University of Gothenburg
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Ann-Katrin Svärd

Senior Lecturer

Department of Education and Special
Education
Telephone
+46 31-786 22 50
Mail
ann-katrin.sward@gu.se
Visiting address
Västra Hamngatan 25
41117 Göteborg
Room number
A2 147
Postal address
Box 300
40530 Göteborg

About Ann-Katrin Svärd

Ann-Katrin Swärd's research deals with different aspects of literacy like teachers competence when they teach students to read and write. Main focus is Special Education, primarily from a prevention perspective. Ann-Katrin belongs to the research platform PRIS (platform for research on inclusive education and school development) Gothenburg University. She also collaborate with CHILD, a interdisciplinary research group, Jönköping University and ECE (Early childhood education) University of Gävle.

Ann-Katrin teaches in various courses in Special Education, both at basic and advanced level. Tutor and examine master students is another part of her work as well as post-graduate students.

Biography

Ann-Katrin Swärd has 30 years of experiences as a teacher from preschool to high school. After 15 years as a teacher in pre- and primary school she graduate as a teacher in Special Education at Malmö University 1988 and continued to work as a teacher in special education mainly in primary school. She also graduate a few years later as a teacher in Special Education for children with hearing impairment at Stockholm University. Degree in Bachelor and Master, Special Education at Karlstad university where the focus was communication, speech, language development and literacy.

Over the years Ann-Katrin continue to specialize and worked with students in need of extra support. It could be about reading and writing as well as support for students with different diagnosis like neuropsychiatric conditions. This excellence in competence led to employment as a lecturer in Special Education, University of Gävle 1999. Ann-Katrin graduated as a PhD in Special Education with a focus in literacy at Stockholm University 2008. The doctor thesis, a Grounded Theory study about some teachers in different contexts and their way of teaching to ensure student's literacy skill.

Future research is about how students in secondary school select and use different texts and their interest in reading. Boys reading is a project between librarian and teachers and their students. A retrospectiv case-study about non-verbal communication and transfer to Ipad-communication when the individual have autismspectrum condition in combination with intellectual disability. Studies about why and how students with another etnichal background than Swedish must change from their school to a special class for students with intellectual disability.

International project and collaboration has been and still are a very important part in Ann-Katrin's professional work. Different project within Erasmus Intensive program and Linneaus-Palme is some examples of collaboration. During the last year Ann-Katrin has also been appointed as external examinor and reviewer at some universities in South Africa.