualitative; data were gathered using video or tape recordings and analysed using a three-pronged content analysis approach, i.e., conventional, summative, and directed analyses. Setting and participants: 3 antenatal courses in 2 antenatal units in a large Swedish city; 3 midwives; and 34 course participants. Findings: class content focused on childbirth preparation (67% of the entire antenatal course) and on parenting preparation (33%). Childbirth preparation facilitated parents understanding of the childbirth process, birthing milieu, the partners role, what could go wrong during delivery, and pain relief advantages and disadvantages. Parenting preparation enabled parents to (i) plan for those first moments with the newborn; (ii) care for/physically handle the infant; (iii) manage breastfeeding; (iv) manage the period at home immediately after childbirth; and (v) maintain their relationship. During the classes, parents expressed concerns about what could happened to newborns. Parents questions to midwives and discussion topics among parents were evenly distributed between childbirth preparation (52%) and parenting preparation (48%). Key conclusions: childbirth preparation and pain relief consumed 67% of course time. Parents particularly reflected on child issues, relationship, sex, and anxiety. Female and male participants actively listened to the midwives, appeared receptive to complex issues, and needed more time to ask questions. Parents appreciated the classes yet needed to more information for managing various post-childbirth situations. Implications for practice: while midwifery services vary among hospitals, regions, and countries, midwives might equalise content focus, offer classes in the second trimester, provide more time for parents to talk to each other, allow time in the course plan for parents to bring up new topics, and investigate: (i) ways in which antenatal course development and planning can improve; (ii) measures for evaluating courses; (iii) facilitator training; and (iv) parent satisfaction surveys.

Background

The transition to parenthood is an overwhelming life event. From a theoretical perspective, transition to parenthood is a developmental transition that contains certain phases and patterns.

Aim

This study aim was twofold (i) discover, describe and comprehend transitional conditions that parents perceive as facilitating and inhibiting during transition to parenthood and to (ii) use that knowledge to develop recommendations for professional interventions that support and facilitate transition to parenthood.

Design

Meleis transition theory framed the study's deductive qualitative approach – from planning to analysis.

Methods

In a secondary analysis, data were analysed (as per Meleis transition theory) from two studies that implemented interviews with 60 parents in Sweden between 2013 and 2014. Interview questions dealt with parents’ experiences of the transition to parenthood – in relation to experiences with parent-education groups, professional support and continuity after childbirth.

Ethical issues

A university research ethics board has approved the research.

Results

These factors facilitated transition to parenthood: perceiving parenthood as a normal part of life; enjoying the child's growth; being prepared and having knowledge; experiencing social support; receiving professional support, receiving information about resources within the health care; participating in well-functioning parent-education groups; and hearing professionals comment on gender differences as being complementary. These factors inhibited transition to parenthood: having unrealistic expectations; feeling stress and loss of control; experiencing breastfeeding demands and lack of sleep; facing a judgmental attitude about breastfeeding; being unprepared for reality; lacking information about reality; lacking professional support and information; lacking healthcare resources; participating in parent-education groups that did not function optimally; and hearing professionals accentuate gender differences in a problematic way.

Conclusion

Transition theory is appropriate for helping professionals understand and identify practices that might support parents during transition to parenthood. The study led to certain recommendations that are important for professionals to consider.

Expectant and new parents are offered parental education groups as a way to support their transition to parenthood. Group leadership in these groups has been found to be challenging. Using a qualitative and summative design, the aim of the present study was to investigate how health professionals describe their role in parental education groups compared to their actual behavior. Thirteen health professional leaders in antenatal and child health services were interviewed. These descriptions were compared with the leaders actual behavior in video and audio-recordings of 16 different group sessions. The results revealed that regardless of how the leaders described their role, they acted as experts and left little time to parents for discussions and active participation. In particular, leaders who described themselves as discussion leaders did not walk the talk; that is, they did not do what they said they do when leading groups. That could be explained by lack of professional awareness, group leadership, and pedagogical skills. In order to provide high-quality parental support, leaders need training in group leadership and pedagogy combined with supervision and support on a regular basis.

The aim of this qualitative study of fatherhood group sessions offered as part of child health care services for new parents was to examine the activities, roles, and topics initiated by the leader and describe fathers participation. Eight new fathers took part in three audio- and video-recorded sessions led by a male leader. Three qualitative content analysis approaches were used to analyze the data. The analysis showed that the group leader took on four leadership roles, mainly that of discussion leader, but also expert, friend, and organizer. When the group leader acted as discussion leader, fathers participated by discussing challenges and changes in their new situation. Challenges were related to raising the child, partner relationships, everyday life, and gender equality. Fathers also discussed changes in their partner relationships and an increased focus on practicalities in daily life. Fatherhood groups can help new fathers form social networks and can create space for fathers to work through challenging topics, such as gender equality in parenting. The discussion leaders choice of role is crucial to creating the space for such discussions.

Tycker du att din svåraste arbetsuppgift som lärare är att anpassa undervisningen efter varje elevs förutsättningar och behov? Då är du inte ensam!

Att anpassa undervisning är en grundbok som erbjuder en teoretisk och praktisk vägledning mot en undervisning anpassad till individ och grupp. Författarna sätter dagens rådande teorier om anpassningar i perspektiv och sammanhang genom en historisk återblick. De varvar sedan didaktiska aspekter av undervisningen – som metoder, strategier och dilemman – med färska exempel och erfarenheter från den svenska skolan. Här synliggörs de medvetna val som du som lärare måste göra, både gällande ämnesinnehållets strukturer och arbetsformer.

Fokus ligger på vikten av ett systematiskt arbete – dels i syfte att låta effektiva anpassningar genomsyra den dagliga verksamheten, dels för att skapa en hållbar arbetssituation.

Boken vänder sig till lärarstudenter och verksamma lärare i grundskolan.

Gunnel Colnerud, professor vid Institutionen för beteendevetenskap och lärande, vid Linköpings universitet har under den största delen av sitt yrkesverksamma liv varit engagerad i skolfrågor av olika slag. Ofta har fokus för hennes intresse och uppdrag legat i att förstå skolans vardagsliv och det komplexa uppdrag som läraryrket innebär. Gunnel fyller 67 år i januari 2015 och denna vänbok är en hyllning till henne från kollegor, både nationellt och internationellt, samt tidigare doktorander. Bidragen i antologin, Lärares etik och professionella arbete - skolan som moralisk praktik, är tänkt att spegla de områden som Gunnel i sin forskning varit engagerad i.

Innan Gunnel påbörjade sin forskarutbildning i pedagogik var hon verksam som psykolog inom skolhälsovården. Denna erfarenhet av att ha mött barn och elevers utsatthet samt lärares ständiga arbete med att möta olika typer av förändringar och hantera en komplex yrkesroll är något som Gunnel burit med sig in i sin forskning, vilket inte minst syns i hennes outtröttliga engagemang i att vara en forskare som bidrar till skolans praktik.

I mitten av nittiotalet Jade Gunnel fram sin avhandling som byggde på intervjuer med yrkesverksamma lärare och handlade om etiska dilemman lärare ställs inför i sitt yrkesutövande. Gunnel har allt sedan avhandlingsarbetet varit mycket engagerad i etiska frågor i relation till läraruppdraget och var en av de pådrivande krafterna i att tillsammans med Sveriges båda lärarförbund formulera gemensamma yrkesetiska principer, som kom att benämnas Lärares yrkesetik. I detta arbete gjorde Gunnel betydande insatser genom att problematisera yrkesetik som fenomen, medverka i otaliga utbildningsinsatser för lärare och lärarstudenter inom området och sist men inte minst bidra till att etablera yrkesetik som forskningsfält.

Ett kännetecknande drag för Gunnels forskning har varit den starka viljan och övertygelsen om att forskning om skola behöver ske i relation till och med skolans praktik. Tillsammans med sin make och kollega professor Kjell Granström etablerade Gunnel en forskarmiljö med fokus på praxisnära forskning. Vi som är redaktörer för denna vänbok har alla haft förmånen att vara doktorander till Gunnel eller Kjell och fått möjlighet att växa som forskare i en forskarmiljö som präglats av kreativitet, engagemang och spännande diskussioner.

Norrköping och Linköping, oktober 2013

Helene, Karin, Marcus & Robert

The overall interest in this study is actions of the diverse participants in the mathematics primary classroom. More specifically, attention is put on typical communication strategies that teachers and students, in our research context, use during mathematics lessons. We present some examples with classroom data to illustrate how the strategies are used and hat opportunities to learn mathematics are offered as an outcome from the implemented actions by teachers and students.

Boken består av texter av flera författare med olika infallsvinklar på specialpedagogisk praktik. De beskriver och exemplifierar identifiering av svårigheter, samverkan mellan skolans olika stödinsatser samt hanteringen av specialpedagogiska dilemman.Läs merForskningen i och om specialpedagogik som presenteras och diskuteras i boken är relevant för praktiker i pedagogisk verksamhet. Närheten till praktiken har förstärkts genom samverkan med specialpedagogiskt verksamma lärare på fältet. Boken vänder sig till studenter som läser specialpedagogiska kurser inom lärarprogrammen och till studenter som läser till speciallärare eller specialpedagog. Den riktar sig också till verksamma förskollärare och lärare inom olika skolformer och åldersgrupper samt till en skolintresserad allmänhet.

Group work assessment is often described by teachers as complex and challenging, with individual assessment and fair assessment emerging as dilemmas. The aim of this literature review is to explore and systematize research about group work assessment in educational settings. This is an integrated research area consisting of research combining group work and classroom assessment. A database search was conducted, inspired by the guidelines of the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). The analysis and categorization evolved into a typology consisting of five themes: (a) purpose of group work assessment, (b) what is assessed in group work, (c) methods for group work assessment, (d) effects and consequences of group work assessment, and (e) quality in group work assessment. The findings reveal that research in the field of group work assessment notably focuses on social skills and group processes. Peer assessment plays a prominent role and teachers as assessors are surprising absences in the reviewed research.

Group work assessment is a challenging and complex practice for teachers. This study focuses on the challenges teachers perceive before and after participating in a group work assessment project that emphasizes individual assessment. By conducting a qualitative thematic analysis of twelve interviews with six teachers at upper secondary schools in Sweden, several challenges could be identified. The most prominent challenge concerning group work assessment is how to discern students’ individual performance within groups. This challenge has consequences for both the validity and the fairness of the assessment. Further, teachers experienced challenges with (un)fairness in group work assessment, in terms of both achieving fairness and having to deal with students’ emotions regarding perceived unfairness. The results also show how teachers perceive inadequate conditions, such as a lack of time and methods, and generate challenges in their practice, which is also related to reliability.

Grupparbete är en vanligt förekommande arbetsform på alla nivåer i det svenska utbildningssystemet, från skola till universitet. Ofta används grupparbete som en av flera möjliga undervisningsformer utan att man funderar över dess möjligheter och konsekvenser. Ibland fungerar det väl och till belåtenhet för elever och studenter. Vid andra tillfällen uppstår mindre konstruktiva processer.

Mer kunskap om grupparbeten som arbetsform har efterfrågats, både av studerande och av lärare. I Handbok för grupparbete presenteras viktiga aspekter att tänka på vid arbete i grupp och vad som händer när arbetsformen används i undervisning. I denna tredje upplaga av boken har alla kapitel vidareutvecklats och aktualiserats. Dessutom har antologin kompletterats med några för boken nya aspekter som är av intresse och bör beaktas för att skapa fungerande grupparbete i undervisning, nämligen ledarskap och bedömning vid grupparbete.

Handbok för grupparbete vänder sig till alla som använder grupparbete som arbetsform, inom både universitet, högskola, skola och vuxenutbildning samt till dem som mer specifikt studerar grupprocesser inom olika utbildningsprogram. Även elever och studenter som ingår i någon form av studiegrupp, projektgrupp eller liknande kan ha stor glädje av bokens innehåll.

The aim of the dissertation is to add to our knowledge and understanding of how groupwork and group tasks are construed among students. This is accomplished be creating a model, which describes the pattern of interaction and the experience that emerge as students try to handle the group-work situation. An additional aim is to use the outcomes of the study as a basis for discussions about how to carry out group-work in the classroom.

The methodological point of departure is grounded theory and the theoretical perspective is symbolic interaktionism. A theoretical model - Students’ creation of trust in group-work - has been constructed from observations and interviews in grade 7 and 8 from a local school. The model describes what happens when students with different social and academic ambitions meet in a group assignment and become interdependent. The students have to consider their own and others’ ambitions, the composition of the group, as well as the task, and they have different possibilities to influence these factors. Easiest to influence are the construction of the task and the group composition, which they also try to do so as to diminish the differences in ambitions and the interdependency. They do not always succeed and they handle the remaining differences in ambitions and dependency through creation of trust, by constructing different behaviours during the group-work.

The insights derived from the theoretical model - Students’ creation of trust in groupwork - could have practical implications when group-work is applied. This means that teacher could assist the students in their efforts to create trust among group members. This study has pointed out construction of the task, clear goals, and group composition as import pre- requisites for the use of group-work as a means of instruction. The dissertation ends with a discussion about teachers’ possibilities to contribute to collaboration in group-work through the construction of tasks, composition of the groups and to the construction of goals which creates situations of trust in group-work.

Management of group work as a classroom activity

Teachers might use group work as one mode of teaching in the classroom. Group work is often regarded as one of three possible ways of classroom management but is sparsely used as an alternative to whole class instruction or individual work. In spite of previous research indicating several positive outcomes, teachers seem reluctant to use group work as classroom management. One reason asserted is that group work may give rise to classroom activities and processes among students, which might be difficult for the teacher to control. A second possible justification for not using group work may be that teachers lack knowledge of how to manage it and how to organise it in a profitable way. Additionally, could previous negative experiences of using group work in the classroom be a final conceivable explanation?

The overarching purpose of this study is to study group work as classroom management from teachers’ perspective. A more specific aim is to conceptualise some aspects about classroom management and different teachers’ accounts of their behaviours when using group work in education.

The study accounts for data compiled by teachers from three different schools through focus group interviews. The analysis was inspired by Grounded theory.

The results reveal a connection between the teachers’ accounts of their employment of group work as a classroom activity device and their ideas pertaining to group work. One plausible interpretation is that the teachers’ considerations influence how they use group work as a mode of learning. The informants’ statements clearly demonstrate that they primarily expect the students’ to develop their ability to collaborate, rather than their subject knowledge, during group work. 

Group-work is at method that facilitates students’ learning of team skills and academic knowledge. However, research show that the method is unusual in the Swedish schools. The present article accounts for a theoretical model, which describes the pattern of interaction, and the students’ experiences that emerge as they try to handle a group-work situation. The model elucidates four different conditions, which may have influence on the students’ work. The four conditions are (a) a difference of ambition, (b) group assignment, (c) group composition and (d) creation of trust. These conditions are discussed and problemized, with respect to the role of teachers and their influence when using group-work and how they can realize a well-functioning group-work.

Pedagogiskt arbete utgör ett karaktärsämne på lärarprogrammen i Linköping. Ämnet eller ämnesfältet är mångvetenskapligt och hämtar perspektiv, teorier och metoder från olika discipliner och kunskapsområden. En stor del av verksamheten organiseras som gemensamma lärprojekt där flera individer, både studenter och lärare (tutorer) är involverade i sökande efter kunskap (www.liu.se/iuv/pedarb/block3). Detta skapar en syn på kunskap som något som utvecklas i interaktion mellan människor i den kontext de  befinner  sig  i  (Säljö,  2005),  där  seminarier  och  grupparbete  blir  centrala arbetsformer för kunskapsutvecklingen. I kursplan för Block 3 som har titeln Läraren och lärarens arbete står under rubriken undervisning och examination följande.

• Undervisningen  sker i form av verksamhetsförlagd  utbildning, föreläsningar, seminarier, arbete i grupp, samt individuellt arbete (ibid. s.21).

Ovanstående kan tolkas som om olika former av interaktion och samarbete mellan studenter ska utgöra en betydande del av undervisningen. Som tutor är det därför viktigt att ha kunskap om interaktiva arbetsformer.

I  Linköpings  Universitets  arbete  med  studentinflytande  som  en  god   kraft  i utbildningsarbetet (dnr LIU 1757/02-10, 2003-04-16) är ett av målen att utveckla studentaktiva utbildningsformer med mångfald i fråga om utformning och omfattning. Detta innebär att studenterna tillskrivs ett stort mått av ansvar för de egna studierna och samtidigt tilltros de förmåga att av egen kraft utforska nya kunskapsfält och lösa komplicerade problem. Författarna menar att bl. a. lärarprogrammen har långtgående studentaktiv pedagogik och nämner PBL och olika projektinriktade modeller som exempel   på   studentaktiva  arbetsformer.   Eftersom   innebörden   av   studentaktiv pedagogik  inte  är  explicit  uttryckt  måste  detta  bli  en  tolkningsfråga  men  olika studentinteraktiva arbetsformer bör innefattas.

Background – In Sweden expectant and new parents are offered parental education groups (PE) during pregnancy in Antenatal Care (AC) and after delivery in Child health Care (CHC) with the goal of preparing for childbirth and parenthood. Parents also seek information from  other sources such as the webb and magazines to gain information. Nevertheless, many parents feel unprepared for parenthood. During pregnancy and the time closest to childbirth is an important part of the transition to parenting and parents are very receptive to advice and information. To gain more knowledge about parents’ participation in PE the aim of this study was to explore expectant and new parents’ reasons to participate or not participate in PE.

Method – A web questionnaire including open questions was answered by 915 parents with children aged 0 to 21 months. Open questions about (a) reasons to not participate, (b) anything that could change their mind and (c) parenting support instead of the PE was analyses using content analysis.

Findings – The parents expressed reasons not to attend on an individual, group and organizational level. At an individual level they expressed personal reasons or that they had other forms of support. When it came to the group level the parents asked for more heterogeneity and openness regarding both the groups’ content and methods, not excluding parents and that parents’ different interests could be accommodated within the group. Reasons for not attending PE at organizational level were due to lack of information or invitation from AC or CHC, or that  PE was not available.

Conclusion

Parents ask for more nonconformity and diversity in PE. Despite of different approaches or attitudes all parents should be able to feel included in a way that would be relevant for them to participate in PE.

Aims and objectives To explore expectant and new parents reasons not to participate in parental education (PE) groups in antenatal care or child health care. Background In Sweden, expectant and new parents are offered PE groups in antenatal care and in child health care. Although many parents feel unprepared for parenthood, an urgent task is to attract parents to attend the PE groups. Design A total of 915 parents with children aged 0 to 21 months answered a web questionnaire with open questions about (a) reasons not to participate; (b) anything that could change their mind; and (c) parenting support instead of PE groups. This was analysed using content analysis. The study follows the SRQR guidelines. Results Parents expressed private reasons for not attending PE groups. Some parents also asked for more heterogeneity regarding content and methods, as well as accommodation of parents different interests. Other parents asked for like-minded individuals who were in similar situation to themselves. Lack of information or invitations from antenatal care or child health care, or that PE groups were unavailable, were additional reasons for not participating in groups. Conclusions Reasons for not attending PE groups were multifaceted from personal, self-interested and norm-critical reasons, to that the groups were not available or that the parents were not aware of their existence. Relevance to clinical practice Parents of today are a diverse group with different interests and needs. Nevertheless, all parents need to feel included in a way that makes participation in PE groups relevant for them. Thus, it is important for leaders to be aware of structures and norms, and to be able to create a group climate and a pedagogy of acceptance where group members value each others differences. However, to attract parents to participate in PE groups, it is necessary for clinical practice to work on individual, group and organisational levels.

Den här texten vänder sig till er som leder eller ska leda föräldragrupper. Med föräldragrupper menar vi de grupper som fungerar som stöd för blivande och nyblivna föräldrar, dvs. det handlar om föräldragrupper på mödrahälsovården (MHV) för blivande föräldrar som leds av barnmorskor och föräldragrupper inom barnhälso­vården (BHV) för nyblivna föräldrar som leds av barnsjuksköterskor eller distrikts­sköterskor. Texten är uppdelad på 7 kapitel. I det första kapitlet tar vi upp de stödjande aktivi­te­ter som riktas till blivande och nya föräldrar. Kapitel ett omfattar också vad övergången till vad föräldraskap innebär, både det som kan vara fysiskt och psykiskt påfrestande men också utvecklande. Vi kommer även in på grupper av nya föräldrar som kan behöva extra stöd, t.ex. ensamstående, samkönade, unga föräldrar och föräldrar som inte pratar svenska. I kapitel två flyttar vi fokus till vad det är som ska stödjas–barnens och föräldrarnas behov. Kapitel tre behandlar föräldrarnas förväntningar och tankar om föräldra­grupper–vad vill föräldrar att för­äldragrupper ska ta upp och hur vill de att de ska genomföras. I kapitel fyra riktas till ledaren och ledarrollen. Vi kommer in på olika förhållningssätt kopplat till att vara ledare, men också att skapa förutsättningar för ett lärande för deltagande föräldrar. Vi granskar hur den profession­ella rollen ser ut, men också svårigheterna med att uppfylla alla de förväntningar som finns på ledare för föräldragrupper. Femte kapitlet tar upp hur gruppen fungerar och vad som kan underlätta, men också försvåra arbetet med en grupp. Det handlar bl.a. om hur man skapar trygghet, om roller, normer och strukturer i en föräldragrupp. Vi avslutar med två kapitel som har fokus på strategier och metoder för att lättare kunna tackla potentiella problem och svårigheter, som man kan uppleva finns i föräldragrupper, och istället vända det till något positivt. I dessa två kapitel beskriver vi kooperativt lärande och kollegial handledning och ger också konkreta idéer på hur dessa två metoder eller strategier kan tillämpas på föräldra­gruppen.

The purpose of this presentation is to address predicaments, which come into existence in the meeting between group work and assessment.

In compulsory education there seems to be a dilemma between the request for individual assessment of student’s knowledge and abilities in addition to the demand of teaching collaboration abilities through group work. Knowledge and difficulties relating to assessment of group work are relevant factors when organising it. Accordingly, teachers often ask for more knowledge concerning methods for assessment in group work. What, when and how assessment ought to be done and on which level (individual and/or group) are questions often brought up by teachers. A review of previous research confirms that this is a neglected research area. Therefore, a need for more attention is justified.

In the empirical study we have applied a grounded theory methodology and data have been assembled by means of group interviews. The informants were teachers, from forms 5-9 inthe nine-year compulsory school, from three schools inSweden.

The results elucidate some of the teachers’ problems concerning assessment in group work as well as some pedagogical implications based on empirical findings. In other words, this presentation summarises the current state of our knowledge in this area and elucidates an urgent and basic question in the pedagogical practice that may generate knowledge of importance for teachers professional practising and further development.

The overarching interest in this project is to gain knowledge about what happens in the meeting between group work and assessment in pedagogical practice. Grounded theory methodology, was used as methodology and data have been gathered by focus group interviews with 11 teachers teaching students aged 11 to 16 years. The results show that teachers primarily used informal approaches, a general language and the descriptions about what they assessed and how assessment was carried out. This article elucidates some of the teachers’ problems concerning assessment in group work and some pedagogical implications based on empirical findings.

Background: The overarching interest in this project is to gain knowledge about what happens in the meeting between group work and assessment in pedagogical practice. There seems to be a tension between the demand for individual assessment of students’ knowledge and abilities and the demand to teach students collaboration abilities through group work. A previous study concerning teachers’ management of group work as a classroom activity (Hammar Chiriac & Forslund Frykedal, 2011) reveals that assessment is a highly relevant factor. In addition, teachers seem to experience difficulties and acknowledge some challenges and problems as regards assessing students working in a group.

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to obtain not only increased knowledge of how teachers assess individual learning occurring in group work, but also explore how teachers manage the emerging challenges. An additional purpose was, with support from previous research within the area, to provide a means of handling these challenges.

Sample: Data were gathered by means of three focus group interviews. The informants were 11 teachers. They taught students aged 11 to 16 years in compulsory education in Sweden during the spring of 2009.

Design and method:  Grounded theory methodology, together with the theoretical perspective of symbolic interactionism, was used to increase comprehension of the teachers’ problems when assessing learning outcome in group work. The transcribed discussions in the focus groups were analysed by means of theoretical sampling, and a number of categories emerged.

Results: The results show that teachers primarily used informal approaches when they assessed students’ knowledge and abilities in group work situations. The teachers used a general level when talking about assessment and the descriptions about what they assess were vague. In the teachers’ accounts of what is assessed it is possible to distinguish both the product and the process carried out at an individual as well as at a group level. Furthermore, the results reveal two different assessment strategies, that is how the assessment was carried out; by teachers (from outside the group) or by students (from inside the group). Additionally, the results disclosed that the teachers have difficulties in concretising and verbalising what and how they assess. The teachers also experienced uncertainty and contradictory demands concerning assessment of students in group work. They were concerned about this difficulty.

Conclusion: The teachers were of the opinion that group work is used foremost to develop group work abilities and not as a means of acquiring academic knowledge. This influenced the teachers’ mode of using assessment, that is, they focussed on assessing the collaborative abilities. This article elucidates some of the teachers’ problems concerning assessment in group work and some pedagogical implications based on empirical findings. Research-based theories and models within these areas could increase teachers’ confidence, which, in turn, could increase good practice, their ability to use group work as a mode and also their competence in assessment.

An encompassing knowledge interest in this project is to study what happens in the meetingbetween group work and assessment in the pedagogical practice. There seems to be adilemma between the demand for individual assessment of student’s knowledge and abilitiesand the demand of teaching collaboration abilities through group work. A previous studyconcerning teachers’ management of group work as classroom activity (Hammar Chiriac &Forslund Frykedal, 2010) reveals that assessment is a highly relevant factor when organisinggroup work in a school setting. In addition, teachers seem to experience difficulties andacknowledge some challenges and problems about assessing students working in a group. Toour knowledge this is a rather neglected research area and very little attention has been paid toresearch on assessment of students’ performance in collaborative situations.The main purpose in this study is to explore and comprehend teachers’ conceptions ofdifficulties and worries in connection with assessing students in collaborative situations.Furthermore, we intend to scrutinize what knowledge previous research may provide as acontribution to proficiency about assessment of group work.In the empirical study we have applied a grounded theory methodology and data havebeen assembled by means of group interviews. The informants were teachers, from forms 5-9in the nine-year compulsory school in Sweden.Previous research provides little theoretical knowledge or useful tools aiding the teachersin their task but comprises more of self- and peer assessment and how group members couldcontribute to the assessment.The result shows that teachers rather use informal than formal assessment. The informalassessment is mostly done by circulating in the classroom and observing the groups.Additionally, the result discloses that the teachers have difficulties to concretize and putwords on what and how they assess. In the discussion we present some pedagogicalimplications, which may be useful in the pedagogical practice. The pedagogical implicationsare based on empirical results and previous research.

This study aims to provide a better understanding of teachers’ managing roles when using group work in the classroom. Building on Granström’s (2007) two concepts of leadership and teachership, a more specific aim is to investigate teachers’ managing roles when using group work and how teachers’ presumptions affect the way in which they manage the pedagogical mode. The results show that teachers’ managing roles influence teachers’ willingness to use group work. Teachers may be unwilling to use group work based on their presumption that it teaches students only collaboration abilities and not subject knowledge. This may be a supplemental yet significant explanation as to why group work continues to decrease in classrooms.

Group work can provide students with valuable opportunities for cooperative learning both of knowledge and abilities related to academic factors and of collaborative skills. However, the requirement from the curriculum to assess students’ knowledge and ability individually in group work is a challenging and complex task for teachers. In addition, research on group work assessment in educational context is a neglected research area, and especially individual group work assessment. Accordingly, little theoretical knowledge or useful tools have been provided to assist teachers in this important but difficult task. A special challenge, compared to traditional assessment in education, seems to be how to discern individual knowledge from the joint work when assessing. One way for teachers to assess students during group work, and simultaneously promote their further work and learning, is to provide them with individual formative assessment, by employing feedback. Recent studies indicates that teachers’ feedback to the students also may support individual accountability, i.e., facilitates students’ ability to work more independently in group work where everyone is responsible for their part of the work but also for the group's joint assignments. Against this backdrop, the aim of this presentation is to explore and problematize in what way teachers’ formative written feedback, on students’ individual work during group work promotes or impedes collaboration and individual accountability.  

Social Interdependence Theory emphasizing positive interdependence as means for promoting collaboration as well as individual accountability for well-functioning group work, together with Shute’s (2008) guidelines for useful feedback, are utilized as overarching theoretical perspectives. Shute claims that there are several types of feedback that can be delivered and a large variability of the effects for the students. Useful feedback depends, according to Shute (2008), on motive, opportunity and means, that is, meet the student’s needs and is given when the student is prepared to use the feedback. 

The study focuses on written formative feedback as means for formative assessment. Data were obtained through 149 feedback documents from six teachers. Feedback was given during a group work assignment when students were working on the individual part of the common group task. The teachers were asked to use their own words in the written response to each student. The analysis was accomplished using an inductive thematic approach and Shute’s (2008) synthesized recommendations and guidelines to interpret and understand the teachers’ written feedback. 

The results display that the written feedback to the students includes comments on following levels: individual (“you”), group (“your group) and “not distinct” (not possible to discern which level). Furthermore, the results display that the teachers convey feedback in manageable units, focusing on the task to enhance the quality of the work or to promote collaboration and individual accountability. Thus, the paper contributes with relevant Nordic educational research by presenting theoretical knowledge on the sparsely researched area concerning written individual feedback as a means for formative assessment in connection with group work assessment.

References 

Shute, V. J. (2008). Focus on formative feedback. Review of Educational Research, 78(1), 153–189.

The main purpose of this paper is to increase and deepen the knowledge about teacher’s management of group work in the classroom. A more specific aim is to create and present a model illustrating different possible ways for teachers’ management appropriate for group work. The result shows that it is beneficial, but not sufficient, to use the two concepts leadership and teachership, to create a complete model. To ascertain a complete model it is also necessary to pay attention to the teachers’ considerations, which play a decisive influence on teachers’ willingness to use group work. By combining leadership, teachership and considerations it was possible to create and present a model of four possible ways for teachers’ management pertaining group work.

Group work is an educational mode that promotes both learning and socialization among students, and students’ engagement and participation in the group work has proven to be important. Empirical research conducted on the implementation of inclusive and collaborative processes in group work is sparse. Based on social psychological perspective we will in this study focus on inclusive and collaborative processes when students are working in small groups.

The aim of the study was to investigate and describe students’ inclusive and collaborative processes in group work and how the teacher supports or impedes these transactions.

Social Interdependence Theory (Johnson & Johnson, 2002), one of the dominant influences on Cooperative learning, was utilized as the theoretical perspective overarching the study. Data were obtained through observations made from video-recording 500 minutes of group work undertaken in one Year 5 classroom at a municipal school in Sweden and were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2006). Part of Black-Hawkins (2010, 2013) framework of participation was used to define inclusion and for the analysis of inclusive and collaborative processes.

The results suggest that students’ active participation in the analytical discussions around the group task and discussions around group work structures, together with the teacher’s more defined feedback and avoidance of the traditional authoritative role are examples on prerequisites for group work to be enacted in an inclusive and collaborative manner. These prerequisites give the students opportunities to be accountable both for the individual and the group’s collective work. 

Group work is an educational mode that promotes learning and socialisation among students. In this study, we focused on the inclusive processes when students work in small groups. The aim was to investigate and describe students’ inclusive and collaborative processes in group work and how the teacher supported or impeded these transactions. Social Interdependence Theory was utilised as the theoretical perspective overarching the study. The observational data employed were collected by video-recording group work. A part of Black-Hawkins framework of participation was used to define inclusion and for the analysis of inclusive and collaborative processes. The results suggest that students’ active participation in the discussions around the group work structures and analytical discussions, together with the teacher’s more defined feedback and avoidance of the traditional authoritative role, are examples of prerequisites for group work to be enacted in an inclusive manner.

When group work is used as pedagogical practice in compulsory schools, teachers are expected to assess each student’s individual knowledge even if learning has been gained in interaction with other students. This can be particularly challenge for teachers, i.e., the dilemma of reconciling the demands for individual assessment while fulfilling the demand to teach cooperation abilities through group work. Earlier studies concerning group work as classroom activity (Forslund Frykedal & Hammar Chiriac, 2010, 2011; Hammar Chiriac & Forslund Frykedal, 2011) reveal that assessment is a highly relevant but challenging factor when organising group work in educational settings. To our knowledge, assessment in group work is a rather neglected research area with very little attention being paid to research about this phenomenon. Previous research therefore provides little theoretical knowledge or useful tools to assist teachers in resolving these apparently conflicting demands. The main focus in this chapter is to present and elucidate our current knowledge about assessment in group work. Some of the aspects considered and problematized in this chapter are:

• Purpose of the assessment;
• What is assessed;
• How the assessment is carried out;
• Which level is in focus – individual level, group level or both;
• How the feedback is implemented; and
• Who is assessing – teacher, students or both.

Furthermore, an empirically grounded model with the purpose of clarifying different aspects of group assessment will be presented. Finally, the chapter is concluded with some pedagogical implications being suggested.

The aim of this study was to investigate factors that can predict collective efficacy in student work groups year 5 and 8 at compulsory school and to see if there are gender and year differences for efficacy beliefs and aspects of interdependence. A total of 283 completed questionnaires were analysed. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to predict collective efficacy and 2 × 2 ANOVA was used to analyse gender and year differences and interactions for following five factors: collective efficacy, self-efficacy, negative interdependence, positive interdependence and importance of good assessment and marks. The result showed that independent of gender, year and school, self-efficacy, positive and negative interdependence predicted collective efficacy in connection with group work assessment. The result also showed that there were better conditions for cooperation in year 5 compared to year 8. Additionally, it was significantly more important for girls than boys to achieve good assessment and marks.

Aims and objectives. To investigate the didactic and social leadership in parent education groups based on a parent perspective, and to conceptualize parent experiences of the leader roles in these groups.

Background.  Leadership in parent education groups has been associated with a lack of confidence in one's ability to function in that role. Research on how it can be delivered to produce a favourable outcome is scarce. It can be difficult to abandon the role of expert and let participants set their own learning agenda. To facilitate these processes requires leadership skills, knowledge of group dynamics, as well as pedagogical skills.

Design.  Qualitative interview study.

Methods. Semi-structured interviews with parents (25 participants, 21 interviews). Transcripts were analysed using, first, thematic analysis, then comparative analysis.

Results.  The study resulted in a four-field model, The Leadership – Teaching Approach model. It consists of the dimensions "Teaching approaches" ("Knowledge is imparted" and "Knowledge is jointly constructed "), and "Leadership approaches" ("Instrumental approach" and "Investigative approach").

Conclusions. Using an investigative approach is necessary in order to get a well-functioning group that can help the expectant and new parents in the transition to parenthood. Supervision can help develop an awareness of one's professional role as a nurse and leader of a parent education group.

Relevance to clinical practice.  The actions and choices of nurses as leaders of parent groups have an impact on how the participants perceive and take in the content and purpose of the group, and whether they perceive it as meaningful. Getting support in reflecting about one’s role as a leader in this context can help create a learning environment in which the participants can become engaged in the activities and be strengthened by the experience. 

This study explores child health care nurses pedagogical knowledge when supporting parents in their parenthood using various teaching practices, that is how to organise and process the content during parent education groups in primary health care. The aim is to identify teaching practices used by child health care nurses and to analyse such practices with regard to Aristotles three forms of knowledge to comprehensively examine child health care nurses use of knowledge in practice. A qualitative methodological design alongside the analysis of video-recordings was used. The results showed that child health care nurses used four teaching practices: lecturing, demonstration, conversation and supervision. Their use ofepistemewas prominent, but they also seemed to mastertechnein combination withepistemeduring the first three teaching practices. During the conversation teaching practice, the child health nurses rarely succeeded. Consequently, they missed opportunities to identify mothers expressed concerns and to act in the best interests of both the mothers and their infants by the use ofphronesis. In health care, however, theoretical episteme is superordinate to productive knowledge or phronesis, which also became evident in this study. Nevertheless, more interactive pedagogical practices are needed if more use of phronesis is to become a reality in parent education groups.

New parents are offered parental education groups as a way to support their transition to parenthood. Interactive approaches in these groups are of importance, but studies have reported a lack of activities that support interaction. Cooperative learning is a structured method when working with groups and based on five elements essential to maximizing the cooperative potential of groups. The aim was to investigate the leadership skills of child healthcare nurses as leaders for parental education groups, their ideas about creating conditions for well-functioning groups, and what is required to achieve this. The results were analyzed and discussed using social interdependence theory as a framework and especially the five elements of cooperative learning. Further, the study used a qualitative descriptive design, and eight qualitative interviews were analyzed deductively using thematic analysis. The results showed that in their narratives the nurses display vocational knowledge and describe conditions important for their groups from a cooperative learning perspective. Nevertheless, the results indicate that the nurses had difficulty explicitly instructing parents to use their personal experiences and social skills to get groups to function effectively. Knowledge developed in the workplaces from the experience of leading groups is mostly implicit, and formal knowledge and awareness of leadership is necessary for development of the role.

The aim of this study was to describe and understand parental group (PG) leaders experiences of creating conditions for interaction and communication. The data consisted of 10 interviews with 14 leaders. The transcribed interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed that the leaders ambition was to create a parent-centred learning environment by establishing conditions for interaction and communication between the parents in the PGs. However, the leaders experience was that their professional competencies were insufficient and that they lacked pedagogical tools to create constructive group discussions. Nevertheless, they found other ways to facilitate interactive processes. Based on their experience in the PG, the leaders constructed informal socio-emotional roles for themselves (e.g. caring role and personal role) and let their more formal task roles (e.g. professional role, group leader and consulting role) recede into the background, so as to remove the imbalance of power between the leaders and the parents. They believed this would make the parents feel more confident and make it easier for them to start communicating and interacting. This personal approach places them in a vulnerable position in the PG, in which it is easy for them to feel offended by parents criticism, questioning or silence.

The aim of the study was to describe and to understand midwives’ and child health care nurses’ experiences of working with parent education groups through their descriptions of the role and what they find rewarding and challenging in that work. Data were collected through three open-ended questions from a web survey: “How do you refer to your role when working in parent education?” “What is the biggest challenge or difficulty for you when working in parent education?” and “What is most rewarding when working in parent education?” The answers were analysed by using qualitative content analysis and correlation analysis. The results show that the midwives and child health care nurses either included or excluded the group when describing their role as leaders and their influence on parents. The same applies to what they found rewarding and what was difficult and challenging for them in working with the groups. Primarily, the leaders who excluded the group expressed a lack of competence on a professional level in managing groups and using the right teaching methods to process the knowledge content. One important question to deal with is how to best support midwives and nurses in child health care to be prepared for working with parent education groups. One obvious thing is to provide specialized training in an educational sense. An important aspect could also be providing supervision, individually or in groups.

Det har inom det svenska skolsystemet länge funnits en strävan att utveckla en skola som med hjälp av individualiserade arbetssätt ökar möjligheten för varje elev att lära och utvecklas utifrån sina förutsättningar. Individualisering är följaktligen en term som ofta används i svensk skolkontext och som begrepp finns det omskrivet i alla skolans styrdokument. Eleven i centrum har därför kommit att betraktas som ett viktigt inslag i undervisningen och i linje med det har arbetsformer som utgår från individens förutsättningar och förmågor blivit ideal.

Previous research shows that very few studies concerning assessment in connection with cooperative learning (CL) has been conducted (van Aalst, 2013; Forsell et al., 2020). Accordingly, very little theoretical knowledge or useful tools have been provided to assist teachers in this significant but difficult task. Besides, teachers often express feelings of uncertainty about how to make group work assessments (Ross & Rolheiser, 2003) and a special challenge seems to be how to disentangle the individual from the joint work when assessing (Forsell et., al 2020). Consequently, there is a need to develop theoretical knowledge and instruments for assessing in connection with CL (van Aalst, 2013; Johnson & Johnson, 2004). However, research is making progress and some promising findings, as well as practical tools, are beginning to emerge (e.g. Bookhart, 2013; Johnson & Johnson, 2004). Recent research also indicates that teachers’ feedback to the students may support students ability to work more independently in CL and thereby gain more equal opportunities in the their work (Forslund Frykedal & Hammar Chiriac, 2018). Assessment in connection with CL can also be about the quest for equitability providing students with equal educational opportunity, as students tend to find assessment in connection with CL unjust (Forslund Frykedal & Hammar Chiriac, 2016). 

One way for teachers to assess students during CL is to provide the students with formative assessment, by employing feedback. The objective in this paper is to explore and problematize if teachers’ formative assessment, by way of written feedback, on students’ individual work during CL supports or impedes student’s further work with the task, hence guiding or hampering the students’ possibility for individual accountability. 

When cooperative learning is used as pedagogical practice in Swedish compulsory schools teachers are expected to assess each student’s level of abilities in relation to knowledge requirements in the National Curriculum 2011. The request for individual assessment in addition to the demand of teaching collaboration abilities seems to be a challenge for teachers.

The aim of this project is to study assessment of knowledge and abilities in cooperative learning, but also if it is possible to train teachers’ and students ability to assess by use of education.

The study has an experimental longitudinal design with three experimental groups, randomly assigned to two different interventions or to a control group. Data are collected before, during and after the intervention, by means of several sources.

The main purpose of this presentation is to present some preliminary results based on analysis of interviews with teachers.

Preliminary results elucidate some of the teachers’ problems concerning assessment in cooperative learning as well as some pedagogical implications.  For both cooperative learning and assessment to function optimally it seems to be of vital importance that teachers have the necessary competence to construct clearly structured tasks, select abilities that are possible to assess but also have knowledge about how to assess these abilities during the group work.

This presentation summarises and elucidates an urgent and basic problem in the pedagogical practice that may generate knowledge of importance for teachers’ professional practice and further development of cooperative learning in the classroom.