Den digitala tekniken förändras ständigt, vilket innebär att människor behöver anpassa sig och utveckla sina färdigheter. Detta innebär även att förskolan behöver göra förändringar i sin verksamhet för att kunna ge barnen rätt möjligheter för att utveckla adekvat digital kompetens. I en verksamhet där förskollärare och barn har olika förhållningssätt gällande digitala verktyg ställs förskollärare inför en del utmaningar i sitt praktiska arbete. Kvalitativa forskningsintervjuer har utförts med tre legitimerade och verksamma förskollärare i tre olika kommuner, för att belysa utmaningar i förskollärarnas praktiska arbete och undersöka om kvalitativa aspekter och innehåll kommer i skymundan. Syftet är att öka kunskapen om arbetet med digitala verktyg i förskolan och förståelsen för förskollärares uppfattningar om digitalisering och adekvat digital kompetens. Detta görs genom tre forskningsfrågor. Den första forskningsfrågan riktar sig till att avgöra hur förskollärare beskriver sin uppfattning om digitalisering och adekvat digital kompetens. Den andra för att avgöra hur förskollärare beskriver sitt praktiska arbete med digitala verktyg och den tredje för att avgöra vilka faktorer förskollärare ser påverkar arbetet med digitala verktyg och barnens lärande. Slutsatsen är att förskolorna rör sig framåt med digitaliseringen och införandet av digitala verktyg i sina verksamheter, men att arbetet inte är helt lätt. Förskollärarna saknar tydliga direktiv om hur arbetet ska göras för att på bästa sätt uppnå att alla barn ska få adekvat digital kompetens och ett lärande som tydligt kopplas till de digitala verktygen. Det går även att se att leken kommer i skymundan som en kvalitativ aspekt och ett innehåll gällande digitala verktyg. Av denna anledning är det av vikt att undersöka vilka ramfaktorer i svensk förskola som kan förändras för att digitala verktyg ska få en naturlig plats i leksammanhang.Centrala begrepp: förskola, digitalisering, digitala verktyg, lek, adekvat digital kompetens, lärande / The digital technology is constantly changing, which means that people need to adapt and develop their technological skills. This also means that the Swedish preschool needs to make changes in order to be able to give the children the opportunity to develop adequate digital skills. In teaching establishments where preschool teachers and children have different approaches regarding digital tools, preschool teachers are faced with some challenges in their work. Qualitative research interviews have been conducted with three fully qualified and active preschool teachers in three different municipalities, in order to highlight these challenges and to investigate whether qualitative aspects and content gets sidelined. The purpose of this study is to increase knowledge about the work with digital tools in preschools and understanding about preschool teachers' perceptions of digitization and adequate digital competence. This is done through three research questions. The first research question is aimed at determining how preschool teachers describe their perception of digitization and adequate digital competence. The second one to determine how preschool teachers describe their practical work with digital tools and the third to determine which factors preschool teachers see affects the work with digital tools and children's learning. The conclusion of this study is that the preschools are progressing with the digitization and the introduction of digital tools in their daily operations, but that the work is not easily done. The preschool teachers lack clear directives on how the work should be done in order to achieve the best possible outcome for all children to receive adequate digital competence and a learning that is clearly linked to the digital tools. It is also possible to see that the children's play fade into obscurity as a qualitative aspect regarding digital tools. For this reason, it is important to further investigate which framework factors can be changed in Swedish preschools in order for digital tools to have a natural place in children's play.

Diet is mentioned by many seamen as a subject of joy and aims to give nutritional value and sufficient energy to manage a long working day at sea. The purpose with this investigation is to examine if there is a need among seamen to receive more information about diet regulations onboard and if they wish that it was shaped differently to meet their demands. The study is based on a literature part where diet regulations are examined and an interview part with semi structured qualitative interviews with five seamen. The conclusion of the study indicates that seamen have limited knowledge about the enunciation of the regulation, where it is to be found and consider it to be imprecise. Interviews showed that seamen believe that variety is the most important factor in diet intake and it was this expression that they primarily wanted stated in the regulations. There are legitimate reasons to assume that Livsmedelsverket´s (compare NFA) recommendations also are applicable regarding diet at sea. A good diet is not only good for the individual’s health but also gains including safety and quality of work performed. / Kosten anges av många sjömän som ett glädjeämne ombord och ska ge den näring och energi som krävs för att orka med en lång arbetsdag på sjön. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka om det finns ett behov hos sjömän att få mera information om kostregleringen ombord och om de önskar att den vore utformad annorlunda för att möta deras krav. Arbetet baseras på en litteraturdel där kostregleringen undersöks och en intervjudel med semistrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer med fem sjömän.  Sammanfattningsvis tyder vår undersökning på att sjömän har bristande kännedom om regleringens utformning, var den återfinns samt anser att den är oprecis. Intervjuerna visade att sjömän anser att variation är den viktigaste faktorn i kostintaget och det var också detta uttryck som främst önskades framgå av regleringen. Det finns välmotiverade skäl att utgå från Livsmedelsverkets rekommendationer även på sjön. Ett bra kostintag är inte bara bra för individens hälsa utan ger också vinster i bland annat säkerheten och kvaliteten på utfört arbete.

In this thesis, I aim to build upon recent attempts to situate a theory of virtue within work on character traits by social-cognitive scientists like Walter Mischel and Yuichi Shoda. I begin by examining the empirical adequacy of global cognitive-affective processing systems (CAPS) based character traits and virtues. I contend that empirical research does seem to support the existence of the former and is compatible with the existence of the latter. Next, I argue that one model of moral development that is compatible with my findings in the previous chapter is the communal and tradition based model of moral development. I go on to defend the claim that this model is also well-suited to play a significant role in an account of human moral development that is in keeping with my findings in the previous chapter. Here I specifically focus on pre-adult human moral development. I then turn my attention to consider human moral development in adults. I argue that character-friendships between adult human beings are compatible with and well-suited for CAPS based accounts of virtue that tie virtue to human flourishing. Recent empirical research on the impact of groups on helping behavior does not subvert the moral significance of character-friendships for adult moral development. I conclude my thesis by considering future issues that CAPS based virtue theorists need to address. This discussion is undergirded by my attempt to extend CAPS based accounts of virtue by defending three primary theses. First, some CAPS based theories of virtue are empirically adequate. Second, the communal and tradition based model of moral development is compatible and well-suited for such theories, particularly their accounts of pre-adult moral development. Third, character-friendships are compatible with and well-suited for adult moral development in said accounts of virtue. Instead of arguing for a single CAPS based account of virtue, I defend components and models of virtuous development that are consonant with a variety of accounts. Thus, while it excludes some accounts of virtue, my project is broad enough to serve as a framework for a number of different understandings of virtue.

abstract: Much has been written regarding the dire educational state of most schools in rural America. This case study profiles two elementary school principals (preK-6) in rural New Mexico whose schools achieved adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2009-10 school year. The focus of this study centered on specific characteristics of the school cultures addressed by the principals, and instructional best practices routinely incorporated by teachers into the daily curricular program that have produced successful student outcomes and earned each of their schools AYP standing for the 2009-10 academic year. The methodology used to determine research findings was performed in three parts: Principals of AYP rural New Mexico schools were asked to complete an online survey on educational leadership according to the standards and functions of the Interstate School Leadership Licensure Consortium (ISLLC). The respondents chose either Almost always, To a considerable degree, Occasionally, Seldom, or Never according to the degree they deemed the leadership function necessary to the successful operations of their schools. The survey results were arranged into tables preceded with explanations and statistical analysis. Interviews were conducted with the two rural elementary school principals along with selected teachers and parents from each school. The researcher made on-site visitations and kept notes of the observations and interactions with staffs from each school. The main findings of the study arose from the results of the surveys and interviews conducted with individuals from the two focus schools. The researcher arranged data according to the leadership categories that emerged from the interviews. The survey results were divided into two categories: favorable (Almost always and To a considerable degree) and unfavorable (Occasionally, Seldom, and Never categories). The results for each leadership standard and related function were reported in terms of statistical significance according to frequency counts in the two categories. Finally, there is a review of current literature focused on principles of educational leadership and rural education, demographic information about the profiled schools, and conclusions with further recommendations for future studies. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2012

Doctor of Education / Department of Educational Leadership / David C. Thompson / The purpose of this study was to determine what school leaders believe is a suitable funding level for Kansas school districts and to simulate the effect and cost of selected findings. More specifically, three questions were examined: How much money do top leaders in each school district in Kansas believe is needed to provide a suitable education for all students in their school district? What would be a suitable per-pupil funding level for districts when examined by varying enrollment sizes if based on the perceived needs of school district leaders in Kansas? And, what would be the statewide cost to implement a suitable per-pupil funding level for districts of varying sizes based on the expressed needs of school district leaders in Kansas? To accomplish its purpose, the study was carried out in three phases. First, it examined research in the areas of school finance equity and adequacy, both of which influence how much money is distributed to schools. Second, this study surveyed top school district leaders in Kansas in search of their opinions regarding how much money is needed to provide an adequate and suitable education. Third, survey data provided the basis for selected simulations designed to estimate the effect and cost of proposed changes on individual school districts and the state of Kansas. The results of this study show that school district leaders widely believe more money is needed to meet performance mandates for regular education students, at-risk students, and bilingual students. When considering only regular education students, this study found that school leaders believe the state of Kansas is underfunding schools by $577 million. In addition, this study shows that at-risk students need an additional $246.6 million to be provided an adequate education, while bilingual student show nearly another $18 million of need. Some school districts in Kansas have managed to offset the perceived under-funding by utilizing local tax options beyond base state funding. These local options, however, are subject to voter approval and lead to concern by some over equitable and adequate funding for all school districts in Kansas.

No abstract available. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Mercantile Law / unrestricted

No abstract available. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / gm2014 / Centre for Human Rights / unrestricted

This study attempts to analyse urban housing issues and their effects on providing adequate housing for refugees, using Malmö as a case study. The content analysis adopted here uses a combination of semi-structured interviews with relevant government officers, and reports published by government agencies and international institutions as sources of information.The dominant role of the market in Sweden’s housing sector has created housing inequalities and many issues for groups with lower socio-economic status. These issues consist of shortages in affordable dwellings, cramped housing conditions and spatial segregation within the city etc. This study illustrates that refugees in Malmö face additional issues such as lack of knowledge on the housing market, reluctance of landlords to accept refugees’ establishment allowance as an income source, discriminatory attitudes, and lack of larger apartments for their comparatively larger households. They function as barriers to refugees’ right to adequate housing as well as their right to the city, while limiting their opportunities to establish in the host country. The municipality also faces these issues when arranging housing for its ‘assigned’ refugees. Additionally, they are faced with an extended demand on the social services that are meant to support the native homeless groups. Refugees’ housing issues are associated with some gaps involved in the process of accommodating refugees. The Settlement Act introduced in 2016 does not consider availability of housing when distributing refugees to municipalities. It takes more than two years to process asylum applications, compared to UN regulations of six months. The prolonged stay in accommodation centres delays their opportunities to become self-sufficient and integrated into the host society. Refugees are not provided with information relevant to the housing market in Sweden or the municipalities they are allocated to. Although municipalities are given the full responsibility of housing refugees assigned to them, the Settlement Act does not provide any guidelines as to how it should be done. In Malmö there is no evidence that any other government agency or a civil society organisation work in collaboration with the municipality to house refugees. It is clearly evident that the self-housing (EBO) mechanism functions against the objectives of the Settlement Act, consequently major cities such as Malmö continue to be refugee hotspots. In this context, I would argue that refugee housing issues cannot be solved only through dispersal policies, but they should be backed by relevant housing policies that consider housing as a human right, rather than a market commodity. The municipalities should adopt a holistic approach in providing adequate housing for refugees, with adequate regulations on the housing market for the benefit of all.

In Swedish upper-secondary school, economics is part of the content of the social studies subject. Learning about concepts relevant to economics is a significant part of that. This study investigates how upper-secondary school students experience their economics education about concepts and measure their self-assessed and actual conceptual knowledge. Conceptual theory serves as the theoretical framework. Research indicates that upper-secondary school teachers and students struggle with the subject. Students from various parts of the world also show a lack of overall knowledge within economics. The material consists of questionnaires from 60 students spread across different cities in Sweden. The result reveals that a substantial amount of the students finds the economic subject as very difficult although interesting. A sizable part of the students mentions that their teachers have been a big part of their learning process. However, the result reports that a significant number of students displays inadequate conceptual knowledge. Furthermore, the students self-assessed and actual conceptual knowledge does not align with each other. Possible solutions include adding more economics elements to the curriculum or improve teacher’s economics training.

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceived impact of No Child Left Behind on elementary science classrooms in 3 Northeast Tennessee school districts. Quantitative descriptive methodology was used to document how No Child Left Behind impacts instructional methodology, professional development, administrative support, materials and resources, and assessment in 3rd through 5th grades. Data were collected using a survey developed by the researcher. The survey consisted of a demographic section, 28 statements, and 2 open-ended questions. The 51 participants included elementary-school science teachers in 8 schools in 3 upper East Tennessee school districts. Data analysis was based on the following demographics: differing levels of teaching experience, No Child Left Behind school status, and small and large schools. Findings included: The 3 greatest concerns of the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act were the pressures felt by teachers to increase test scores, the manner in which it impacted at-risk or disadvantaged students, and the lack of inservice, specifically for science. Findings also revealed that low- scoring schools or grades were receiving extra assistance and teachers reported they feel that their school or district fosters and supports change. An analysis of the open-ended questions emphasized the stress teachers reported feeling along with the loss of science instruction time to math and language arts.