Sweden is a country with a long tradition of immigration, yet there is not much research on newcomers' schooling. In a research overview conducted recently by Nihad Bunar (2010) it is clear that research that explicitly refers to newly arrived pupils is a neglected area, both in Sweden and internationally, although there is some research the results  are transferable to this group of students (f.i. Eklund, 2003). There is even less research in which newcomers' own perspectives on their school introduction is expressed. One of the few studies on this perspective was conducted by The Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen, 2009). The newcomers described, in interviews and in written form, her/his meeting with the Swedish school. The positive perceptions that emerged were that newcomers in the study felt safe in school, that school was free of charge, that you did not get beaten, and that instruction was not only teacher-centered. The negative perceptions included that the newcomers had to wait a long time to begin their schooling and that there was a long and tangled road before schooling got started. Further perceptions were that the school staff members were not interested in the newcomers previous schooling or their prior knowledge and opinions and did not acknowledge targets that pupils had for their education. The study also offers a picture of segregation, isolation and even "us and them" thinking. the newcomers also experienced loneliness, avoidance of other students and to the rarity of having friends among Swedish-born students. Finally, newcomer students felt that they were stuck in the preparatory class when they wanted to learn faster and be part of a regular class.

The aim of the present study is to describe, analyze and interpret the experiences of selected newly arrived pupils as well as their perceptions and feelings about the learning conditions in both the preparatory and “regular class" and the transition between the two.

The theoretical point of departure for the study is a socio-cultural perspective on learning, first developed by Lev Vygotsky (1978, 1986, 1994, 1997) and then, in Sweden, advanced by Roger Säljö (1990, 1992, 2000). Säljö emphasized that knowledge originates in interaction and not in internal psychological processes, like Vygotsky and Wertsch (Säljö, 1992, 2000, Wertsch, 1990, Vygotsky, 1978, 1986). Vygotsky's sociocultural theory emphasized meaningful social interaction as the main driving force in child development (Kozulin & Vygotsky, 1986; Moll, 1990; Säljö, 2000; Wertsch, 1990) and that changes in socio-historical context leads to other conditions for learning and development (Kozulin & Vygotsky, 1986; Wertsch, 1990). Thus, all learning is situated, which means that one cannot ignore the context in which learning takes place. Organize teaching for new arrivals according to this theory of development is critical for meaningful learning.
Students' own experiences, perceptions and feelings about their introduction to the Swedish school system are to be interpreted from a socio-cultural perspective as are classroom observations.

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