Lisbeth Åberg-Bengtsson

Making sense of iconic symbols : A study of preschool children conducting a refuse-sorting task.

This article is part of a larger project focusing upon explanatory illustrations that children encounter in pre- and primary school education. The research questions concerned (a) how preschool children make sense of iconic symbols when placing items of refuse on illustrations of refuse bins in a sorting task and (b) what stumbling blocks they encounter when interpreting these symbols. Video data were collected with 30 children between four and five years of age. From the children’s verbal and non-verbal interactions, four different categories of sense-making were constructed: by material, by object type, by appearance and by function. Three stumbling blocks were identified. The first had to do with giving the symbols a different logical meaning to the intended one; the second related to what materials the different refuse items were made of; the third was being able to stick to one correct way of interpreting each symbol.

Do small rural schools differ? a comparative two-level model of reading achievement among swedish 9-year-olds

The aim of this study was to investigate differences, if any, in reading achievement among Swedish pupils 9 years of age with respect to school size and location. Data from the IEA reading tests for approximately 3400 children in 124 different schools were used for the analyses, which were carried out using a structural equation modelling technique. The multi-dimensionality of the performance on the tests, as well as the two-level character of data, was taken into account. The analyses, in which the influence of socio-economic factors was also controlled for, were carried out in several steps. The results showed no significant relationship between type of school and reading performance.The aim of this study was to investigate differences, if any, in reading achievement among Swedish pupils 9 years of age with respect to school size and location. Data from the IEA reading tests for approximately 3400 children in 124 different schools were used for the analyses, which were carried out using a structural equation modelling technique. The multi-dimensionality of the performance on the tests, as well as the two-level character of data, was taken into account. The analyses, in which the influence of socio-economic factors was also controlled for, were carried out in several steps. The results showed no significant relationship between type of school and reading performance.

Young primary students making sense of text and illustrations about how refuse can become soil

Explanatory pictures and models are frequently used in teaching and learning situations. However, it seems to be simply assumed that they are always beneficial. In this article results from an investigation with 16 Swedish pupils aged 7–9 year are presented based on an analysis that has examined how well this assumption holds up. Concepts from multi-modal theory have been used to investigate how young learners deal with illustrations and text from an early reader booklet about composting domestic refuse. The analysis suggests that expectations that illustrations facilitate the meaning-making of young pupils may be exaggerated. Although the booklet claimed to provide interactive support between image and text most of the examples show pupils ignoring pictures or misinterpreting vital information about composting in both the verbal and non-verbal material. The illustrations did not compensate for the most crucial deficiencies in the written text.

Exploring the Effects of Following Different Tracks of Study in Upper Secondary Education on Cognitive Test Performance

The research presented in this chapter explores, using examples from an earlier version of the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test [the SweSAT], the possible environmental influence on cognitive test performance with respect to the effects of differences in earlier education. Relatively large differences in results between students having attended different tracks of study in upper secondary school have been noticed in the SweSAT. Obviously, this may be due to initial differences when entering these tracks. However, it may also be assumed that different tracks followed in upper secondary schooling may influence abilities measured by the SweSAT in a different manner. The present study tentatively proposes the effects of track of study both on the observed results in a set of sub-tests and on certain ability factors previously proposed to lie behind performance on the test, after control for marks, at the end of lower secondary education.

Dimensions of test performance in English as a foreign language in different European settings: a two-level confirmatory factor analytical approach

The present study explored data from a survey of students’ performance in English at the end of compulsory school in 6 European countries. The aim was to gain deeper knowledge of the internal structure of the test and to discuss similarities and differences between the different settings regarding patterns in language proficiency. The analyses, conducted by a factor analytic approach and 2-level structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques, indicated an overall English achievement factor at both student and school levels. Furthermore, an effect of format differences at the student level, constituted by a factor related to tasks demanding constructed response, was found. Three correlated modality factors related to listening, linguistic, and reading skills were identified but not further elaborated on as they improved the model only modestly. Considerable differences in between-school variation were found in the different settings. The results are discussed in relation to the instrument, student achievements, and the state of English in the participating countries.