Students' Democratic Competence : Opportunities and Limits for an Open Classroom Climate

In democracy and school research, many scholars have conducted quantitative studies and investigated which of the teachers’ teaching methods have positive effects on students’ democratic competence. Several of the studies demonstrate a positive correlation between an open classroom and students’ democratic competence. However, few researchers have conducted qualitative studies and investigated how the school context has effects on students’ democratic competence. This study investigates what opportunities and limits students think and experience for an open classroom climate in the Swedish, upper secondary school. This thesis aims to contribute new knowledge about how the school can promote and develop students’ democratic competence. To answer the research question, a combination of the two qualitative, research methods, focus groups and individual interviews are used. The results show that there are five mechanisms; knowledge, interest, trust, personality, and norms that can explain the opportunities and limits students think and experience for an open classroom in Swedish, upper secondary school. However, the students think and experience these mechanisms to varying degrees in different school contexts and class compositions. These findings contribute new knowledge about what similar or different opportunities and limits students may experience for an open classroom climate by identifying and analyzing which mechanisms can explain why an open classroom climate occurs.