Instruction for Mathematics and Science in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades
The school year is divided into two semesters and comprises 178 school days (Monday to Friday). The timetable, which is prescribed in the Education Act adopted by parliament, guarantees each student a minimum of 6,785 hours of instruction in compulsory school (Grades 1 to 9).23
Municipalities and schools independently determine the distribution of instructional time across the nine years of compulsory education; the act stipulates there should be at least 1,020 hours of mathematics instruction and 800 hours of instruction in the three subjects of biology, chemistry, and physics together, over these nine years. The instructional time allocated for mathematics was increased in 2013. For students participating in TIMSS 2015, the instructional time in mathematics will have been approximately 900 hours over their nine school years.
Grade at Which Specialist Teachers for Mathematics and Science are Introduced
In general, students in Sweden are instructed by teachers with more specific subject skills from Grade 7.
Instructional Materials, Equipment, and Laboratories
Teachers are responsible for selecting teaching methods (including assigning homework to students) and materials. Teachers are free to select materials such as books, audiovisual materials, and Information and Communications Technology independently and are limited only by financial constraints. Schools purchase teaching materials from various publishers and distribute them to students free of charge.
Use of Technology
Many schools and municipalities have the goal of a one-to-one computer to student ratio, and continue to invest in this goal. Although most schools have access to computers, the Internet, and other technological aids, the use of technology varies widely, depending on teacher interest and availability of financial resources at each school.
The national curriculum states that the school is responsible for ensuring that each student can use modern technology as a tool in the search for knowledge, communication, creativity, and learning.
Accommodation Policies for Instruction and Testing
Students with special needs may be entitled to an education at The Compulsory School for Pupils with Learning Disabilities, with its own curriculum (Grundsärskolan).24 This education provides knowledge and values, contributes to personal development and social togetherness, and gives a good foundation for active participation in society, among other benefits. This education has specific subjects or subject areas, or a combination of these. The education also can include subjects in accordance with the curriculum of The Compulsory School.
Within The Compulsory School for Pupils with Learning Disabilities, there is a special orientation called The Training School. The Training School is intended for students who cannot benefit from all or part of the education in specific subjects. Instead of the separate subjects, the training school has five subject areas:
- Aesthetic activities
- Communication
- Motor skills
- Everyday activities
- Perception of reality
Children who cannot attend The Compulsory School or The Compulsory School for Pupils with Learning Disabilities, due to a functional impairment or for other reasons, can attend The Special School (Specialskolan) if they:
- Are deaf and blind or have visual impairments and other functional impairments
- In cases other than the previous point are deaf or hearing impaired, or have a severe speech disorder
In the majority of subjects, students in The Special School follow the syllabi of The Compulsory School. Some subjects, however, have special syllabi that have been adapted to the needs of students with hearing disabilities or impairment.