Socialt lärande - arbetet i fritidshemmet

Sammanfattning: The aim of this thesis is to contribute with knowledge about the leisure time centre staff’s perspectives on their work, specifically focusing on pupils’ social learning. The interest is directed at the Swedish leisure time centre for the public school’s early years. Two research questions were used to reach the aim. The first question concerns the knowledge and abilities by staff considered important in pupils’ social learning. The second question concerns the staff’s work with promoting these knowledge and abilities. With a standpoint in the staff’s descriptions, focus was to highlight what they consider as important work, as well as how and why the activities are directed the way they are. The study has been conducted as an interview study, with leisure time centre staff participating in group interviews. The theoretical point of departure is Bronfenbrenners bioecological systems theory. Through that the leisure time centre activities can be understood as the interaction of different factors, influencing and controlling the staff’s decisions concerning, both direct and distant.This licentiate thesis consists of two publications. The first publication, the anthology chapter Social learning in the leisure time centre: staff perspectives (Jonsson, 2017), answers the question of what knowledge and abilities staff consider important in social learning. The second publication, Promoting social learning in the Swedish leisure time centre (Jonsson & Lillvist, re-submitted) answers the question of how social learning is promoted and why the activities are directed the way they are.The results show consistent descriptions of what is considered important in pupils’ social learning.  The pupils’ common and individual security is, by the staff, considered to be the basis of social learning and with that in focus, empathy, communication and responsibility are outpointed as important factors. Responsibility is particularly emphasised and the staff stress the pupils’ ability to take responsibility of their words and actions, which in turn is said to be facilitated by the pupils’ empathic ability. The various factors can thus be regarded as interacting in pupils’ social learning.Collaborative activities are stressed as beneficial and the staff see their own indicative role as important. In this the daily dialogue with the pupils is emphasised. However, the structural conditions appear to be partly obstructive. Further appearing is the staff’s perspective of social learning as a topic not needed to be talked about, based on the belief that the everyday practice is grounded on shared values.The implications of the study are that social learning needs to be discussed, both in the immediate working group with the support of the principal, as well as at municipal and national level.