Papers by Ulrika Bergmark
Pedagogisk forskning i Sverige
Intresset för praktiknära skolforskning är idag stort. Aktionsforskning är en populär form för sa... more Intresset för praktiknära skolforskning är idag stort. Aktionsforskning är en populär form för samarbete mellan forskare och lärare där handledning är centralt. Syftet med denna studie är att problematisera handledning och handledarroller i aktionsforskningsprojekt. Som teoretisk grund ligger den amerikanska utbildningsfilosofen Nel Noddings omsorgsetik. Deltagarna i studien är en forskare och tre lärare som alla har erfarenheter av att leda aktionsforskningsprojekt genomförda inom kommunal skolverksamhet. Datainsamling har skett genom skriftliga reflektioner och kollegiala samtal om handledning och handledarroller. Analysen har utgått ifrån tematisk analys och domäninteraktionsmodell. I analysen framträder fyra handledningsmetaforer i aktionsforskning: trädgårdsmästaren, herden, läraren och brobyggaren. Alla rollerna kan praktiseras samtidigt och fingertoppskänsla avgör när en handledare går in i och ut ur olika roller. Slutsatsen är att omsorgsetik kan bidra till ökad förståelse f...
Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research
In 2010, Sweden was the first country in the world to introduce a legal requirement that educatio... more In 2010, Sweden was the first country in the world to introduce a legal requirement that education should be research-based, placing huge demands on schools. The study's aim is to explore how, through sensemaking, teachers and principals enact this policy in schools. In total, 272 teachers and 23 principals from pre-schools, leisure-time centers, compulsory schools, and upper secondary schools completed a questionnaire. The findings show the need for understanding central policy concepts, alignment with previous experiences, and a social context within which the policy can be understood, negotiated, and enacted. Policy enactment was dependent on the support givenprofessional development, time, and financial resources. Teachers and principals have so far experienced challenges and opportunitiesa rewarding if complex process.
European Educational Research Journal
In this article, we study the academisation of the teaching profession in Sweden, which follows c... more In this article, we study the academisation of the teaching profession in Sweden, which follows contemporary trends in other Nordic and European countries. The specific aim was to analyse 14 reports written by researching teachers enrolled in a master’s programme to investigate how they perceive, interpret and value academic and professional knowledge. The conceptual framework comprises theories concerning academic literacies and knowledge structures. The report analysis focussed on scope, aims and research questions, and how the researching teachers related to teacher knowledge and academic knowledge, normativity and a critical approach. After a preliminary analysis, the researching teachers were invited to participate in the analysis, giving their contextual understanding. The study indicates that the reports were based on empirical data and situated in a professional context, with the aim of exploring and understanding professional issues in relation to research, national policie...
Educational Action Research
Action research approaches have evolved out of a criticism of previous research traditions, where... more Action research approaches have evolved out of a criticism of previous research traditions, where teachers have been seen as research objects, at risk of being marginalized. Such approaches have also arisen out of the view that teaching, learning, and educational research are interrelated. In action research, teachers are seen as professionals, raising their status to subjects, conducting own research. The research is carried out with or by people rather than on someone, which changes the roles and relationships. Ethical dilemmas can arise, especially evident in action research, where the distinctions between researcher and researched are blurred or removed altogether. This paper aims to explore the changing roles and relationships between researchers and teachers in action research through a philosophical analysis based on the writings of Nel Noddings, especially the concept of ethics of care. The analysis creates an opportunity for a rethinking of researcherteacher roles, focusing on responsibility and knowledge as well as reciprocity and communication. Based on the author's own action research experiences, various dilemmas are discussed. Obstacles to and opportunities for developing caring relationships between researchers and teachers will also be highlighted. The implications of the study include valuing both researcher and teacher expertise and learning to understand each other's perspectives as well as giving tailored care. It is also vital to find strategies to contextualize and enact these views and beliefs within the researcher-teacher relationship. Neither researchers nor teachers will have total control over the process, as they stay open to each other's perspectives and needs based on a caring relationship.
The International Journal of Learning: Annual Review, 2007
Different kinds of meetings are natural for every student and teacher in schools around the world... more Different kinds of meetings are natural for every student and teacher in schools around the world. This study deals with matters of ethics as a relation, meetings with Others, narratives, reflection and learning experiences. In a secondary school in northern Sweden eight students and one teacher worked within a course where different guests were invited into the classroom-a homosexual, a refugee and a disabled person. The aim of this article is to elucidate, enable understanding for and discuss students' and a teacher's learning experiences through their meetings with Others. The empirical data was created through close observation, field notes, reflective journals and e-mail communication. Theoretically the study is based on the philosophies of Emanuel Lévinas and Nel Noddings.
The Student Voice Handbook Bridging the Academic Practitioner Divide, 2011
Pa Kurs Mot Larande Betraktelser Av Larande Ur Nagra Olika Perspektiv, 2006
Crystals of Schoolchildren S Well Being Cross Border Training Material For Promoting Psychosocial Well Being Through School Education, 2008
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 09669760 2013 809653, May 2, 2014
This paper aimed to explore how preschool teachers’ experience their strengthened teaching missio... more This paper aimed to explore how preschool teachers’ experience their strengthened teaching mission, specifically when working with scientific exploration. The study was based on the philosophy of the life-world, a branch of the phenomenological movement. Life-world philosophy focuses on the concrete reality humans inhabit and is responsive to its inherent ambiguity. The data consisted of written teacher responses and follow-up interviews. The findings showed a broad and multidimensional way of working with science and exploration in which embodied experiences and intertwined relationships were prominent. Teachers’ notions of what constitutes scientific exploration and learning represent a combination of science as literacy and science as inquiry, emphasising democracy, aesthetics, experimentation and reflection. Being present and focusing children’s relationship with the phenomena seem to be teachers’ strategies of handling their strengthened teaching mission.
Educational Action Research, 2020
This paper analyzes teachers’ motivations and expectations when
engaging in action research and r... more This paper analyzes teachers’ motivations and expectations when
engaging in action research and relates these to the process outcomes
and to the broader evidence movement in education. The
theoretical framework builds on research on motivations for teaching
and engaging in action research. The empirical data consisted
of 50 written teacher reflections completed on two occasions
within the action research and teachers’ oral presentations using
PowerPoint slides. The outcomes regarding individual and collegial
professional learning corresponded well to the teachers’ expectations.
However, the relationships with their principal, and also with
the researcher, developed more than had been expected. Also, the
teachers saw evidence of student/child learning in line with the
intentions, but the fact that social and emotional learning was,
ultimately, more visible, was unexpected. This study shows that
action research, based on an evidence-informed perspective, plays
an important role when teachers are building a research-based
education, in a context where evidence-based teaching is promoted.
Implications of this study include: the importance of establishing
fair conditions for teachers’ voluntary engagement in action
research; highlighting intentions in the beginning, and throughout
the process, which increases the probability of achieving the
expected outcomes; and promoting teacher-driven processes.
Higher Education Research and Development, 2018
The aim of this article is to explore student participation in teaching and learning, focusing on... more The aim of this article is to explore student participation in teaching and learning, focusing on third-year students’ experiences in a Swedish teacher education programme. Student participation is here defined as students being active and engaged in the classroom; students impacting on curriculum design; and students’ feeling of belonging to a community. The research reported is based on an interview study and analyses processes, benefits and challenges of, as well as motivations for, student participation. The findings revealed that students have diverse understandings of student participation and that the degree of participation is dependent on students’ and teachers’ engagement, expectations and responsibility. Student teachers also connected student participation to their learning and future profession as teachers. The students mainly discussed intrinsic motivations (beneficial to learning) for student participation, but there were also traces of altruistic motivations (learning citizenship). Extrinsic motivations (university benefits), however, were absent. Voices of resistance to student participation were also present; these students preferred a more teacher-led education and were not used to a high degree of participation. Students’ understandings of student participation challenge teacher–student roles in teacher education specifically, but also in higher education generally. It is important to acknowledge students’ diverse understandings of student participation. Overall, based on students’ experiences, student participation creates engagement and motivation for learning here and now and for the future profession. The study indicates that student participation has an inherent value beyond benefitting measurable outcomes, where democratic values, engagement and learning for the future profession are promoted.
Educational Philosophy and Theory, 2019
The aim of this article is to reconsider and explore the ontoepistemology of student engagement i... more The aim of this article is to reconsider and explore the ontoepistemology of student engagement in higher education as part of a democratic education, going beyond neo-liberal groundings. This is urgent as the concept of student engagement seems to be taken for granted and used uncritically in higher education. In addition, higher education is affected by, and under pressure from, different global and societal forces, which raises questions about the purpose of education. In our exploration, we mainly draw on the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and his co-writers Felix Guattari and Claire Parnet, but also Karen Barad and writers who are inspired by these theories. We present four arguments on which we elaborate: (1) Rethinking power relations, (2) Questioning linearity and how to use goals, (3) Appreciating pedagogical relationships as multiple voices and becoming-multiple-others, and (4) Considering assemblages, rhizomes and lines in student engagement. These arguments open up, as we argue, the possibility of rhizomatic thinking about learning in higher education where multiplicities, otherness and the unpredictable are appreciated. In addition, we regard the exploration of assemblages that are intercorporeal, affective and entangled as something powerful when reconsidering student engagement as part of democratic education.
Reflective Practice, 2018
The aim of this paper is to describe and discuss Appreciative Inquiry (AI) as a research method t... more The aim of this paper is to describe and discuss Appreciative Inquiry (AI) as a research method to facilitate student voice in school research. The paper sets out a model for conducting AI in schools. The research questions identified are: What are the researcher’s reflections when using Appreciative Inquiry in school research? What challenges and opportunities can be found when using Appreciative Inquiry in research processes with students? An application of the model will be presented and problematised. The conclusions indicate the importance of inviting students to participate in the process of defining research topics, and of using multimodal methods for facilitating students’ exploration of school experiences. It is also vital that adults support students in imagining and articulating visions on how to improve the school, as well as plans designing for enacting visions. Finally, a ‘whole school approach’ is emphasised for contributing to sustainable appreciative student voice work in schools.
Professional Development in Education, 2020
A prominent phenomenon in education in Europe and internationally is the demand for research-base... more A prominent phenomenon in education in Europe and internationally is the demand for research-based education, which is also the case in Sweden, the context of this study. Therefore, greater academic demands have been placed on teachers, which can present a distinctive challenge for teachers who were educated when teacher education prioritised practical teacher training rather than academic training. Therefore, it is especially important to explore what and how experienced teachers learn and develop when moving towards a research-based education. The theoretical framework builds on communities of practice and social learning. The empirical data consists of written reflections from 50 teachers in preschool, compulsory and upper secondary school, who participated in action research projects that aimed to help build research-based education. The findings show that the teachers’ professional learning entailed changes in the ways they think, act and relate to others in three areas: teaching, research and collaboration. The study offers insights into the importance of a professional development process being based on a bottom-up perspective, collaborative, context-specific and integrated in teachers’ work. Lastly, the study points to the benefit of engagement on multiple levels – principals, lead teachers, teachers and researchers – to achieve lasting success in building research-based education.
Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 2020
In 2010, Sweden was the first country in the world to introduce a legal requirement that educatio... more In 2010, Sweden was the first country in the world to introduce a legal requirement that education should be research-based, placing huge demands on schools. The study’s aim is to explore how, through sensemaking, teachers and principals enact this policy in schools. In total, 272 teachers and 23 principals from pre-schools, leisure-time centers, compulsory schools, and upper secondary schools completed a questionnaire.
The findings show the need for understanding central policy concepts, alignment with previous experiences, and a social context within which the policy can be understood, negotiated, and enacted. Policy enactment was dependent on the support given – professional development, time, and financial resources. Teachers and principals have so far experienced challenges and opportunities – a rewarding if complex process.
European Educational Research Journal, 2020
In this article, we study the academisation of the teaching profession in Sweden, which follows c... more In this article, we study the academisation of the teaching profession in Sweden, which follows contemporary trends in other Nordic and European countries. The specific aim was to analyse 14 reports written by researching teachers enrolled in a master's programme to investigate how they perceive, interpret and value academic and professional knowledge. The conceptual framework comprises theories concerning academic literacies and knowledge structures. The report analysis focussed on scope, aims and research questions, and how the researching teachers related to teacher knowledge and academic knowledge, normativity and a critical approach. After a preliminary analysis, the researching teachers were invited to participate in the analysis, giving their contextual understanding. The study indicates that the reports were based on empirical data and situated in a professional context, with the aim of exploring and understanding professional issues in relation to research, national policies and professional teacher experience. Report orientation was deeply nourished by teacher knowledge. The researching teachers' contextual knowledge both benefitted and challenged academic knowledge and vice versa, with the ambition to improve practice. Accordingly, the teachers' contextual knowledge can deepen the understanding of a research phenomenon. There was an empowering oscillation between teacher knowledge and academic knowledge in the teachers' research.
Educational Action Research, 2019
Action research approaches have evolved out of a criticism of previous
research traditions, where... more Action research approaches have evolved out of a criticism of previous
research traditions, where teachers have been seen as research objects,
at risk of being marginalized. Such approaches have also arisen out of
the view that teaching, learning, and educational research are interrelated. In action research, teachers are seen as professionals, raising
their status to subjects, conducting own research. The research is
carried out with or by people rather than on someone, which changes
the roles and relationships. Ethical dilemmas can arise, especially
evident in action research, where the distinctions between researcher
and researched are blurred or removed altogether. This paper aims to
explore the changing roles and relationships between researchers and
teachers in action research through a philosophical analysis based on
the writings of Nel Noddings, especially the concept of ethics of care.
The analysis creates an opportunity for a rethinking of researcher–
teacher roles, focusing on responsibility and knowledge as well as
reciprocity and communication. Based on the author’s own action
research experiences, various dilemmas are discussed. Obstacles to
and opportunities for developing caring relationships between
researchers and teachers will also be highlighted. The implications of
the study include valuing both researcher and teacher expertise and
learning to understand each other’s perspectives as well as giving
tailored care. It is also vital to find strategies to contextualize and
enact these views and beliefs within the researcher–teacher relationship. Neither researchers nor teachers will have total control over the
process, as they stay open to each other’s perspectives and needs
based on a caring relationship.
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Papers by Ulrika Bergmark
engaging in action research and relates these to the process outcomes
and to the broader evidence movement in education. The
theoretical framework builds on research on motivations for teaching
and engaging in action research. The empirical data consisted
of 50 written teacher reflections completed on two occasions
within the action research and teachers’ oral presentations using
PowerPoint slides. The outcomes regarding individual and collegial
professional learning corresponded well to the teachers’ expectations.
However, the relationships with their principal, and also with
the researcher, developed more than had been expected. Also, the
teachers saw evidence of student/child learning in line with the
intentions, but the fact that social and emotional learning was,
ultimately, more visible, was unexpected. This study shows that
action research, based on an evidence-informed perspective, plays
an important role when teachers are building a research-based
education, in a context where evidence-based teaching is promoted.
Implications of this study include: the importance of establishing
fair conditions for teachers’ voluntary engagement in action
research; highlighting intentions in the beginning, and throughout
the process, which increases the probability of achieving the
expected outcomes; and promoting teacher-driven processes.
The findings show the need for understanding central policy concepts, alignment with previous experiences, and a social context within which the policy can be understood, negotiated, and enacted. Policy enactment was dependent on the support given – professional development, time, and financial resources. Teachers and principals have so far experienced challenges and opportunities – a rewarding if complex process.
research traditions, where teachers have been seen as research objects,
at risk of being marginalized. Such approaches have also arisen out of
the view that teaching, learning, and educational research are interrelated. In action research, teachers are seen as professionals, raising
their status to subjects, conducting own research. The research is
carried out with or by people rather than on someone, which changes
the roles and relationships. Ethical dilemmas can arise, especially
evident in action research, where the distinctions between researcher
and researched are blurred or removed altogether. This paper aims to
explore the changing roles and relationships between researchers and
teachers in action research through a philosophical analysis based on
the writings of Nel Noddings, especially the concept of ethics of care.
The analysis creates an opportunity for a rethinking of researcher–
teacher roles, focusing on responsibility and knowledge as well as
reciprocity and communication. Based on the author’s own action
research experiences, various dilemmas are discussed. Obstacles to
and opportunities for developing caring relationships between
researchers and teachers will also be highlighted. The implications of
the study include valuing both researcher and teacher expertise and
learning to understand each other’s perspectives as well as giving
tailored care. It is also vital to find strategies to contextualize and
enact these views and beliefs within the researcher–teacher relationship. Neither researchers nor teachers will have total control over the
process, as they stay open to each other’s perspectives and needs
based on a caring relationship.
engaging in action research and relates these to the process outcomes
and to the broader evidence movement in education. The
theoretical framework builds on research on motivations for teaching
and engaging in action research. The empirical data consisted
of 50 written teacher reflections completed on two occasions
within the action research and teachers’ oral presentations using
PowerPoint slides. The outcomes regarding individual and collegial
professional learning corresponded well to the teachers’ expectations.
However, the relationships with their principal, and also with
the researcher, developed more than had been expected. Also, the
teachers saw evidence of student/child learning in line with the
intentions, but the fact that social and emotional learning was,
ultimately, more visible, was unexpected. This study shows that
action research, based on an evidence-informed perspective, plays
an important role when teachers are building a research-based
education, in a context where evidence-based teaching is promoted.
Implications of this study include: the importance of establishing
fair conditions for teachers’ voluntary engagement in action
research; highlighting intentions in the beginning, and throughout
the process, which increases the probability of achieving the
expected outcomes; and promoting teacher-driven processes.
The findings show the need for understanding central policy concepts, alignment with previous experiences, and a social context within which the policy can be understood, negotiated, and enacted. Policy enactment was dependent on the support given – professional development, time, and financial resources. Teachers and principals have so far experienced challenges and opportunities – a rewarding if complex process.
research traditions, where teachers have been seen as research objects,
at risk of being marginalized. Such approaches have also arisen out of
the view that teaching, learning, and educational research are interrelated. In action research, teachers are seen as professionals, raising
their status to subjects, conducting own research. The research is
carried out with or by people rather than on someone, which changes
the roles and relationships. Ethical dilemmas can arise, especially
evident in action research, where the distinctions between researcher
and researched are blurred or removed altogether. This paper aims to
explore the changing roles and relationships between researchers and
teachers in action research through a philosophical analysis based on
the writings of Nel Noddings, especially the concept of ethics of care.
The analysis creates an opportunity for a rethinking of researcher–
teacher roles, focusing on responsibility and knowledge as well as
reciprocity and communication. Based on the author’s own action
research experiences, various dilemmas are discussed. Obstacles to
and opportunities for developing caring relationships between
researchers and teachers will also be highlighted. The implications of
the study include valuing both researcher and teacher expertise and
learning to understand each other’s perspectives as well as giving
tailored care. It is also vital to find strategies to contextualize and
enact these views and beliefs within the researcher–teacher relationship. Neither researchers nor teachers will have total control over the
process, as they stay open to each other’s perspectives and needs
based on a caring relationship.
I boken presenteras lärares och elevers upplevelser av läsning och litteratursamtal i form av berättelser. Här gestaltas också hur samverkan mellan lärare och forskare kan genomföras och hur detta främjar lärares professionella utveckling och lärande. Konkreta råd varvas med teoretiska resonemang som fördjupar förståelsen för litteratursamtalens roll och plats i svenskundervisningen.
Litteratursamtalets pedagogik vänder sig till blivande och verksamma lärare i grund- och gymnasieskola samt vuxenutbildning. Även rektorer, lärarutbildare, forskare och andra som intresserar sig för skolutvecklingsfrågor och praktiknära forskning kan finna boken intressant.
Ulrika Bergmark är biträdande professor och docent i pedagogik vid Luleå tekniska universitet och har tidigare arbetat som gymnasielärare i svenska. Sara Viklund är gymnasielärare och förstelärare i svenska vid Strömbackaskolan i Piteå