Vad är ämnet samhällskunskap? : En kvalitativ undersökning på elevers uppfattningar av ämnet samhällskunskap.

Sammanfattning: Social-studies is introduced to the students in first grade and is found in the childrens curriculum up to the ninth grade. The elementary school includes the subject as part of the SO- subjects, which includes geography, religion and history. The students knowledge that they get from the elementary school form the basis for future studies in upper secondary school. The teaching that is designed in the upper secondary school should be based on the students 'prior knowledge and the students' perceptions of the subject. The purpose of this study is to investigate the students' perceptions of the subject social- studies. The purpose is to create an understanding of how high-school students look at social- studies, that later can be used in the design of teaching in high school. Twenty-five students attending grade 9 in elementary school have been interviewed trough semi-structured interviews. The perceptions of social literacy as a subject have been analyzed on the basis of Lindmark's (2013) subject conceptions that have been adapted to suit students and their subject views. The subject concepts are facts and conceptual orientation, citizen skills orientation, fundamental values and societal analytics. The results show that students generally have a difficulty in defining what the subject of social science is and its content. Students believe that the subject is important and especially important for the future of adulthood and for future studies. Only two of the four subject concepts were represented in the students. The interviews show that the students have a fact and conceptual subject perception and a citizen skills oriented subject concept. This is in support of previous research which shows that teaching in the subject of social science often has a character of being factual and conceptual.