For many years, I have tried to understand why students end up in difficulties in mathematics. As a future teacher, it is extremely important to have knowledge of the various factors that leads to difficulties in mathematics. As a teacher it is obvious to meet the students who find mathematics a difficult subject, and, therefore it is necessary to have a broader knowledge of how to respond and support these students. According to Ahlberg, number of students with mathematics difficulties is increasing every year, therefore, it is important to help students and organize a supporting school environment that promotes and encourages learning (Ahlberg 2001, p. 104-105). The aim of this degree project is find out, with the help of selected teachers, various factors that may lead to the basis for the students’ mathematics difficulties. The aim is also to find out how teachers work in order to support students with mathematics difficulties. I interviewed four trained mathematics teachers. All pedagogues have years of experience of teaching students with mathematics difficulties and all have had mathematics in their undergraduate studies. In my interviews, I used a tape recorder so that I could focus on questions, answers, and also be involved in as well as reflect over what was said. The results showed that there are various reasons for difficulties in mathematics and different ways of working to address student´s difficulties in mathematics. Mathematics difficulties can depend on emotional obstructions, a poor self-confidence, planning difficulties, a poor working memory, language difficulties, reading and writing difficulties and deficiencies in the didactical field. The result also showed that students’ difficulties can be reduced through dialogue, group works and a laboratory work.

The aim of this study was to investigate which factors teachers and special needs education teachers view as being the main causes of mathematical learning difficulties and from these choose how to educate pupils with these difficulties. The aim was also to investigate how this education is organised at two different schools. An interview based investigation addressed these objectives by using three comprehensive questions: Which factors do the teachers and special needs teachers view as being the main reasons for mathematical learning difficulties? How do teachers and special needs teachers educate pupils with mathematical learning difficulties? How is the education organised for pupils with mathematical learning difficulties at two different schools? This study is based on four interviews of three teachers and one special needs teacher. The people interviewed work at two different primary schools in the same local authority. The results of the interviews show that it is the pupils’ experiences of the maths that affects how well they comprehend the subject. Furthermore factors such as reading and writing difficulties can cause problems with regards to understanding tasks in maths. Educationalists in this study regard a varied education with an element of group work, communication and experimental material as being beneficial for pupils with mathematical learning difficulties. How the education of pupils is organised depends on the extent of the learning difficulties of each pupil. The needs of pupils with mild learning difficulties can be met by the form teacher whereas pupils with more severe difficulties require assistance from special teachers.

This study is aimed at finding out how nursery and pre-school teachers carry out their obligation to report suspected child abuse, and their views on the issue. The study was alsoa imed at highlighting any difficulties teachers might have when dealing with children who arem istreated. In addition, the study examines the impact on teachers and children when thet eachers decide to either report or not report abuse. The main issues addressed by this study are:   Are pre-school and nursery teachers aware of their duty to report suspected child abuse and what are their opinions regarding this duty? How do the teachers claim they behave if obliged to report and what difficulties dothey encounter? In order to find the answer to these questions, qualitative interviews were made with eight pre-school teachers. The empirical evidence has been put in relation to theories of action and communication as well as to previous research in the area that concerns children who are mistreated. The study demonstrates the complexities that the duty to report child abuse creates and how the ambivalence that arises can inhibit a teacher’s actions. Fear of the consequences, regardless of whether the report is made or not, ultimately lead to paralysis, something which the conclusion also shows. Some of the conclusions drawn are that the support to teachers must improve in terms of better co-operation between pre-schools and social services. Moretime should also be set aside for training and for discussions with colleagues. The duty toreport suspected child abuse needs to be addressed in a way that makes it less daunting in order to encourage more teachers to do so. Apprehension regarding the possible consequences that would arise from reporting child abuse should not deter a teacher from helping a  vulnerable child.

Sammanfattning   Det är inte bara elever med dyslexi som har läs- och skrivsvårigheter, utan problemet har ökat överallt i vårt moderna samhälle. Kraven på att läsa och ha god läsförståelse ökar i takt med att allt mer information skickas till oss via media, internet och post. Detta problem medförde att vi på den skola jag arbetar startade ett läsprojekt för att öka elevernas läsförståelse och därmed också deras resultat i skolan. Syftet med mitt arbete är att ta reda på vilka svårigheter och orsaker det finns för elever som har läs- och skrivsvårigheter, samt hur man ökar deras läsförståelseförmåga. Kan elever bara genom att läsa mera, kunna förbättra sina prestationer i läsförståelse. För att få ett svar på detta har jag undersökt elevers resultat av läsförståelsediagnoser. Resultaten presenteras utifrån en stanineskala som är en standardskala där elevernas poäng överförs till en niogradig skala. Ett staninevärde på fem motsvarar medelvärde. Sammanlagt nittiosju elever i samma ålder har kartlagts under högstadietiden. Resultatet vid undersökningen blev att läsförståelsen förbättrades för de svaga läsarna. Det visade sig också att de som var bra i sin läsförståelse i årskurs sju, sänkte sina resultat och närmade sig medelstanine fem. Ökad lästid i skolan har gjort att eleverna ökat sin läsförståelse. Däremot krävs det en utveckling av projektet, där samtalet kring det man läser sätts i fokus. Samtal ökar elevers förståelse och reflekterande. / Abstract The problem with dyslexia has increased everywhere in our modern society. Requirements of proficiency in reading and comprehension skills, increases at a similar speed to that which information is disseminated. This problem led to a reading project in the school where I work. The aim was to increase pupils reading, comprehension and also their overall performance. Is it a possibility that by just reading more in school, pupils can improve their performance? To find and answer I have researched the pupils results from a reading comprehension diagnosis. The results are presented from a stanine scale, a standard scale where pupils points transfers to a nine degree scale. A stanine value of five is equal to mean and the lowest values are one and two. The reading diagnosis was undertaken by 97 pupils in the same age. The fist was carried out in autumn term of year seven and then every autumn up to year nine. The results show that reading comprehension improved for weaker readers from level one and two in year seven, to level three and four in year nine. The results also showed that pupils with good abilities in year seven lowered their results to middle stanine five in year nine. More time for reading in school shows that pupils increase their reading comprehension. However, the project needs to develop further, with focus on discussions following the reading of a text.

Abstract This study was meant to cast a light on the use of music-instruments that exists in preschool environments today. Furthermore the purpose was to find out if instruments first and foremost, actually did exist, and what thoughts had been put behind that decision. The focus was directed towards the preschool teachers and their attitudes towards music instruments among preschool children, at the ages 3 to 5 years. The purpose of the study was to understand how preschool teachers thought of activities where music instruments where used. The study was made from interviews with six different preschool teachers from different preschools. The interviews showed that the preschool teachers thought highly of the use of music instruments among children. They expressed instruments to be important for a number of things that developed different skills within the children.  The study also showed that the six preschools that the teachers represented used some sort of instrument in activities with the children. The teachers talked about the curriculum when explaining how they planned these activities, which also was meant to have an important role in this study.

Föreliggande uppsats är en kvalitativ studie med syftet att undersöka några pedagogers uppfattningar av pedagogisk utredning vid upprättandet av åtgärdsprogram för elever i socioemotionella svårigheter. Uppslaget till studien var den aktuella debatt som förs kring skolans arbete kring elever i behov av särskilt stöd samt den nya skollagen som trädde i kraft juni 2011. Metoden som har använts är en halvstrukturerad intervjustudie där sex pedagoger i grundskolan fick samtala utifrån följande frågeområden; Pedagogisk utredning, åtgärdsprogram och delaktighet. Pedagogerna arbetar på fem skilda grundskolor varav två är friskolor. Resultatet visar att det förekommer någon form av pedagogisk utredning på samtliga skolor innan ett åtgärdsprogram skrivs fram. Flertalet av skolorna har dessutom ett skrivet dokument som ska ge struktur och skapa ett samförstånd när pedagogerna ska arbeta med den pedagogiska utredningen. Resultatet visar att elever och föräldrar är delaktiga i processen att diskutera fram konkreta åtgärder till åtgärdsprogrammet och i utvärderingen av dessa. I utredningsfasen i den pedagogiska utredningen och i andra processer såsom resursfördelning och undervisning framkom deras delaktighet inte lika tydligt. Underlaget i den pedagogiska utredningen kom huvudsakligen fram genom samtal där det var den utredningansvariga pedagogen som höll i samtalen samt summerade dem. Vidare kan det i resultatet utläsas en fokusering på eleven som individ och där exempelvis åtgärder som är knutna till eleven är centrala. Pedagogerna lyfte även fram betydelsen av att arbeta med hela gruppen kring exempelvis klassrumsklimat och att ett sådant arbete gynnar elever i socioemotionella svårigheter.

The aim of this work is to examine how a number of class teachers reason about and find their work while teaching students who have reading and writing difficulties / dyslexia. The empirical study was intended to answer the question based on three questions. The work is based on a qualitative method as empirical material gathered in semi-structured interviews. Six classroom teachers, one male and five female teachers were interviewed. The interviewees were from six different schools in Stockholm Municipality and were between 27-61 years old. Most of the classroom teachers feel that there are approximately 4-5 students with reading and writing difficulties / dyslexia in each class. Half of the teachers feel that students with dyslexia may be different as they are quiet, unsecure and shy. While the other half experience these students as ordinary children. All those involved are of the opinion that they work, including in the classrooms by adjusting the lessons to each student's needs. Half of the classroom teachers perceive special pedagogy teachers well, while the other half experience it as problematic. Classroom teachers also think that they have the skills needed to respond to students with reading and writing difficulties / dyslexia and think that training courses are important to keep the knowledge alive. Several of the teachers emphasize that students with reading and writing difficulties / dyslexia get the help necessary while the other half think it can be better. The classroom teachers stress that in teaching, they use different methods which they cannot name. / Syftet med arbetet var att undersöka hur ett antal klasslärare resonerar kring och upplever sitt arbete med elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter/dyslexi i sin undervisning. Den empiriska undersökningen avsåg att besvara syftet utifrån tre frågeställningar.  Arbetet baserades på en kvalitativ metod där empiriska materialet samlades på semistrukturerade intervjuer. Sex klasslärare, en manlig och fem kvinnliga lärare intervjuades. De intervjuade var från sex olika skolor i Stockholmskommun och var i åldrarna 27 till 61 år.  De flesta klasslärarna upplever att det förekommer ungefär 4-5 elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter/dyslexi i varje klass.  Hälften av lärarna upplever att elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter kan vara olika då de är tysta, osäkra och tillbakadragna, medan den andra hälften upplever dessa elever som vanliga barn. Alla de medverkade resonerar att de arbetar inkluderande i klassrummet genom att de anpassar lektionerna efter varje individs förutsättningar. Häften av klasslärarna upplever specialläraren som positiv medan den andra hälften upplever problematik. Klasslärarna tycker också att de har kompetensen som behövs för att bemöta elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter/dyslexi och de resonerar kring fortbildningens betydelse för att hålla kunskapen levande. Flera av lärarna betonar att elever med läs- och skrivsvårigheter/dyslexi får den hjälpen som de behöver medan den andra hälften tycker att det kan bli bättre. I undervisningen betonar klasslärarna att de använder olika metoder som de inte kan namnge.

This final work of postgraduate studies of educology is commited to the analysis of learning difficulties between children in the at-risk group both in the city and country schools in Lithuania. The goals of this work are to analyse scientific literature (pedagogical, psychological and sociological) about children at-risk and their learning difficulties, to complete practical research of these difficulties – to carry out practical survey (inquiry) about learning difficulties both in schools which are in the city and in the country, to analyse empirical data of survey (inquiry), to give conclusions and recommendations. The main scientifc methods which were used to complete this work were analysis of scientific literature and other documents (legal documents which describe status of children in the at-risk group). Also an empirical method - inquiry of children and their teachers – was used. Answers to the questions of this inquiry were processed with the help of computer programmes SPSS_10 and MS Excel. It is necessary to mention that the main results of this work are that it gives broad description of children in the at-risk group, describe their individual qualities, measure not attending of school as one of the most important pedagogical and psychological problems of children in the at-risk group, according to the statistical data describes a degree of this problem and also gives recommendations how to solve this problem. The work also gives analysis of influence of the... [to full text]

Dabartinėje visuomenėje visose gyvenimo srityse stresas yra labai aktuali socialinė ir sveikatos problema. Tobulėjant informacinėms technologijoms, automatizacijai, mechanizacijai, spartėja gamybos ir konkurencijos tempai, auga informacijos srautai, didėja dirbančiojo atsakomybė. Visa tai didina intelektinę, nervinę ir emocinę įtampą ir sukelia profesinį stresą. Viena sunkiausių ilgalaikio streso pasekmių slaugytojoms yra sveikatos sutrikimai. Tyrimo tikslas. Įvertinti terminalinės būklės pacientus prižiūrinčių slaugytojų emocinius sunkumus bei jų kontrolės galimybes darbe. Tyrimo uždaviniai. 1. Išsiaiškinti terminalin��s būklės pacientus prižiūrinčių slaugytojų profesinius motyvus ir lūkesčius. 2. Išanalizuoti su darbu susijusius slaugytojų emocinius sunkumus bei jų įveikos būdus. 3. Įvertinti darbo organizavimo reikšmę slaugytojų savijautai. Tyrimo metodika. Atliktas kokybinis aprašomasis tyrimas, kurio metu panaudotas pusiau struktūruoto interviu metodas. Tyrime dalyvavo 18 slaugytojų, dirbančių keturiose Kauno miesto terminalinės būklės pacientų gydymo ir slaugos institucijose. Atrenkant skirtingų tipų institucijose dirbančius respondentus siekta atspindėti galimą požiūrių įvairovę. Duomenys buvo renkami 2008 m. sausio – vasario mėnesiais. Rezultatai. Tyrimas parodė, kad skirtingose terminalinės būklės pacientų slaugos institucijose dirbančios slaugytojos savo kasdieninėje veikloje patiria panašius sunkumus, neigiamai veikiančius jų savijautą ir sveikatą. Kasdien... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Stress is a very actual social and health problem in all spheres of life of present society. While improving information technologies, automation, mechanization, rates of production and competition accelerates, information flow grows, labouring man‘s responsibility increases. All this grows intellectual, nervous and emotional tension and raises professional stress. One of the most difficult outcomes of enduring stress for tenders is health disorder. Objective of research. Evaluate tenders‘ nursing patients in terminal state emotional difficulties and their control possibilities in work. Goals of research. 1. Ascertain tenders‘ nursing patients in terminal state professional motives and suspenses. 2. Traverse emotional difficulties connected with tenders‘ work and their defeat modes. 3. Evaluate meaning of work organization for tenders‘ feelings. Methodology of research. Qualitative descriptive research has been made, during the course of which semistructural interview method has been used. 18 tenders have participated in research who work in four Kaunas city institutions of patients‘ in terminal state treatment and nursing. Selecting respondents working in diverse type institutions the purpose was to reflect possible variety of attitudes. Data was collected during January and February of 2008. Results. Research has showed that nurses working in different institutions of nursing patients in terminal state in their ordinary activity experience similar difficulties... [to full text]

Analizuoti tautinių mažumų švietimą ir ieškoti būdų jį tobulinti verčia spartūs Lietuvos socialinio gyvenimo pokyčiai. Kiekviena tauta turi savo gimtąją klabą, papročius, tradicijas. Šiandieninė Lietuvos švietimo sistema sudaro galimybę tenkinti visų tautybių vaikų poreikius. Lietuvos Respublika garantuoja tautinėms mažumoms teisę mokytis gimtąja kalba. Beveik kiekvienas vaikas per pakankamai ilgą mokyklinio gyvenimo laikotarpį susiduria su didesnėmis ar mažesnėmis problemomis mokykloje. Viena jų - mokymosi sunkumai, pasireiškiantys silpnu mokymusi. Tai reiškinys, su kuriuo susiduria įvairaus amžiaus, lyties, skirtingų socialinių sluoksnių įvairių gabumų mokiniai (M. Barkauskaitė ir kt., 2004). Mokymosi sunkumams pašalinti būtina nustatyti jų priežastis. Kokie mokymosi sunkumai ir jų priežastys kyla tautinių mažumų mokyklų su gimtąja lenkų kalba mokiniams nebuvo tyrinėta, nes tautinių mažumų švietimo problemos Lietuvoje nėra plačiai tyrinėtos (D. Janonienė, D. Survutaitė, 2007). Dėl to atliktas tyrimas, kuriuo siekta atskleisti mokinių, besimokančių gimtąja lenkų kalba, mokymosi sunkumų priežastis. Iškelti uždaviniai: atskleisti mokinių mokykloje patiriamų mokymosi sunkumų tipus; atskleisti mokymosi sunkumų priežastis mokinių požiūriu; atskleisti mokymosi sunkumų priežastis mokytojų požiūriu. Tyrimas atliktas Vilniaus miesto tautinių mažumų (lenkų) bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje. Atvirų klausimų anketinėje apklausoje dalyvavo 335 respondentai: iš jų 35 mokytojai (10,4 proc.) ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Rapid changes in Lithuanian social life oblige to analyse the education of national minorities and to search for the ways to improve it. Every nation has its mother tongue, customs and traditions. Current Lithuanian system of education meets the requirements of all the minorities. The Republic of Lithuania guarantees national minorities the right to be educated in their mother tongue. Throughout all the years of school life, which is comparing a long period, almost every child faces less or more complicated problems. One of them is learning difficulty which is exemplified in the form of poor learning results. Children of various ages, sexes, social backgrounds or abilities encounter this phenomenon (M. Barkauskaitė and others, 2004). To eliminate learning difficulties it is essential to determine their reasons. The educational problems of national minorities in Lithuania have not been inquired broadly. Thus, it has not been studied what learning difficulties of the students Polish minority schools are and what causes them (D. Janonienė, D. Survutaitė, 2007). The main purpose of this study was to discover the reasons of learning difficulties in schools of Polish national minority. The objectives of the study were to overview the epistemology of learning difficulties; to classify the difficulties students face at school; to present the reasons of learning difficulties according to students and according to teachers; to compare and analyse the reasons named by students and... [to full text]