Teachers perceptions of the use of visual media within Swedish fritidshem

We aim to explore the role of films and TV-series within the Swedish fritidshem from the perspective of six teachers. We specifically intend to study if and why the teachers use film and TV-series and if they discuss and process the contents of the film together with the children. The study also addresses the question of student democracy regarding the choice of films. The primary method of data gathering used in this thesis were qualitative, semi-structured interviews. The interviews were conducted with six teachers working with children ages 6-13 in the fritidshem. The theoretical framework used for the study and interviews was a relational perspective according to Buber (1994) and Aspelin and Persson (2011). The results of this study shows that the teachers interviewed for this study use films and TV-series within the fritidshem, but mainly for recreation and often without pedagogical purpose or discussions about the content. The children were seldom included in the process of choosing which film to see. Our conclusion is that the teachers in the study lack the time and the knowledge needed to organize film related discussions which address school values and give the students a chance for emotional and social growth