An Exploration of Meaningful Reading Practices with Fiction in Swedish Upper Secondary EFL Education through Teacher and Student Perspectives

Sammanfattning

Reading fiction can lead to self-growth which may develop readers’ democratic values by cultivating empathy and an understanding of others’ perspectives and experiences. This is a central aim of the Swedish upper secondary school curriculum. However, for fiction to have such an impact, readers must engage with the text in meaningful ways. Therefore, this qualitative study investigates how meaningful reading practices can be fostered through students’ and teachers’ perspectives on working with fiction, with the aim of providing transferable knowledge on the topic. Through thematic analyses of semi-structured interviews with two teachers and five students, two central facets of meaningful fiction reading were found; namely, students’ learning styles and the fiction’s ability to empower students. Furthermore, the findings indicate that relational competency is essential for navigating the diversity of Swedish upper secondary classrooms. By cultivating strong teacher-student relationships, teachers were able to support students’ diverse learning styles and empower them through the reading practices. Previous research suggests that each of these facets could benefit reading practices, yet, research on the interconnectedness of learning styles and empowerment through relational competency remains limited. Thus, future larger-scale research investigating the relationship between these facets may provide further insight into how meaningful reading practices can be achieved.