Photo of Alma Memisevic

Alma Memisevic

Associate Professor

STEM, school-age educare and compulsory school for pupils with intellectual disabilities.

I hold a PhD in Science Education and conduct research on the teaching of science and technology subjects in the context of school-age educare, both within mainstream compulsory education and a compulsory school for pupils with intellectual disabilities.

Research Profile

My research profile encompasses several areas that intersect with teaching, goal-oriented education, and the institutional role of school-age educare centres (SAEC). I defended my doctoral thesis in March 2024, titled “Teaching in School-Age Educare Centres in the Era of Learning: A Discourse-Analytical Study Focusing on Scientific and Technical Teaching Practices.”. The study is ethnographically inspired, with video observations as the primary method of data collection. It explores the tensions between tradition and renewal that arise when the educational mission of SAECs is implemented in practice.

More specifically, the study takes its point of departure in recent discursive shifts that place greater emphasis on teaching and learning within the SAEC context, where children’s free time is increasingly structured and utilized at the expense of their own interests, needs, and free play. These changes can be traced to international knowledge assessments that have influenced the mission of SAECs, which are now expected to support the achievement of school goals to a greater extent than before. In my dissertation, I critically examine this development - often described as a shift from a social pedagogical to an educational pedagogical arena. This shift, the increasing goal-orientation, and its impact on children and the SAEC as an institution are at the core of my research interests.

Internationally, similar political ambitions exist to make leisure time more efficient in order to improve students’ academic performance. My study seeks to understand how these intentions relate to the development of Swedish SAECs over recent decades. I identify parallels and show that the role of SAEC-teachers is complex. They are positioned both as innovators and as preservers of tradition. On one hand, they strive to meet the demands of teaching and documenting student learning in accordance with the strengthened educational mission. On the other hand, they aim to preserve the traditional values of SAECs, such as play and the centrality of children’s interests and needs. My findings indicate that these values are not easily reconciled.

Since completing my PhD, I have broadened my research interests to include special education, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and students with intellectual disabilities. This interest stems from my doctoral dissertation, in which one of SAECs included in the study was located within a compulsory school for pupils with intellectual disabilities. Students with intellectual disabilities are often marginalized - both in educational research and in public discourse about schooling. From an equity perspective, I believe it is essential to generate scientific knowledge about the type of education these students receive during their leisure time in SAECs. Such knowledge is crucial to ensure that both students and their teachers receive the support they need for students with intellectual disabilities to fully participate in society according to their abilities.

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