Syftet med studien är att göra en kunskapsöversikt om vad forskningen inom matematiksvårigheter grundar sitt underlag på. Resultatet av studien visar att forskningen av elever i matematiksvårigheter inte ses ur en helhet, utan matematiksvårigheterna ses som antingen biologiska hos individen eller med ett omvärldsperspektiv. Detta göra att de olika studierna missar faktorer som kan påverka resultatet. Studien visar även att forskningen har en ensidig syn på elever i svårigheter och hur urvalet av informanterna väljs ut. Forskningen bedrivs inte heller ien naturlig social miljö vilket gör att undervisningen och lärarens roll inte är i fokus eller finns med alls i forskningen. Det kan påverka hur resultaten kan tillämpas på elever i en verklig skolmiljö.

The purpose of my exam thesis in advanced level is that I formed a perception about what difficulties newly arrived students encounter in mathematics. What I also formed is a perception about how I can complete those difficulties. This is done for newly arrived students in order to finally increase their opportunities to develop in their learning and also for teachers, how to behave and react to help their newly arrived students. To answer the purpose, I started with a research overview. The research overview below served as an aid and guideline during the course of the work. “What different types of difficulties do newly arrived students experience in relation to mathematics”. What I also have done is conducted an information search using keywords that are combined in different ways in different databases about scaffolding benefits for newly arrived students, which I discussed later on with the results I got.   To answer my purpose, I implemented qualitative interviews with newly arrived students around the age 15 and 16 in a school that is located in Malmo, Sweden. The work has a phenomenological approach, which has contributed to experiences being the focus of the collection and processing of materials.The results show that newly arrived students' experiences of mathematics are different. Students that didn't get any extra help have a hard time learning math in school while students who get extra help from either family or classmates have it easier. Newly arrived students developed their mathematic and Swedish skills when they were taught and assisted in their first language during class and tasks, however that method was not used a lot by their teachers. Students who had family helping them or students who speak the same language feel less lonely in school than students who didn't have anything. Same difficulties are found in the Swedish language, in which the newly arrived students described how math is a universal language, but some math problems require Swedish language, therefore they are connected.

Many research studies have been conducted in Arab countries to examine the difficulties that Arab students encounter in learning English writing. Unfortunately, not much of that scholarship deals with the challenges that these second language learners face when they pursue degrees abroad. Furthermore, the earlier studies failed to include the students' views about their difficulties, the causes, and possible solutions. In an effort to fill the gap in our understanding of the problems Arab students face in learning to write in English, this study explores the experiences and perceptions of a sampling of forty Arab students who chose to study in the United States. The students who participated provide firsthand information about their experiences in distinctly different learning and cultural environments; they provide information about their difficulties in improving their English writing skills and offer suggestions for all who teach writing to second language learners. The difficulties identified and described by these students provide a sketch of experiences and perceptions of Arab students who learn English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in their home countries and English as a Second Language (ESL) in the United States. The information provided as a result of this study will guide future research on second language learners, help develop pedagogies that will better serve the students, and expand our understanding of language acquisition as it pertains to an increasingly multilingual world.

No description available.

Rasch is a mathematical model that allows researchers to compare data that measure a unidimensional trait or ability (Bond & Fox, 2007). When data fit the Rasch model, it is mathematically proven that the item difficulty estimates are independent of the sample of respondents. The purpose of this study was to test the robustness of the Rasch model with regards to its ability to maintain invariant item difficulty estimates when real (data that does not perfectly fit the Rasch model), polytomous scored data is used. The data used in this study comes from a university alumni questionnaire that was collected over a period of five years. The analysis tests for significant variation between (a) small samples taken from a larger sample, (b) a base sample and subsequent (longitudinal) samples and (c) variation over time with confounding variables. The confounding variables studied include (a) the gender of the respondent and (b) the respondent's type of major at the time of graduation. The study used three methods to assess variation: (a) the between-fit statistic, (b) confidence intervals around the mean of the estimates and (c) a general linear model. The general linear model used the person residual statistic from the Winsteps' person output file as a dependent variable with year, gender and type of major as independent variables. Results of the study support the invariant nature of the item difficulty estimates when polytomous data from the alumni questionnaire is used. The analysis found comparable results (within sampling error) for the between-fit statistics and the general linear model. The confidence interval method was limited in its usefulness due to small confidence bands and the limitation of the plots. The linear model offered the most valuable data in that it provides methods to not only detect the existence of variation but to assess the relative magnitude of the variation from different sources. Recommendations for future research include studies regarding the impact of sample size on the between-fit statistic and confidence intervals as well as the impact of large amounts of systematic missing data on the item parameter estimates.

The purpose of this degree project is to address the issue of dyslexia in the language classroom. It explores how teachers understand, address and work with dyslexia in relation to assessment and examination. The research has been based on qualitative interviews conducted with three working teachers: two English teachers and one Swedish teacher who is specialized in special aid teaching. Along with a theoretical background regarding useful research, relevant terms and definitions used in the discussion concerning dyslexia, the research establishes that interviewed teachers understand what working with dyslexic learners entails. However, there is lack of insight into Skolverket (The National Agency for Education) and the actual recommended procedures when assessing and examining dyslexic learners. This research highlights the importance of giving educators the tools and strategies needed to support dyslexic students in the examination situation and how to fairly assess these students.Keywords: Dyslexia, assessment, examination, reading and writing difficulties.

Recent research suggests that summer reading programs may benefit elementary-aged children with learning disabilities and reading difficulties. However, there exists limited literature on how both play-based learning (PBL) and scaffolding can be used to improve reading outcomes in non-school settings. The purpose of this qualitative research was to examine PBL, scaffolding, and perceived reading outcomes in a 6-week play-based summer reading program. The conceptual framework guiding this research is that PBL, when combined with scaffolding, results in either the maintenance or the improvement of reading outcomes. Fourteen individuals (5 support workers, 4 parents, 5 children) who were enrolled in a play-based summer reading program between 2019 and 2021 participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest that PBL and scaffolding can lead to perceived reading progress and increases in confidence and motivation, as well as an absence of a summer learning slide. Additional themes relating to the role of the support workers, program organization and friendship/belonging emerged. Implications for the literacy learning of elementary-aged children with disabilities and reading difficulties are discussed.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.