This thesis examines interactions between professionals and children who have been identified as having social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). More specifically, this thesis examines video-recorded interactions that take place during the delivery of two interventions: one-to-one pastoral care within a primary school, and group coaching for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Using conversation analysis (CA) and discursive psychology (DP) these data were analysed to identify the ways in which professionals package and deliver their support, and manage psychological notions to do with the self, or what I call self-work - moments within the interactions when children are supported to talk about their emotions, feelings, and behaviour in order to help them make sense of the difficulties they are experiencing; and moments within the interaction when children are given the skills and knowledge they need to manage, change, or overcome those difficulties. The main findings from this thesis are that support and self-work are not taken-for-granted outcomes simply achieved because children attend intervention programmes. Instead, support and self-work are packaged and delivered through ordinary conversational practices. Chapter 4 shows how encouraging self-assessment supports a child s agency and participation to construct a more positive version of their self. Chapter 5 respecifies reassurance as an interactional practice to show how it works to prevent the emotional affect of a child s personal troubles becoming internalised and self-imposed. Chapter 6 shows how questions promote the collaborative building of knowledge, and how person references normalise and unpathologise emotions often bound to ADHD constructs. The findings from this thesis demonstrate applicability to both research and practice by offering a unique insight into the interactional environments of pastoral care and coaching. Firstly, by examining the interactional landscapes of these two interventions Chapter 3 provides a rich overview of pastoral care and coaching activities to show how these interventions are accomplished as real life activities. Secondly, by examining the conversational practices through which pastoral care and coaching are delivered this thesis respecifies everyday notions of support and self-work as members situated actions, and in so doing furthers our knowledge and understanding of these somewhat abstract notions. Such findings are valuable because interventions are informed by theoretical guidelines that recommend children experiencing difficulty can be helped if they are supported to understand their difficulties and to develop a more positive sense of self. However, such guidelines offer little in terms of how such recommendations should be put into practice by the professionals working with children. This research uncovers some of the ways in which theoretical recommendations are delivered via interactional practices, to make visible members methods for delivering support and managing self-work . The need for this work to be done is that support and self-work are performed as much through the ways in which professionals deliver their interventions, as it is through the content of those interventions.

Les difficultés rencontrées par les entreprises peuvent prendre des proportions importantes etles conduire vers une cessation d’activité si elles ne sont pas traitées suffisamment tôt.Le législateur marocain, conscient de la nécessité de la sauvegarde des entreprises, s’estinspiré de la loi française du 1er mars 1984, afin de mettre en place un dispositif légalorganisant des procédures de prévention et du règlement amiable.Le principe de la prévention repose en premier lieu sur l’alerte interne et externe, permettantainsi une détection précoce des difficultés. Le but étant de favoriser un dialogue entre lesorganes de contrôle et les dirigeants pour mettre en oeuvre une action concertée.Le règlement amiable, mécanisme contractuel et confidentiel, permet aux dirigeants desentreprises de demander la désignation d’un conciliateur afin de négocier avec leurscréanciers un accord amiable en vue d’optimiser le redressement de leurs entreprises.Néanmoins, les enquêtes réalisées au Maroc ont montré la méconnaissance et le faible usagede ces mécanismes préventifs par les dirigeants d’entreprises, car ils sont inadaptés à leurcontexte économique, social et culturel. A l’exemple des réformes des procédures collectivesentreprises par le législateur français entre 1994 et 2008, une réforme approfondie de la loimarocaine relative à la prévention et au règlement amiable est nécessaire afin de les rendreplus efficaces et accessibles. / The difficulties faced by the companies can lead to important consequences and a potentialdiscontinuance of business if not considered at an early stage.The Moroccan legislator, considering that the saving of the companies is of the essence, hasdrawn his inspiration from the French Law enacted on March 1st 1984 in order to set up in1996 prevention and amicable settlement procedures.The prevention principle first of all relies on internal and external warnings, allowingdifficulties prediction at an early stage. The purpose is to establish a dialogue betweensupervisory committees and corporate management in order to agree on a concerted step.The amicable settlement, which is a contractual and confidential mechanism, grants the rightto corporate managers to appoint a conciliatory to negotiate an amicable settlement with thecreditors in order to optimize the company recovery.Nevertheless, investigations in Morocco have demonstrated that this prevention mechanism iseither unrecognized or weakly used by corporate managers, mainly because this mechanism isnot in line with the economical, social and cultural context. Between 1994 and 2008, theFrench legislator has amended the bankruptcy proceedings which can be considered as anexample. An in-depth reform of Moroccan laws relating to prevention and amicablesettlement procedure is necessary as well for further efficiency and accessibility.

This work treats the mutual relationships between dyslexia and teaching of French language. It proposes exercices for students with dyslexia which, being adapted to their specific learning difficulties, contribute to their reeducation. The exercices are designed especially for senior pupils and high school students of intermediate level. They may be used for individual instruction or in inclusive classrooms. This work can be used as a tool for teachers working with dyslexics who want to adapt the instruction to their special needs.

This thesis deals with specific learning difficulties (SLD) in the context of teaching geography in upper primary schools and secondary schools, trying to figure out whether pupils and students have (or may have) specific learning difficulties when learning geography, whether such problems exist. If so, how can be these problems avoided or at least mitigated. To meet stated goals, it was necessary to answer fundamental questions about the specific learning disabilities. What SLD are? What type of SLD are known? What causes SLD? And what are the typical symptoms? After that, based on the findings from answers to these questions, qualitative research was realised through in-depth interviews. Respondents of these interviews were eight people with learning disabilities - dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysorthography, dyscalculia, and a combination. All interviews were recorded on a tape recorder, transcribed and analyzed using the methods of clustering and capturing patterns (so- called gestalts) using open and axial coding. The results of analysis of these interviews were summarised and provide some insight into the SLD related to teaching geography. KEYWORDS specific learning difficulties, dyslexia, education, teaching, geography

Syftet med studien är att analysera pedagogers berättelser om hur de upplever arbetet med identifiering och utredning av läs- och skrivsvårigheter hos nyanlända. Vi har samlat empiriskt material i form av intervjuer som vi har analyserat med hjälp av tidigare forskning samt teorier. De nio intervjuerna av speciallärare/specialpedagoger, SVA-lärare och modersmålslärare genomfördes på två skolor med ett stort antal nyanlända elever och på kommunens mottagningsenhet. I studien berättar pedagogerna att de upplever en stor utmaning kring identifiering och utredning av nyanlända elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter. Det råder osäkerhet kring vem som ansvarar för vad och de beskriver att gränsdragningsproblem leder till att elever faller mellan stolarna. Pedagogerna har svårt att veta om problematiken beror på läs- och skrivsvårigheter eller bristande kunskaper i svenska språket vilket leder till både över- och underidentifiering. För att kunna ge nyanlända elever rätt stödåtgärder efterfrågas förutsättningar och former för samarbete och mer tydliga riktlinjer och rutiner. Enligt pedagogerna skulle det leda till mer likvärdig utbildning. Från intervjuerna framkommer också att identifieringen av läs- och skrivsvårigheter tar lång tid och att det saknas en utvecklad metod och ett heltäckande material för utredning. Bedömningen baseras ofta på pedagogens erfarenhet och i jämförelse med andra elevers utveckling i andraspråket.   Trots flera utmaningar är pedagogerna överlag positiva och har förslag på möjligheter och förbättringar; såsom kompetenshöjning inom andraspråksinlärning och läs- och skrivsvårigheter, mer användning av utredningsmaterial som är oberoende av språkkunskaper, fördjupat samarbete mellan olika professioner, tillgång till extern rådgivning och rekrytering av modersmålslärare bland nyanlända.       Vår förhoppning är att medverka till att skolor ser över sina riktlinjer och rutiner kring hur man identifierar och utreder läs- och skrivsvårigheter hos nyanlända elever / The purpose of the study is to analyze teachers' stories of how they experience the process of identification and investigation of the reading and writing difficulties of new arrivals. We have gathered empirical data in the form of interviews that we have analyzed using previous research and theories. The nine interviews of special education teachers / special educators, teachers teaching Swedish to newly arrived students and native mother- tongue teachers were made at two schools that have a large number of newly arrived pupils and at the municipal reception center. In the study the educators say that they are experiencing a major challenge identifying and investigating newly arrived students´ difficulties in reading and writing. There is some uncertainty about who is responsible for what, and they describe the demarcation problems leading to nobody feeling responsible for the problem. The teachers find it difficult to know if the problems are due to language difficulties or lack of knowledge of the Swedish language. In order to provide newly arrived students with proper support conditions and forms of cooperation as well as clear policies and procedures are requested. According to the teachers that would lead to a more equal education. The identification of reading and writing difficulties is said to take a long time and there is also a lack of a developed methodology and comprehensive materials to detect these difficulties. The assessment is often based on the teacher's experience and in comparison with other students´ learning a second language                                                                                                             Despite the challenges the educators are generally positive and have suggested facilities and improvements; such as increasing skills in how the pupils learn a second language and how to work with reading and writing difficulties, more use of investigative material that is independent of language skills, enhanced cooperation between different professions, access to external advice and recruitment of mother- tongue teachers among new arrivals. Our hope is to contribute to the schools reviewing their policies and procedures on how to identify and investigate the reading and writing difficulties of newly arrived students.

During my practical training period I observed that many of the students have a negative attitude against mathematics. I also observed that these students have a difficulty reaching the goals in the subject. In my opinion there are different factors that can be the reason to why these students experiences mathematics as a difficult subject in school. This is the reason why I wanted to find out which factors that lies behind the difficulties and how the pedagogues work to support these students. It is also significant that every single student get their rights to develop a positive attitude against mathematics and that the pedagogue supports the students in their development. The point with this degree project is to find out, with the help of three pedagogues, which factors that could lead to difficulties in mathematics with students. However, I also want to find out how the pedagogues teach out when they come across with students with mathematical problems. The three informants have many years of experience in teaching and they have worked with students in the elementary school for many years. They have also been teaching students with difficulties in mathematics. When I was interviewing the pedagogues I got the chance to give them attendant questions and also be accessory during the interview. The results of my study showed that there are different factors that can lead to difficulties in mathematics with students, but also that there are different kinds of ways to work for the pedagogue with students that have problems with the subject. These factors are emotional blocks, lacking in the teaching, reading- and writing difficulties and difficulties in the language. My study also showed that with the help from the pedagogue, the students can develop a more positive attitude against mathematics, thru social interactions, dialogues, group work and elaborative work.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur några lärare på en grundskola beskriver att de arbetar med läs- och skrivinlärning i årskurs 1-3 samt hur de arbetar för att förebygga läs- och skrivsvårigheter. Studien är baserad på en intervjustudie och resultaten är analyserade med hjälp av begrepp från de tre specialpedagogiska perspektiven. Det sammanfattande resultatet visar att lärarna arbetar med liknande metoder i sin undervisning men att deras lärarutbildning gett dem olika kunskaper och ingångsvinklar kring hur de utformar sin undervisning. Gemensamma faktorer som de uppger som betydelsefulla att använda sig av är språklekar i början av läs- och skrivinlärningen och ett gott samarbete med både föräldrar så väl som speciallärare främjar elevernas läs- och skrivutveckling. En annan viktig faktor är att tidigt identifiera elever som stöter på hinder i sin läs- och skrivutveckling. En del av resultaten stämmer överens med den tidigare forskningen som jag har tagit del av. Dessutom har det uppkommit ett fynd i studien vilket är att lärarutbildningen har förändrats och det har även deras status de senaste tjugo åren och det har påverkat deras arbete på olika sätt. / The aim of this study was to research how a group of teachers at an elementary school described the methods that they used to teach reading and writing skills in grades 1-3, including practices used to prevent reading and writing difficulties. The study was conducted by interviewing teachers, and then analyzing the findings by applying the theoretical framework consisting of the three special educational perspectives. The summarized results showed that the teachers used similar methods of practice, but that their own university education had given them dissimilar sets of knowledge and perspectives on how they performed their teachings. Teaching methods that were used to prevent reading and writing difficulties were the usage of language games during the beginning stages of literacy development, and cooperation between parents and special education teachers. Another important factor was the early identification of pupils who faced challenges in reading and writing difficulties. Some of the results matched previous studies in the same area. An additional finding found is that teachers’ education has changed, as well as their status over the past twenty years, which has had an effect on their occupation.

Background: Studies show that healthcare professionals often experience ethical difficulties in their relations with patients, relatives, and other professionals and in relation to organisational issues, and these can sometimes be difficult to handle. Failing to act or to relate in accordance with one’s values for what is good and right might cause a troubled conscience that is connected to feelings of guilt and ill-being. Ethical issues related to the care of patients with end-stage renal disease have been described, but no studies in this context have been found that explore registered nurses’ (RNs’) and physicians’ experiences of being in ethically difficult situations that give rise to a troubled conscience. The importance of communicating ethical issues in order to understand and handle ethically difficult care situations has been emphasized. Various forms of clinical ethics support (CES) have been described and evaluated, but studies on the communication processes and the organisation of CES interventions are sparse and no study describing a CES intervention based on Habermas’ theory of communicative action has been found. Aim: The overall aim was to increase our understanding about being in ethically difficult care situations and about how communication concerning ethical issues in healthcare can be promoted. More specifically, the aim of studies I and II was to illuminate experiences of being in ethically difficult situations giving rise to a troubled conscience among RNs and physicians, while studies III and IV aimed to describe the communication of value conflicts (III) and the organisation and performance of a CES intervention (IV). Methods: In studies I and II narrative interviews with ten RNs (I) and five physicians (II), were performed in a dialysis care context. The interviews were analysed using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. In studies III and IV, eight audio- and video-recorded and two audio-recorded sessions of the CES intervention, were conducted and sorted by the data tool Transana and analysed in accordance with a qualitative content analysis (III) and a qualitative concept- and data-driven content analysis (IV). Results: The RNs’ narratives (I) resulted in the theme ‘Calling for a deliberative dialogue’. Their narratives expressed feelings of uncertainty, solitude, abandonment, and guilt in complex and ambiguous ethically difficult situations. The narratives concerned the value conflict between preserving life by all means and preserving life with dignity. The physicians’ narratives (II) resulted in the themes ‘Feeling trapped in irresolution’ and ‘Being torn by conflicting demands’. Their narratives expressed feelings of uncertainty, solitude, abandonment and guilt related to the obligation to make crucial decisions and in situations when their ideals and the reality iii clashed. The analysis of the communication of value conflicts during the CES intervention inspired by Habermas’ theory of communicative action (study III) revealed a process of five phases: a value conflict expressed as feelings of frustration, sharing disempowerment and helplessness, revelation of the value conflict, enhancing realistic expectations of the patients and relatives, and seeing opportunities to change the situation instead of obstacles. The CES intervention (study IV) was organised as a framework with a given structure and an openness for variations to facilitate communicative action. Three courses of actions to reach a communicative agreement were identified and concerned the approach to achieve a permissive communication, opening up for extended views, and enhancing mutual understanding (IV). Conclusion: The results show that both RNs and physicians expressed feelings of uncertainty abandonment and loneliness in similar ethically difficult situations but from different points of view. They struggled with the same value conflicts and feelings, but they did not share their struggles with each other. The lack of communication and confirmation led to distrust and increased feelings of uncertainty. The CES intervention, inspired by Habermas’ theory of communicative action, offered the possibility of dealing with experiences of ethically difficult care situations. In the permissive atmosphere, the professionals helped each other to balance their ambiguity, frustrations, and powerlessness and came to an agreement about how to handle the value conflicts and how to act. The findings from this CES intervention constitute a step towards a CES method that is clearly described so that leaders can be educated and extended intervention studies with different kinds of data can be conducted in order to further develop knowledge about how to promote an inter-professional dialogue about ethical difficulties.

Det finns möjligheter för elever i matematiksvårigheter att nå skolans kunskapskrav i ämnet matematik om de får hjälp iform av effektiva interventioner. Därför är det av intresse att undersöka vilka undervisningsmetoder som ingår i effektivainterventioner.Frågeställningarna för denna litteraturstudie är:• På vilka sätt kan lärare stötta elever i matematiksvårigheter?o Vilka undervisningsmetoder har visats vara gynnsamma för elever i matematiksvårigheter?o Vilka representationsformer använder lärare för att stötta elever i matematiksvårigheter?• Hur påverkar undervisnings- och representationsformer elevers matematiska förmågor?I resultatet framkommer det att effektiva interventioner inkluderar muntliga och skriftliga instruktioner (med hjälp avvisuellt stöd), datorstöd, laborativ undervisning och självbedömning samt olika kombinationer av dessa. Hur effektfull enintervention är mäts med hjälp av effektstorlek och alla artiklar som ingår i denna litteraturstudie har i metaanalyserbedömts ha stor effektstorlek. / There are opportunities for students in mathematical difficulties to reach the school’s requirements in mathematics if theyreceive help in form of effective interventions. Therefore, it is of intrest to investigate which teaching methods areinlcluded in effective interventions.The questions for this literature study are:• In what ways can teachers support students in mathematical difficulties?o What teaching methods have shown to be beneficial for students in mathematical difficulties?o What forms of representation do teachers use to support students in mathematical difficulties?• How does teaching methods and reprepresentations influence the mathematical abilities of students?The result shows that effective inteventions include verbal and written instructions (using visual support), computersupport, laboratory teaching and self-assessment, as well as various combinations of the mentioned interventions. Theeffectiveness of an intervention is measured by means of effect size. All articles included in this literature study have inmeta-analyzes been considered to have a large effect size.

M.A., Faculty of Humanities, University of the University, 2011 / With the increasing prevalence of autism on a worldwide scale, new teaching methodologies need to be explored in order to educate children with autism helping them to achieve their maximum potential. It has previously been established that many individuals with autism use visual opposed to verbal modes of thinking and learning. In this study action research was used to examine if high imagery instructional methods of teaching could be used as a teaching tool for autistic children attending a special needs school. This study examined whether there was a change in the classroom performance of three autistic children after a 5 month period of high imagery instruction, as compared against a baseline of response to previous instruction, as well as the pattern of verbal and non verbal abilities manifested at time of intake into the programme. Analysis of the results of initial cognitive, language and perceptual tests was thus undertaken for diagnostic purposes, combined with analysis of initial response to teaching prior to high imagery intervention. Once this base-line had been established, analysis of school readiness and scholastic tests was then undertaken pre and post intervention, combined with in-depth interviews with the children’s teacher, analysis of developmental diaries and analysis of work done as part of the school programme followed by each child over a five month period of intervention. At baseline all three children were found to have phonological weaknesses, as evidenced by difficulties isolating onset sounds in words, difficulties with rhyming and difficulties in skills such as blending sounds into words. Two of the children in the sample showed little to no response to the high imagery instruction, and continued to have difficulties with reading and pre-reading tasks involving working with the sound structure of the English language. The third child in the sample showed an increase in phonological skills and in reading, writing and spelling abilities in response to high imagery instruction, as well as an increase in both vocabulary and the non-verbal abilities involved in drawing . It was noted at base-line as well as throughout the study that visual memory was an area of strength for this child, but not for the other two children in the sample. The child who made progress was also able to use his visual strengths to develop associations between sounds and letters. The conclusions from this exploratory study are that not all children with autism learn through use of visual strategies in teaching. The success of high imagery teaching strategies when used with a child with well developed visual memory abilities would suggest that high imagery instruction could be a useful and successful teaching strategy where children with autism exhibit well developed visual modes of thought. Strengths in visual memory and in visual association may be indicators of the likelihood that a child with autism will respond positively to high imagery instruction.