Sveriges bästa svensk : En kvalitativ studie av filmens potential i undervisning om integration

Sammanfattning: Abstract   In the light of the political debate that takes place today – how refugees should be integrated into the Swedish society ­– the film Sveriges bästa svensk was created on the initiative of Arbetarnas bildningsförbund (ABF) and Studieförbundet Vuxenskolan (SV) to prevent racism and xenophobia through discussion, which the film aims to contribute with. The initiators of the film have said that it can work in multiple applications; one such area is in school. The main purpose of this study was to examine if the short-film Sveriges bästa svensk could be used as an educational tool, according to teachers, when they talk about integration issues with students. To get answers out of the investigation, qualitative interviews with teachers and students from the sixth and ninth grade were conducted. The study is based on three theoretical frameworks: the multimodal approach, which addresses how digital media has been given a greater purpose - how students' knowledge, learning and meaning evolve; the progressivistic perspective, which describes how students attain new knowledge based on specific educational activities, and finally the socio-scientific perspective, which through a teaching method called “SSI-projects” exemplifies how schools can work with social issues. The results of the study show that the teachers are positive in using Sveriges bästa svensk as a part of their education material. However, for it to have an influencing effect on students' attitudes and opinions, it should be used as a tool for discussion and/or be part of a larger project. The teachers’ statements can be linked to a progressivistic approach on teaching, and to the socio-scientific model of "SSI projects" that is based on how social issues can be explored. Furthermore, the teachers prefer to use film in their teaching because it mediates visual messages that can facilitate students' meaning, which the multimodal approach treats. The film raised new thoughts and ideas of the students through assimilation and accommodation, which can develop new insights and experiences about how society looks like.  Film as a medium, and in this case specifically exemplified by Sveriges bästa svensk can be expected to contribute to a change in society when it comes to including the broad concept of integration. Despite the values that students get from home about refugees and social issues in society, Sveriges bästa svensk has the potential to work as a tool for discussion about the issues of integration, and possibly begin to change the mindset of students.