Cooperation between school and home is one of the cornerstones in school policies in Sweden, as well as internationally. During the last decades, questions of parental influence and the freedom to choose schools have come to the fore. The importance of well-functioning cooperation between school and home, aiming to support school performance and improve the pupils’ results, is another issue which has been stressed in policy, as well as in research. When implementing a major change, such as developing bilingual education, it is important to have the support and cooperation of the parents. In this paper the views of parents of pupils who received bilingual education in Arabic and Swedish are presented. Data was collected in questionnaires. In addition to information concerning the educational and linguistic background of the family, the parents gave their views on bilingual education in general, and on the bilingual education their children received, in particular. The parents appreciated the bilingual education and emphasized the importance of both mother tongue and Swedish for their children. They regarded bilingualism as an asset and wanted their children to become bilingual and bicultural.

The article explores reading and knowledge development in pupils receiving bilingual instruction in Swedish and Arabic during their first five school years. Attempts are also made to compare their reading level in Arabic and Swedish. Reading development has been documented by assessment materials generally used in schools, complemented with reading-tests in both languages. In addition the pupils’ results on the mandatory national tests assessing goal attainment in primary school years 3 and 5 are presented and compared to the results of Arabic speaking and other multilingual pupils at the same schools, who did not receive bilingual instruction. Findings show that the pupils from the bilingual classes mostly performed at the same level as pupils educated in Swedish only. They were slightly but seldom significantly behind in reading Swedish but many were proficient in reading Arabic as well. Certain differences in performance are discussed but the material does not permit to draw conclusions concerning the consequences of bilingual education. Other factors and circumstances affecting school performance need to be considered.

Research topic/aim: Language minority pupils represent an increasing part of the school population in Swedish schools, and the hitherto domineering monolingual norm is challenged by a bi- or multilingual reality. In urban schools 75%-100% of the pupils may have another first language than Swedish and today Arabic is one of the largest minority languages. Minority language pupils are faced with the challenge to develop a second language and simultaneously have to use this language as a vehicle for knowledge acquisition. In order for schools to meet this changing reality and to adapt to the needs of multilingual pupils, several schools are offering an increasing part of the education in the pupils’ first language. Different models of bilingual teaching are being developed based on what is considered possible and feasible within the prerequisites, conditions and resources of each school. In a longitudinal research project, the implementation of different organizational models of bilingual education in Swedish and Arabic in three urban school contexts has been followed. Consequences of developing bilingual education for the schools, the staff and for classroom teaching, as well as consequences for the pupils’ knowledge acquisition and language development in both languages, is being considered in an interdisciplinary study within an educational and societal context. Theoretical framework: The project is framed by Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological systems theory complemented primarily by theories of language development and second language acquisition and learning in school settings, but also by theories of school change and development. Information is collected on a societal, organizational, classroom and individual level. In this paper the parents’ views on bilingual education in general and on the bilingual teaching their children are being subjected to in particular is focused. Parents’ attitudes and activities are of fundamental importance not only for the language development of the children but also for their school achievements. A well functioning cooperation between home and school is also considered crucial for school success. In order for a bilingual approach to be successful the school needs the approval and support of the parents. Methodology/research design: Results from a questionnaire study directed to the parents of the children in the project are presented. The questionnaires were translated to the parents’ first language and were answered by a vast majority of the parents addressed. Expected conclusions/findings: The data presented encompasses information about the parents’ background, language use, views on school, on bilingual education and on the bilingual teaching model used in their children’s school and some differences between different groups of parents are discussed br> Relevance for Nordic Educational research: The political discussion of the school situation of minority language pupils in urban schools in Sweden is generally dominated by a deficiency discourse often underpinning the lack of resources and engagement among the parent group. When the parents are given the opportunity to express their opinions even through questionnaires only, a different picture emerges that may contribute to a more nuanced view.

The field of special education is characterized by substantial complexity in learning as well as in interaction and communication. Video-observations are especially suitable for studies of interactions and especially interaction with students in communicative complex situations. Video analysis also makes it possible to uncover the "hidden agenda" and the subtle signals that shape relationships, emotional climate and learning in the classroom. In the article focus is on the potential video-observations offers in studies of students in special needs in general and students with disabilities as deafness and hearing loss in particular. Advantages and limitations of video technology are discussed as well as ethics in relation to special educational contexts. Different principles of transcription and analysis, when sign language and manual signs are used in communication, are described. Examples from our research are given as analysis of communication between mother and child, between teacher and student and between students. The discussion focuses on issues that video-recording may highlight, in ways another medium could not, knowledge to be acquired from the analysis and conclusions that can be drawn from the referred examples.

Within the framework of a longitudinal study of deaf children with cochlear implants, 11 children with implants were interviewed. The objective was to shed light on what it is like for a child to use a cochlear implant, based on these children's own experience with implants, which ranged from 5.0 to 7.5 years. Six of the children were in schools for the deaf, five in regular classes. All but one used an implant daily. The children appreciated that an implant enabled them to perceive sounds in the environment. Some of the children in regular classes could take part in one-to-one conversations with teachers but had difficulty following teaching and discussions. This observation was consistent with what the children's parents and teachers had maintained. Peer interaction was said to be best when other children had the use of at least some signs.