Texter i dialog. En studie i gymnasieelevers litteraturläsning

The thesis is a reception study and the focus of the research is on what happens during the reading process when an upper secondary school class reads fiction. The theoretical basis consists of theories of reading as transaction and the envisionment-building and dialogic classroom. A process-based and relational perspective on reading, writing and oral exchange in teaching has been central.

The empirical material, which consists of the pupils’ texts, discussions about literature, evaluations and interviews, has been collected from the teacher’s own work during a period of three years. The questions to be studied are: What understanding do the pupils build and what reflection is expressed in their written texts and discussions? What touches their own lives? How does the classroom become a secure place for the exchange of experience and knowledge? The thesis also examines the pupils’ reading of the three novels The Catcher in the Rye, Musselstranden (Mussel beach) and The Stranger. Reader portraits describe and discuss three pupils’ reading and their thoughts about and experiences of studying literature.

The results show that while writing their reading logs and other written tasks, pupils have a strong need to make written connections between experiences in their own social worlds and the worlds in the texts. Discussions show that exchanges of experience and knowledge have occurred. The reader portraits show that the literature takes on different dimensions for different pupils, depending on their background, socialisation and needs. The study indicates that there are opportunities for further work with the social worlds of the texts and the social worlds the pupils live in. The thesis discusses how such a reading can be included in enquiry-based teaching of literature where the pupils are also allowed to create new artefacts in the extended classroom.