Listening comprehension and listening strategies plays a crucial role in the process of acquiring a language. This study aims to investigate to what extent the listening skill is practised in upper secondary schools in the south of Sweden. Research studies within the field of listening are few which indicates that the listening skill is not considered as essential in second language teaching as the other three skills: reading, writing and speaking. Previous studies indicate that teachers should educate students metacognitive awareness when teaching listening. The results summarize the teachers’ answers, reflections and attitudes conducted from semi-structured interviews. The analysis of the results focuses on the four categories distinguished from the teachers’ answers: Teaching Approaches, National Exams, The Individual Student and Metacognitive Awareness. Some of the teachers do not possess the knowledge of how to teach listening that develops students' listening proficiency. As a conclusion, the study shows that a hierarchy exists among the four skills to which teachers adjust to, and this may be detrimental in achieving educational aims.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The collection of pages spread before you now, this story-thesis, is a collection of stories about my journey from cult member to the place in life I am now, stories about those stories, and stories about the people who lived or read them, talked about them, and were changed by the tellings. Most importantly, the goal of this story-thesis is to illustrate how the process of story-making and -telling changes how we interpret our identities and our lifeworlds. I argue that the stories that we share change our identities, and I also argue that how we perceive our identity and the identities of others affects the stories that we share.

In today’s volatile market, retail companies struggle for survival as they have to become more flexible and dynamic. Thus, they change the organization, implementing agile methods. However agile is more than a set of practices and therefore the implementation process needs to be accompanied by organizational development to accomplish successful organizational change. This has been shown to be difficult for retail companies due to their size, defined silos, comfortable long-established ways of doing things and strong bureaucratic hierarchical culture. This thesis studies the implementation of agile in a large-scale retail organization and uses organizational development as a tool for deeper understanding and analysis. The study has been conducted at one of Sweden's leading retail organizations, where the research design contains two phases: one pre-study phase where a deeper understanding of the company and the transformation is achieved resulting in a problem formulation and the second phase where the main study is directed by the problem formulation and leads to an analysis and conclusion. The analysis is based on empirics gathered from three separate teams and is divided into three interconnected change phases, “Preparation”, “Implementation” and “Desired state”. From the analysis in the preparation and implementation phases; strengths and challenges within the organization were identified. Together with a maturity model to evaluate the implemented agile practices and an organizational culture assessment instrument to evaluate people and culture, the strengths and challenges were then used to estimate their current state and compare it to their future desired state. In conclusion, the strengths of the case company were that, when implemented, the observed teams incorporated the agile ceremonies and ways of work successfully. However, there were challenges identified in relation to resistance within management, there was a general lack of support from the sponsors and confusion about the managerial roles. There was also a lack of communication, cooperation and synchronizations between teams. / I dagens flyktiga marknader kämpar företag inom dagligvaruhandeln för att överleva då de måste bli mer flexibla och dynamiska i deras strategi. För att bemöta detta ändrar företagen sin strategi genom implementering av agila metoder. Emellertid handlar att vara agil inte bara om att använda sig av olika verktyg och övningar för att ändra hur man arbetar, utan för att implementeringen av agila metoder ska vara lyckad, måste den följas med av en lyckad organisationsförändring. En sådan agil implementering och organisationsförändring har visats vara komplicerad i just dagligvaruhandeln på grund av organisationernas ofta stora storlek, definierade silos, komfortabla gamla traditioner och starka hierarkiska organisationskultur. Denna uppsats studerar implementationen av agilt i ett storskaligt företag inom dagligvaruhandeln och använder sig av organisationsutveckling som ett verktyg för att nå en djupare förståelse och analys. Analysen är uppdelad i tre olika sammanhängande faser “Förberedelse”, “Implementering”, och “Önskat Tillstånd”. Empirin analysen är baserad på kommer från tre olika separata team, vilka är i olika faser av den agila transformationen. I förberedelse- och implementeringsfaserna identifieras styrkor och utmaningar hos företaget. Dessa används sedan tillsammans med en mognadhetsmodell, för att evaluera de agila tillvägagångssätten samt ett bedömningsinstrument för organisationskultur, för att evaluera personer och kultur, i syfte att sedan utvärdera det nuvarande tillståndet i jämförelse med det önskade. Sammanfattningsvis lyckades de observerade teamen att framgångsrikt implementera de agila metoderna och arbetssätten. Däremot identifierades flera utmaningar i relation till motstånd inom management. Det fanns en generell förvirring kring chefs rollernas betydelse och det saknades stöd från ledningsgruppen. Slutligen identifierades även förbättringsområden inom kommunikation, samarbete och synkronisering mellan olika team.

This thesis offers an assessment design for collaborative learning, utilisation of blended learning support through current communication technologies and highlights the crucial role of the tutor. The thesis designed and tested a theoretical framework which encompassed an active learning environment and resulted in the development of the shamrock conceptual framework. To test the theoretical framework, clarify the role of the tutor and the impact on the learner experience two studies were undertaken using pedagogical models that combined the concepts of learner-centric, sociocultural and dialogic perspectives on collaborative learning and technology in meeting the needs of learners in the 21st Century. In the first study, the role of the tutor was found to be crucial in setting, implementing and guiding learners using the assessment design as part of a social constructivist pedagogical practice. The pedagogical approach adopted was to blend face-to-face and Wiki learning experiences and was found to promote learner ownership, engagement and the fostering of a learning community. The second study validated the first and provided additional asynchronous technology experiences in addition to the Wiki blend in the assessment design. Study 2 examined the role of the tutor and the learner whilst using current technologies comprising podcasts and video and a Wiki in the collaborative experience. Findings showed that the Wiki supported community and collaborative aspects of a sociocultural practice whilst learners were engaged in authentic learning activities and led to a well supported learning environment. The importance of technology design and use to accommodate collaborative and community aspects was found to be an essential component. It was found that technology is not simply an add-on but rather needs to be planned and considered purposefully by both tutors and learners when used in a blend to supplement learning on campus as part of an assessment design in higher education. This study has shown that, for this to happen, academics need to be provided with the appropriate support, knowledge and skills required in developing a blended learning experience using a Wiki supplemented by class contact on campus as part of an assessment design.

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This study explored teachers’ effective use of questioning as a teaching strategy in Social Studies in grade seven within a primary school in the Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). The advent of free primary education has brought about large class sizes, but the desire to produce quality education persists. The literature distilled in the study showed that, although a considerable body of studies has established that questioning in the classroom helps direct learning, many teachers fail to utilise it as such. Those who endeavour to use it succeed in engaging their learners, and this results in teaching effectiveness and good outcomes for their learners. The study employed the interpretive paradigm because of the in-depth nature of the investigation. It therefore was a qualitative study that used observation and in-depth semi-structured interviews to gather data and attain the objectives of the study. It was a case study in which four Social Studies teachers took part. Observations were made for at least for 60 minutes in each classroom. Field notes were taken and later analysed. Individual interviews were conducted with the teachers. The results of the study showed that teachers did not use questions to direct teaching and learning, and had no knowledge of the concept of wait time. They also said that they had not been taught questioning strategies in their pre- service teacher training. This was consistent with the literature. Though research shows that questioning promotes effective teaching, the studies reviewed indicated that few teachers use it as an instructional tool. The implications derived from the present study are therefore that pre-service teacher training has to be improved to cater for such important topics as classroom questioning. Also to be improved is further professional development. There is a significant need for action at the macro- and micro-levels of the educational system towards improvement. The actions at the micro-level will be determined by diligent policies designed and executed at that level, that is, the level of the school. / Hierdie studie verken onderwysers se benutting van vraagstelling as onderrigstrategie in Sosiale Studies in Graad 7 by ʼn primêre skool in die koninkryk Eswatini (voorheen Swaziland). In weerwil daarvan dat gratis primêre onderrig groot klasse tot gevolg het, moet gehalteonderwys steeds nagestreef word. Volgens die literatuur wat geraadpleeg is, toon talle studies dat vraagstelling in die klas regstreekse leer bevorder. Onderwysers wat vrae aan leerders stel, gee doeltreffend onderwys omdat hulle leerders betrek, en sodoende ʼn goeie uitkoms behaal. Desondanks pas min onderwysers hierdie strategie toe. Op grond van die aard van hierdie ondersoek, is ʼn vertolkende paradigma gevolg. In hierdie kwalitatiewe studie is data deur waarneming en halfgestruktureerde onderhoude ingesamel. Elke klas is vir minstens 60 minute waargeneem en veldaantekeninge is gemaak wat later ontleed is. Vier onderwysers wat Sosiale Studies onderrig, was deel van die gevallestudie. ʼn Onderhoud is met elkeen gevoer. In hierdie studie is bevind dat die onderwysers geen vrae in die klas gestel het nie. Hulle het ook nie die begrip van wagtyd geken nie, aangesien hulle nooit in vraagstellingstrategieë opgelei is nie. Dit verklaar bevindings in die literatuur dat min onderwysers vraagstelling in die klas gebruik. Vraagstelling moet dus deel van onderwysers se opleiding uitmaak. Hierbenewens moet die professionele ontwikkeling van onderwysers aandag geniet. Voorts is dit noodsaaklik dat die onderwysstelsel op sowel mikro- as makrovlak verbeter word. Ingryping op mikrovlak sal deur die uitvoering van beleid op skoolvlak bepaal word. / Lesifundvo sihlose kusebentisa ngemphumelelo inchubo yekubuta njengelisu lekufundzisa ku-Social Studies kuLibanga 7 ngekhatsi kwesikolwa semabanga laphasi Eswatini (lebeyatiwa ngeSwaziland ngaphambilini). Kufika kwemfundvo yamahhala yemabanga laphasi kwente kwekutsi emaklasi agcwale kakhulu, kodvwa sifiso sekukhicita imfundvo leyikhwalithi siyachubeka. Ilitheretja lebuyeketiwe esifundvweni ikhombisa kwekutsi, nanobe umtimba lobantana wetifundvo utfole kwekutsi inchubo yekubuta eklasini isita kucondzisa kufundza, bothishela labanyenti bayehluleka kukusebentisa ngendlela lefanele. Laba labetama kukusebentisa bayaphumelela ekumbandzakanyeni bafundzi babo, futsi loku kuholela ekufundziseni ngemphumelelo kanye nemiphumela lemihle kubafundzi babo. Lesifundvo sisebentise umcondvo lohumushako ngesizatfu seluhlobo lolujulile lwekuphenya. Ngako-ke bekusifundvo sebunyenti lapho kusetjentiswe khona kubuka kanye nekubuta lokungakahleleki ngalokuphelele lokujulile kugcogca idatha kanye nekutfola tinjongo tesifundvo. Kuhlanganyele bothishela labane beSocial Studies kulesifundvo sekuhlola. Luhlelo lwekubuka lwentiwe lokungenani imizuzu lengema-60 eklasini ngalinye. Kutsatfwe emanotsi futsi ahlatiywa ngemuva kwesikhatsi. Kubutwe bothishela ngamunye. Imiphumela yesifundvo ikhombisa kwekutsi bothishe abakasebentini imibuto kucondzisa kufundzisa nekufundza, futsi bebangenalwati ngemcondvo wesikhatsi sekulindza. Baphindze baphawula kwekutsi abakafundzisiswa emasu ekubuta ekucecesheni kwabo kwangaphambi kwekufundzisisa. Loku bekufanana ngelitheretja. Nanobe lucwaningo lukhombisa kwekutsi kubuta kugcugcutela kufundzisa ngemphumelelo, letifundvo letibuyeketiwe tikhombisa kwekutsi bothishela labambalwa bakusebentisa njengelithuluzi lekuyalela. Imiphumela letfolwe kulesifundvo samanje kutsi kucecesha kwabothishela kwangaphambi kwekufundzisa kumele kwentiwencono kute kufake tihloko letifana nekubuta eklasini. Loku lokumele kwentiwencono kuchubeka ngekutfutfukiswa kwalobucwepheshe. Kunesidzingo lesikhulu sesinyatselo etigabeni letincane kakhulu nasetigabeni letincane teluhlelo lwemfundvo ngasekwentenincono. Letinyatselo esigabeni lesincane titawuncunywa nguletinchubomgomo letihlelwe futsi tasetjentiswa kuleso sigaba, lekusigaba sesikolo. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum and Instructional Studies)