The experience of pregnancy and childbirth is a central life event with special implications for women at high risk. This thesis describes the meaning of pregnancy, childbirth and midwifery care in four qualitative interview studies based on the lifeworld theory. Women were interviewed during pregnancy and within one week after childbirth. Midwives were interviewed concerning midwifery care for women at high risk. In an intervention study, childbirth experience as reported through a post partum questionnaire was compared between women receiving standard care and women who had formulated a birth plan preceded by a questionnaire on their expectations and feelings about childbirth. The findings emphasise that childbearing women at high risk live in an extremely vulnerable situation. The vulnerability is obvious in the use of an individual birth plan, where negative feelings become more frequent in women at high risk than in those with normal pregnancy and childbirth. During pregnancy the women feel a moral commitment towards the child, including feelings of objectification and of exaggerated responsibility. During an obstetrically complicated childbirth the essential meaning is the women’s desire to be recognised and affirmed as individual persons. Like women with normal pregnancy and childbirth, they need an emotionally present midwife who sees, give trust and supports. Good midwifery care of childbearing women at high risk is synthesised as "genuine caring in caring for the genuine". The ethos of caring constitutes the basis of caring. Women’s transition during pregnancy and childbirth is described as a genuinely natural process. Midwives have a special responsibility to encourage and preserve this process within women at high risk. The caring relationship is the core and the most essential tool in the care. Distinctive features in the midwifery care are embodied knowledge, physical as well as emotional presence, sensitivity, a mutual dialogue including shared control between midwife and woman, and confirmation and support of the genuine in each woman. The midwifery care is a struggle and a balance between natural and medical perspectives.

Mitt övergripande syfte med denna studie är att ur ett livsvärldsperspektiv undersöka hur tre elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter upplever användandet av IT - baserade lärverktyg. Studien vill även ta upp elevernas erfarenheter av att använda sig av IT -baserade lärverktyg i undervisningen som en del av deras lärande, ur dåtida, nutida och framtida perspektiv.   Ansatsen livsvärldsfenomenologi har legat till grund för denna studie. Den ger tillträde till att undersöka och beskriva elevers levda erfarenheter. I livsvärldsfenomenologisk ansats får jag tillträde till personers livsvärldar.   Som metod användes kvalitativ forskningsintervju. I studien visar sig detta genom att jag använde mig av en frågeguide. Mina frågor var få och mitt intresse för elevernas egna berättande var i fokus.     Eleverna beskriver att de IT -baserade lärverktygen har blivit en del av deras livsvärld. Att använda sig av dem i undervisningen ses som en naturlighet. De använder sig dagligen av någon form av IT -baserade lärverktyg. Dessa kan vara datorer, surfplattor eller smartphones. Lärarna har ökat sin kompetens vad det gäller att implementera dessa i undervisningen. I resultatet visar det sig att eleverna upplever ett behov av att använda sig av IT -baserade lärverktyg, för att utveckla sitt lärande i undervisningen. Eleverna ser nyttan med dem. / My purpose with this study is that, from a lifeworld perspective examine how three students with reading and writing difficulties experience the use of assistive technology. In this study you also learn about the students’ experience in the use of assistive technology in teaching as part of their learning from past time, present and future perspective. Lifeworld phenomenology has been the approach for this study. It provides access to investigate and describe the students’ lived experiences. The method that I used is a qualitative research interview. In the study I have used an interview guide. My questions were few and my interest in the students' own narrative was in focus.   Students describe that the assistive technology has become a part of their lifeworld. Making use of them in teaching is seen as an everyday activity. They daily use some form of assistive technology. These can be computers, tablets or smartphones. Teachers have increased their skills when it comes to implementing them in their teaching. The result shows that students feel a need to make use of assistive technology to develop their learning in teaching. They can see the profit in using them.

This thesis presents the results of an exploratory study aimed at developing an understanding of Canadian Forces demographics and linking those demographics to current bodies of sociological theory. The background and literature review provide a starting point for sociological analysis; the study begins with a detailed review of existing literature in Canadian and United States military sociology, utilizing an exploratory approach that incorporates key elements from Bourdieus concepts of field and habitus, Habermass lifeworld and structure, and Giddenss notion of structuration. Once the key sociological theories are isolated, research methods and methodologies are developed. Data are collected from the 2006 Canada Census and the demographics of Canadian Forces members are explored through a logistic regression model. Data are interpreted within a sociological framework based on an integration of select theories from Bourdieu, Habermas and Giddens. This research identifies weak relationships between demographic characteristics and CF membership, along with socioeconomic factors and Canadian Forces membership. The completed research provides a starting point for future analyses in Canadian military sociology. Given that demographic and socioeconomic factors demonstrate weak correlation with Canadian Forces membership, future studies can focus on the motivations of Canadian Forces members knowing that background characteristics do not predetermine service. Although the Canadian Forces is primarily composed of Caucasian males, this accounts for only a small portion of variance in the Canadian Forces membership variable.

Background: The elderly Chinese group is growing in Sweden but no studies about their experiences of being cared for were found. In order to meet the elderly Chinese need for care, it is necessary to understand their perspectives of being cared for. Aim: To describe the meaning of the experiences of being cared for by elderly Chinese immigrants in a Swedish context. Method: For this phenomenological study, open-end interviews were carried out with 7 informants originally from Mainland China and Hong Kong. Result and Conclusion: For the elderly Chinese in Sweden, ‘being cared for’ means being involved in a caring community, to have a mutual relationship with someone who can see and understand their needs. In such a relationship, they felt that they were included and respected. They were being treated as valuable with a genuine manner. They had a feeling of satisfaction, happiness, peacefulness, closeness, togetherness, and wholeness when ‘being cared for’. For these elderly Chinese immigrants, informal care was indispensable even when they were receiving formal care. They wished that their family could show concern and formal caregivers could understand and give space to the informal caregivers on caregiving.

I Sverige drabbas cirka 3000 patienter årligen av plötsligt hjärtstopp på sjukhus. Ett plötsligt hjärtstopp är en av de mest stressfyllda situationerna som sjukvårdspersonal utsätts för på sjukhus. Tidigare forskning har främst inriktat sig på medicinska och biofysiska aspekter vid återupplivning i samband med plötsligt hjärtstopp. De subjektiva upplevelserna för dem som utför hjärt-lungräddning och deras känslor är sällan beskrivna. Syftet var att beskriva anestesisjuksköterskans upplevelser av att delta vid plötsligt hjärtstopp på sjukhus. Datainsamlingen genomfördes dels genom intervju med en fokusgrupp med fem informanter och dels genom två individuella djupintervjuer. Dataanalysen genomfördes systematiskt enligt Graneheim & Lundmans kvalitativa innehållsanalys. Resultatet utmynnade i tre kategorier med respektive subkategorier. Kategorierna som framkom var; Den givna rollen, Teamarbete och Reflektioner relaterade till hjärtstopp. Den givna rollen upplevdes både trygg, kravfylld och tillfredsställande. Ett tydligt ledarskap och en god kommunikation beskrevs som viktiga aspekter för att skapa riktning, mål och samarbete i teamet. De upplevde behov av feedback och debriefing fyllde en viktig funktion. Uppsatsen kan ligga till grund för ett framtida förbättringsarbete, diskussionsunderlag och uppföljning av plötsligt hjärtstopp. Ytterligare forskning inom området och över professionsgränserna är önskvärt. / In Sweden every year about 3000 patients are affected by sudden cardiac arrest in a hospital setting. Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the most stressful situations for hospital staff to handle. Earlier research has mainly focused on the medical and biophysical aspects of cardiac resuscitation. The subjective experience and feelings of those performing the resuscitation are seldom described. The aim of the study was to describe the nurse an esthetists’ experience of participation in sudden cardiac arrest resuscitation in a hospital setting. Data collection was done through focus group interviews involving five participants and indepth interviews with two participants. Data analysis was systematically performed according to Graneheim & Lundmans qualitative content analysis. The result showed three categories with respective subcategories. The following categories emerged: The given role, Teamwork and Reflection related to cardiac arrest. The given role was perceived as safe, satisfying and filled with demands. A defined leadership and good communication were described as important factors in ensuring clear direction, goals and teamwork.          The participants experienced a need for feedback and felt debriefing was of the utmost importance. This study can lead to future areas of improvement including further discussion and follow up of sudden cardiac arrest in hospital settings. Further research in this area and across professional borders is needed.

This study investigates the experience of exchange studies from a phenomenological perspective. Phenomenology studies the sentence structure of the phenomenon and places the lifeworld as a central concept. Husserl (2002/1954) described the lifeworld as a coherent universe of objects where we, all of us living with another in this world, may be conscious of the world as a universal horizon. In this study the lifeworld of exchange students is investigated with emphasis on their experience of the exchange. The aim of the study is to highlight the sentence structure in the experience of living as an exchange student which involves a meeting with a different culture. Seven interviews were conducted with exchange students that participated in at least one semester of higher education abroad and the resulting data was analyzed using the EPP method. This method describes the general meaning structure of the phenomenon and identifies several distinguishing features. For this study ten features were identified; an expectation and openness relative an uncertain future, a deliberate break, a part of something bigger, a deliberate approach to cultural codes, an encounter with different values, new interactions and relations, language difficulties, a new environment, a creation of identity and a personal development and responsibilities. The results indicate that the experience of exchange studies may not always be unproblematic since it’s often difficult to gain access to the culture and society of the host country. However, the experience also seems to be rewarding and is characterized by a personal development and a change in the perception of both oneself and people from other cultures. The results also show that the exchange student may gain a feeling of living in a global society where all possibilities are present. / Denna studie utgår ifrån en fenomenologisk ansats. Fenomenologins uppgift är att beskriva ett fenomens meningsstruktur där ett centralt begrepp är livsvärlden. Enligt Husserl (2002/1954) belyser livsvärlden den verklighet som man ständigt befinner sig i tillsammans med andra människor. Grundvalen för denna studie är att studera utbytesstudenters livsvärld där upplevelsen av utbytesstudier är i fokus. Syftet med studien är att beskriva meningsstrukturer i upplevelsen av att leva som utbytesstudent och som inbegriper ett möte med en annan kultur. Sju intervjuer har genomförts med utbytesstudenter som alla studerat minst en termin inom högre utbildning vid ett värduniversitet i ett annat land. De aktuella data som behandlats har analyserats med hjälp av studiens valda metod, Empirical phenomenological psychologial (EPP-metoden). Resultatet beskriver det aktuella fenomenets meningsstruktur som en helhet och visar vilka de generella kännetecknen är. De generella kännetecknen som framkommit i studien är; en förväntan och en öppenhet inför en obestämd framtid, ett medvetet uppbrott, en del i att uppnå något större, ett medvetet förhållningssätt till kulturella koder, ett möte med andra värderingar, nya interaktioner och relationer, svårigheter med språket, ändrade livsvillkor, ett identitetsskapande, en personlig utveckling och ett ansvarstagande. Resultatet indikerar att upplevelsen av utbytesstudier och att möta en annan kultur inte är helt oproblematisk då det ibland är svårt att få tillträde till värdlandets kultur och samhälle. Dock verkar upplevelsen även vara en värdefull tid som präglas av en utveckling och ett ifrågasättande av tidigare föreställningar om en själv och människor från andra kulturer. Resultatet påvisar också att utbytesstudenten kan ha en känsla av att leva i en global värld där alla möjligheter finns.

Com base em um diálogo entre a teoria política de Jürgen Habermas e correntes da teologia contemporânea, nomeadamente, a teologia da libertação e a teologia pública, afirma-se o potencial político-democrático de uma teologia ancorada no mundo da vida para o processo comunicativo conduzido na esfera pública. O primeiro capítulo oferece uma introdução aos principais conceitos da obra de Habermas e sua recepção na teologia, destacando-se a centralidade de temas como emancipação, libertação, política e religião no diálogo entre Habermas e a teologia. O segundo capítulo é dedicado à exposição do conceito habermasiano de mundo da vida e à noção de uma teologia desenvolvida a partir da dimensão do mundo da vida. Como pano de fundo de todo entendimento possível, o mundo da vida constitui um horizonte de sentido reproduzido através da prática comunicativa cotidiana. Análises de mundo da vida levam em consideração a perspectiva intersubjetiva dos próprios atores inseridos em situações concretas de vida. Visões intersubjetivas de mundo encontram-se expressas em narrações, interpretações de experiências cotidianas, símbolos culturais e religiosos, esperanças partilhadas e mobilizações conjuntas. A teologia da libertação pode ser entendida como um esforço sistematizado de realização do pensamento teológico a partir da dimensão do mundo da vida. Uma teologia a partir do mundo da vida toma como material para sua reflexão aspectos da formação da subjetividade, expressões da cultura e da organização em sociedade e ajuda, em um segundo momento, a canalizar esforços comunicativos do mundo da vida para a esfera pública. O terceiro capítulo é dedicado ao conceito habermasiano de esfera pública e aponta para tarefas da teologia nesse espaço. A esfera pública é descrita como uma rede comunicativa que conecta o mundo da vida ao sistema político na medida em que nela se tematizam e problematizam questões identificadas pelas pessoas em seu contidiano. Uma teologia ancorada no mundo da vida ajuda no processo de tematização de demandas do mundo da vida na esfera pública, e contribui para a tarefa de tradução de conteúdos religiosos em uma linguagem acessível tanto para pessoas religiosas quanto para pessoas não religiosas. A teologia pública, ao defender o encontro da teologia com diferentes parceiros de diálogo, mostra-se como uma perspectiva frutífera para o desenvolvimento da tarefa tradutora da teologia. Em seu vínculo com o mundo da vida e em sua atuação na esfera pública, uma teologia cristã é desafiada e motivada por três princípios fundamentais característicos da tradição judaico-cristã: rememoração, profecia e libertação. A memória de sofrimento e libertação alimenta a prática profética do discernimento orientada para o anúncio e busca de libertação nos mais diversos âmbitos da vida humana. Finalmente, no quarto capítulo, o modelo de uma teologia ancorada no mundo da vida e atuante na esfera pública é vislumbrado em relação a diferentes questões teóricas que perpassam o diálogo entre Habermas e a teologia, formulando-se as seguintes teses: a fé não anula a importância da razão; a prática argumentativa na esfera pública pode ser meio para a inclusão de grupos excluídos; a teologia na esfera pública pode ser construtiva para um processo políticodemocrático; teologias da libertação são importantes em uma democracia; e a materialidade da ética não é possível sem sua intersubjetividade, ao mesmo tempo em que a ética não é possível sem a preservação da materialidade da vida. Em termos gerais, desde a perspectica da teoria política de Habermas, a presente tese de doutorado afirma o valor político de uma teologia ancorada no mundo da vida e atuante na esfera pública; e, desde a perspectiva da teologia, afirma o valor teológico da palavra criadora da vida cotidiana para um processo político inclusivo, orientado para a promoção de vida em abundância para todas as pessoas. / Based on a dialog between the political theory of Jürgen Habermas and currents of contemporary theology, namely, liberation theology and public theology, this dissertation affirms the political-democratic potential of a theology anchored in the lifeworld for the communicative process conducted in the public sphere. The first chapter offers an introduction to the main concepts of Habermas' work and its reception in theology, highlighting the centrality of themes such as emancipation, liberation, politics and religion in the dialog between Habermas and theology. The second chapter is dedicated to the presentation of the Habermasian concept of lifeworld and of the notion of a theology developed from the lifeworld dimension. As background of all possible understanding, lifeworld constitutes a horizon of meaning reproduced through daily communicative practice. Lifeworld analyses take into consideration the intersubjective perspective of the actors themselves placed in concrete life situations. Their intersubjective worldviews are found expressed in narratives, interpretations of daily experiences, cultural and religious symbols, shared hopes and joint mobilizations. Liberation theology can be understood as a systematized effort of carrying out theological thought based on the lifeworld dimension. A theology anchored in the lifeworld uses as material for its reflection aspects of the formation of subjectivity as well as cultural and organizational expressions in society and helps, in a second moment, to channel communicative efforts of the lifeworld to the public sphere. The third chapter is dedicated to the Habermasian concept of public sphere and points out tasks for theology in this space. The public sphere is described as a communicative network which connects the lifeworld to the political system to the extent in which issues identified by people in their daily lives are thematized and problematized within it. A theology anchored in the lifeworld helps in thematizing the demands of the lifeworld into the public sphere and contributes to the task of translating religious contents into an accessible language both for religious as well as for non-religious people. Public theology, in defending the encounter of theology with different dialog partners, shows itself as a fruitful perspective for the development of theology's translating task. In its tie to the lifeworld and in its work in the public sphere, Christian theology is challenged and motivated by three main fundamental characteristics of the Judeo-Christian tradition: remembering, prophecy and liberation. The memory of suffering and liberation feeds the prophetic practice of discernment oriented to the announcement and quest of liberation in the various ambiances of human life. Finally, in the fourth chapter, the model of a theology anchored in the lifeworld and active in the public sphere is visualized with regard to different theoretical issues which permeate the dialog between Habermas and theology, with the formulation of the following theses: faith does not annul the importance of reason; the argumentative practice in the public sphere can be a means of inclusion of excluded groups; theology in the public sphere can be constructive for a political-democratic process; theologies of liberation are important in a democracy; and the materiality of ethics is not possible without its intersubjectivity while at the same time ethics is not possible without preserving the materiality of life. In general terms, from the perspective of the political theory of Habermas, the present doctoral dissertation affirms the political value of a theology anchored in the lifeworld and active in the public sphere; and from the perspective of theology it affirms the theological value of the creative word of daily life for an inclusive political process orientated toward the promotion of life in abundance for all.

Bakgrund: Besöksantalet på akutmottagningar i Sverige har senaste åren ökat och hög arbetsbelastning är vanligt förekommande. Stort patientantal, för få vårdplatser och långa väntetider leder till stress hos sjuksköterskor och att patientsäkerheten minskar. Sjuksköterskor på akutmottagningar upplever att de är överansträngda och att de ej klarar av att ge den vård de önskar.   Syfte: Belysa hur sjuksköterskor upplever att patienter påverkas av arbetsmiljön på en akutmottagning.   Metod: En kvalitativ studie med 12 sjuksköterskor verksamma på en akutmottagning intervjuades genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Kvalitativ latent innehållsanalys användes som analysmetod.   Resultat: Resultatet redovisas utifrån ett tema “Arbetsmiljön skapar brister i vården” med två kategorier “Risk för skada hos patienten” och “Negativ upplevelse för patienten”. När arbetsbelastningen är hög blir det brister i omvårdnad, kommunikation och triagering. Resurserna räcker inte till och patienterna får vänta på läkemedel. Patienterna känner sig inte sedda och upplevs vara till besvär. Integriteten blir bristande när arbetsbelastningen är hög och patienterna upplevs få utstå stress och oro av miljön.   Slutsats: Det finns risker för patienterna som söker hjälp på akutmottagningar. Sjuksköterskorna är stressade, glömmer och ger bristfällig vård och behandling. Arbetsmiljön behöver förbättras för att sjuksköterskorna ska ha möjlighet att ge den vård de vill samt den vård som patienterna förtjänar. Riskerna för patienterna är belysta från sjuksköterskornas perspektiv och fortsatt forskning behöver utgå från patienters egna upplevelser. Fortsatt forskning behövs kring rutiner för hur omvårdnaden kan förbättras på akutmottagningar. / Background: The number of visits to emergency departments in Sweden has increased in recent years and high workloads are common. Large patient numbers, lack of care places and long waiting periods lead to stress in nurses and patient safety decreases. Nurses in emergency department feel that they are overworked and unable to provide the care they wish. Objective:  The aim of this study is to clarify nurses’ experiences of how patients are affected by the working environment in an emergency department. Method: A qualitative study of 12 nurses working at an emergency department was interviewed through semi-structured interviews. The analysis has been conducted through a qualitative latent content analysis.   Result: The result is based on a theme "The working environment creates shortages in care" with two categories; "Risk of injury to the patient" and "Negative experience for the patient". When the workload is high, the nursing, communication and triage is lacking. Resources are not enough and patients can wait for medicines. Patients feels unseen and experience they are in the way. The result shows that integrity becomes insufficient when the workload is high and the nurses experience that patients feels stressed and anxious because of the environment.   Conclusion: There are risks for the patients seeking medical care at the emergency department. Nurses are stressed, forgets and provides insufficient care and treatment. The working environment needs to be better for the nurses in order to provide the care they want as well as the care that patients deserve. The risks to the patients are highlighted from the nurse's perspective and continued research needs to be based on the patient's own experiences. Continued research is needed on routines for improving nursing care at emergency departments.

Studien har fokus på hur ett antal förskollärare tolkar sitt uppdrag när det gäller barns skriftspråkande i förskolan. De två problemformuleringen är följande; Hur tolkar ett antal förskollärare sitt uppdrag när det gäller barns lärande och villkor av skriftspråket? Hur ser ett antal förskollärare på sina förutsättningar att stödja barns skrivande med utgångspunkt i att barn är meningsskapande i sitt sätt att använda skriftspråket? Det teoretiska ramverket utgörs av tre förekommande perspektiv eller synsätt på barns skriftspråksutveckling. De är sociokulturellt perspektiv, kognitivt perspektiv och utvecklingspedagogiskt perspektiv. Begreppet livsvärld intar en övergripande ram för att ytterligare vägleda analysen av forskningsfrågorna utifrån att studiens studieobjekt är förskollärare. Metodansats är hermeneutisk eftersom det är förskollärarnas berättelser och deras tolkning av sitt uppdrag som är i fokus i studien och därmed används också intervjuer i form av samtalsguider. Förskollärarna tolkningar lyfts fram utifrån ett antal kategorier som framkom under arbetet med resultat och analys. I analysen av resultatet framkommer en splittrad bild men även till viss del en samstämmig bild av förskollärarnas tolkning av sitt uppdrag när det gäller skriftspråkande i förskolan. Den splittrade bilden handlar om hur barn lär om skriftspråket och vad som ska ingå i undervisningen om skriftspråket i förskolan. Samstämmigheten handlar om att utbildning behövs för att höja förskollärares kompetens. En slutsats blir att  det behövs tydliga direktiv om hur uppdraget ska tolkas gällande undervisning av skriftspråket i förskolan. I slutdiskussionen uppmärksammas också de möjligheter förskolebarn har att lära om skriftspråket utifrån förskolelärarnas tolkning av sitt uppdrag. / The study has a focus on the way that a number of preschool teachers interpret their assignment regarding children’s literacy in preschool. The two research questions are: how do these preschool teachers interpret their assignment regarding children’s literacy learning and opportunities? How do these preschool teachers regard their qualifications to support children’s writing with the starting point that children are using literacy meaningfully? The theoretical frameworks include three perspectives or approaches on children’s written language development. They are sociocultural perspective, cognitive perspective and developing educational perspective. The concept livsvärld or lifeworld provides an overall frame to further direct the analysis of the studies and research questions since the object of the study is the preschool teacher. The methodological approach is hermeneutic since it is the preschool teachers` narrative and interpretations of their assignment that are in focus, and therefore interviews have been used as a form of dialog guide. The preschool teachers’ interpretations highlight a number of categories that emerged from the analysis. In the analysis of the results, there emerged a fragmented picture but also some area of agreement and concordance amongst the views of the preschool teachers regarding their interpretations of their assignment regarding children’s literacy in preschool. The fragmented picture is about how preschool children learn about literacy and what should be included in teaching about literacy in preschool. The consistent picture is that there is a need for more training to increase their competence in relation to how preschool children learn about literacy. A conclusion is that there is a need for distinct guidance about how to interpret the assignment of beginning the teaching of literacy in preschool. In the final discussion, attention is also drawn to preschool children’s opportunity to learn about literacy based on the preschool teacher’s interpretation of their assignment.

Abstract This thesis is based on the premise that formal education could promote ethical relationships with the environment and empower children to act towards a better future. The aim of the thesis is to create understanding about Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in relation to the definition of sustainable development and everyday experiences. In order to strengthen the practical relevance and an alternative educational approach in ESD, both children’s and teacher’s perspectives are explored in three studies. Methodologically this thesis follows qualitative and phenomenological guidelines. Method pluralism is applied in order to illuminate the complexity of lived experiences. Methods such as written reflections, drawings, evaluative walks and focus group interviews are used. Qualitative analysis in the studies aims to be transparent, starting from data collection and right up to the thematic discussions. The first study focused on children’s experiences in a schoolyard and resulted in three themes: learning, social relations and institutional boundaries. These themes described a schoolyard as a lived place and children’s outdoor experiences as part of the continuum of the whole schoolday. The second study focused on children’s visions of the future and elucidated how children relate to temporality through moral, temporal and spatial distances. Children’s visions of the future are necessary to address in ESD due the aspect of intergenerational justice. In the third study teachers experiences of an ESD school-project were studied by focus group interviews. This study emphasized teacher’s institutional circumstances in working with ESD and their understanding of environmental awareness. The study suggested that in classroom situations the contradictory nature of sustainable development was often replaced by teaching more conventional issues related to the environment. All the three studies related to a need to engage ESD with children’s lived experiences and local issues, but also acknowledge tensions between the local/global nexus. Two pedagogical ideals, action competence and Place-Based Education PBE, are according to this study alternative ways to strengthen children’s perspectives in ESD. / Tiivistelmä Perusopetuksen mahdollisuudet edistää lasten eettistä ympäristösuhdetta ja voimaannuttaa heidät toimimaan paremman tulevaisuuden puolesta ovat tämän tutkimukset lähtökohdat. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on lisätä ymmärrystä kestävän kehityksen kasvatuksesta (ESD) suhteessa kestävän kehityksen käsitteeseen ja arkielämän kokemuksiin. Sekä lasten että aikuisten näkökulmat ovat esillä tässä tutkimuksessa, jossa pyritään vahvistamaan ESD:n käytännön merkityksellisyyttä sekä etsimään vaihtoehtoisia kasvatusnäkökulmia. Tutkimuksen metodologia seuraa laadullisen ja fenomenologisen tutkimuksen suuntaviivoja. Tässä väitöskirjassa sovelletaan useita eri metodeja, kuten lasten kirjallisia pohdintoja, piirroksia, kävelykierroksia ja aikuisten focus group -haastatteluja. Laadullisen aineistoanalyysin päätavoite oli prosessin läpinäkyvyys alusta loppuun. Ensimmäinen osatutkimus koulupihoista lasten kokemana johti kolmeen teemaan: oppiminen, sosiaaliset suhteet sekä institutionaaliset muurit. Tutkimus korosti koulupihan merkitystä elettynä paikkana ja osana kokonaisvaltaista kouluelämystä. Toinen tutkimus lasten tulevaisuuden visioista muodosti käsityksen erilaisista etäisyyksistä, joilla lapset kuvaavat visioitaan: ajallinen, moraalinen ja maantieteellinen. Tulevaisuuden visiot sisältyvät ESD:hen johtuen kestävän kehityksen määritelmästä, joka velvoittaa huomioimaan tulevat sukupolvet. Kolmas osa-tutkimus käsitteli opettajien kokemuksia projektityöstä sekä heidän näkemyksiään ympäristötietoisuudesta. Kaikki kolme osatutkimusta painottivat lasten elämismaailman merkitystä ESD:ssä, huomioiden samalla jännitteen paikallisen ja globaalin maailmasuhteen välillä. Lasten elämismaailman korostaminen kasvatuksessa avaa uusia suuntia ESD:lle. / Sammanfattning Avhandlingen baseras på premissen att formell utbildning kan främja etiska förhållningssätt till miljön och att barn kan ges egenmakt att agera för en bättre framtid. Syftet med avhandlingen är att skapa förståelse för lärande för hållbar utveckling (ESD) i relation till definitionen för hållbar utveckling och till vardagliga erfarenheter. I avsikt att stärka den praktiska relevansen och ett alternativt tillvägagångssätt för ESD, har både barns och lärares perspektiv studerats i tre studier. Metodologiskt är utgångspunkten kvalitativ och följer fenomenologiska principer. Med intentionen att belysa komplexiteten av levda erfarenheter har flera datainsamlingsmetoder använts; skrivna reflektioner, teckningar, utvärderande promenader och fokusgruppsintervjuer. Den första studien fokuserade barnens erfarenheter av en skolgård och resulterade i tre teman: lärande, sociala relationer och institutionella gränser. Dessa teman beskrev skolgården som en levd plats och barnens erfarenheter utomhus som en del av ett kontinuum av skoldagen. Den andra studien fokuserade barnens visioner om framtiden och belyste hur barnen relaterar till tiden genom moraliska, tidsliga och rumsliga distanser. Barnens visioner om framtiden är nödvändiga att belysa i ESD med tanke på aspekter av rättvisa gentemot kommande generationer. I den tredje studien genomfördes fokusgruppsintervjuer med lärare som deltog i ett projekt om ESD. Studien belyste lärares institutionella förutsättningar för att jobba med ESD och deras förståelse av miljömedvetenhet. Studien visade att hållbar utvecklings många gånger motsägelsefulla budskap ersattes med mer konventionella miljöfrågor i undervisningen. Samtliga tre studier visade på behovet av att koppla samman ESD med barnens levda erfarenheter och lokala frågor, men också att lyfta fram spänningar mellan det lokala och det globala. Två pedagogiska ideal, action competence och Place-Based Education, är enligt slutsatserna i denna avhandling alternativa vägar till att stärka barnens perspektiv inom ESD.