Teaching Integration : A Qualitative Study of Swedish SFI Teachers’ Ideas about Integration and Language Acquisition

Sammanfattning

This thesis examines how teachers in Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) perceive integration and their role in facilitating it during a period of changing Swedish integration policy. Historically, Sweden has been associated with a multicultural integration model that emphasises equal rights and cultural diversity, but recent policy developments have introduced stronger language requirements, civic expectations, and labour-market-oriented reforms. The study aims to explore which integration ideals are reflected in SFI teachers’ perspectives. A qualitative research design was employed, based on semi-structured interviews with five SFI teachers from three regions of Sweden. The interview material was analysed using thematic analysis and compared with two ideal types of integration: multiculturalism and assimilation. The findings show that the teachers do not fully align with either ideal type. Instead, they express a pragmatic understanding of integration shaped by classroom realities and students’ diverse educational and personal backgrounds. While the teachers emphasise the importance of acquiring the Swedish language, participating in the labour market, and knowledge of Swedish society, they are generally sceptical of punitive integration measures and culturally exclusionary approaches. Their perspectives suggest an integration ideal focused less on cultural homogeneity and more on enabling functional participation and social inclusion within Swedish society.