View of knowledge: Why has the Swedish school stopped delivering and what can be done about it?

1. View of knowledge: Why has the Swedish school stopped delivering and what can be done about it? Magnus Henrekson Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN), Stockholm August 16, 2018

3. Whatmotivatesthistopic • The no. 1 question for the future • Position as a leading country knowledge and industrialeconomy • Reversal ofcurrent trends re segregation and exclusion • Decisivefactor in aspiration toretain and developinclusivewelfare systems and social welfare at large • Acutebecauseof massive immigration ofadultswithverylittleeducation

4. The book is a trueinterdisciplinary venture The problemsMassive fall in internationallycomparable tests The attractivenessof the teaching profession

5. Decliningresults • Only 2 percentreachadvancedlevel in math • The weakest lag behind the OECD the most in all areas (the reversewastrue 20 yearsago) • The 5th percentile in mathnow as low as the U.S. • Despite massive universityeducationofteachers, the no. ofactivede facto certifiedteachers falls rapidly • Absenteeism, mental problems etcveryhigh • Still, relative wage has increasedsharply

6. Whyarechildren obligated by lawtoattendschool? • Biologicallyprimaryversusbiologicallysecondaryskills and knowledge • Reading, writing, math, and academic learning (as opposed to vocational ~) are evolutionary novelties • What we learn in school are things that do not come easy to us

7. ManyexpoundedexplanationsSchool choice, voucher system, for- profit providers, municipal governance …but not a resource problemDo teachers and pupils do the right things and do theyworkefficiently?

8. The viewofknowledge • Traditionalview: systematicallyidentified and validatedfacts and generallyrecognizedskills • Truth = thatwhichcorrespondswithreality • New knowledgeobtainedthroughempirical observation and rational reasoning, someknowledgeprovisionalbut best guess at thispoint • Social-constructivist (inspired) view • Knowledge is created in a social context • Knowledge not independent ofindividualpossessing it  fundamental effects on pedagogy and schoolwork • Largelyincompatiblewithgrading

9. Profoundeffects • Earlierviewgradually undermined • Developcognitiveskills and step-by-step accumulate relevant knowledgebased on the teaching, guidance and supervision ofknowledgeable persons whoare specialists in impartingsuchknowledge. • Hundredsofyearsofaccumulatedexperiencewasignored • Develop general skillssuch as ”abilitytolearn”, ”criticalthinking”, ”creativity”, ”problem-solvingskills” and ”cooperativeskills” indep. of relevant factual and procedural knowledge • Individualization and fragmentation • The learningprocess is the means by whichthese general skillsareto be acquired

10. The curriculum at odds with research • Not specifiedwhatshould be learnt in a subject • All subjectssubstantial social science component • Discussionlargerole in all subjects (focus on oral expression) • Not what a pupilshouldknowbut ask questionsbased on personal interests and experience • Not learn terms and conceptsbutformulateconcepts and examine (”deconstruct”) arguments • Learning the basicsof a subject and questioning at the same time • Constructivist elements OK, but on the currentlevelofknowledge • The process is the objective, not the result

11. Curriculum for the compulsoryschool – somegradingcriteria Physicaleducation and health, 9th year, grade C: ”Pupils in a relatively well functioning way can set up goals and plan their training and other physical activities. Pupils can also evaluate activities by talking about their own experiences…” (p. 103) [Grade A: wellinstead] Svenska, 9th year, grade A: ”The pupilcanperformwelldevelopedand wellinformedreasoningabout the history, origin and distinctive features of the Swedish language, and is abletocompare in a wellinformedway Swedish tocloselyrelatedlanguages and describecharacteristicsimilarities and differences.” (p. 96)

12. Gradingcriteriacont’d • Civics 6th year, grade C: ”Pupils have good knowledge of different societal structures. Pupils show this by exploring how social, media, legal, economic and political structures in society are organised and function and describe relatively complex relationships in different societal structures. In the descriptions, pupils can use concepts in a relatively well functioning way. ” (sid. 221) • Grade A: • good verygood; relativelycomplex  complex; relativelywell  well.

13. From a grading matrix in physics for year 4–6 • The pupil is abletocomparehis and others’ results and does so by welldevelopedreasoningaboutsimilarities and differences and whatthesemay be dueto. In addition, the pupil makes suggestions thatcouldimprove the investigation. • In general: learning is given an academicstance (”question”, ”problematize”, ”do research”) almost from the start.

14. Homeassignments: examples year 5–6 • How has magnetism influence the historyof the world? • Describe different perspectivesregardinghow media strcturesmay be composed • Elaborate on (sv. ”inta”) six different moral philosophicalperspectives on the novelabout a womanwho has beenunfaithful to her husband • Evaluate, analyze, compare + plus suggestions howcomplicatedphenomena and processes could be improved, to be donebefore the pupil has acquired relevant knowledge in the area (already in year 5–6).

15. The curriculum cont’d • Schoolwork is collectivelyorganized, subjectivist in terms ofcontentbuthyperindividualistic re pupils’ rights to definetheirownobjectives and followtheirowndevelopment plan. • The pedagogy/the form the learning process assumes is the toppriority, not knowledge and skilldevelopment • The Swedish SchoolInspectorate makes the decreedpedagogybinding

16. Reforms follow from the viewofknowledge – some examples • Governmentcontroloftextbooks and otherteaching materials abolished in 1991 • Any person canbecome a school principal and the principal is alwaysallowedtograde students ifthere is no certifiedteacherwho is entitledto do that • Schoolcompetion (incl for-profit schools) and admission to universitybased on grades, still standard-ized tests not an anchoringrole and open to cheating

17. A viciouscircle • There is no objectivetruth; only ”knowledge” and various ”interest-imbued” pointsofview • teachingcontent and requirementsarbitrary • teacherdemands and expectations on pupileffort and performanceillegitimate • evaluation and gradingunwarrantedwieldingofpower • powershould be uncovered (”deconstructed”) throughcriticalthinking and reflectivediscussion • teacher has to apologize for his/herrole • teaching profession unattractive

18. Cognitive and neuro science research • Instructiveteacherwithexpectations on the pupil • Uncertaintyaboutrequirements stress and failure • A calm and wellstructured enviroment withcleargoals and carefully prepared progression • Repetition and deeplearning lessens demand on scarceworkingmemory • Earlyautomatizationof fundamental skills (numeracy and literacy) • Skills (& creativity) domainspecific; excellent readingskillspresupposesdeepfamiliarityofmany areas

19. Competition and school choice • Incompatiblewith the stipulatedviewofknowledge • Insteadofevaluationof the result, the focus will be an external controlof the process • The mostimportantmechanismthat makes competitioneffective is thusblocked

20. An alternative paradigm Thereexiststrue and andimportantknowledge Mastering it gives unrivalledopportunitiestogrow and realizeone’s plans in voluntarycooperationwithothers A goodschool system canselectwhatskills and knowledgethataremostimportanttoacquire Knowledgeableteachersusingefficientpedagogicalmethods guide pupilsupwardtowardtheir potential  To make demands and evaluatepupilperformance is to show trueconcern The teaching profession becomesattractive and schoolresultswillimproveacross the board.