This Minor Field Study was undertaken in theoutskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam during September and October 2003. The aim was to explore what 10-11 year old primary school children think about disabilities in an Inclusive Education class, i.e. a class with non-disabled children and children with disabilities (CwD). Sixteen children, including four CwD, were interviewed in a semi-structured way. The children mentioned physical disabilities more often than "mental" or "learning" disabilities even though three of the CwD had those kinds of disabilities. More than half the sample seem to think about war-related causes of disabilities. Many interviewees also mentioned that other children treat CwD both "well" and "badly". Some girls and no boys mentioned that they feel sympathy for and want to help persons with disabilities. One-fourth of the children seem to think of disabilities as a deviation.

Undersökningar visar att lärare, till skillnad från många andra professionella yrkesgrupper, sällan refererar till teorier när de anger vilka motiv deras praktiska verksamhet har. Den kollegiala diskussionen bland lärare är sällan av teoretisk karaktär utan handlar ofta om praktiska förhållanden . En stor del av lärarkunskapen verkar vara ”tyst”.” Tyst kunskap ska här förstås som erfarenhetsbaserad kunskap som uppnås genom praktiserande verksamhet, en typ av förtrogenhetskunskap som kräver överblick över situationen man befinner sig i. I det här arbetet studerar jag relationen mellan lärarens reflektioner om sin egen praktik i relation till lärarens syn på elevernas progression under kemilaborationer. Syftet med undersökningen är att ge några bilder av tankemönster man möter i diskussionen kring undervisningen i kemi. Tankemönster i samband med undervisning ses här som delar av lärarens tysta kunskap. Den empiriska undersökningen baseras på intervjuer med kemilärare på gymnasie- och högstadieskolor. I undersökningen identifieras några aspekter av kemilärares tysta kunskap i relation till elevers lärandeprocess under kemilaborationer. Resultaten visar en koppling till litteratur och forskning inom området för hur effektiv undervisning kan bedrivas. / Investigations show that teachers, in contrast to many other professionals, seldom refer to theories in discussions about the motives in their practice. Professional discussions among teachers often deal with practical matters and rarely about theoretical issues. Major parts of teachers’ knowledge seem to be tacit. Tacit knowledge should be understood as knowledge received by practical experience, a type of confidential knowledge. In this work I have studied the relation between teachers’ reflections about their own practice and the teachers’ views of the students’ progression in learning during laboratory courses. The aim of this paper is to find some of the common thoughts shared by chemistry teachers, which are expressed when describing their practice. These kinds of “mind patterns” are here comprehended as part of the teachers’ tacit knowledge. The empirical investigation is based on interviews with chemistry teachers in upper level of compulsory school and in upper secondary school. The results of the investigation indicate connections to research and literature about effective learning.

Introduction: Hormone therapy (HT) has been considered as a safe treatment for menopausal symptoms. Use of HT increased dramatically in the 1980s and 1990s. Results from large randomized clinical trials (RCT) could, around the turn of the century, however not find evidence for long-term benefits with HT. These results attracted great attention from media and the scientific community leading to changed treatment guidelines and decreased use of HT. Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to explore Swedish women’s conceptions, knowledge, management, and attitudes regarding the menopausal transition and HT. Material and methods: To explore and describe women’s conceptions of the menopausal transition women seeking medical advice due to climacteric symptoms were interviewed (n=20) and their statements were analyzed with a qualitative method (paper I). In 1999 (n=1760) and 2003 (n=1733) attitudes to (paper II) and knowledge of (paper III) the menopausal transition and HT among 53- and 54 year old women were investigated with a cross-sectional design using postal questionnaires. We also analyzed if attitudes differed before and after new scientific findings were published on risks and benefits of HT and if knowledge differed between educational levels. Since many women try to abandon use of HT a RCT was performed to study the effect of two different methods to discontinue HT, on recurrence of hot flushes, resumption of HT and on health related quality of life (HRQoL). Women (n=87) with vasomotor symptoms before initiating HT participated. Results: We found that the majority of the middle aged women in our study viewed the menopausal transition as a natural process the nature of which is affected by both hormonal changes and by ageing. Each woman seems to experience a set of psychological and physical symptoms that are in some sense unique to her experience. Women’s answers to the questions about HT demonstrate that attitudes towards HT held by women going through menopause have changed rather dramatically between 1999 and 2003. These changes probably reflect the influence on the women of media reports based on research that identified risks associated with HT that had not been identified before 1998. Women’s knowledge of the effects of HT seems to be unsatisfactory from a clinical perspective. No differences in hot flush frequency and resumption of HT were found between the women randomized to two different modes of discontinuation of HT. Almost 50 % of the women restarted HT within one year after discontinuation. Deteriorated wellbeing and severity of hot flushes were important predicting factors for resumption of HT. Conclusion: It is important to be aware of the individual woman’s conceptions and attitudes about and knowledge of the menopausal transition and HT to be able to individualize the counselling situation. Women who initiate HT due to hot flushes may experience recurrence of vasomotor symptoms and deteriorated HRQoL after discontinuation. A great proportion of them may resume HT. At present knowledge of possible advantages for the taper-down method when discontinuing HT is still lacking.

According to previous research, students show difficulties in learning redox reactions. By the historical development different redox models exist to explain redox reactions, the oxygen model, the hydrogen model, the electron model and the oxidation number model. This thesis reports about three studies concerning conceptions held by secondary school students of redox reactions. A textbook analysis is also included in the thesis. The first study was an investigation of the students’ use of redox models in inorganic contexts, their use of the activity series of metals, and the students’ ability to transfer redox knowledge. Then the students’ work with an open-ended biochemical task, where the students had access of the textbook was studied. The students talk about redox reactions, the questions raised by the students, what resources used to answer the questions and what kind of talk developed were investigated. A textbook analysis based on chemistry books from Sweden and one book from England was performed. The redox models used as well as the dealing with redox related learning difficulties was studied. Finally, the students’ conceptions about redox in inorganic, organic and biochemistry after completed chemistry courses were studied. The results show that the students were able to use the electron model as a tool to explain inorganic redox reactions and the mutuality of oxidation and reduction was fundamental. The activity series of metals became a tool for the prediction of reducing agent in some reactions. Most of the students rejected that oxygen is a prerequisite for a redox reaction. In the biochemical task the resource most used to answer the raised questions were the students’ consultation of the textbook – together or individually. Most questions resulted in short answers and the majority of these questions were answered. Questions concerning redox were analysed by the students and integrated into a chemical context but they could neither identify the substances oxidised or reduced nor couple the concepts to transfer of hydrogen atoms. The majority of these redox questions became unanswered. The textbook helped the students to structure a poster as well as to answer basic chemistry questions. For questions about organic and biochemical redox, the book was of no help. The textbook analysis showed that all historical redox models are used. Different models are used in inorganic, organic and biochemistry. The mutuality of oxidation and reduction is treated differently in subject areas. The textbooks did not help the reader linking the different redox models that were used. Few redox-related learning difficulties are addressed in the books. After completed chemistry courses the students had major problems to justify a redox reaction explained by transfer of hydrogen atoms both in the organic and biochemistry examples.

För att bli en demokratisk medborgare behövs kunnande i matematik, då samhällsinformation ska förstås och kritiskt kunna granskas för att ha möjlighet att fatta välgrundade vardagsbeslut. Denna kunskap behövs även för fortsatta studier samt för att få ett fungerande yrkesliv. Fenomenet matematik¬undervisning kan av olika lärare beskrivas, upplevas och uppfattas på kvalitativt skilda sätt. Studiens syfte var att undersöka och beskriva nyexaminerade lärares uppfattningar av fenomenet matematikundervisning samt att nå en ökad förståelse för och kunskap om nyexaminerade lärares första tid som lärare i matematik. Studiens fenomenografiska ansats var kvalitativt analytisk och beskrivande. Ett strategiskt urval har gjorts, där sex lärare har intervjuats. Den kvalitativa forskningsintervjun transkriberades och analyserades, vilket ledde till studiens resultat i form av beskrivnings¬kategorier. Den överordnade beskrivningskategorin var legitimitet, vilket i sin tur beskrevs på tre kvalitativt skilda sätt, som att legitimitet formellt tillskrivs, att legitimitet förvärvas samt att legitimitet tilldelas. Dessa beskrivningskategorier motsvarade studiens kvalitativa variation. Slutsatsen blev att legitimitet påverkade den nyexaminerade lärarens matematikundervisning samt relationen med övriga matematiklärare.

La réglementation de la sécurité est un des déterminants principaux de la sécurité du transport maritime. Depuis la fin du 20ème siècle, de nouvelles approches normatives fondées sur les risques viennent compléter la configuration traditionnelle - déterministe et prescriptive - de la réglementation de la sécurité. Nos travaux de recherche traitent de l'intérêt des techniques d'évaluation du risque pour la réglementation de la sécurité. Le travail méthodologique de production et d'organisation des concepts théoriques et des apports de terrain relatifs aux configurations réglementaires " non traditionnelles " permet de formaliser l'utilisation des techniques d'évaluation du risque et de proposer des aspects influençant le choix des techniques. Deux méthodes d'évaluation du risque sont améliorées - relatives à (i) l'évaluation formelle de la sécurité à utiliser dans le cadre du processus d'élaboration de règles, et aux (ii) conceptions alternatives pour la sécurité incendie à utiliser dans le cadre de conceptions de navire ne répondant pas aux exigences réglementaires classiques - et mises en oeuvre, respectivement, pour la sécurité des vraquiers et pour un espace public de navires à passagers. A travers ce travail, nous avons pu mettre en évidence l'utilisation potentielle de l'évaluation du risque pour la réglementation de la sécurité, et dégager les grandes lignes structurant ces approches.

This study examined preservice science teachers&rsquo / conceptions about teaching and learning, self-efficacy beliefs, learning approaches and images of themselves as a science teachers. The study was also interested in examining the possible relationships among preservice science teachers&rsquo / conceptions about teaching and learning, learning approaches and self-efficacy beliefs. The study was carried out during 2011-2012 spring semester at three different public universities in Ankara. A total of 208 senior preservice science teachers who were volunteers involved. Data were collected through Draw-A-Science-Teacher-Test Checklist, Teaching and Learning Conceptions Questionnaire, Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument, and The Learning Approach Questionnaire and analyzed by descriptive statistics, paired-sample t-test and canonical correlation analysis. Paired-sample t-test analyses results showed that preservice science teachers prefer constructivist conception more than traditional conception / and meaningful learning approaches more than rote learning approaches. Besides, preservice science teachers were also found to have generally high sense of self-efficacy beliefs in science teaching. Moreover, the results of the DASTT-C showed that preservice science teachers&rsquo / perspectives of science teaching conception is 42.7% student-centered, 7.0% teacher-centered and 50.3% neither student-centered nor teacher-centered. Furthermore, the canonical correlation analysis revealed that the first canonical variate demonstrated that preservice science teachers&rsquo / constructivist conception and traditional conception are associated with their self-efficacy beliefs and learning approaches.

Övervikt och fetma hos barn har ökat kraftigt sedan 1980-talet i Sverige. Det finns flera hälsorisker för barn med övervikt eller fetma och problemen kan bli större om övervikten permanentas kvar till vuxen ålder. Diabetes typ-2, lågt självförtroende och hjärt- och kärlsjukdomar är ett fåtal exempel på besvär som kan uppstå i samband med övervikt och fetma. Fetma och fetmarelaterade sjukdomar kostar samhället tre miljarder kronor per år i Sverige för vård och behandling. Därefter tillkommer kostnader för bland annat läkemedel, sjukskrivning och förtidspensionering. Ur ett kulturellt perspektiv finns ett samhällsideal där hälsa har fått innebörden att vara smal. Då övervikt och fetma har ökat hos barn ville vi undersöka hur överviktsproblematiken såg ut i en svensk kommun. Demografin i kommunen antyder ett socioekonomiskt samband med elevernas överviktsproblematik då de skolor som finns i villaområden endast har ett fåtal elever med övervikt eller fetma jämfört med de skolor som finns i lägenhetsområden, där problem med övervikt och fetma är betydligt större. Skolsköterskor valdes som målgrupp för att undersöka problemet då de har kontakt och arbetar med barns hälsa i både grundskolan och gymnasiet.   Syfte var att undersöka skolsköterskors och samverkande professioners uppfattningar och erfarenheter av övervikt hos barn och ungdomar, samt hur de arbetar med denna problematik. Vi inspirerades av den fenomenografiska ansatsen och genomförde femton semistrukturerade intervjuer där femton skolsköterskor, en skolläkare och en sjukgymnast deltog, 17 personer totalt. Resultatet visade på en demografisk skillnad i överviktsproblematiken där kultur och socioekonomi låg som främsta orsaker. Det framkom även att föräldrarna måste ta ansvar för sina barns hälsa genom att själva skapa goda levnadsvanor i hela familjen, med stöd och hjälp från kommunen. Dock uppfattades det finnas en brist på insatser mot övervikt. Skolsköterskorna hade en varierad syn på vilka kunskaper som behövs samt hur man kan arbeta med överviktiga barn och deras familjer. Ansvarsfördelningen mellan kommunen och skolsköterskor behöver ses över och omarbetas. / Overweight and obesity have been increasing problems among children in Sweden since the 1980s. These children’s health is at risk and the problems can become extensive if the youths remain overweight until adulthood. Diabetes type 2, low self confidence and cardiovascular diseases are but a few examples of health troubles caused by overweight and obesity. Obesity and its related diseases cost society three billion crowns per year in Sweden for health care and treatment, plus the cost for medicine, sick leaves and early retirement. Seen from a cultural point of view, the society ideal linked with health is to be slim. Since overweight and obesity have increased among children, we have investigated the obesity problem in a Swedish municipality. The demographics of the municipality suggests a socio-economic context of students' weight problems when the schools are in residential areas only have a few students who are overweight or obese compared to those schools that are in flat areas, where the problem of overweight and obesity is considerably larger. We have chosen school nurses as target group to examine the problem since they have contact with children and their health from the beginning of elementary school until the end of high school. Our purpose was to examine the school nurses’ and other school and children related personnel’s conception and experience of obesity among children and young people, as well as their working methods with this problem. We were inspired by the phenomenographical approach and carried out fifteen semi-structured interviews with fifteen school nurses, one school physician and a physiotherapist, a total of seventeen people. The result reveals a demographic difference in overweight problems where culture and social economy emerged as primary factors. It appeared also that the parents must take responsibility for their children’s health by creating themselves healthy lifestyles at home, with support and help from the municipality. However, we could distinguish a lack of efforts to prevent obesity. The school nurses had a varied approach on which knowledge was needed and how one can work with overweight children and their families. We found also a need to review and revise the school nurses’ and municipality’s responsibilities.

Enligt läroplanen (Lgr11) och skollagen (SFS 2010:800) är det lärarens uppdrag att individanpassa sin undervisning. Dessa styrdokument är tydligare kring den individanpassade undervisningen än vad tidigare styrdokument har varit. Min erfarenhet var att detta inte gjordes fullt ut som det förväntades. Med detta som bakgrund ville jag undersöka lärares förståelse av individanpassad undervisning. Därmed blev mitt syfte att undersöka och studera lärares skilda uppfattningar av individanpassad undervisning. Detta valde jag att göra genom en kvalitativ metod med intervju som datainsamlingsteknik. Studien har sin utgångspunkt i fenomenografin. I studien har fyra verksamma lärare intervjuats. Resultatet visade två skilda uppfattningar av individanpassad undervisning: Individanpassad undervisning som generell princip för undervisning och Individanpassad undervisning som utopi. Det som blev tydligt i resultatet är att kategorin Individanpassad undervisning som generell princip för undervisning är den kategori som var mest frekvent förekommande i det empiriska materialet, det vill säga lärarna uppehöll sig i intervjuerna kring resonemang som kan hänföras till innehållet i den beskrivningskategorin. Lärarna ger alltså uttryck för att de använder sig mycket av individanpassad undervisning. Innan studien antog jag att lärarna i större utsträckning skulle se den individanpassade undervisningen som något som de ville jobba med, men inte ansåg sig ha tid, resurser eller möjligheter till. Vid en analys av relationen mellan de skilda uppfattningarna kunde det konstateras att kategorin Individanpassad undervisning som generell princip för undervisning kan betraktas i ett elevperspektiv som mer utvecklande än kategorin Individanpassad undervisning som utopi. / According to the curriculum (Lgr11) and Education Act (SFS 2010:800) is the teacher's assignment to individualize their education. These policy documents are clearer about the individualized education than previous policy documents have been. My experience was that this wasn´t done fully as it should. With this as background, I wanted to investigate teachers' understanding of individualized education. This made my purpose to examine and study the teachers' different conceptions of individualized education. This, I chose to do through a qualitative approach to interview data collection techniques. The study was based on phenomenography. The study has four active teachers interviewed. The results showed two different conceptions of individualized education: Individually tailored teaching as a general principles of teaching and individualized education as a utopia. What became clear in the results is that the category Individually tailored teaching as a general principle of teaching is the category most frequently occurring in the empirical material. The teachers expressed that they use a lot of individualized education as a general principle of teaching. Before the study, I assumed that teachers in the greater would see the personalized education as a utopia, as something they wanted to work with, but felt they had time, resources or opportunities. When analyzing the relationship between the different positions, was it clear that the category Individually tailored teaching as a general principle of teaching can be seen in a student perspective as more developed than the category Individually tailored teaching as a utopia.

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