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The study examined the individual characteristics and consequences of psychological group processes that may lead some students to gain a reputation for being politically knowledgeable and verbal in class (a political reputation). Two normal samples of Swedish students were used, 13-year- olds (N = 835) and 16-year-olds (N = 795). Longitudinal data over one year were analyzed and showed that youths’ political reputation in class is established very early. Cross-sectional predictions showed that political interest predicted political reputation in class positively, and social fear predicted political reputation negatively in both cohorts. In addition, having a political reputation predicted increased political interest and political efficacy over one year. Further, mediation analyses showed that youths’ political predispositions, their political interest and political efficacy at T1, significantly operated on interest and efficacy at T2 via the political reputation. This suggests that political reputation partly functions as a booster of youths’ initial political predispositions over time. Future research is needed into the long-term consequences of having a political reputation.

Rapporten från Stiftelsen Rättsfonden om gymnasieelevers kunskaper om demokrati har både metodologiska och teoretiska brister. Eftersom rapporten saknar stöd för flera av de rekommendationer som lämnas är risken att föreslagna förändringar inte gör någon skillnad eller i värsta fall leder i fel riktning, skriver Johan Sandahl med flera, alla forskare i samhällsvetenskapernas didaktik., Debattartikel - respons på artikeln "Gymnasieelever saknar kunskaper om svensk demokrati" i Dagens Nyheter, publicerad 2022-11-30. I artikeln presenterar Stiftelsen Rättsfonden sin rapport om 'demokratikunskapsnivån' hos gymnasieelever i Sverige.Publicerad 8 decemeber 2022.

This chapter provides an analysis of the complex role of Nordic schools in both enhancing and reducing socioeconomic inequalities in civic competences. A multilevel analysis method was used to examine the IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2009 and 2016 data of all four Nordic countries. The results show that unequal access to civic learning (in-school civic participation and open classroom climate) exist in all Nordic countries. We found differences in access within schools in which students with more advantages experienced greater opportunities to participate. Additionally, we found differences between schools. Those schools that had an intake with a higher proportion of socioeconomically advantaged students tended to provide more civic learning opportunities and open classroom climates. Inequalities in access to civic learning activities manifested itself in different ways in schools across the Nordic countries. There is some evidence that this happens more regularly in Sweden than Finland, though Norway recorded the highest levels of unequal access inside schools, and no Nordic country provides equal access to all the forms of civic learning we studied. At the same time, however, there were forms of civic learning in Nordic schools that were found to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in civic competences. The results showed that when disadvantaged students gained access to civic learning, they mostly appeared to benefit either the same or more from the experience than their more advantaged peers. A unique contribution of this chapter to the field of citizenship education is that we found that in-school civic participation can compensate for a disadvantaged background for developing future electoral participation and civic knowledge in students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

I den forskning som ingår i översikten beskrivs några särskilt viktiga aspekter av undervisningen som har betydelse för elevers lärande av kritiskt tänkande i samhällskunskap: • lärarledning • ett väl valt innehåll • stödstrukturer. Flera studier uppmärksammar betydelsen av att lärare leder och utformar undervisningen på ett genomtänkt sätt. Det innebär exempelvis att läraren aktivt leder samtal så att de stämmer till eftertanke, reflektion, ifrågasättande och beaktande av perspektiv som eleverna inte känner till eller för fram på egen hand. Undervisningen kan med fördel innehålla elevaktiva moment där elever arbetar självständigt eller i grupp, men då utifrån tilldelade perspektiv eller inramat av fastlagda arbetsformer. En viktig aspekt av lärarledning handlar om att välja ut och arbeta med ett väl valt innehåll i undervisningen. Samhällskunskapens anknytning till aktuella eller lokala frågor framhålls i flera studier som något som kan utnyttjas i undervisningen för att hjälpa elever att identifiera problem, urskilja perspektiv, värdera information och se olika tänkbara lösningar. Inte minst omdiskuterade och konfliktfyllda samhällsfrågor med olika och kontrasterande perspektiv kan stimulera lärandet. Lärare kan genom sitt val av innehåll stimulera elever till ett ämnesspecifikt och ämnesdisciplinärt förhållningssätt. Inom denna ram kan sedan elevaktiviteten vara stor. En central aspekt som återkommer i flera studier är hur betydelsefullt det är att lärare använder stödstrukturer för att stärka elevers kritiska tänkande. Stödstrukturer kan bestå av tydliga instruktioner för hur eleverna ska arbeta eller modeller för hur saker ska presenteras, men de kan också utgöras av vägledning från läraren i konkreta situationer, exempelvis stöd i form av ändamålsenliga och genomtänkta frågor. Stödstrukturer används för att stödja elever i deras bedömningar och slutsatser men kan successivt plockas bort, i takt med att eleverna lär sig och kan tillämpa dem i fler och nya samma

Ungdoms syn på sin samtid og sin framtid gir oss informasjon om deres bilde av samfunnet, og i denne artikkelen beskrives14-åringers oppfatninger gjen-nom ICCS-studien fra Danmark, Norge og Sverige. På en side beskriver artikkelen de unges institusjonelle tillit og mellom-menneskelige tillit, og på en annen side beskrives deres oppfatning av framtiden og dens utfordringer og problemer, både når det gjelder samfunnets framtid i Europa og verden, og egne framtidsutsikter til arbeid og andre muligheter. Framstillingen er først og fremst beskrivende, og vi undersøker både i hvilken grad de skandinaviske ungdommene skiller seg fra ungdommer i andre deler av verden, og om det er likheter og forskjeller mellom skandinaviske land. Ved å sammenligne med tidligere undersøkelsesresultater ser vi dessuten på utvik-lingen i de unges oppfatninger over tid., Trust in the contemporary society and future projections among Scandinavian youth Using data from the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study, ICCS 2016, the article compares the views of 14-year-olds in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. We analyze and compare young people’s trust in political and social institutions and in people in general, as well as the young people’s views on threats and challenges for their future. The presentation of results is mainly descriptive with the attention to show similarities and differences among Scandinavian youths and in comparison with young people in other parts of the world. The level of general trust in other people has declined in all three countries since ICCS 2009. Compared to other countries, Scandinavian adolescents express greater trust in institutions, lower concern for threats of different kinds and greater optimism about their own future. High-trusting youths are the most optimistic about their own future, but they are on the other hand in some respects more worried about future threats.

Authorizing or auditing – national tests as a governing tool NPM, particularly in the form of output evaluations, have had a large impact on Swedish educational reforms over the past decades. This article focuses on the governing of schools and the professional status of teachers by examining how teachers have experienced the new national tests, introduced in compulsory schools in 2014 in social study subjects. Two ideal types of governing, authorizing and auditing, provide the theoretical framework. The empirical material consists of focus group interviews. The results expose a tension in teacher experience. On the one hand, the teachers feel validated by the tests; on the other, they oppose the questioning of their profession that the tests imply. Trust is a key factor at play. The current way Swedish schools are governed signals a distrust in teachers. At the same time, the teachers display a significant level of trust in the state, combined with a limited professional confidence. This reinforces the status of teaching as a semi-profession.

The background for this study is a model for civics knowledge and teaching that distinguishes conceptual knowledge, ability to identify social and political issues, and civic literacy. The study itself investigates challenges in civics teaching by focusing on students’ difficulties understanding the subject matter. In a think aloud interview, some of the most difficult questions from the IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study were presented to 29 eighth-grade students in a municipality fairly representative of average Swedish conditions. There were shortcomings in their conceptual knowledge and also in their understanding of social and democratic principles, highlighting the importance of reading skills for civic ability. The article suggests strategic work with conceptual learning and for civic teaching to include an explicit focus on reading comprehension. It suggests that the ability to reflect on complex civic issues is benefited by asking questions and discussing social and political principles from different perspectives.

The first generation of students who started school after the large Swedish educationalreforms of decentralization and marketization in the 1990s is now enteringthe university. They have grown up in an individualized society, with a publicsector permeated by new public management ideals. The purpose of this articleis to discuss students' attitudes and approaches to studies, in the light of thesesocio-political changes, and to reflect on challenges and possibilities for teachingin higher education. With an empirical material consisting of correspondence withstudents and comments in course evaluations, we give examples of attitudes andbehaviours that can be understood as expressions of a rather demanding individualisticcustomer approach to education. We conclude by arguing that our teachingpractice must take these partly new circumstances into account. If we want tobecome better teachers, we must understand our students.

Den som inte förstår viktiga samhällsfrågor, har svårt att följa nyheter och debatt. Då begränsas också möjligheten att agera som medborgare - att påverka politik och samhälle. I den internationella undersökningen ICCS 2009 undersöktes 14-åringars kunskaper om demokrati och samhälle. I denna fördjupade analyspresenteras de svenska elevernas kunskapsprofil i jämförelse med andra nordiska länder. Studien belyser dessutom, medhjälp av nya intervjuer, särskilda svårigheter för de svenska eleverna. Med koppling till samhälllsdidaktisk forskning diskuteras bland annat hur begreppsförståelse och förståelse för samhälleliga principer, förmåga att urskilja frågeställningar, läsförmåga och språkförståelse i hög grad påverkar elevernas prestationer i ICCS.

Villkoren för skolans demokratiuppdrag har förändrats. Det offentliga huvudmannaskapet har utsatts konkurrens från privata initiativ och en ökad kulturell mångfald har konfronterat skolan med nya utmaningar. Vad betyder detta för skolans möjligheter att bidra med demokratisk utveckling hos skoleleverna? I den här forskarantologin presenteras en fördjupad analys av svenska elev-, lärar- och skoldata från den internationella utvärderingen ICCS 2009. Rapporten innehåller beskrivande analyser av förutsättningarna för skolor och lärare att hantera kontroverser och av vad eleverna har för medborgarkompetens. Avslutningsvis görs även preliminära försök att förklara de mönster som präglar svenska elever, lärare och skolor när det gäller medborgarkompetens.

This article highlights ordinary young citizens’ understanding of democracy. In a system based on rule of the people, it is surprising how little attention scholars have paid to common-sense views of democracy. The article is based on focusgroup interviews with young Swedes. Their views of democracy are analyzed in the context of democratic theory. The results show that there is massive support among the youths for the democratic idea, that they see elite democracy as as self-evident form of democracy and that they consider democracy to be a problematic good, emphasizing their doubts about human capacity, limited ruling opportunities and problems around inequality and risky principles. References to research on Swedish education show that the conceptualizations in several respects reflect how democracy and citizenship are framed in Swedish schools. It is suggested that the results of the study can influence both the form and contentof civic education.