Utan relationer går det inte! En kvalitativ intervjustudie om hur slöjdlärares ledarskap påverkar studiero och ett likvärdigt lärande i slöjdundervisning

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how craft teachers' leadership can promote a calm environment conducive to learning and students' equivalent opportunities for learning in the crafts subject in Swedish elementary schools. The work is based on semi-structured interviews and six crafts teachers participated in the qualitative study. The results show that good relationships are fundamental for the craft teachers' leadership to be successful and relationships are built through communication. As a crafts teacher, being calm, empathetic, having well-structured lessons and adapting the working methods to the pupils' prior knowledge and interest are positive aspects for a calm environment and the pupils' equal opportunities to learn. A calm environment conducive to learning at craft lessons is considered achieved when the students work with focus, when they can independently solve problems, when they can help each other and when they do not disturb or are being disturbed by another pupil. Group size, group composition and number of students in need of extra support can place higher demands on the teacher's leadership and make it more difficult to achieve a calm environment conducive to learning and equal opportunities for students to learn. When craft teachers support pupils based on their individual needs, the chances are greater that a calm environment conducive to learning and pupils' equal learning ability can be achieved in craft classes.