tandfonline.com – The Quality of Instruction in Swedish Lower Secondary Language Arts and Mathematics

ABSTRACT

Instructional quality is a research topic that has received increased attention over the past decades. However, despite evidence for its importance to student learning, few studies are designed to examine patterns of prevalent instruction. The present study aimed to enhance the understanding of instructional quality in Swedish lower secondary school by examining patterns of instruction in 7th grade language arts and mathematics. 274 lessons from 73 separate classrooms were video-recorded and analyzed using the Protocol for Language Arts Teaching Observation (PLATO). Findings of the study show that lessons were largely organized through either whole-class instruction or individual seatwork. Mathematics included significantly more explicit teacher scaffolding and mathematics teachers scored higher than language arts teachers on nearly all instructional dimensions. However, in both subjects, there were substantial differences between teachers, meaning that students in different classrooms received systematically different kinds of instruction. Implications for instructional development and future research are discussed.