Skolutveckling med ett neurodidaktiskt perspektiv : En kvalitativ studie med skolledare, specialpedagoger och en utvecklingsledare.

Abstract The overall purpose of this thesis was to investigate to what extent new research findings, in neuroscience and learning, may be useful in a school improvement context. In a qualitative interview study combined with questionnaire, we have investigated the approach to school improvement that exists in a municipality. Informants have been head teachers in preschool and primary school, special education teachers in a student health team and a development manager. The outcome of the study showed that all of the study participants, all of which have a formal mandated to work for school improvement occurs. It also shows that informants, according to their professional position, express different goals when relating to school improvement. The study also shows that all the informants are aware of and considered that the new research findings, in neuroscience and learning, was particularly important for school personnel to know about as well in preschool as in primary school, to meet all children’s and pupils’ different needs. Furthermore the informants believed that the neuroscientific perspective can help create better conditions for the activities to reach the policy documents aim. One conclusion to be drawn from the study in this is that in the studied municipality of the staff groups (school leaders, special educators, development manager) which has formal responsibility for school improvement, there is great interest both to acquire knowledge from research ant to disseminate and apply research- based knowledge. The study also, shows that the informants believe that research-based knowledge of neurodidactics is particularly important and will become increasingly important for school improvement. Descriptors: Questionnaire, Interview, Neurodidactics, Neuroscience, School Improvement, Educatio