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In Sweden, gender pedagogics has been on the political agenda the last decade. Consequently, gender matters have been given much attention in Swedish preschools, and specialized pedagogues have also been trained to counteract socially constructed gender distinctions. Therefore, we have explored the enactment of gender pedagogics. We asked 17 preschool teachers to describe the situations revolving around gender issues that they have experienced, using the critical incident method. In all, 34 critical incidents were described and subsequently discussed in groups of 6-10 individuals. Afterward, the data were analyzed qualitatively, with the objective to explore the preschool teachers' understanding of gender approaches. The analysis led us to single out four "ideal type approaches," that is, "instrumental," "co-productive," "facilitative," "proactive," and "agitative" gender approach. The gender approaches were made up by the different ways of interacting with the children as regards gender described by the preschool teachers and by the different ways of reflecting over the described situations. We argue that the four different types of gender interaction emanate from corresponding underlying conceptions of gender, and that they may exercise influence on the children's identity process.

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The aim of the study was to exemplify pupils' mastering of mathematical literacy. The study is a comparative multiple case study. In pupils' talk of mathematical activities aspects of mathematical literacy are discerned. A distinction is made between pupils: (1) pupils in mathematical difficulties, (2) pupils with another mother tongue than Swedish or (3) pupils without mathematical difficulties. The study was performed as a comparative multiple case study. The "cases" were constituted by the three groups of pupils, and these were compared. Seventy-two pupils in grade 5 in six different primary schools in Sweden participated: twenty-four pupils in mathematical difficulties (twelve girls and twelve boys), twenty-four pupils with another native language than Swedish (twelve girls and twelve boys) and twenty-four pupils without mathematical difficulties (twelve girls and twelve boys). After each of the performed lessons in which the activities were carried out the pupils were interviewed (groupwise in the above defined groups) about their experience of the activities. In the analysis of the results three ideal types were described, one for each group of pupils. The ideal types were discussed with relation to mathematical literacy.

In this study, parents told their story about their children; their children's preschool and preschool class; their children's educational transitions; and their own cooperation with staff. The views of parents (N=27) were collected by way of life story interviews. The bioecological model for human development was adopted as a theoretical, conceptual and analytical frame. A qualitative bioecological content analysis and a quantitative content analysis were performed. More than half of the children were described as typical in terms of development, while a few were described as being gifted and talented by their parents, and about a third had special educational needs. More preschools than preschool classes were considered to be high in quality, and more preschoolhome collaboration than preschool class-home collaboration was felt to be high in quality. The following ideal type approaches of the parents emerged: (1) involved and concerned parents; (2) involved but unconcerned parents; and (3) uninvolved and unconcerned parents. The number of involved and concerned parents increased from preschool to preschool class. This study has relevance for preschool and preschool class teachers, special educators, policy-makers and researchers in inclusive and special education.